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 acteristic of the era. It belongs to no recognized school of theology. The 
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 u> dread any presentation of the life and character of Christ which does not 
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 From the Contemporary Review- 
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 subject of it appears to all English minds, will secure for it many readers. It is a 
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 ** To the author of * Ecce Homo,* not more in admiration of his writings than iu 
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 of the several books of the Old Testament, those conclusions are briefly stated, 
 »nd the gradual development of the Jewish form of religion traced down to th« 
 Christian era. ... 
 
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 some of the statements which are made in the work. In his view, however, it is 
 far better that the young especially should learn from those who arc friendiy to 
 religion what is now known of the actual origin of the Scriptures, rather than to 
 be left in ignorance till they are rudely awakened by the enemies of Christianity 
 from a blind and unreasoning faith in the supernatural inspiration of the Scriptures. 
 
 From the Providence yournal- 
 
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 reverent hand, and an evident desire to present the truth and nothing but the 
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 Topics, i. The Patriarchs; 2. Moses; 3. The Judges; 
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 andrians ; 12. The Messiah. 
 
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 crowded and too few, will throw light on many things which must be utterly dark 
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 erable people, and for a faith to which we owe much more than some of us suspect. 
 For, however untrammelled Mr. Allen's criticism may be, his thought is always 
 serious and reverential. And the reader of his pages, while confessing that their 
 author has cleared away many obstructions in the way of history, will confess also 
 that he has only made fi-eer the access to the halls of faith. There is no light or 
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4^1^ the, &cLme ^utnar. 
 
 THE PILLAR OP FIRE. 
 
 THE THRONE OP DAVID. 
 
 Unifbrm in size and style. Prioe, SI-^O. 
 
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The Prince 
 
 OF 
 
 THE HOUSE OF DAVID; 
 
 OR, 
 
 THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 BEING A SERIES OF THE LETTERS OF ADINA, A JEWESS OF ALEXANDRIA, 
 SUPPOSED TO BE SOJOURNING IN JERUSALEM IN THE DAYS OF 
 HEROD, ADDRESSED TO HER FATHER, A WEALTHY 
 JEW IN EGYPT, 
 
 AND RELATING, AS IF BY AN EYE-WITNESS, 
 
 ^11 tl)e &tmt& anU SEonDerful Incthmts 
 
 IN THE 
 
 LIFE OF JESUS OF NAZARETH, 
 
 FROM HIS BAPTISM IN JORDAN TO HIS 
 CRUCIFIXION ON CALVARY. 
 
 By rev. J. H. INGRAHAM, 
 
 Rector of Christ Churchy and of St. Thomas' Hally Holly Springs^ Miss. 
 
 CAREFULLY REVISED AND CORRECTED BY THE AUTHOR, EXPRESSLY FOil 
 THIS NEW EDITION. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 ROBERTS BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, 
 
 3 Somerset Street. 
 1890. 
 
Copyright, 1859, 
 By G. G. Evans. 
 
 Copyright, 1883, 1887, 
 By Roberts Brothers. 
 
ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 The Author of the present work desires to say, that 
 this is the only book to which he has given his name, 
 written by him, since 1847. The publications for the 
 past years issued from the press in a cheap form, 
 hearing his name, are unauthorized by him, and pub- 
 lished without his consent. All such works have been 
 written many years ; but the copyrights not having 
 been retained by the author, it is out of his power to 
 prevent their reprint, and he has no other protection 
 than a notice such as the present. 
 
 He desires also to add, that several cheap works, 
 written by persons unknown to him, and also transla- 
 tions from French authors, have been unblushingly 
 published as his own, by unprincipled men, while 
 many of his own books have been injuriously altered 
 in both text and title ; all of which surreptitious 
 works the author herewith disclaims. 
 
PREFACE TO THE NEW ISSUE, 
 
 The Letters comprising the present volume 
 were written for the purpose of presenting, per- 
 haps, in a new aspect, and from a new point of 
 view, the advent of the son of Mary, Christ 
 the Lord, among the people of Judea. It was 
 the editor's hope, in writing them, to tempt the 
 daughters of Israel to read what he wrote, and 
 receive and be convinced by the arguments and 
 proofs of the divinity of Christ, as here pre- 
 sented. For the Israelite as well as the Gentile 
 believer this volume appears ; and if it may be 
 the means of convincing one son or daughter 
 of Abraham to accept Jesus as Messias, or con- 
 vince the infidel Gentile that He is the very Son 
 of the God and Creator of the world, he will 
 have received his reward for the midnight hours, 
 taken amidst parochial labors, which he has de- 
 voted to this work. 
 
X 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 Most of the scenes of the life of Jesus during 
 the last four years of his stay on earth, as re- 
 corded in the Gospel, are here narrated as if 
 by an eye-witness of them. 
 
 Adina, the writer, a Jewess, is assumed to 
 have been a resident of Jerusalem during the 
 last four years of our Saviour's life, and to have 
 written to Alexandria, to her father, numerous 
 letters, describing all events of interest, and 
 especially giving a minute narrative of the 
 wonderful events of the life of Christ, whom she 
 daily saw. 
 
 With sacred awe and deep reverence, as con- 
 scious of treading on " holy ground," the writer 
 has unfolded, with the four Gospels as his guide, 
 the successive incidents of their marvellous His- 
 tory, such as no four years, before or since, have 
 paralleled. 
 
 Jesus was man, as well as God ! In this book 
 He is seen, and conversed with, as a man ! 
 
 The chief aim of this work is to prove the 
 divinity of our Lord through h:s humanity : for 
 " never nian spake like this man." 
 
 There can be no charge of irreverence where 
 none is intended, and where the writer has trod 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 xi 
 
 " with his shoes off his feet/' and with the most 
 cautious steps. 
 
 The subject is one of infinite delicacy, and the 
 writer believes and trusts, that while he has 
 sought to present (in order to attain the end he 
 seeks) the man Christ Jesus, he has not forgotten 
 the " Godhead veiled in the flesh." 
 
 The present issue of the "Peince of the 
 House of David " has undergone, by the author, 
 a thorough and complete revision. He has 
 taken advantage in the review of every judi- 
 cious criticism which this work has elicited since 
 its first appearance in October, 1855. He has 
 also availed himself of the hints and suggestions 
 contained in numerous private letters from emi- 
 nent and learned men of various denominations 
 of Christians, who have done him the honor to 
 address him upon the work, and to point out 
 errors or suggest alterations and improvements. 
 Critiques, written in a spirit of severity and bit- 
 terness, yet healthy in their results, he has 
 cheerfully accepted ; being grateful for this de- 
 tection of faults which his own eye and taste 
 had overlooked. 
 
 It is but due to the author to say that the first 
 
xii 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 editions were not revised nor even proof-read by 
 him, his residence at the time of their publica- 
 tion not being in New York, but on the shores 
 of the Gulf of Mexico. Many errors, of necessity 
 crept into the book, which careful personal in- 
 spection of the sheets by the author, as they 
 passed through the press, would have detected. 
 And although he is still residing in the South, 
 and unable to watch the pages of the new issue 
 through the hands of the printer, yet he has 
 taken great precaution to have the work rigidl3^ 
 read in its progress through the type, and be* 
 lieves that it will make its appearance with the 
 accuracy with which it has left his hands. 
 
 Holly SpringSy Mississippi, 
 September, 1858. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Adina, the writer of the following Letters. Her Family. 
 Journey to Jerusalem. The Romans. The City of David's 
 Tower. Pilate's Palace. The Hill of Calvary. Gethsemane. 
 Bethlehem. The Damascus Gate. The Roman Guard. Arri- 
 val at the House of her Friends. Description of her Beauty. 
 Letters to her Father, pp. 25-31. 
 
 LETTER 1. 
 
 Account of the Journey from Alexandria to Jerusalem. 
 Gaza. Joseph's Well. The Dead Sea. Jordan. Emotions on 
 beholding the Holy City. Rabbi Amos. Desecration of the 
 Temple. Sacrifices for sin. A prophet of God preaching near 
 Jordan, pp. 33-39. 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 Rabbi Ben Israel's Return. Happiness with Rabbi Amos. 
 Rebecca. Mary. View from the Residence. Scene from the 
 House-top at Morning. The Sacrifice and Temple-worship at 
 Sunrise. Evening Sacrifice and Worship. Idol-worship at the 
 Roman Castle near the Temple. Prophecies fulfilled. Under 
 a Cloud. The Messenger foretold by Malachi. Elijah the 
 Prophet. Rabbi Amos acknowledges the Corruption of the 
 Priests. Decay of Reverence. A Young Man who has heard 
 the New Prophet near Jericho, pp. 39-48. 
 
xiv 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 Presentation of the First Fruits. Tower of Antonia. In- 
 sult from a Roman Soldier. Protection afforded by a youthful 
 Roman Centurion. Pageant of the Roman Governor, Pontius 
 Pilate. The New Prophet, as described by John the cousin 
 of Mary. He gives a Full Account of his Journey to the 
 Jordan. Arrival at Jericho, pp. 49-58. 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 Death of Rabbi Israel. Extract from her Father's Letter 
 concerning the New Prophet. Continuation of John's Ac- 
 count of his Visit to Jordan to see the New Prophet. The 
 Twelve Stones of the Jordan. Description of the Prophet. 
 His Sermon. Art thou not Elias ? Messiah ? Genera- 
 tion of Vipers. A Woe to the Priests. ** The Lord of our 
 Righteousness." One Thousand baptized. Joseph of Ari- 
 mathea. A Second Sermon at Evening, pp. 58-72. 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 Blessing in the Name of the Lamb of God. Joseph of 
 Arimathea. Conversation with the Prophet. He sings the 
 Evening Hymn of the Temple. Hymn of Praise. Conversa- 
 tion with the Prophet concerning Messiah. His Death. His 
 Kingdom not of this World. The Prophet retires to the 
 Desert. Appearance of Lazarus. His explanations of the 
 Prophecies. Taught by his Friend. Description of this 
 Friend. Jesus, the Nazarene. Conflict of Mind. Studying 
 the Prophets, pp. 72-89. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 XV 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 Ben Israel. Answer to her Father's Letter against this 
 ** Novelty." Extract from his Letter. Reply. Indignation 
 against the Prophet among the Priests and Levites. Mes- 
 sengers are sent to invite him to Jerusalem. His answer. 
 He is accused of Sedition. The Messengers declare their 
 Conversion and Baptism. They are arrested. Conversations 
 and Discussions at the House of Rabbi Amos. Stephen. The 
 Prophet performs no Miracles. Rabbi Amos going to Gilgal. 
 ildina and Mary going with Him. They expect to see the 
 Prophet. The Roman Centurion Reading the Scriptures. He 
 would like to hear the Prophet. Barabbas, the Robber. The 
 Escort, pp. 89-102. 
 
 LETTER VIL 
 
 The Messiah has come ! Account of the Visit to Jordan. 
 Adina, Mary, and John go with Rabbi Amos. Escorted by 
 the Roman Centurion. Barabbas. Two Gibeonite Servants. 
 Glimpse of Caiaphas. Turtle Doves and Young Pigeons. 
 Blind Bartimeus and his Lamb. The Sheep Gate, ^milius. 
 Roman Soldiers. Bethesda. The Moving of the Waters. Ab- 
 salom's Pillar. Joined by the Escort, pp. 102-113. 
 
 LETTER YHL 
 
 Continuation of the Account. Edomite Robbers. View 
 from Bethany. Conversation with the Centurion. Hope of his 
 Convex sion. Repose at the House of Rabbi Abel. Attractions 
 ^f the Family. Lazarus, Martha, Mary. Embroidery for the 
 Temple. Copies of the Law and the Psalms. Present for the 
 Wife of Pilate. 1. N.," Jesus of Nazareth. Lazarus ac- 
 companies them. Gamaliel. Saul. Arrival at Jericho. GilgaL 
 Barabbas. Going to Bethabara. pp. 113-125. 
 
xvi 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 The Way to Bethabara. Matthew, the publican. Judas 
 Iscariot. The Tower of Elijah. Vast Multitude. Description 
 of the Prophet. His Sermon. "Behold the Lamb of God!'' 
 The Baptism of Christ. The Dove. The Voice from Heaven. 
 Jesus disappears, pp. 125-135. 
 
 LETTER X. 
 
 Adina believes in the Christ. The Voice and the Dove. 
 John and Lazarus follow Jesus. The excited Multitude dis- 
 perse. Rabbi Amos converses with the Prophet. John and 
 Lazarus overtake Jesus in the Wilderness. He sends them 
 back from following Him. Mystery, pp. 135-14:3. 
 
 LETTER XI. 
 
 Return to Gilgal. John, Lazarus, Gamaliel, Saul, and Others. 
 Discussion on the Prophecies concerning the Messiah. Sorcery. 
 ** Thou art my Son." Born in Bethlehem. Of the seed of > 
 David. Miracles? Difference of opinion. Return to Jericho. 
 The Beautiful Mary. Waiting for Jesus, pp. 143-152. 
 
 LETTER XII. 
 
 Adina's Father refuses to believe. Meeting of all the 
 Prophecies. John tells them of his finding Jesus in the 
 Desert. He is worn down by Fasting and Sorrow. Jesus 
 returns. John follows Him as His Disciple. Hymn of 
 Praise. Pilate's Message to Caiaphas. The Answer. De- 
 velopment of Power, pp. 152-161. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 xvii 
 
 LETTER XIIL 
 
 "A Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with Grief." A 
 Miracle. The Carpenter's Tools. Andrew, Simon, Philip, 
 Nathaniel, James, and John. The Mother of Jesus. Cana. 
 Elizabeth. The Water turned into Wine. Thirty Priests 
 studying the Prophecies, pp. 161-171. 
 
 LETTER XIV. 
 
 Fame of Jesus increases. He is attended by Thousands. 
 Cures and Miracles. The Lame Man restored. John's Account 
 of His Miracles. He Casts out Devils. They confess Him. 
 Visit of the Magi. The Murder of the Innocents. Escape of 
 Jesus. Summary of Evidence proving that Jesus is the Christ, 
 pp. 172-181. 
 
 LETTER XV. 
 
 Imprisonment and Death of John the Baptist. Jesus is told 
 of it. The Miracle of the Five Loaves and Two Fishes. Envy 
 of the Priests. Miracles by the aid of Beelzebub. John the 
 Baptist was Elias. Six other Disciples chosen. Jesus no am- 
 bitious Leader. Refuses to be made a King. pp. 181-190. 
 
 LETTER XVL 
 
 Uproar among the People. Rabbi Amos professes himself a 
 Believer. Messiah a Man, not an Angel. Is He not also God ? 
 Nicodemus. Jesus fatigued. His Power exercised not for His 
 own Relief. Benjamin, the lost Brother, returns. He had been 
 healed after being a Lunatic Seven Years. How the Cure was 
 wrought. Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, pp. 190- 
 200. 
 
xviii 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 LETTER XVII. 
 
 Tumult at the Entry of Jesus on the Morning of the 
 Passover. Shouting. Jesus purges the Temple of the Money- 
 changers. The Scourge of Small Cords. He is questioned by 
 the High-Priest. He is rejected. Another iMiracle. pp. 201- 
 211. 
 
 LETTER XVIIL 
 
 Recovery of Adina's Father from Sickness. She combats his 
 Objections. " Out of Egypt have I called my Son." ^* Galilee 
 of the Gentiles." Jesus comes to the House with a great Multi- 
 tude, ^milius, the Centurion. Description of Jesus. He is 
 charged with Sedition. jEmilius refuses. Jesus enters the 
 house of Rabbi Amos. Adina greets Him. Elias asks for a 
 Miracle. A Man w^ith the Palsy let down in a Blanket. He is 
 bealed. pp. 212-222. 
 
 LETTER XIX. 
 
 Divisions on Account of Jesus. Nicoderans visits Him by 
 Night. The New Birth of Water and the Spirit. Throne > 
 on Calvary. Jesus forgives Sins, with a Miracle of Healing. 
 Jesus departs for Galilee. He declines the Roman Escort. 
 Four Lepers healed. iEmilius is converted. Other proofs in 
 Behalf of Jesus, pp. 223-233. 
 
 LETTER XX. 
 
 Adina's illness. Sojourn in Nain. Two Disciples of Jesns 
 arrive at the House. They announce the Coming of Jesus. 
 They are driven from the Town. Ruth. A Letter for Sarah 
 from Samuel. He has been wrecked, and kindly received at 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 xix 
 
 the House of Adina's Father in Alexandria. Samuel arrives. 
 He is seized with a Malignant Fever. Dies. Preparations for 
 Burial. A Letter from Gadara. pp. 233-242. 
 
 LETTER XXI. 
 
 Grief of Ruth. Great Procession accompanying the Dead. 
 The Dead is Raised to Life by Jesus. Mary relates the Account 
 of it. Samuel's Remembrance of his State during Death. 
 Jesus abides in the House, pp. 242-25L 
 
 LETTER XXTL 
 
 Morning at Jerusalem, -^milius becomes a Proselyte. Ac- 
 count of the Ceremony of his deception as such in the Temple. 
 Jesus appears in the Temple. His Sermon. His Assassination 
 attempted, and foiled. He is saluted as King. Tumult. Pi- 
 late makes Obeisance to Him. He Disappears. The Tribute 
 money, ^milius needs one step more. pp. 252-263. 
 
 LETTER XXIIL 
 
 Adina's Father about to visit Jerusalem. Enumeration of the 
 Miracles of Jesus. He forgives Sins. Eli's Withered Arm re- 
 stored. His Confession of his Sin. Miracle of the Loaves. 
 Jesus is to be at Jerusalem at the Passover. Lazarus is taken 
 sick. pp. 264-270. 
 
 LETTER XXIY. 
 
 Adina and Mary go to Lazarus. Cause of his Sickness. His 
 Virtues. Lazarus failing. Beauty of Rachel. Her Delivery 
 from the Hands of Annas in the Temple. Mary writes to 
 Jesus, then at Bethabara. pp. 271-279. 
 
XX 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 LETTER XXV. 
 
 Death of Lazarus. His Character. Mary and Martha. Do- 
 mestic felicity of the Brother and Sisters. The love of Jesus 
 for them. Martha's complaint to the Saviour. His reproof of 
 her. Her affectionate contrition. Faith of the Sisters in the 
 Power of Jesus. The dying Lazarus. Description of Mary at 
 the bedside of her Brother. Jesus sent for too late. pp. 
 279-284. 
 
 LETTER XXVL 
 
 The Burial of Lazarus. He is laid in a Cave. iEmilius 
 present. Grief of Martha and Mary. Barabbas and his Ish- 
 maelite Robbers. A Combat between Him and ^milius. 
 Barabbas is wounded and taken Captive. Crosses upon Cal- 
 vary. Isaiah's Prophecy fulfilled, pp. 285-295. 
 
 LETTER XXVH. 
 
 Faith of Martha and Mary in the Power of Jesus Jesus re- 
 ceives their Message, The Death of their Brother causes their 
 Faith to fail. Jesus comes. Martha and Mary go out to meet 
 Him. The Raising of Lazarus from the Dead. He returns 
 Home with Jesus, pp. 295-309. 
 
 LETTER XXVm. 
 
 Adina's Father is delayed. He believes in the Power of 
 Jesus, but not that he is Messias. Adina's Reply to his Objec- 
 tions. The Claims of Jesus Himself in the Synagogue of 
 Bethany. Testimony of an Unclean Spirit. He is cast out. 
 Saluted King. The Jews cry out, Sedition against Caesar! 
 JEmilius. Tumult. Jesus conveys Himself away. His secret 
 Prayer. His Future Kingdom. John speaks mournfully and 
 mysteriously of His Death, pp. 310-321. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 xxi 
 
 LETTER XXIX. 
 
 Terror and Trouble. Discourse of Jesus after eating the 
 Passover. John narrates all the Incidents of the Last Supper. 
 Judas Iscariot. What thou doest, do quickly.'* The Gar- 
 den of Gethsemane. The Betrayal. Jesus is taken. Sounds 
 of Angels in the Air. John follows Jesus. The Multitude take 
 Jesus first to Annas. Rage of the People, pp. 321-338. 
 
 LETTER XXX. 
 
 Hope and Faith are over! Weeping, and Mourning, and 
 Despair. Lamentations. Sorrow of John and the Mother of 
 Jesus. No One any longer believes. Mary's Account of all 
 that had happened. Jesus among the raging Multitude. 
 " Weep not for Me : Weep for Y'ourselves ! ' ' Peter with his 
 Sword drawn. Fierce Bitterness of the Priests. Message from 
 the Wife of Pilate. Judas Iscariot, with his Bag of Money. 
 Sunrise, pp. 338-352. 
 
 LETTER XXXT. 
 
 No more Confidence in Man! Flight of the Disciples. 
 jEmilius alone, yet firm in the Faith. Facts, as given by John, 
 Rabbi Amos, Peter, ^milius, and Others of the Disciples. 
 Jesus led from Annas to Caiaphas. The Testimony of False 
 Witnesses. Peter's Denial. The Cock-crowing. "Blasphemy ! 
 The Buffeting. Jesus is protected by ^milius and his Roman 
 Soldiers. Insurrection threatened. Jesus abused by the Rabble. 
 He is hurried off to Pilate, pp. 353-370. 
 
xxii 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 LETTER XXXII. 
 
 Narrative of the Trial Resumed. Omens. Cloud-pall over 
 the City. The Wind does not carry it away. Darkness, Earth- ^ 
 quake, the Dead rising from their Graves. Jesus in the Prae- 
 torium. Questioned by Pilate. Judas rushes in remorseful. 
 
 I am a King." Not Caesar's Friend.'* The Message from 
 Pilate's Wife. Jesus sent to Herod. The Mocking. One 
 must fall." pp. 370-385. 
 
 ' LETTER XXXIII. 
 
 John still clinging close to Jesus. Herod and Jesus. Herod 
 and Pilate reconciled. Jesus is Silent. Herod gives Jesus up 
 to the Mob. Crowned with Thorns. Mocked with Robe and 
 Reed. Jesus saluted as King. He is led back to the Prse- 
 torium. *'Barabbas!" The Robber is liberated by Pilate, 
 pp. 385-397. 
 
 LETTER XXXIV. 
 
 Pilate's Indecision. Thou art not Caesar's Friend." ** Be- 
 hold your King! " Crucify Him ! " Pilate washes his Hands. 
 
 His Blood be on us and on our Children! " Jesus Scourged. 
 Dragged to Calvary. Judas Iscariot dead. The Cross. The 
 Ascent of Calvary. Falling under the Cross. Simon the 
 Cyrenian. Skulls. The two Robbers. Ishmerai and Omri. 
 The Centurion's Excuse for Pilate, pp. 397-410. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 xxiii 
 
 LETTER XXXV. 
 
 Account of the Crucifixion continued. The Mother of Jesus. 
 Binding to the Cross. The Seamless Robe. Raising the Cross. 
 The Guard set. Casting lots. Purchase of the Robe. " This 
 is Jesus, the King of the Jews.'* Revilings of the Crowd. The 
 Penitent Omri. This Day shalt thou be with Me in Para- 
 'dise." The Reed and Sponge. Darkness. Eloi, Eloiy lama 
 Sabachthani! **It is finished ! Father, into Thy Hands I 
 commend my Spirit." Earthquake. The Tombs give up their 
 Dead. Truly this was the Son of God! " pp. 411-426. 
 
 LETTER XXXYI. 
 
 Taking down the Bodies. The Darkness caused by an 
 Eclipse. Jesus dead already. Joseph of Arimathea begs the 
 Body of Jesus. The Descent from the Cross. The Burial in a 
 New Tomb. Setting the Watch. Sealing the Stone. Going 
 to the Sepulchre with Spices. The Note of Joy. pp. 426-439. 
 
 LETTER XXXYII. 
 
 The Resurrection of Jesus. Joy. /Testimony of Mary. 
 Terror of the Guard. Their Flight. The Angels. The Sepul- 
 chre empty. Mary tells how she had seen Jesus. Peter and 
 John. Amazement of Caiaphas. Pilate's Emotions. The 
 Guard bribed to tell a False Tale. They are not punished for 
 sleeping on their Post. pp. 439-451. 
 
xxiv 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 LETTER XXXVIIL 
 
 Adina at Bethany. Retrospect of the Life of Jestis. Sum- 
 mary of Argument. Prophecies of Messias explained. Jesus 
 appears in Galilee. And Elsewhere. Boldness of the Chris- 
 tians. Daily Council at Bethlehem. Majesty and Power of 
 Jesus. Explanation of the Meaning of Sacrifice. The Resur- 
 rection of Jesus notorious. Some Great Event about to happen. 
 Adina's Father soon expected, pp. 451-463. 
 
 LETTER XXXIX. 
 
 The Ascension. Like the Transfiguration. Commission 
 and Benediction. The Rising Heavenward. Angelic Chorus. 
 The Angels. Summary of the Argument. Postscript, pp. 
 464-472. 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 TO THE 
 
 LETTERS OF ADINA 
 
 Adina, the suppositious writer of the following letters, is the 
 only child of Manasseh Benjamin, who though an Israelite of 
 the tribe of Judah, was a native of the Graeeo-Romano city 
 of Alexandria. His ancestor was the learned David Esdraa 
 Manasseh, one of the Septuaginta (or LXX.) appointed by 
 Ptolemy Philadelphus, in the year B. C. 277, to translate the 
 Bible from the original Hebrew tongue into Greek. Esdras, 
 with his companions, having accomplished this important 
 work, was invited by the king to remain in Egypt, where he 
 died at an advanced age, holding an office of trust and honor. 
 His descendants for five generations were eminent men, and 
 Bhared the confidence of the rulers of Egypt, under whom 
 they accumulated riches which were finally inherited by Ma- 
 nasseh Benjamin, a man not unworthy of so eminent an 
 ancestry. He was revered in Alexandria for his integrity, 
 wisdom, and rank, as well as for his learning and wealth ; and 
 was honored with the friendship of the Roman Pro-consul, 
 Eafus Lucius Paulinus. His love and veneration for the land 
 of his fathers, and for the Holy City and Temple of Jehovah, 
 were not lessened by his nativity as an Egyptian Jew ; and 
 as he had been in his youth sent to Jerusalem by his father. 
 
26 
 
 IKTROOUCTION 
 
 to be educated in the laws of Moses, so he resolved that hia 
 daughter should share the same privileges, and be taught bb 
 beseemed a Jewish woman, as well as the inheritress of his 
 name and wealth 
 
 After a tedious journey of seventeen days by the way of 
 Gaza, the lovely Adina at length came suddenly in sight of 
 Jie walls and tower of the city of Zion, close at hand. Th« 
 caravan halted upon the ridge, and the Jewish travellers com 
 posing it alighted and prostrated themselves in adoration be- 
 fore thu city of David, and the mountain of Moriah, made 
 sacred by the footsteps of Abraham. The maiden unveiled, 
 and bowed her head with sacred awe. It was her first sight of 
 Jerusalem — the city of her fathers, the birthplace of her par- 
 ent, of which, from her earliest childhood, she had heard him 
 speak with the profoundest reverence. As she gazed upon it, 
 she thought of Isaac, who had been bound upon an altar on 
 yonder height, now glittering with walls overlaid with marble 
 and gold ; of Isaiah, who had been sawn asunder in the 
 gloomy valley at her feet ; of David and his glory ; of Solo- 
 mon and his wisdom ; of the host of Prophets who had trod 
 its streets or wandered upon its hills. Rapidly her memory 
 brought to her mind the history of the mighty past ; of the 
 sieges the city had withstood against the Assyrians, the Per- 
 sians^ the Egyptians, and the nations of the earth ; of the 
 carrying away into captivity of her countr} men ; of the de- 
 molition of its walls and of its Temple ; and its rebuilding by 
 Ezra. But most of all she dwelt with holy fear upon the 
 thought that the presence of Jehovah had dwelt there century 
 after century, visibly, in the Form of celestial Fire, within 
 the i mer sanctuary of the Temple ; and that there He had 
 6poken with man, as it were face to face. She thought also 
 of the Ark of the Covenant, of the Tables of Stone, of 
 Aaron's budded rod, and of the brazen serpent, which were 
 aid up in the Temple ; and her heart beat with emotion sue! 
 
INTBODJOTION. 
 
 27 
 
 B0 she had never felt before. Lower and with more awful 
 veneration, she bent her head in grateful reverence to Him 
 who had so distinguished above all nations her nation, above 
 all cities the city of her fathers and of the Prophets ! Then 
 she raised her eyes in pride that she was a Jewess, and looked 
 around proudly upon the noble landscape which, in her im. 
 agination, it seemed must be as familiar to the eyes of angel a 
 as to men, so closely had Heaven connected itself with thai 
 chosen spot. 
 
 The Arabs, her attendants, had also bowed the forehead 
 and kneeled in the presence of the sacred towers ; but it was 
 in honor of Abraham and the patriarchs, their ancestors 
 through Tshmael, who they ignorant ly believed lay with Isaac 
 and Jacob in sepulchres upon Mount Moriab, instead of at 
 Hebron in their burial place of the cave of Machpelah, as 
 Baith Moses our Prophet. 
 
 Adina's proud glance around was arrested by the sight of a 
 cohort of soldiers that came galloping up the ridge from the 
 city, with a glittering eagle carried in advance. 
 
 The Romani ! The Romani !" cried the guides, and rising 
 from their knees they remounted in haste, and used every exer- 
 tion to leave the road open to the approaching troop of horse. 
 An Israelitish muleteer, a few rods below in the path, who 
 could not get out of the way soon enough, was over-run and 
 thrown to the ground, and the cavalcade swept onward to the 
 summit of the hill, disregarding him. 
 
 The cheek of Adina paled at this sight, but it was not from 
 fear. All her pride died away in her heart ; and she forgot 
 the glory of the past, in the sense of the present degradation. 
 In the first exultation of her emotions at fastening her eyes 
 opon Jerusalem, she had forgotten that the land of the Proph- 
 ets and of kings anointed by God, was now a conquered Ro- 
 man province. But the sight of the Roman cohort brought 
 this painful reality to her mind, and veiling her face, she was 
 overcome by the deepest sadness. 
 
2« 
 
 IKTBODUCTION. 
 
 The troops passed her and her escort like a whirlwind of 
 war, with ringing spurs, jingling bits, clashing shields, and tha 
 noise of the tramp of five hundred hoofs. She could no longer 
 gaze upon the city with joy and pride. The words of Jere- 
 miah rose to her lips : 
 
 How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a 
 cloud in his anger I Is this the city that men call the perfec- 
 tion of beauty, the joy of the whole earth ? The Lord ha« 
 cast us olf from being a nation, and the name of Israel is re- 
 membered no more 
 
 Tears, free and bountiful, relieved the fullness of her heart, 
 and like a true daughter of Jerusalem, she mourned over the 
 departed glory of her people. 
 
 Once more they rode on, winding down around a hill cov- 
 ered with tombs, one of which was pointed out to her by a 
 Jcwisli Rabbi, under whose care she was journeying, as that 
 of the prophet Jeremiah. Leaving this tomb, they crossed a 
 small valley, green and beautiful with groves, fountains, and 
 terraces, and thronged with a mixed multitude, both men and 
 women, who seemed to be enjoying a promenade there, outside 
 the city walls ; there were also booths arranged on one side of 
 the shady walk, where merchants from all parts of the earth 
 were selling. The Rabbi accounted for this concourse by in- 
 forming her that they had arrived at Jerusalem on a great 
 feast day. Avoiding this multitude they moved on their way 
 to the right, and ascended a low eminence from which J erusa?- 
 iem, in another point of view, burst close upon them in all the 
 splendor of its still unconquerable magnificence ; for with all 
 its vicissitudes of misfortune, in wars, sieges and desolation, 
 the Jerusalem of the Romans was still a majestic metropolis, 
 and, in a great degree, meriting its appellation of the Queen 
 of the nations." 
 
 " How beautiful !" exclaimed Adina. 
 
 "Man cannot destroy the city of God," said the Rabbi, 
 with haughty confidence " She will stand forever." 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 29 
 
 * Point out to me, good Rabbi Ben Israel, the prominent 
 places! What is that frowning castle beyond the Temple 
 which looks so strong and warlike 
 
 " That is the ' City of David,' the castle of the kings ! It 
 protects the Temple and town. David fortified himself in it, 
 and so did the noble Maccabees. It was built by Melchi^edek, 
 the first king of Jerusalem, and the friend of our father Abra- 
 ham. It is now garrisoned by a thousand Roman soldiers. " 
 
 The Jewish girl sighed, and then her eyes being attracted 
 by a graceful tower which the sunbeams of the west burnish 
 ed like gold, she inquired what it was. 
 
 The one with the palm growing by its side and nearly as 
 lofty 1" asked the Rabbi, who seemed to take pleasure in grati 
 fying the curiosity of his lovely protege. 
 
 " Yes, the same." 
 
 " That is called David's Tower. Upon yonder wall above 
 thtj gate David's watchman stood when he was looking for 
 tidings from Absalom ; and a wood not visible hence far to the 
 north and east is the ' wood of Ephraim,' wherein they say, 
 Prince Absalom was slain." 
 
 " And what palace is that which the setting sun lights up 
 PC brilliantly, as if it were covered with plates of silver V* 
 
 " That is the palace of the Roman Governor, Pontius Pi- 
 late, who reigns in Jerusalem as a king. But why do you 
 shudder'?" he asked,. as he beheld her change countenance ; and 
 following the direction of her eyes to their right, he beheld not 
 far distant, a score of crosses bristling upon a small eminence 
 opposite the city-gate ; and two of the crosses held bodies 
 recently nailed to them, while a guard of soldiers and a crowd 
 of people stood near looking on and watching the writhings of 
 the victims. The groans and execrations of one of them dis- 
 tinctly reached the ears of Adina. 
 
 "That is the Place of Calvary, daughter," said the Rabbi, 
 with a look of outward indifference " It is where the Ro- 
 
30 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 mans exe^iute their malefactors. Two have auffered to-day. 
 It i? cruel punishment, not so mild as stoning to death ; but 
 the Romans have little feeling. Let us ride on." 
 
 On the left they wound round the wall of a garden that 
 »eeraed to be open to the public, as in some p'aces the enclo- 
 sure was thrown down. Several persons were seen within, 
 walking up and down, or reclining under the shade of olive 
 trees. 
 
 "That is Solomon's garden, now called Gethsemane," said 
 Che Rabbi ; " it is now like all the royal woods, desolate." 
 
 Yet beautiful in its desolation. How majestically the 
 walls of the Temple rise heavenward, seen from this valley! 
 What noble hill, partly covered with trees, is this east of the 
 garden V 
 
 Olivet, also a portion of the king's gardens in the days of 
 Israel's glory. Beyond it is Bethany !" 
 
 " Where is the Bettilehem of Judah, out of which the pro 
 phet says shall come a Ruler over Ism el ?" 
 
 To the south ; and we look one day to have that prophe- 
 cy fulfilled. It cheers us with the assurance that Jerusalem 
 shall not forever be trodden down of the nations, but one day 
 have a king and governor of the royal seed of David." 
 
 " And do any of the family of David now exist ?" asked 
 A.dina. fixing her eyes earnestly upon the bearded face of tlie 
 Rabbi 
 
 " Yes, or the prophecy could not be accomplished. But they 
 are, as far as known, poor and humble ; but I have no doubt 
 that in some part of the world among the nations, exists some 
 of the sacred stock who are reigning princes, as Daniel and 
 Joseph reigned in Persia and Egypt, from whence they shall 
 come as conquerers to rule over Israel." 
 
 " How then can they spring from the little village of Beth- 
 lehem ?" asked the maiden. 
 
 The Rabbi looked a little embarrassed, and was about to 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 31 
 
 make some reply to this difficult question, when their road 
 was blocked up by a flock of sheep, mingled with a drove of 
 cattle, being driven into the city for the altars of sacrifice. It 
 was with some delay they made their way through these 
 obstacles and came to the gate of Damascus. Here they were 
 detained bv the Roman guard and made to show their pass- 
 ports, and to pay thirty sesterces for every camel, and half sm 
 many for each mule in the caravan. 
 
 The scene in the streets was quite bewildering to Adina, 
 who had been journeying so many days through a desert ; but 
 as the dwelling of the relations of her father was near the 
 gate, she was soon in the arms of her friends, who, though 
 they had never seen her before, received her affectionately, as 
 much for her father's sake, who had commended her to tlieir 
 protection, as for her own prepossessing loveliness. 
 
 Just entering her seventeenth year, the daughter of the rich 
 Alexandrian was in the prime of female charms. Her hair 
 was auburn brown, and shining like gold ; her face oval, and 
 transparently olive in its color, tinted with the least percepti- 
 ble roseate ; her large eyes, were of the most splendid light and 
 glory of expression ; her nose straight and finely outlined, 
 and her mouth exquisitely shaped, with an expression of 
 heavenly sweetness. 
 
 Having been kindly welcomed, and finding every prepara- 
 tion made for her comfort and happiness, she gave a few days 
 to repose, and then, on the return of the caravan, addressed 
 the following letter to her father. This letter was followed 
 by many others, all of which it is our intention to give to the 
 reader, as they are written at a period the most interesting of 
 any other of which history takes record. The first letter is 
 dated, according to the Jewish chronology, three years before 
 the cnicifixion of our Saviour. 
 
LETTERS FROM ADINA. 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 My Dear Father : 
 
 My first duty, as it is my highest pleasure, is to com- 
 ply with your command to write you as soon as I should 
 arrive at Jerusalem ; and this letter, while it conveys to 
 you intelligence of my arrival, will confirm to you my 
 filial obedience. 
 
 [ will not fail to write by every caravan that leavesj 
 here monthly for Cairo ; and if there are more frequent 
 opportunities, my love, dear father, and sympathy foi 
 you in your separation from me, will prompt me to avail 
 myself of them 
 
 My journey hither occupied many days, Rabbi Ben 
 Israel says seventeen, but although I kept the number 
 up to ten. I soon became too weary to keep the account 
 When we traveled in sight of the sea, which we did for 
 three days, I enjoyed the majesty of the prospect, it 
 seemed so like the sky stretched out upon the earth. I 
 also had the good fortune to see several ships, which the 
 Rabbi, who was always ready to gratify my thirst for 
 mformation, informed me were Romai\ ofalleys, bound. 
 
84 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID; 
 
 some to Sidon and others into the Nile ; a^id after one 
 of these latter, as it was going to you, I sent a prayer 
 and a wish. Just as we were leaving the sea-shore to 
 turn oft' into the desert, I saw a wrecked vessel. li 
 looked so helpless and bulky, with its huge black body 
 all out of the water, that it seenned to me like a great 
 sea-monster, stranded and dying ; and I felt like pitying 
 it. The Rabbi gave me to understand that it had come 
 from Alexandria, laden with wheat, bound for Italia, 
 and been cast ashore in a storm. How terrible a tem- 
 pest must be upon the sea ! 1 was in hopes to have 
 seen a Leviathan, but was not gratified in the wish. The 
 good Rabbi, who seemed to know all about these things, 
 told me that they seldom appear now in the Middle Sea, 
 but are seen beyond the pillar of Hercules at the world's 
 end. 
 
 At Graza we stopped two days. We entered the gate- 
 way of which Samson carried away the gates, and I was 
 shown the traditional hill two miles to the south-east 
 where he left them. Many other places of interest were 
 shown me, especially the field, which our path led ^ 
 across, where he put to flight the Philistine hosts with 
 much slaughter. A lion's cave was also pointed out to 
 me, out of which came the lion which Samson slew, and 
 upon which he made his famous riddles 
 
 A dry well into which the ten Patriarchs lowered the 
 Prince Joseph, their brother, was ak shown me by our 
 Arab guide, and also the rock on which the Ishmaelites 
 told down the pieces of silver. But Rabbi Ben Israel 
 says the true pit of Joseph is north of Jerusalem near 
 die moun fains of Grilboa at Dothan. The traditions of 
 the Aiabs are often thus at fault. I fancied the olJ 
 
OR, THBEE TEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 35 
 
 Arab related the. occurrence with more elation than was 
 needful, as if he took pride in perpetuating the fact that 
 our noble ancestor had once been the purchased slave ol 
 theirs. I noticed, several times during the journey, that 
 {he Ishmaelites of Edom in our caravan took every oc- 
 casion to elevate their own race to the disparagement o< 
 tlte sons of Israel ; indeed, Aben Hussuff, our white 
 bearded chief of the caravan, in a wordy discussion witk 
 Rabbi Ben Israel, at Isaac's well where we encamped^ 
 would have it that Isaac was the son of the bond wo- 
 man, and Ishmael the true heir, but disinherited and 
 cast out through the wiles of the bond woman, who 
 would have her own son the inheritor. But of course 
 I was too well instructed in the history of my fathers 
 to give heed to such a fable ; though the Arabs all took 
 part with their chief, and contended for the truth ol 
 what he asserted as warmly and zealously as the learned 
 Rabbi did for the truth of his own side. 
 
 The morning of the last day of our journey but one, 
 having lost our way and wandered many hours east- 
 wardly, we caught sight of the Sea of Sodom and Gro- 
 morrah, at a great distance to the east. How my pulse 
 quickened at beholding that fearful spot so marked by 
 the wrath of Jehovah ! I seemed to see in imagination 
 the heavens on fire above it, and the flames and smoke 
 ascending as from a great furnace, as on that fearful 
 day when they were destroyed, with all that beautiful 
 surrounding plain, which we are told was one vast 
 garden of beauty. How calm and still lay now that 
 sluggish sea beneath a cloudless sky! We held it in 
 sight many hours, and once caught a glimpse of tlie 
 Jordan north of it, looking like a silver thread ; yet 
 
36 
 
 THE PEINCE OK THE HOUSE OP DAYID 
 
 Hear as it appeared to be, I was told it was a good day's 
 journey for a camel to reach its shores. 
 
 After losing sight of this melancholy lake, the glassy 
 sepulchre of cities and their countless dwellers, our way 
 lay along a narrow valley for some time, and the next 
 day, on reaching an eminence, Jerusalem appeared, like 
 a city risen out of the earth, it stood before us so unex- 
 pectedly; for we were still, as it were, in the desert; 
 yet so near on the side of our approach does the desert 
 advance to its walls, that it was not two miles off when 
 we beheld it. 
 
 I cannot, my dear father, describe to you my emo- 
 tions on beholding the Holy City ! They have been 
 experienced by millions of our people — they were similar 
 to your own as you related them to me. All the past, 
 with its mighty men who walked with Jehovah, came 
 ap to my mind, overpowering me with the amazing 
 weight. The whole history of the sacred place rushed 
 to my memory, and compelled me to bow my head, and 
 worship and adore at the sight of the Temple, where 
 Grod once (alas, why does He no longer visit earth and 
 His Holy House ?) dwelt in the flaming Shechinah, and 
 made known the oracles of His will. I could see the 
 smoke of the evening sacrifice ascending to the skies, 
 and I inwardly prayed Jehovah to accept it for thee 
 and me. 
 
 As we approached the city several interesting spots 
 were pointed out to me, and I was bewildered with the 
 familiar and sacred localities which I had known hith- 
 erto only by reverential reading of the Prophets. It 
 seemed to me that I w::s living in the days of Isaiah 
 and Jeremiah, as places associated with their names 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 37 
 
 were shown me, rather than in the generation to wliich 
 I properly belong. Indeed, I have lived only in the past 
 the three days I have been in Jerusalem, constantly 
 consulting the sacred historians to compare places and 
 scenes with their accounts, and so verify each with a 
 holy awe and inward delight that must be felt to be 
 understood ; but, dear father, you have yourself exp6»' 
 rienced all this, and therefore can understand my 
 emotions. 
 
 We entered the city just before the sixth hour of the 
 evening, and were soon at the house of our relative, 
 Amos, the Levite. I was received as if I had a daugh* 
 ter's claim to their embraces; and with the luxuries 
 with which they surrounded me in my gorgeously fur- 
 nished apartments, I am sure my kinsfolk here mean to 
 tempt me to forget the joys of the dear home I have left. 
 
 The Rabbi Amos and his family all desire to be com- 
 mended to you. As it is his course to serve in the 
 Temple, I do not see much of him, but he seems to be 
 a man of piety and benevolence, and greatly loves his 
 children. I have been once to the Temple. Its outer 
 court seemed like a vast caravanserai or market-place, 
 being thronged with the men who sell animals for sacri- 
 fice, which crowded all parts. Thousands of doves in 
 large cages were sold on one side, and on another were 
 stalls for lambs, sheep, calves, and oxen, the noise and 
 bleating of which, with the confusion of tongues, mado 
 the place appear like any thing else than the Temple 
 of Jehovah. It appears like desecration to use the 
 Temple thus, dear father, and seems to show a want of 
 that holy awe of God's house that once characterized 
 cxir ancestors. I was glad to get safely through the 
 
38 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 
 
 Bazaar, which, on the plea of selling to sacrificers 
 victims for the altar, allows, under color thereof, every 
 other sort of traffic. On reaching the women's court I 
 was sensible ol being in the Temple, by the magnifi^ 
 oence which surrounded me. With what awe I bowed 
 my head in the direction of the Holy of Holies! I cover 
 felt before so near to Grod! Clouds of incense floated 
 above the heads of the multitude, and rivers of blood 
 flowed down the marble steps of the altar of burnt 
 oflering. Alas! how many innocent victims bleed every 
 morning and evening for the sins of Israel! What a 
 sea of blood has been poured out in ages that have 
 passed ! What a strange, fearful mystery, that the 
 blood of an innocent lamb should atone for sins / have 
 done! There must be some deeper meaning in theso 
 sacrifices, dear father, yet unrevealed to us. 
 
 As I was returning from the Temple I met many 
 persons walking and riding, who seemed to be crowding 
 out of the gate on some unusual errand. I have since 
 learned that there is a very extraordinary man — a true 
 prophet of Grod, it is believed by many, who dwells m 
 the wilderness eastward near Jordan, and who preaches 
 with power unknown in the land since the days of 
 Elijah and Elisha. It is to see and listen to this prophet 
 that so many persons are daily going out from Jeru. 
 galem. He lives in a cave, feeds on plants or wild 
 honey, and drinks only water, while his clothing is the 
 slfin of a lion ; at least such is the report. I hope he is 
 a true pn^phet of Heaven, and that God is (mce more 
 about to remember Israel ; but the days of the Prophets 
 have long passed away, and I fear this man is only an 
 enthusiast, like the imposter Theudas, or that (xalilean 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. S9 
 
 JuJas, who deceived our people and perished so mise- 
 rably ; but this man's influence over all who listen to 
 him is so remarkable, that it would seem, and one has 
 almost the courage to believe, that he is really endowed 
 with the Spirit of the Prophets. 
 
 Farewell, dear father, and let us ever pray for the 
 glory of Israel. 
 
 Your affectionate 
 
 Adina. 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 My Dear Father : 
 
 The excellent Rabbi, Ben Israel, has just made known 
 to me his intention of returning to Egypt to-morrow, and 
 has waited upon me, to inquire if I had any commands 
 to intrust him with, for my friends in Alexandria 
 Instead of this letter, which he will be the bearer of to 
 you, I would rather commit myself a second time to his 
 care, and instead of placing this parchment in your 
 hand, let him lay your child again upon your bosom 
 But it is by your wish, dear father, that I am here, and 
 though I sigh to behold you once more, I will try to be 
 contented in my absence from you, knowing that my 
 discontent would cause sorrow to bow down your gray 
 hairs. 
 
 So far as a daughter can be happy from the home of 
 her youth, I have every thing to render me so. The 
 good Rabbi AmoS; in his kindness, recalls your own mild 
 and dignified countenance, and Rebecca, his noble wife, 
 my cousin, is truly a mother in Israel Her daughter 
 
40 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 Mar^ my younger cousin, in her affectionate attach- 
 ment to me, shows me how much love I have lost, in 
 never having had a sister. It is altogether a lovely 
 household, and I am favored by the Grod of our fathers in 
 having my lot, during my exile from my home on the 
 banks of the beautiful Nile, cast in so peaceful and holy 
 domestic sanctuary. 
 
 The street in which we dwell is elevated, and from the 
 roof of the house, where I love to walk in the evening, 
 watching the stars that hang over Egypt, there is 
 commanded a wide prospect of the Holy City. The 
 stupendous Temple, with its terraces piled on terraces 
 of dazzling marble, with its glittering fountains shooting 
 upward like palm trees of liquid silver, with its massive 
 yet beautiful walls and towers, is ever in full sight. The 
 golden arc, that spans the door which leads into the 
 Holy of Holies, as it catches the sunbeams of morning, 
 burns like a celestial coronet with an unearthly glory. 1 
 dare not gaze steadily upon that holy place, nor imagine 
 the blinding splendor within, of the visible presence of 
 Jehovah, in the Shechinah once present there. > 
 
 Yesterday morning I was early on the house-top, to 
 behold the first cloud of the day-dawn sacrifice rise from 
 the bosom of the Temple. When I had turned my gaze 
 towards the sacred summit, I was awed by the profound 
 filence which reigned over the vast pile that crowTied 
 Mount Moriah. The sun was not yet ris'^.n ; but the 
 East blushed with a roseate purple, and the morning 
 star was melting into its depths. Not a sound broke the 
 stillness of the hundred streets within the walls of Jeru- 
 salem Night and silence still held united empire ovei 
 the oitv and the altar of God I was awe-silent. I f^tW 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 41 
 
 with my hands crossed upon my bosom and my head 
 reverently bowed, for in the absence of man and his 
 voice I believed angels were all around in heavenly 
 hosts, the guardian armies of this wondrous city of 
 David. Lances of light now shot upward and across the 
 purple sea in the East, and fleeces of clouds, that reposed 
 upon it like barks, catching the red rays of the yet un- 
 risen sun, blazed like burning ships. Each moment the 
 daikness fled, and the splendor of the dawn increased , 
 and when I expected to see the sun appear over the 
 battlemented heights of Mount Moriah, I was thrilled 
 by the startling peal of the trumpets of the priests : a 
 thousand silver trumpets blown at once from the walls 
 of the Temple, and shaking the very foundations of the 
 city with their mighty voice. Instantly the house-tops 
 everywhere around were alive with worshipers ! Jeru- 
 salem started, as one man, from its slumbers, and, with 
 their faces towards the temple, a hundred thousand men 
 of Israel stood waiting. A second trumpet peal, clear 
 and musical as the voice of G-od when He spake to oui 
 father Moses in Horeb, caused every knee to bend, and 
 every tongue to join in the morning song of praise. The 
 murmur of voices was like the continuous roll of the 
 surge upon the beach, and the walls of the lofty Temple, 
 like a cliff", echoed it back. Unused to this scene, foi 
 we have nothing like this majesty of worship in Alexan- 
 dria, I stood rather as a spectator than a sharer, as it 
 became thy daughter to have been, dear father. Simul- 
 taneously with the billow-like swell of the adoring hymn, 
 I beheld a pillar of black smoke ascend from the midst 
 of the Temple, and spread itself above the court like a 
 canopy. It was accompanied by a blue wreath nf lighter 
 
42 
 
 TfiS PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 and more misty appearance, which threaded in and out, 
 and entwined about the other, Hke a silvery strand woven 
 into a sable cord. This latter was the smoke of the in- 
 cense which accompanied the burnt sacrifice. As I saw 
 it rise higher and higher, and finally overtop the heavy 
 cloud, which was instantly enlarged by volumes of densr 
 smoke that roiled upward from the consuming victim^ 
 and slowly disappeared melting into heaven, I also 
 kneeled, remembering that on the wings of the incense 
 went up the prayers of the people ; and ere it dissolved 
 wholly, I entrusted to it, dear father, prayers for thee 
 and me ! 
 
 How wonderful is our religion ! How mysterious this 
 daily sacrifice, so many hundreds of years offered up for 
 the sins of our fathers and ourselves ! How, I often 
 have asked myself since I have been here, how can the 
 blood of a heifer, of a lamb, or of a goat, take away sin ? 
 What is the mysterious relation existing between us 
 and these dumb and innocent brutes ? How can a lamb 
 stand for a man before God ? The more I reflect upon 
 this awful subject, the more I am lost in wonder. I have 
 spoken to Rabbi Amos of these things, but he only smiles 
 and bids me think about my embroidery ; for xjousin 
 Mary and I are working a rich gold border in the phy- 
 lactery of his next New- Year's garment. 
 
 The evening sacrifice, which I witnessed yesterday, 
 is, if possible, more imposing than that of the morning 
 Just as the sun dips beyond the hill of Gibeah, over- 
 hanging the valley of Aijalon, there is heard a prolonged 
 note of a trumpet blown from one of the western watch- 
 towers of Zion. Its mellow tones reach the farthest ear 
 within the gates of the city Al) labor at once ceases ! 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 43 
 
 Evary man drops the instrument of his toil, and raises 
 bis face towards the summit of the house of G od. A deep 
 pause, as if all held their breath in expectation, succeeds. 
 Suddenly the very skies seem to be riven, and shaken 
 with the thunder of the company of trumpeters that rolls, 
 wave on wave of sound, from the battlements of the 
 Temple. The dark cloud of sacrifice ascends in solemn 
 grandeur, and sometimes heavier than the evening air, 
 falls like a descending curtain around the Mount, till the 
 whole is veiled from sight ; but above it is seen to soar 
 the purer incense to the invisible Jehovah, followed by a 
 myriad eyes, and the utterance of a nation's prayers. 
 As the day-light faded, the light of the altar, hidden from 
 us by the lofty walls of the outer court of the Temple, 
 blazed high and beacon-like, and lent a wild sublimity 
 to the towers and pinnacles that crowned MoriaK. 
 
 There was, however, my dear father, last evening, one 
 thing which painfully marred the holy character of the 
 sacred hour ! After the blast of the silver trumpets of 
 the Levites had ceased, and while all hearts and eyes 
 were ascending to Jehovah with the mounting wreathe 
 of incense, there came from the Roman castle adjoining 
 the City of David a loud martial clangor of brazen bu- 
 gles, and other barbarian war-instruments of music, 
 wliile a smoke, like the smoke of sacrifice, rose from the 
 heights of David's fortified hill. I was told that it was 
 the Romans engaged in worshiping Jupiter, their idol 
 God Oh, when, when shall the Holy City be freed 
 from the reproach of the stranger ! Alas, for Israel I 
 Her inheritance is turned to strangers, and her houses 
 to aliens." Wei said Jeremiah the Prophet, "The 
 kintrs of the earth and all the inhabitants of the world 
 
44 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID. 
 
 would not have believed that the adversary and the ene- 
 my should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem/^ 
 How truly now are the prophecies fulfilled, which are 
 to be found in the Lamentations : The Lord hath 
 cast off His altar. He hath given up into the hands ol 
 tlie enemy the walls of her palaces : they have made a 
 noise in the house of the Lord, as in the day of a solemn 
 feast " For these things I weep, my dear father ; even 
 now, while I write,, my tears drop on the parchment. 
 Why is it so ? Why does Jehovah suffer the adversary 
 to dwell within His holy walls, and the smoke of hi&' 
 abominable sacrifices to mingle with that of the offer 
 ings of the consecrated priests of the Most High ? Sure 
 ly Israel has sinned, and we are punished for our trans- 
 gressions. It becomes the land to search and try ita 
 ways and turn unto God," if perhaps He will return 
 and have mercy, and restore the glory of Israel. Uur 
 Kings are the servants of the Gentiles. Our laws are 
 no more. Our prophets no longer see visions. God has 
 gone up in anger, and no longer holds discourse with Hip 
 chosen people. The very smoke of the daily sacrifice 
 seems to hang above the Temple like a cloud of Jehovah's 
 wrath. 
 
 Nearly three hundred years have passed since we 
 have had a Prophet- — that divine and youthful Malaehi 1 
 Since his day, Rabbi Amos confesses that Jehovah nae 
 ceased from all known intercourse with his people and 
 holy house ; nor has He made any sign of having hearvl 
 the prayers or heeded the sacrifices that have been 
 offered, to Him in his time 1 I inquired of the intelli. 
 gent Rabbi, if it would always be thus ? He replied. 
 that when Shiloh came, there would be a restoration a 
 
OR. THREE YEARS IN TUE HOL^ CITY 45 
 
 all things — that the glory of Jerusalem then would fill 
 the whole earth with the splendor of the sun, and that 
 all nations should come up from the ends of the worlc* 
 to worship in the Temple. He acknowledges that we 
 are now under a cloud for our sins ; but that a brighter 
 day is coming when Zion shall be the joy of the whole 
 earth." He then added, that there was a report that 
 thirty -one years before an angel had appeared to a priest 
 when offering incense, who was struck dumb by the 
 vision 
 
 My conversation with Rabbi Amos, dear father, a 
 conversation which grew out of the subject of the Ro- 
 man garrison occupying the citadel of David, and offer- 
 ing their pagan sacrifices by the side of our own smok- 
 ing altars, led me to examine the Book of the Prophet 
 Malachi. I find that after plainly alluding to our pres- 
 ent shame, and reproaching the priests for causing the 
 people to stumble," and thus making themselves " con- 
 temptible and base before all nations," he thus prophe- 
 sies : " Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall 
 prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom ye seek 
 shall suddenly come to his Temple, and he shall sit as a 
 REFINER and PURIFIER of silvcr, and he shall purify the 
 «ons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that 
 they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteous- 
 ness. Behold," adds the divine seer, " I will send you 
 Elijah the prophet before the coming of the groat and 
 dreadful day of the Lord." 
 
 These words I read to-day to Rabbi Amos — indeed I 
 was reading them when Rabbi Ben Israel came in to say 
 that he departs to-morrow. The excellent Amos looked 
 ^ave, graver than I had ever seen him look. I fearoil 
 
4(1 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 
 
 I had offended him by my boldness, and, approachhig 
 him, was about to embrace him, when I saw tears were 
 sparkling in his eyes. This discov(try deeply affcctea 
 me, you may be assured, dear father ; and, troubled 
 more to have grieved than displeased him, I was about 
 to ask his forgivness for intruding these sacred subjects 
 upon his notice, when he took my hand, and smiling 
 while a glittering drop danced down his snow-white 
 beard and broke into liquid diamonds upon my hand, he 
 said, " You have done no wrong, child ; sit down by me 
 and be at peace with thyself. It is too true, in this day^ 
 what the Prophet Malachi writeth, 0, Ben Israel," he 
 said sadly, to the Alexandrian Rabbi ; The priests o;l 
 the temple have indeed become corrupt, save the few 
 here and there! It must have been at this day the 
 Prophet aimed his words. Save in the outward form, 1 
 fear the great body of our Levites have little more true 
 religion and just knowledge of the one G-od Jehovah, 
 than the priests of the Roman idolatry ! Alas, I feai 
 me, God regards our sacrifices with no more favor than 
 He looks upon theirs! To-day, while I was in thk > 
 Temple, and was serving at the altar with the priests, 
 these words of Isaiah came into my thoughts and would 
 not be put aside : ' To what purpose is the multitude 
 of your sacrifices unto me ?' saith the Lord ; ^ I am full 
 of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts ; 
 and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, 
 or of he goats. Bring no more vain oblations ; incense 
 \s an abomination unto me ; I am weary to bear them; 
 yea, when ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine 
 eyes from you ; yea, when ye make many prayers 
 I will not hear ; your hands are full of blood 1 Wa«b 
 
OR, THBEE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 47 
 
 you; make you clean. Cease to do e\dl; learn to do 
 well !' 
 
 " These terrible words of the prophet," added Rabbi 
 Amos, addressing the amazed Ben Israel, ^*were not 
 out of my mind while I was in the Temple. They 
 seemed to be thundered in my ears by a voice fron; 
 heaven. Several of the younger priests, whose levity 
 during the sacrifice had been reproved by me, seeing me 
 sad, asked the cause. In reply, I repeated, with a voice 
 that seemed to myself to be inspired, the words of the 
 prophet. They turned pale and trembled, and thus I left 
 them." 
 
 ^' I have noticed," said Ben Israel, that there is 
 less reverence now in the Temple than when I was in 
 Jerusalem a young man ; but I find that the magnifi- 
 cence of the ceremonies is mcreased." 
 
 Yes," responded Ben Amos, with a look of sorrow ; 
 
 yes, as the soul of piety dies out from within, they 
 gild the outside. The increased richness of the worship 
 is copied from the Roman. So low are we fallen ! Our 
 worship, with all its gorgeousness, is as a sepulchre 
 white- washed to conceal the rottenness within ! " 
 
 You may be convinced, my dear father, that this con^ 
 fession, from such a source, deeply humbled me. If 
 then, we are not worshiping Groo, what do we wor. 
 ship ? If Jehovah of Hosts, the G-od of our Fathers 
 Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, hides his face from oui 
 sacrifices, and \r weary with our incense, whom doee 
 Israel worship ? NOUGrHT ! We are worse off than 
 our barbarian conquerors, for we have no Grod ; while 
 they at lea^t have gods many and lords many, such ars 
 they are ! A"./s, alas, the time of the judgment "^f Jern- 
 
48 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID: 
 
 salem seems to be at hand. The Lord must suddenly 
 come to His Temple, and as a refiner and purifier ! I am 
 deeply impressed with the conviction that the day is 
 very near at hand ! Perhaps we shall see it in oui life- 
 time, dear father ! 
 
 Sinoe writing the last line I have been interrupted by 
 Mary, who has brought to see me a youth, nephew of 
 the noble Jewish ruler, Ptolomeus Eliasaph, who was 
 slain by the Romans for his patriotic devotion to his 
 country. He dwells near the Gaza gate, with his 
 widowed mother, who is a noble lady, honored by all 
 lips that discourse of her. Between this young man, 
 whose name is John, and Mary there exists a beautiful 
 attachment, not ardent enough to be love, but sincere 
 enough for the purest friendship ; yet each day their 
 friendship is ripening into the deepest emotion. He has 
 just returned from the vicinity of Jericho, where he has 
 been for some days past, drawn thither by curiosity, to 
 see and hear the new prophet, alluded to by me at the 
 close of my last Matter, whose fame has spread far and 
 wide, and who is drawing thousands into the wilderness, 
 to listen to the eloquence that flows from his mouth. 
 The young man had been giving Mary so interesting an 
 account of him that she desired me also to be a listener J 
 In my next I will v:rite you all I heard ; and I trusty 
 dear father, you will patiently bear with me in all 
 things ; and believe that, however I may, from the 
 investigating character of my mind, venture upon 
 sacred mysteries, I shall never be less a lover of the 
 God of our Father Abraham, nor less the affectionate 
 md devoted Adina to thee ! Adiea 
 
 Adtna. 
 
UK. THEBB YEARS tN THE HODf UITX. 
 
 ^9 
 
 LETTER HI. 
 
 My Dear Father : 
 
 This morning, as I was coming from the Tempie, 
 whither I had gone to worship and witness the imposing 
 ceremony of the presentation of the First Fruits, I 
 noticed a vast pile of edifices crowning the opposite rock, 
 which I was told was the Tower of Antonia. It seemed 
 to frown sternly upon the Temple ; and upon its battle- 
 ments glittered, at intervals, numerous Roman eagles. 
 I had so often heard you relate historical events con- 
 nected with this celebrated castle, that I regarded it 
 with peculiar interest. You, who had so frequently 
 described it to me, seemed to stand by my side as I 
 gazed upon it. The four towers, one at each corner, are 
 still as they stood when you fought from the northern- 
 most one, and defended it single-handed against the 
 Romans. But now these barbarians throng its courts, 
 and their bugles, which have sounded from the conquered 
 walls of every land on earth, are even heard in the ears 
 of the citizens of Jerusalem. The insolence and power 
 of the Roman garrison have made the beatiful walk 
 about the base of the Tower almost deserted ; but of 
 this 1 was not aware ; and, attended only by my Ethi- 
 opian slave, Onia, I lingered to admire the splendor ot 
 the cloister once surrounding the treasure-house of the 
 Temple, with its terraces supported by white marble 
 4 
 
50 
 
 THia PRO^CE OP THE HOCfBB OP DAVID 
 
 pillars, fifteen cubits high, when two Roman EoMiers 
 coming from one of the city gates, approached, on their 
 way back to the castle. It was then that I saw I was 
 alone, the company who had left the Temple with me 
 being gone far in advance. J drew my veil closely, and 
 would have passed them with a rapid step, when one of 
 them placed himself in my path, and catching hold of 
 my veil tried to detain me. I left it in his grasp and 
 was flying, when the other soldier arrested me. This 
 was in full view of the castle, and at my shrieks the 
 barbarians in the castle laughed aloud. At this crisis 
 appeared a young Centurion, who was on horseback, 
 coming down the rocky path that ascends the Rock of 
 Zion, and shouting to them, he galloped forward, and 
 with his sword put the men, who were drunk with wine, 
 to immediate flight, and rescued me, at the same time 
 sending the two soldiers under arrest into the castle. 
 He then addressed me in the gentlest manner^ and apolo- 
 gised for the rudeness I had met with at the hands of 
 his men, saying that they should be severely dealt with 
 I was struck with his manly beauty, his civility, and 
 his air of patrician command, although he could not 
 have been more than eight and twenty. In order to 
 escort me safely to the streets below, he alighted from 
 his horse, and leading him by the rein, walked by my 
 side, I confess to you, dear father, I had not reached 
 the house of my relative before my prejudices against 
 the Romans were greatly modified. I had found in one 
 of them as courteous a person as I had ever met with 
 among my own countrymen, and for his sake I was 
 willing to think better of his barbaric land and people. 
 He saw through my prejudices, and how I shrunk from 
 
OK, THREE TEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 51 
 
 him as he walked by me ; and while we descended the 
 height he spoke eloquently in defence of his native land, 
 of its fair daughters, of its wise men, its brave chiefs, 
 its power and glory, and its dominion over the whole 
 earth ! 
 
 When I hoard him use these last words, I sighed 
 leeply, for Judah, it is prophesied, should have domirH 
 ion over the whole earth, and these Romans, therefore^ 
 hold the dominion that rightfully belongs to our people. 
 How is this, dear father ? How is it that these barbaric 
 men are permitted by Jehovah to hold the sceptre that is 
 the rigntful heritage of the Lion of the tribe of Judah ? 
 How many times in a day, since I have been in Jerusa- 
 lem, have I been reminded of the degradations of my 
 people ? How is it that these enemies of Jehovah, these 
 worshipers of false gods, stand in the Holy place, and 
 usurp the power that God has given to us ? 
 
 I put these questions to Amos, the good priest, after 1 
 had returned home ; for my account of my adventure 
 naturally led to a conversation upon the Roman domin 
 ion over the earth. It appears that this noble Centurion 
 is not unknown to Rabbi Amos, who speaks of him as 
 one of the most popular Roman officers in command of 
 the city. I am glad to hear this. He also gave me 
 warning not to approach again near the garrison points 
 of the town, as the soldiers take pleasure in giving an- 
 noyance to the citizens 
 
 While I was writing the above, a commotion without, 
 as if something unusual was occurring, drew me to the 
 lattice, which overlooks the street that goes out of the 
 gate to Bethany , one of the most frequented thorough^ 
 fares m the city. The sight that met my eyes was truly 
 
 Y OF ill. 
 
62 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID. 
 
 imposing, but made my heart sink with shame It waft 
 a pageant, with banners, eagles, trumpets, and gilded 
 chariots ! but not the pageant of a king of Israel, like 
 those which dazzled the streets of Jerusalem in the days 
 of Solomon and king David ! not the triumphant passage 
 of an Israelitish prince, but of the Roman governor ! 
 Preceded by a cohort of horse, he rode in a gilded war 
 cliariot, lolling at his ease beneath a silken shade of bme 
 silk, fringed with gold. The horses were snowy-white, 
 and covered with silver mail, and adorned with plumes. 
 He was followed by another body of cavalry, chiefly 
 composed of richly attired young men, and at the head 
 of them, loooking more like a ruler and prince than the 
 indolent Pilate, I beheld the generous Centurion who 
 had aided my escape from the two soldiers. His eye 
 sought the lattice at which I stood, and I drew back, 
 but not before he had seen me and saluted nle. Cer- 
 tainly, father, this youth is noble and courteous enough 
 to be a Jew, and should any providence cause us to 
 meet again, I shall try to convert him from his idolatry 
 tc serve the living Jehovah. I was not pleased with the v 
 appearance of the governor. He is a dark, handsome 
 man, but too fleshy, and with the countenance of one 
 given to much wine ; and I learn that he is naturally 
 indolent and luxurious, and deficient in decision of cha- 
 racter. He is a particular friend of the Roman Empe- 
 rcr, and to his partiality he owes the governorship here. 
 It is, however, better to have a table-lover and idle man 
 for our master, than a cruel and active tyrant like his 
 predecessor, in an insurrection against whom was slain 
 tliat emJnent man, the father of John, the cousin of Mary, 
 of whom I spoke to you in my last letter. 
 
OR THREE FEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 53 
 
 And this reminds me that I had something to relate 
 to you You will remember, dear father, that I alluded 
 to an excitement that is increasing every day, in refer- 
 ence to a new prophet, who is preaching in the wilder- 
 ness of Jericho, and whose life is as austere as was that 
 of Elijah ! For three weeks past several parties of citi- 
 zens have been to the valley of Jordan to see and hear 
 him, and have so far been carried away by him, as t<3 
 have been baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their 
 sins. Among these is John, the cousin and betrothed 
 of Mary, who, having heard much said of the power with 
 which this man spoke, by those who had returned, also 
 went to satisfy his curiosity, and, as he says, with a 
 secret hope that Grod had again remembered Israel, and 
 sent to us a prophet of reconciliation. Upon his return 
 we saw that his countenance was animated beyond its 
 wont, for he is usually of a sad and gentle aspect, and 
 that his fine eyes beamed with an ardent hope, thai 
 seemed new-born in his soul. Ho thus recounted to us 
 his visit to the prophet of Jordan : 
 
 " After leaving the gate and crossing the brook and 
 valley of Kedron, I encountered a large company, who 
 were ascending the road that winds over the south side 
 of Olivet. These were men, women, and children, and 
 they were provided with food in baskets, and travel as 
 our people do, when they come up to the Feast of the 
 Passover. I found, on joining them, that they were 
 directing their steps also towards the wilderness, in 
 order to hear the great prophet, whose fame was in all 
 men's mv)uths. Among them were priests and judges, 
 Sadducees, and Pharisees, and Esenes, and even men of 
 no faith; for even in Judah we have many ten thou 
 
54 
 
 THfi PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 Bands who believe in no Grod, so long has it been since 
 Jehovah has visited his people ! 
 
 Passing on ahead of this company, I being well 
 mounted, and they travelling slowly, I at length reached 
 the summit of the hill, from which I looked back to take 
 a parting glance at the city. How like ' the City of 
 Ood ' it crowned its lordly hills ! All the glory of Jeris. 
 isalem, of the past, came before my memory, and I sighed 
 that that glory had departed, not in the destruction of 
 its edifices, for Jerusalem is still magnificent and impo- 
 sing, but in the downfall of its power. I heard, distant 
 as I was, the strains of the Roman bugles, echoing over 
 the valleys where the prophets, priests, and kings lay 
 buried, and reverberating from the Temple walls, the 
 sacred echoes of which, aforetime, had been awakened 
 by the voice of God ! Grethsemane, the fair garden of 
 Solomon, where he tried to create a second Eden, lay at 
 my feet, its walls broken, and its walks wild and over- 
 gro vvn ; here and there a fig or an olive, or a palm tree 
 only, remaining to tell the passing traveller that here 
 was ' the delight of gardens, the abode of pleasure and 
 if mirth, from which were excluded all who were 
 sorrowful, that no tears might fall upon its enameled 
 floors, dedicated to voluptuous joy.' This description of 
 it, given by our poets, passed through my mind, as 1 
 beheld its melancholy and deserted aspect — looking more 
 like a place of tears than of joy, as if its shades would 
 invite the sorrowful to weep in them, rather than the 
 silvery feet of the dancer ! 
 
 " I soon reached the pretty town of Bethpage, where^ 
 at tlie inn, I beheld several horsemen just mounting, to 
 go in the direction of Jericho. Several of theiri I knew, 
 
Oa THBEE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 55 
 
 and jii joining the cavalcade, learned they were for the 
 most part drawn out of Jerusalem on the same errand o£ 
 curiosity with myself. But one of them, however, a 
 wealthy young noble of Arimathea, was actuated by the 
 same holy desire that burned in my bosom, a desire that 
 we might, in the prophet who was called John, discover 
 a man sent from God. The others were bent on com- 
 merce on pleasure, or mere idle curiosity, to see one of 
 whom every one talked in all the land of Judea. Aa 
 Joseph of Arimathea and I rode together, we conversed 
 about the man we expected to see, and the different 
 reports which were noised abroad respecting him. My 
 companion seemed to believe that he was a true prophet, 
 for being very well read in the scriptures, he said that 
 the SEVENTY WEEKS of Dauicl were nov/ about completed, 
 when the Messiah was to come ! I then asked him if 
 he believed that the Messiah, who was to be 'a Prince 
 and King, and have dominion from the sea to the ends 
 of the earth,' would come in the wilderness, clad in the 
 skins of wild beasts ? To this he replied, that he could 
 not regard this prophet as the Messiah, for when the 
 Christ should come, he was ' suddenly to come to the 
 Temple,' and that we should doubtless first see him 
 there ; but that he was greatly in hopes that the prophet 
 we were going to see would prove to be the forerunner^ 
 foretold by Malachi. Having a roll of the Prophet 
 Daniel with me, for I took the Prophets along to com- 
 pare what I should hear the preacher of Jordan proclaim 
 with them, I saw to my surprise, that not only tho 
 seventy weeks had about reached their completion, but 
 tliat the expiration of the ' thousand two hundred and 
 *ooty days' drew presently nigh ! We were both sur- 
 
56 
 
 THE PEINCB OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID; 
 
 prised at this coincidence with the advent of this now 
 prophet ; and joy and fear trembled in our hearts, tem- 
 pered with hopes we dared not utter. 
 
 " * Those who heard him,' said Joseph, as we rode 
 into the village of Bethany, ' say that he publicly pro- 
 claims himself the forerunner of the Messiah. The opinion 
 of the more ignorant who have listened to him is, that it 
 is Elijah himself, returned to the earth! while others 
 assert that it is Enoch himself, come down from heaven ; 
 and not a few believe him to be Isaiah.' 
 
 " In this manner, conversing, we crossed a hill, where, 
 tradition says, stood the Tree of the Knowledge of Good 
 and Evil, and also, where rested the foot of Jacob's lad- 
 der ; and from which place, it is believed by many, all 
 good men after the resurrection shall ascend into the third 
 heaven ; for it is the common belief that the throne ol 
 Jehovah is directly above it. 
 
 At length, after a long day's ride, during which we 
 had overtaken and passed many large companies hurry- 
 ing forward to hear the prophet, also meeting many 
 loturning, spreading wonderful accounts of his eloquence, - 
 wisdom, and power, we came in sight of Jericho. The 
 oity is very stately, with its Roman towers and palaces, 
 it being the favorite winter resort of the governors. Its 
 situation, in a green valley, was refreshing to the eyes, 
 after our dreary ride all day over the broken and barrel) 
 hills. On our left, a mile before you come to the town, 
 we passed the ruins of the tower and house of Hiel, who 
 rebuilt Jericho m the days of the Kings. To the right 
 was the field where the Chaldean army defeated our 
 fathers in battle, and took King Zedekiah captive ; it 
 was now covered with beautiful gardens, and smiled 
 
Oa THBEB yBABS IN THE HOLY CITY. 57 
 
 if peace had ever dwelt in its sweet shades. On an 
 eminence, to the north of us, about half a league off, 
 Joseph, who had often travelled this way, made me 
 take notice of the ruins of Ai, and of the hill of ambush, 
 where lay the warriors of Joshua, who surprised and 
 nut off the city. As we approached the city, I could 
 tiot but recall the period when Israel's hundred thou- 
 sands, shod with the sandals they had worn forty years 
 in the wilderness, marched seven times around it. In 
 imagination I heard their martial tread shaking the 
 very earth, and beheld the princely Joshua, standing 
 aloof on an eminence near, directing the solemn march. 
 I heard again the thunder of the trumpets of the hosts 
 of (jrod seven times sounded, and saw the proud waU 
 of the city fall, darkening the whole heavens with the 
 clouds of dust that rolled over the heads of awe-struck 
 Israel ! But how different was the reality ! The set- 
 ting sun was gilding the firmly standing towers, tur- 
 rets, pinnacles, and battlements of the Roman city, 
 lending to it a splendor that moved the soul to admiia- 
 tion ; and the blue sky bent serenely without a cload 
 above it ; and the circling vale, instead of echoing to the 
 tread of an armed host, for whom Jehovah fought, was 
 now filled with Roman knights and ladies on gay parties 
 of pleasure, and processions of maidens moving to the 
 cemetery of the tombs, clad in snow-white vestments, 
 casting flowers in their path, and chanting sacred songs ; 
 for it was the day in which the daughters of Jericho 
 celebrate the hapless fate of the lovely daughter of 
 Jephtha, by visiting her sepulchre ; for she was born and 
 buried in this city, where Jephtha long dwelt eie he 
 removed to Mizpah ; and hither her sacrificed body wa? 
 i^onvf3yed to be placed in the tombs of her fathers. 
 
58 
 
 THE PEINOE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID. 
 
 " At the gate we were stopped by a Roman soldier, who 
 demanded our passports and the traveller's tribute, 
 which humiliating affair settled, we rode into the city , 
 for it was our intention to pass the night there, and 
 early in the morning walk to the banks of the Jordan, 
 where we understood the prophet was teaching and 
 baptizing." 
 
 At this point of the narative of the cousin of Mary, 
 dear father, I will close this letter. We had all listened 
 with the deepest attention, not so much for the interest 
 it contained in itself, as on account of the manner in 
 which he recited what he had seen ; his face being 
 calmly beautiful, his eyes soft and expressive, his voice 
 musical, and his whole aspect the true and expressive 
 manifestation of the intelligence, gentleness, amiability, 
 and noble ardor of piety which belong to his whole char- 
 acter. In my next I will resume his narrative, dear 
 father ; for when I have given it to you wholly, I have 
 many things to ask you to which it gives rise in my 
 mind. May the blessing of the God of Israel be upon 
 thee, my dearest father ! 
 
 Adina. 
 
 LETTER IV 
 
 My Dear Father . 
 
 1 have had the pleasure to-day, not only of hearing 
 from you, but of being assured of your continued wel- 
 fare. The messages of parental affection contained in 
 your letter are cherished in my heart. The costly gifts 
 of your generous love, sent by you with the letter, and 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 59 
 
 which were safely delivered from your hand into mine, 
 
 by your faithful servant Elec, will be worn by me with 
 II a (laughter's pride. I regret to hear of the death of 
 '.ibbi Israel, while I rejoice that the high office he held 
 th so much dignity, has been bestowed upon you by 
 he Pro-consul ; for though you may not need its emolu- 
 aents, dear father, such selection is a flattering proof 
 
 of the estimation in which you are held by the Ro«man 
 
 Governor. 
 
 You need not fear, my dear father, that 1 shall be 
 carried away from the faith of Israel by any strange 
 doctrines ; I will take counsel by your wisdom, and be 
 cautious how I adventure in my inquiries upon sacred 
 ground. I have freely writtent o you for your advice, 
 and I trust that you will not look upon my inquiries as 
 expressions of doubt, but as searchings after what is true, 
 r know you are read in the law above all Jews, and 
 that any difficulties I may meet with in observing 
 things here in Jerusalem, especially in the worship and 
 ceremonies of the Temple, you will remove for me. 
 
 In my last letter, which will not reach your hands for 
 some days yet, I commenced giving you the narrative 
 of John, the cousin of Mary, who went down into the 
 wilderness to see and hear the prophet of Jordan. 1 
 will not take it upon myself to decide or form an 
 opinion upon any thing yet, dear father, but state facts, 
 and let your wisdom instruct me into the truths that 
 may grow out of them. One thing which your letter 
 states gratifies me, and gives me confidence ; it is these 
 words : "Do not fear that the integrity of the laws of 
 Moses, or of the worship of the Temple, or the predio* 
 t^ons of the Prophets, can be moved by any investi|?a' 
 
r)0 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 dons that man can make into them. . They are foumled 
 in truth, and will abide forever. The worship of Israel 
 fears nothing from inquiry. But while you ask and 
 question about sacred things, remember that they be- 
 long to God, and must be inquired into with awful 
 reverence and profound humility. Any inquiries made 
 into the prophecies with an eye to search out their day 
 of fulfillment, are proper and useful ; and as this day 
 seenis to be that of fulfillment rather than that of pre- 
 diction, your studies may be suggested and directed by 
 heavenly wisdom, and, if so, they will be guided to 
 their true issue. .As 1 am so far removed from you, 1 
 cannot judge concerning this prophet your first letter 
 named as being in the wilderness ; yet I should not be 
 surprised if the fullness of time indicated by Isaiah 
 were near at hand, for the events you enumerated seem 
 to proclaim its approach : such as the lax worship in the 
 Temple ; the worship of the Roman idols on Mount 
 Zion ; the profanation of the altar ; and the rule of tho 
 heathen over the empire of David. Let us fervently 
 pray, my child, for the fulfillment of the prophecies, 
 which promise Messiah to our stricken people ! Let uj- 
 supplicate for the rising of the Star of Jacob, the Prince 
 of Peace, who shall erect his throne on Mount Zion, and 
 whose sceptre shall be a sceptre of righteousness ; undei 
 whose wide dominion Israel shall lift up her head and 
 rule the nations. My daily prayer, with my face to- 
 wards Jerusalem, is, that I may live to behold the hope 
 of Israel, and with my eyes see the splendor of the glory 
 of Shiloh." 
 
 These words of yours, my dear father, give me cour- 
 age. I believe with you that the day of fulfillment of 
 
OR, THREE YEARS . IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 61 
 
 the Prophets is dawning ; and perhaps is nearer than we 
 believe. When I have completed the history of Johrf s 
 journey to Jordan to hear the prophet, you will under* 
 stand why I speak with such hopeful confidence ; and 
 you will agree with me that this preacher of repentance 
 IB not one of the class of false prophets, against whose 
 chimeras your letter so properly cautions me. 
 
 " We arose at dawn," said Mary's cousin, in continu* 
 ation of his interesting narrative^ and leaving the inn, 
 we took our way out of the city, by the eastern gate, 
 which we easily found, inasmuch as a quarter of the 
 city was in motion, and moving in the same direction. 
 Here we were detained by the Grentile guards for full 
 half-an-hour, till the multitude had become so immense 
 as to tread one upon another, and fill the whole street 
 Nevertheless we had to wait until the indolent Captain 
 of the Grate chose to be disturbed in his morning repose, 
 and then bathe his dainty limbs, and then break his 
 fast, all which he did very deliberately, before he would 
 suffer the gate to be opened ! Such slaves are we to 
 such masters ! Oh, w^hen shall arrive the day wherein, 
 as saith Isaiah, ' our gates shall be opened continually ; 
 they shall not be shut day nor night, that men maj 
 bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that thei) 
 kings may be brought captives to our feet.' 
 
 *^ Having passed out of the gate, my friend of Arima 
 thea and myself separated a little from the crowd, and 
 crossed the plain towards Jordan. The morning was 
 balmy ; the sun made all nature glad. The dew re- 
 flected a myriad lesser suns, and the earth appeared 
 strewn with diamonds. For a little way the road lay 
 between fields of corn and gardens ; but soon it crossed 
 
62 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVU? 
 
 the open plain, on which were droves of wild asseSj 
 which lifted their small, spirited heads on our approach, 
 eyed us with timid curiosity, and then bounded off 
 to the wilderness southward with the speed of antelopes. 
 As the great body of the people took their way obliquely 
 across the plain, we knew the prophet must he in thai 
 direction, as it proved, for we at length found him on 
 the banks of Jordan, below the landing and ford, which 
 is Qpposite Jericho, on the great caravan road to Balbec 
 and Assyria, that long and weary road so often travelled 
 by oar forefathers when they have been led into cap- 
 tivitv — the road which so many kings have waterea 
 with their tears ! We gazed upon it with emotions of 
 sadness, and with tearful prayers that Jehovah would 
 return and visit once more the remnant of his people, 
 and not be angry with us forever ! After we had ap- 
 proached the Jordan some distance above the ford, we 
 beheld the multitude listening to the prophet far to the 
 south of us, on the edge of the desert, which approaches 
 in this quarter very near Jericho. As we traversed the 
 banks of the flowing stream, we came all at once upon - 
 a pillar of stones partly in the water. ^ This,' said my 
 oom])anion, stopping, ' is the Mount of Twelve Stones, 
 which Israel set up to commemorate the passage of 
 ordan. Here they crossed on dry ground.' 
 
 • I counted them, and found but seven of them re- 
 maiidng. What vicissitudes, I reflected, had not Israe] 
 passed through since the hands of our fathers placed 
 that heap together ! Grenerations of judges and long 
 lines of kings ; captivities succeeding captivities ; wars, 
 conquests, and defeats, and subjection, finally, till we 
 are no longer a people ; having a ruler, indeed, but 
 
on THREE YEARS IN THE ROhY CITY 
 
 63 
 
 whose power is a mockery — a Herod, holding his authori- 
 ty at the courtesy of the Imperial Monarch of Rome. 
 Alas, with the end of the reign of such a shadow of a 
 king, the sceptre will forever depart from Judah !" he 
 added, bitterly. 
 
 Then will Shiloh come !" exclaimed my cousin Mary, 
 with animation. 
 
 " Yes ; Judah must he abased to the lowest step, be* 
 fore she can rise ! and with Shiloh king, her glory will 
 fill the whole earth," responded John, with hope once 
 more beaming in his eyes. At length we drew near 
 the dark mass of human beings which we had beheld afar 
 off, assembled around a small eminence near the river. 
 Upon it, raised a few cubits taller than their heads, stood 
 a man upon whom all eyes were fixed, and to whose 
 words every ear was attentive. His clear, rich, earnest 
 tones, had reached us as we approached, before we 
 could distinguish what he said. He was a young man 
 not above thirty, with a countenance such as the me- 
 dallions of Egypt give to Joseph of our nation, once 
 their Prince. His hair was long, and wildly free about 
 his neck ; he wore a loose sack of camel's hair, and his 
 right arm was naked to the shoulder. His attitude was 
 as free and commanding as that of a Caucasian warrior, 
 yet every gesture was gentle and graceful. With all 
 his ringing and persuasive eloquence there was an air oi 
 the deepest humility on his countenance, combined with 
 an expression of the holiest enthusiasm. The people list- 
 ened eagerly to him, for he spake like the prophets of 
 old, and chiefly in their prophetic words ! His theme 
 was the Messiah : 
 
 * Oh, Israel, return unto the Lord thy (>od, for then 
 
64 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 hast fallen by thine iniquity,' he was saying, as we 
 came up, as if in continuation of what had gone before 
 * Take with you words, and turn unto the Lord, and 
 gay unto Him : Take away all iniquity and receive us 
 graciously. Behold, He cometh who will heal your back- 
 sliding, and will love you freely ! He will be as th 
 dew unto Israel 1 He shall grow as the lily, and cast 
 forth his roots as Lebanon ! His branches shall spread, 
 and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his fruit 
 shall be for the healing of the nations ! They that dwel) 
 under his shadow shall return and dwell evermore ; and 
 it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the 
 name of the Lord shall be delivered, for beside Him 
 there is no Saviour.' 
 
 " ' Of whom speaketh the prophet these things ?' asked 
 one who stood near me, of his neighbor, and then of me ; 
 for by this time we had taken places as close to the 
 prophet as we were able ; for I did not wish to lose one 
 word that should fall from the lips of a man who could 
 thus empty cities, and people the wilderness with their 
 inhabitants. 
 
 Of Messiah — listen !' answered him a Scribe near, 
 as if not pleased to have his attention interrupted by his 
 feide talk. ' His words are plain. Hear him.' 
 
 ^ Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, for the day of the 
 Lord cometh !' continued the prophet, in a voice like that 
 of a silver trumpet; ^ for, behold, the day is at hancf 
 when I will bring again the captivity of Judah. Put ye 
 in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe ! The day is at hand 
 when the Lord shall roar out of Zion and utter his voice 
 from Jerusalem.* 
 
 * Art thou not Elias ?' asked one, aloud. 
 
OB. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 66 
 
 " * 1 am he of whom it is written, the voice of one 
 ciying in the wilderness, make straight a highway 
 for our Grod. The day of the Lord is at hand. I am 
 but the herald who is sent before to prepare the way of 
 the Lord I' 
 
 " ^ Art thou not the Messiah ?' asked a woman 5 
 who stood near him, and seemed to worship his ver} 
 lips. 
 
 " ' He who Cometh after me is mightier than Ij whose 
 shoes I am not worthy to bear !' he responded, in the 
 deepest humiliation of manner. ' He who cometh after 
 me hath his fan in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge 
 his floor and gather the wheat into the garner ; but will 
 burn up the chaff* with unquenchable fire. Therefore, 
 repent ye, repent ye, take words and return unto the 
 Lord your Grod. Repent and be baptized for the remis- 
 sion of your sins ; for the day cometh which shall burn 
 as an oven, and take heed that ye be not consumed ' 
 The axe is laid at the root of the tree ; therefore every 
 tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn 
 down and cast into the fire.' 
 
 " ' Master,' said a Levite, ^ dost thou speak these thing? 
 to us, who are of Israel, or to these Grentiles and Samari- 
 tans ?' for there were not a few Roman soldiers among 
 ^e multitude, drawn hither by curiosity, and also 
 many people from Samaria, nay, even from Damascus. 
 
 " ' Gro and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saith the 
 Lord, for my people hath committed two evils; they 
 have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and 
 hewn them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold 
 uo water. The Lord hath made me this day an iron 
 niliar and brazen wall asraiiist the whole land — as^Rvn^' 
 
66 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVri> 
 
 the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against 
 the priests thereof, and against the people of the land • 
 And yet thou sayest, 0, Israel, thou hast not sinned ! 
 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy back- 
 sliding shall reprove thee. Repent and do works meet 
 for repentance, every one of you, for ye have polluted 
 the land ; neither say, where is the Lord that brought 
 as up out of the land of Egypt ? I am provoked 
 anger every day by your hardness of heart and stiff- 
 neokedness. Amend, amend your doings ! Trust not 
 to lying words, saying. The Temple of the Lord, The 
 Temple of the Lord, The Temple of the Lord ! Ye have 
 made it a den of robbers ! Your sacrifices therein are 
 become an abomination to the Lord !' 
 
 " ' This would touch us who are priests, masters,' 
 said a priest, with a crimson brow. ' We are not 
 robbers.' 
 
 ' Thus saith the Lord,' answered the youthful 
 prophet, as if it were Grod Himself speaking from Horeb, 
 80 that we trembled as we heard him : ' Woe be unto 
 the pastors that destroy my sheep ; I will visit upon 
 you the evil of your doings. How is the gold become 
 '!im — ^how is the most fine gold changed ! The precious 
 ^ns of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they es- 
 Uiemed ? Her priests were purer than snow ! they 
 were whiter than milk ; they were more ruddy in bodj 
 tlian rubies ; their polishing was of sapphire ! Their visage 
 is blacker than coal ; they feed the children of my peo- 
 ple with ashes for bread ! Woe to Zion, for the sins 
 of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests I Run 
 ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and seek 
 in the broad places thereof, saith the Lord, if you can 
 find a man that executeth judgment, that seeketh truth f 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 67 
 
 Though they say the Lord liveth, surely they swear 
 falsely. Hear ye this, 0 priests, and hearken, ye house 
 of Israel ! Woe unto you, ye priests, for ye have trans- 
 gressed I have seen in the prophets of Jerusalem a 
 horrible thing ; they commit adultery and walk in lies, 
 5!aith the Lord. My people have transgressed for lack 
 of knowledge ! Therefore I will reject thee, saith the 
 Lord ; thou shalt be no priest to me since thou hast for 
 gotten the law of thy Grod. Like people, like priests 
 Therefore doth the land mourn, and every one that dwel- 
 eth therein languisheth. Therefore do swearing and 
 lying, and killing and stealing, and committing adultery, 
 break out in the land, because there is no truth, nor 
 mercy, nor knowledge of Grod in the land. Woe unto 
 you, ye priests !' Many of the Levites then turned and 
 left him, and went away greatly murmuring ; and they 
 would gladly have done the prophet a mischief, but they 
 feared the multitude, who said he had spoken only the 
 truth of them. ' But the elders of Israel, who are not 
 priests, who spring from Abraham, shall be saved by 
 Abraham, master?' asserted, or rather inquired, a rich 
 '•uler of our city, after the tumult caused by the with- 
 drawal of the Levites had a little subsided. The youth- 
 ful prophet rested his dark eyes, like two suns, upon the 
 old man's face, and said impressively, ' Begin not to say 
 within yourself, we have Abraham to our father, for i 
 Ray unto you,' he added, pointing to the pebbles at his 
 feet, ' that God is able of these stones to raise up cliild- 
 ren unto Abraham. He is of Abraham who doth right- 
 eousness ; therefore repent, and bring forth fruits meet 
 for repentance.' 
 Here was heard some murmuring among a group of 
 
S8 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DA.VID 
 
 many Pharisees and Sadducees at these words, wheii, 
 Bending his lightning glance towards them, as if he 
 could read their very hearts, he cried : 
 
 " * 0 generation of vipers! Who hath warned you to 
 ttee from the wrath to come ? The day cometh when 
 he who is to come shall sit as a purifier by his furnaca 
 Bring forth, therefore, fruits meet for repentance. Wash 
 thy heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be sa\ed. 
 And ye, daughters of Judah, repent you of the vain 
 thoughts that lodge within you,' cried he, addressing 
 many females in rich apparel and plaited hair ; ' gird ye 
 W-ith sackcloth, lament and howl ; put away these 
 abominations out of my sight, and fear the Lord. 
 Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou 
 deckest thyself with ornaments of gold, though thou 
 rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make 
 thyself fair ; for I hear the voice of the daughters of 
 Zion bewailing themselves, and spreading forth their 
 hands in the day when they are spoiled and despised for 
 their iniquities. Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven 
 is at hand 1 ^ 
 
 ' Hear, 0 Israel ! Am I a Grod at hand and not a 
 God afar off, saith the Lord. Hear ye the message of 
 the Most High, for the day hath come when Jehovah 
 shall once more visit the earth and talk face to face with 
 His creatures. Behold the day hath come saith the 
 Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branchy 
 and a king to reign and prosper, who shall execute 
 judgment and justice on the earth. 
 
 Behold the day hath come, saith the Lord, in 
 which Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell 
 safely, when I will set up shepherds over them, which 
 sba^] fped them, and they shall lack nothinsf ! 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 6il 
 
 " * Arise ! shine, for thy light is come 1 Hear, O 
 Israel I for Zion's sake I will not hold my peace ; I will 
 aot rest until the righteousness thereof go forth as 
 brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that 
 ^urneth. Arise ! shine, for thy light is come, and the 
 riory of the Lord is risen upon thee! Darkness covereth 
 the earth, and gross darkness the people, as saith Esaias; 
 but the Lord shall rise upon thee, and His glory shall 
 be seen upon thee. The Grentiles shall come to His 
 light, and kings to the brightness of His rising. He 
 shall be called The Lord of our Righteousness, and 
 shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and 
 a royal diadem in the hand of thy Grod. The Spirit of 
 the Lord is upon me to proclaim the acceptable year of 
 His coming. He hath set me a watchman upon thy 
 walls, 0 Israel, and I may neither hold my peace day 
 nor night, nor keep silence, nor seek rest, till He come, 
 who hath sent me forth His messenger before His face. 
 How can I refrain from my message of joy ? How shall 
 I not speak of His fame ? His sons shall come from 
 afar, and His daughters shall be nursed at His side. 
 The people of the nations shall fly as a cloud, and as 
 doves to their windows, to behold, fall down, and adore 
 Him. The isles shall wait for His law, and kings shall 
 minister unto Him, even unto the Holy One of Israel. 
 Saith He, I, the Lord, am thy Saviour and thy Re- 
 deemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. Say ye to the 
 laughters of Zion, Behold thy salvation cometh ; behold, 
 His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. 
 Ho, every one that thirsteth,' he now cried, raising his 
 voice like the chief of a host^ till the farthest heard, 
 ^ <5ome ve to the waters ; yea^ come buy wine and milk, 
 
70 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID. 
 
 without money and without price. Incline your car 
 and come unto Him. Hear, and your soul shall live. 
 Repent, keep justice and judgment ; and prepare a con- 
 trite heart to offer Him when thou shalt behold Him ; 
 tor thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabitetb 
 eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and 
 holy place with him, also, that is of a contrite and 
 humble spirit. Peace, peace to him that is afar off, and 
 to him that is near, saith the Lord, 
 
 " * Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise 
 Irom the ends of the earth: for thus saith Grod the Lord, 
 He that created the heavens and stretched them out; He 
 that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out 
 of it; He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, 
 and spirit to them that walk therein : Behold my ser- 
 vant whom I uphold — mine elect in whom my soul 
 deligliteth : I have put my spirit upon Him ; he shall 
 bring forth judgment to the Grentiles ; a bruised reed 
 shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not 
 quench. I, the Lord, saith Jehovah, addressing the 
 only begotten, I have called thee in righteousness, and " 
 will hold thy hand and keep thee, and will give "dice foi 
 a covenant of the people, for a light of the Grentiles, to 
 open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the 
 prison. I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory 
 will I not give to another ; yet have I made Him my 
 first-born, higher than the kings of the earth. Look 
 anto Him, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth , 
 for unto Him every knee shall bow, every tongue shall 
 swear Our Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts is His namo, 
 the Holy One of Israel ! ' 
 
 " All this was spoken with an enthusiasm and fire 
 that made every pulse bound 
 
OR, THKEE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 71 
 
 " Such," said John, " was the extraordinary style of 
 this mighty prophet's preaching ; and to those who read 
 the books of the Prophets, every word shone with the 
 brightness of the sun. I fancied I had only to look 
 around to behold the Messiah ! The immense multitude 
 stood awed and silent when he had ceased. I gazed 
 apon him with adoring reverence. My heart filled with 
 holy joy; for 1 now believed and knew that God had 
 remembered Zion, and was about to display his wonders 
 more remarkably on earth than ever had been witnessed 
 before. Leaving the eminence, he said, and I thought 
 he fixed his eyes on me, ' Ye who desire to be baptized 
 for the remission of sins, that your hearts may be 
 Cleansed for the visitation of this Holy One of Grod, fol- 
 low me to the river side !' Thousands obeyed, and I 
 one of the first. I trembled all over with a sweet plea- 
 sure, when he took mo by the hand, and asked me if I 
 believed in Him who was to come, and would prepare 
 the way for His abode in my heart by being baptized, 
 which rite also was to be a sign and pledge that when 1 
 should behold the Shiloh rising, I should acknowledge 
 Him. Not less than one thousand were baptized by him 
 that day in Jordan, confessing their sins, and hopes of 
 [)ardon through the name of the Unknown One, who 
 was soon to come. Among these were Pharisees and 
 Sadducees, rulers and lawyers, and one gray-headed 
 Roman soldier. Joseph of Arimathea was not baptized^ 
 as he said he wished to examine into the extraordinary 
 subject fully before he could believe. 
 
 " After the baptism, the whole company dispersed in 
 groups, and the prophet returned into the wilderness till 
 tho oool of the evening, where his repast was locusts and 
 
72 
 
 THE PBINCB OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 the wild honey of the desert. When he re-appeared, he 
 again spoke to an increased multitude. In this second 
 sermon, he explained more clearly the application of the 
 glittering chain of prophecies he had given utterance to 
 in the morning, to Messias, and thus enabled me to dis- 
 oern more clearly the true character of the expected 
 Messias than I had before done." 
 
 With this remark of his, dear father, I close my lon^ 
 letter. I make no comments. I will only say, that my 
 expectations are actively awake, and that I am looking, 
 with thousands of others, for the near advent cf the 
 Messiah. 
 
 Your daughter, 
 
 Adina. 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 M.V Dear Father : 
 
 Although but three days have elapsed since 1 com- 
 pleted my last letter to you, I am so solicitous to have ^ 
 your judgment and counsel upon the remarkable events 
 now occupying the public mind of Israel, that I cannot 
 withhold giving you the further relation of the remain- 
 ing circumstances connected with the visit of Mary's 
 C50usin, John, to the divine prophet of Jordan. Inasmuch 
 as his words have made a deep impression upon my 
 mind, and moved me to believe with him in the truth 
 of this prophet's words, it is proper that you should 
 know with me all that he has told me, and which have 
 influenced my feelings and opinions, in order that you 
 may judge of the wei2:ht and value at what all I have 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 7*3 
 
 board is to be estimated ; and be assured, dear father, 
 that I am ready to be governed in all things by your 
 wisdom and learning. Listen, then, with your usual 
 goodness, to the residue of this young man's narration. 
 
 After the prophet had ended his second discourse, 
 and baptized full two hundred more in the sparkling 
 waters of Jordan," resumed the eloquent cousin of Mary, 
 " he sent them away to the city to lodge and buy meat ; 
 for few, in their eagerness to hear him, had brought 
 provisions with them. Many, before leaving him, drew 
 near to receive his blessing of love, and it was touching 
 fco see venerable men, with locks shining like silver, and 
 leaning upon the staff, bend their aged heads before the 
 youthful Elias, as if in acknowledgment of his divine 
 commission. Mothers also brought their infants, that he 
 might bless them ; and youths and maidens knelt reve- 
 rently at his feet in tears of love and penitence. Calmly 
 he stood upon the green shores, like an angel alighted 
 upon earth, and blessed them in words all new to our 
 ears, but which thrilled to our hearts with some secret 
 power that agitated us with trembling joy. 
 
 * In the name of the Lamb of God I bless thee P 
 What can be the meaning of these words ?" a»iv8d 
 Mary, with her gentle earnestness. Her betrothed could 
 jnly reply that he knew not. 
 
 " At length, one after another, the multitude departed, 
 save a few who encamped beneath trees on the banks ot 
 the river. Joseph of Arimathea and I were left almost 
 alone standing near the prophet, and regarding him with 
 reverential curiosity. The sun was just disappearing 
 over the distant towers of Jericho, and painting with "fie 
 richest purple the hills between the river and Jerusalem* 
 
74 
 
 THE PKINCB OF THE HOUSE OF DA7ID. 
 
 Jordan, catching its reddening radiance, rolled pa«t like 
 a river of liquid gold embanked in emerald. The \mm 
 of the prophet, lighted up by a 3un-ray that shone be- 
 tween the branches of a pomegranate tree, seemed like 
 the face of Moses when he came down from Sinai, a 
 glory of light. He appeared rapt in heavenly raedita^ 
 tion, and we stood silent and gazed upon him, not daring 
 to speak. At length he turned towards us, smiled, and 
 saluting us, grasped the crook or staff on. which he had 
 been leaning, for he was weary and pale with his labors 
 of the day, and slowly walked down the shore in the 
 direction of the wilderness, lie had not advanced many 
 steps when I felt an irresistible impulse to follow him. 
 I burned to talk with him — to sit at his feet, and ask 
 him questions about the great things I had heard him 
 utter in both of his discourses ! I wished him to explain 
 and unfold what had seemed mysterious, and yet teem- 
 ing with mighty revelations. I panted for light — foi 
 knowledge. I yearned to have him open the Scriptures 
 to me, and give me that unlimited understanding of 
 them which he possessed. I therefore said to my com- 
 panion : 
 
 " ^ Let us follow him, and learn more of those great 
 tilings which we have this day heard.' 
 
 Joseph, like myself, being anxious to hold converse 
 with him, at once assented, and we proceeded slowly 
 after him, as he moved in a contemplative mood along 
 the desert path. The sun had already gone down, and 
 the full moon rose on the opposite shore, and the prophet 
 stopped as if to gaze upon its autumnal beauty. We 
 drew near to him. He beheld us, but did not avoid us ; 
 fleeing which, I advanced with timid confidence v and 
 
OR. THREE TEARS IN THE HOLT CITT. 
 
 76 
 
 '* < Holy prophet of the Most High Grod, wilt thou \)iiT- 
 mit two young men of Israel to speak to thee, for out 
 hearts yearn towards thee with love ?' 
 
 " * And we would fain keep thee company in the de« 
 sort, Rabbi,' added Joseph, ' for it does not seem well 
 for thee to dwell thus alone.' 
 
 " ' But chiefly,' said I, ' we would inquire of thee 
 touching the advent of the Mighty Personage whose near 
 coming thou dost foretell.' 
 
 " ' Friends,' said the prophet, in a calm and serene 
 manner, ' I am a dweller in the desert, and alone, froiD 
 choice. I approach men only to proclaim my message. 
 The delights of earth are not for me. My mission is 
 one. Its duration is short. Its aim worthy the greatest 
 Drophet of Grod, yet am I, the least of them, not worthy 
 to be called a prophet ; and before the splendor of Him 
 whom I announce to the world, I am the dust of the 
 balance. If thou hast sought me to search after know- 
 ledge, come and sit down with me upon this rock, and 
 let me hear what thou hast to ask of me, that I may 
 answer thee and go my way.' 
 
 " This was said softly, gently almost sadly, and in a 
 tone that made me love him more and more, I could 
 have cast myself upon his bosom and wept there ; for 1 
 was deeply touched that one should be chosen by Jeho- 
 vah to become his prophet to earth, and yet show such 
 lowliness of heart and sincere humility. We seated our- 
 selves, one on either side of him, for he refused to permit 
 us to place ourselves upon the ground at his feet, saying 
 reproachfully, as he did to those whom we had seen 
 kneel to him, ' I, also, am a man !' The scene and tho 
 hour were well fitted for such a converse as we wern 
 
76 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DA71D 
 
 about to hold. The broad disc of the moon poured a 
 flood of orange-tinted radiance full upon us, and lent a 
 hallowed softness to the divine countenance of the youth 
 ful prophet. The Jordan, dark as India's dye, darted 
 swiftly past at our feet, between its deeply-shaded banks, 
 sending up to our ears the faintest murmur of its pebbly 
 passage. Above our heads swelled the vaulted arch oi 
 the Temple of Johovah, with its myriad of altar fires. 
 To our left lay Jericho, just visible, looking like a black 
 mass of castellated rock, unilluminated save by a single 
 watch-fire which burned upon its loftiest tower. Behind 
 as stretched the desert waste, cheerless and yet grand, 
 in its desolate distances. 
 
 "Afar off rose upon the air, and was borne to us at in- 
 tervals, the voice of a singer in one of the camps ; and 
 near us, upon an acacia tree, sat a solitary bulbul, which 
 ceaselessly sang its sweet and varied hymn to the listen- 
 ing moon. 
 
 "^AU things praise God — shall we be silent?' said 
 the prophet. * Let us sing the evening hymn of the 
 Tomple.' He then commenced, in a rich, melodious 
 chant, such as I have never heard from the priests, our 
 sacred psalm to the whole creation of Grod. We joined 
 our voices with his, and the tide of praise floated over 
 the waters, and echoed and re-echoed from the opposing 
 shores, as if the banks and stream, trees, hills and sky, 
 had found voice as well as we : 
 
 *' * Praise ! praise ! praise ye the Lord ! 
 
 Praise Him in the heights ! Praise Him in the eeas I 
 Praise Him men of Israel ! Praise ye tho^ Lord I 
 For He exalteth high His people, 
 And reigneth evermore ! 
 
OE, THBEE YEAES IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 77 
 
 Praise Him all ye angels I Praise Him all ye hosts I 
 Praise Him sun and moon, and all ye stars of light ! 
 Praise Him fire and hail ! Praise Him storm and snows « 
 For He judgeth the earth in righteousness, 
 And reigneth evermore I 
 
 Praise ! praise ! praise ye the Lord ! 
 Praise Him winged fowl, and herds, cattle, and all beaste 
 Praise Him kings and people, princes, priests, and judges 
 Praise Him youths and maidens, old men and children 1 
 
 Praise the name, let them praise the name, 
 Praise the name of the Lord God of Hosts I 
 For His name alone is excellent, 
 His glory above the heavens * 
 Israel is His firstrborn — a people well beloved * 
 Praise ! let Israel, therefore, praise Him ! 
 Praise Him evermore, 
 Evermore, 
 
 Ever, evermore !' 
 
 "Never shall I forget the effect produced up^n mj 
 inmost being by this hymn, sung at such a time, and in 
 such a place, and in such company. The prophet sang 
 as if he was leading a choir of angels. My heart leaped 
 at the chorus, as if it would break out, take wing, and 
 leave the earth ! When we called on the winds and the 
 fowls of the air to praise Jehovah with us, it may be 
 fancy, but the thrilling voice of the bulbul seemed tc 
 pour from its throat a wilder, richer, more joyous tide of 
 song, and the audible wind bent the adoring trees, and 
 mingled its mystic whispers with the psalm of men ! 
 Surely, thought I, it is good for mo to bo here, for this 
 is none other than the gate of Paradisst ! 
 
 "After a few moments' silence, the prophet spoke and 
 said : 
 
 " * You sought me, brethren of Israel, can I do aught 
 ff>T you 
 
78 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DA\U) 
 
 ** * We would hear more, great prophet, touching tWft 
 mighty man, if man he may be termed, who is to come 
 after thee,' said Joseph. 
 
 " * I can tell thee but little, my brethren, save what 
 thou hast heard from me this day. The future is veiled 
 I bear a message, indeed, but I may not break the seal 
 and read. I am but the courier of God to man. To 
 you it will be given to know what is now unknown to 
 me. Happy, thrice happy are ye who will behold, face 
 to face, the Divine One whom 1 can only behold afar off. 
 If it be permitted me to see Him, it will be but for a 
 brief space, for when He cometh I depart — my errand is 
 done. Blessed are those who live to witness His glory 
 and to hear the gracious voice of God that proceeds from 
 His anointed lips.' 
 
 " ' When will be His advent, and with what form ano 
 powei cometh this Divine being ?' I asked. 
 
 *''As a man, but not with comeliness of form that 
 men should desire Him. His appearance will be humble, 
 lowly, and meek.' 
 
 " ' Yet you said to-day. Rabbi,' I continued, ' that -> 
 His power should be infinite, and that of His kingdom 
 there should be no end. You spoke of the glory of His 
 dominions, and the humiliation of Gentile kings beneath 
 His sceptre.' 
 
 ^ This I cannot explain — it is a mystery to me ! I 
 speak as God, by whom I am sent, gives me utterance 
 I know that He who cometh after me is greater than I, 
 the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose : ' 
 " ^ You taught us this evening, holy prophet, that He 
 would be the Lord from Heaven ; and yet that Esaias 
 saith He will be despised and rejected of men, wounded 
 for our transgfressions, and bruised for our ininuitins ! ' 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 79 
 
 * The Spirit of Grod teaches me that these words apply 
 to Shiloh ; but I cannot comprehend how these things 
 can be,' he answered, with deep sadness. 
 
 " 'May I remind you, good Ratbi,' said Joseph, 'that 
 you taught us how that this Divine Personage should 
 die; though Lord of Life, and be numbered in His death 
 with transgressors, though the Holy one of Grod 1' 
 
 '' * And such will be the events that are ordained to 
 happen ; but seek not to know what no man hath had 
 revealed to him. The Divine Messiah Himself must be 
 His own interpreter. Blessed will be the eyes that be- 
 hold Him, and listen to the wisdom of His mouth, anr 
 keep the law of His lips ! ' 
 
 " ' May I ask you, holy prophet of the Lord,' saic. 
 Joseph, ' how is it that He whom you are sent by God 
 to bear witness to can be the Deliverer of Israel, when 
 yoQ predict for Him so sad a fate ? Messiah is to 
 restore Jerusalem, and the glory of the Temple, and the 
 splendor of its worship, so saith Esaias, so say Ezra 
 and Jeremiah. He is called a Mighty Prince, a King, 
 the Redeemer of Israel, who shall rule the nations and 
 have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the 
 ends of the earth ! We, therefore, in the Messias of the 
 Prophets, have looked for a powerful potentate, who 
 shall reign in Jerusalem over the whole earth, and sub- 
 due all nations, bringing their kings captive at His foot- 
 stool, and binding their princes with chains ; before 
 whom every knee shall do homag'3 — a Monarch who 
 shall not leave a heathen sandal to tread on the sacred 
 soil of Jadea, and v/ho shall establish the worsnip of 
 Jehovah in every place where now rises a temple of 
 idolatrv ' 
 
6V THi!l PRINCE OP TEE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 ' His kingdom is not of this earth,' answered the 
 prophet, impressively. 
 
 ' How then can we interpret the Prophet David, 
 who maketh the Lord to say : I have set my King upon 
 my holy hill of Zion? Also, how shall we interpret 
 those sayings of Esaias, who, prophesying of the blessed 
 Christ of God, hath these words : 
 
 ^ Of the increase of his government and peace there 
 shall ho no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his 
 kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment 
 and with justice, from henceforth, even forever ? ' 
 
 " ^ I know not. These secrets are with God. I can 
 reveal nothing. I am but the trumpet through which 
 Jehovah speaks ; I know not the words I utter. This I 
 know, that the least child and lowliest hireling that 
 liveth in the day of Messias is greater than 1. I am 
 the last of the prophets. I stand on the threshold of 
 that glorious kingdom, the greatness and brightness of 
 which they saw afar off, like some heavenly, indistinct 
 vision. Nearer than they, I am permitted to catch 
 clearer glimpses of its glory, and it may be vouchsafed 
 to me to see more than I now see ; but of this I have no 
 certain revelation. It is for me to open the last door 
 that leads out from the night of prophecy into the glo- 
 rious ddwn of the day of fulfillment ; but I am not per- 
 mitted to enter beyond the threshold, or share in its 
 blessings. All who come after me will be prefeired 
 before me. But the will of Jehovah be obeyed ! [ am 
 His creature, and to murmur becomes not dust. Rather 
 let me rejoice that the daj^-star is about to rise, though 
 His beams shine on all the earth but me ' This was 
 said with the most touching pathos. 
 
OK, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 81 
 
 We were both deeply moved, I myself even to tears, 
 at hearing these words spoken by him. My heart 
 yearned towards him with the most sacred sympathy. 
 I sank on my knees, and kissing his hand, bathed it 
 with my tears. 
 
 He gently raised me, and said in a sweet voice : 
 
 " ' Brother beloved, thou shalt see Him to whom 1 
 bear witness, and He will love thee, and thou shalt 
 repose in His bosom!' At this saying," continued the 
 cousin of Mary, whose voice was tremulous with lively 
 sensibility as he spoke hereof, " I burst into tears ; and, 
 rising, I walked a little ways apart, and lifting up my 
 eyes towards heaven, I prayed the God of our fathers 
 that I might be found worthy of this blessed honor." 
 
 " ' And shall I also behold this mighty Son of Grod ? 
 asked Joseph, with solicitude. 
 
 " The prophet took his hand in his, and fixing upon 
 him his eyes of prophetic brightness, said slowly, and in 
 tones awe-inspiring and painfully sorrowful : 
 
 " * Thou shalt one day bear him in thine arms, and 
 lay him upon a couch which thou hast prepared for thine 
 own repose. Thou knowest not now what I say, but 
 thou shalt remember it when it cometh to pass !' 
 
 " When he had thus spoken, he rose, and waving his 
 hand to us both, he walked rapidly away towards the 
 desert, and was soon lost to the eye in the obscurity of 
 the darkness which hung over it. 
 
 ' Didst thou hear him ?' at length, after some mm- 
 tttes' pause, asked Joseph of me. ' What can his words 
 mean ? They are prophetic of some fearful event. His 
 eyes betrayed some terrible meaning. My heart is 
 troubled.' 
 
83 THE PRINCE OF THE HOJSE OB DAVID 
 
 * And mine rejoicethj' I answered. * We shall net 
 Him ! I shall be near Him ! Oh, if He be like this 
 sweet prophet of Grod, I shall lov^e Hirr. with all my 
 soul's being. How wonderful that we are to be thus 
 associated with this Divine Person ! Welcome the hour 
 of His blessed advent !' 
 
 " ' Wilt thou welcome the advent of a sufferer ?' said 
 a voice so near that it startled us by its abruptness , 
 end, looking round, we saw, standing within the shadow 
 of a wild olive tree, a young man who was a stranger, 
 but to whom I afterwards became deeply attached. 
 His face was pale and intellectual, and his form slight, 
 but of the most symmetrical elegance. His question at 
 once made me sorrowful, for it recalled the sad prophe- 
 cies of Esaias. 
 
 " ' He is also to be King and Monarch of the world, 
 and infinitely holy and good,' I said. 'If thou hast been 
 near, thou hast heard the glorious things the prophet 
 has spoken of Him.' 
 
 " ' I have been near — I was reclining beneath this 
 tree, when you seated yourselves there. Be not deceived 
 The Divine Man who is to come is to be a man of sor- 
 lows and acquainted with grief. He is to be rejected 
 by Israel, and despised by Judah. Those whom He 
 {3omes to bless will despise Him for His lowliness and 
 obscurity. His life will be a life of tears, and toil, and 
 heaviness of heart, and He will at last be cut off from 
 among the living, with the ignominy due only to a 
 transgressor. Dost thou welcome the advent of a 
 sufferer ?' 
 
 " ' But how knowest thou this ? Art thou a pro}>h(>t ? 
 I asked with surprise and admiration. 
 
OR THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 83 
 
 ' No, brother, but I have read the Prophets. 1 
 hoard, moreover, the words of this holy man, sent from 
 (rod, and he dwells more on the humility of the Christ 
 than on His kingly grandeur. Believe me, the kingdom 
 of Shiloh is not of this world. It cannot be of this 
 world, if such is to be His life and death ; and that it is to 
 be His life, Esaias clearly states. Let me read to you hi^ 
 words.' He then took a roll of parchment from his bosom, 
 and read by the clear tropical moonlight, that mysterious 
 and inexplicable passage which beginneth with the 
 words: 'Who hath believed our report?' When he 
 had ended, and perceived the assenting impression he 
 had made upon our minds, he resumed : ' This is not 
 the history of a prosperous earthly monarch, but rather 
 the painful record of a life of humiliation, of shame, and 
 of contempt.' 
 
 " ' But thou dost not say, brother,' said Joseph, with 
 some warmth, ' that the sacred person borne witness to 
 by this prophet is to be an object of contempt ?' 
 
 ^ Does not Esaias say that he will be despised, 
 beaten with stripes, rejected of men, imprisoned, and 
 put to death like a transgressor of the law ?' 
 
 " ' There can be no question but that Esaias speaks 
 of the Messiah,' I temarked. 
 
 " ' This prophet of Jordan now bears full testimony to 
 Esaias, and plainly maketh application of his words to 
 Him whom he has come beforehand to proclaim,' an- 
 swered the young man, with singularly graceful elo- 
 quence in all he said. ' Let us who have been baptized 
 this day for the remission of our sins, expect a Messiah 
 of sorrows, not a conquering prince. Let us behold one 
 who is to humble Himself beneath the yoke of humafj 
 
B4 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DaVID 
 
 infirmities, that He may be exalted, and draw all men 
 after Him to a kingdom in the heavens.^ 
 
 " * But the throne of David' — objected Joseph — 
 
 " * Is at the right hand of Grod.' 
 ' But Jerusalem, and its rule over the nations — 
 
 " ' Jerusalem that is above, will be over all.' 
 
 *^ ^ But His kingdom that is to be everlasting — ^ 
 
 " ' Is where life is everlasting. How can He rule an 
 everlasting realm here on earth, without living forever, 
 and his subjects also ? Read not the Prophets so. As 
 Adam fell and lost Paradise, so Messias, like a second 
 Adam, must, as man, humble Himself in human nature, 
 to atone for our guilt ; and having made full atonement 
 for us by His life and His death. He will repurchase the 
 kingdom of Paradise for the race of man ; but He re- 
 stores it to us not on earth, but translated on high* 
 where the angels still guard it in the kingdom of God 
 It is this kingdom which this prophet proclaims as being 
 at hand, and the path to which our leader and king can 
 only tread through the mire of Adam's sin, which 
 spreads through this world ; but without taint of sin 
 apon His robes. He being the bearer of our iniquities, 
 we shall thereby escape their chastisement. Healed by 
 His stripes, we shall be free from the penalty which oui 
 sins demand. Laid upon Him will be the transgressions 
 of the world ; and by one mighty sacrifice of Himself, 
 thus laden, as a sin-offering, He shall make atonement 
 for the great family of Adam, and restore our race to 
 reconciliation with Jehovah. Such is to be our looked 
 for Messiah. Alas, while we look for Him, let us ming^*^ 
 tears with our gladness, and humble ourselves, that on^^ 
 80 holy and excellent should be destined to endure thesf 
 
OR THREE YEARS IN IHE HOLY CITY. H'» 
 
 things for our sakes ; and when we behold Him, let 
 sink at His feet in grateful adoration of His love and 
 charity, of His mercy and goodness, of His noble self- 
 denial and vohintary upgiving of Himself as a sacrifice 
 for us ; for there could be no higher or more valuable 
 victim than Him in the Universe of Grod, therefore He 
 hath offered Himself^ according to the words of the 
 prophet recording His offer, ' Lo, / come to do thy will, 
 
 0 G-od!' 
 
 Wlien the young man had spoken, he walked away. 
 Impelled by an unconquerable impulse, I followed, and 
 took him in my arms, and embracing him, said : ' Of a 
 truth thou art a prophet ! Thy words come home to my 
 heart like the echo of ancient prophecy.' 
 
 ^ Nay. I have learned these things from the study 
 of the Scripture,' he said, with angelic candor and 
 modesty. ' But I have been aided, how much I have 
 no words to tell thee, by one who hath wisdom and truth 
 abiding in him above all men, and whom it is my hap- 
 piness to have my bosom friend, as he is near my 
 own age. If I am wise, or virtuous, or good, or know 
 the Scriptures, it is that he hath been my counsellor and 
 teacher.' 
 
 " ' What is his name ?' I asked, ' for I also would go 
 and learn of him.' 
 
 " ' He withdraws from the public eye, and hath little 
 converse but with few, and shuns all notice. Without 
 his permission I could not take thee to him. Yet I will 
 ask him, if you desire it.' 
 
 * What is his appearance, and where doth ho dwell? 
 
 1 inquired, more deeply interested. 
 
 ^ He abides at present at Bethany, my own oity. 
 
96 
 
 TBE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 He is so beloved by us, that we detain him as our guest. 
 But he dwelleth at other times w^ith his mother, a holy 
 widow of great sanctity and matronly dignity, living at 
 Nazareth in humble condition, and he contributes by 
 labor to her support, with the most exemplary filial 
 piety ; thus setting an example to the young men of 
 Judah, who in this age make a mock at parental re- 
 straint, and under the evil practices which the free 
 license of the wicked custom of Corban giveth, neglect 
 them, and no more do aught for their father or mother. 
 Indeed, no person ever approaches and speaks with him. 
 without leaving him a wiser and better man.' 
 
 * Verily,' said both Joseph and I together, ' you have 
 only increased our desire to behold him. His appear- 
 ance must be noble.' 
 
 " ' He possesseth neither beauty of form nor comeli- 
 ness to strike the eye ; but there sits upon his brow a 
 serene dignity, tempered with mildness that commands 
 the respect of age, and wins the confiding love of child- 
 hood. His eyes beam with a light, calm and pure, as if ^ 
 shining from interior holy thoughts, and they rest upon 
 you, when he speaks, with a tenderness that is like the 
 dewy light of the young mother's gaze, when she bends 
 in silent happiness and tears over the face of her first- 
 born. He never smiles, or rather his face is one soft 
 sunshine of smiling rays, tempered in an indescribable 
 manner with a settled look of sadness, an almost imper- 
 ceptible shade of permanent sorrow, that seems to fore- 
 shadow a life of trial and suffering. When he reads from 
 the ProphetS; and unfolds to us with a wisdom that we 
 oan regard only as given him from heaven, the great 
 truths that relate to the long-looked-for, and, as we novr 
 
OK THBEE YEASfe I2ff THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 87 
 
 b lieve, the near-present Messiah, he seems to speak by 
 inspiration, yet without emotion, but calmly and natu- 
 rally, in a low-toned voice, that is never lifted up at any 
 time, nor ever heard in the streets.' 
 
 " * He must be another j^rophet,' said Joseph, with 
 deep earnestness. 
 
 ' He does not prophesy, nor preach,' answered the 
 voung man. 
 
 ^' What is his name ?' I asked. 
 
 " ' Jesus, the Nazarene t' 
 We both promised to remember this name ; and as 
 our way to Jerusalem lay through Bethany, we wished 
 much to call and see him ; but this step the young man 
 mildly objected to, until, he having made known our 
 wishes to him, he then might, if he desired to see us. 
 send into Jerusalem for us to go to Bethany. 
 
 As the young man was then about to move away, I 
 asked him his name, as he had gi'eatly drawn out my 
 heart towards him, and I felt that if I could be his friend, 
 and the friend of the wise young man of Nazareth, who 
 sojourned with him, I should be perfectly happy, and 
 have no other desire — save, indeed, to live till the Mes- 
 siah came, that I might behold Him, and lay my head 
 upon His sacred bosom. 
 
 ''*My name is Lazarus, the Scribe,' he answered, as 
 he tooK his leave." 
 
 "What," interrupted Mary, when her cousin had 
 spoken this name, ' tlien I know him well. It is the 
 brother of Mary and Martha, both my friends at 
 Bethany, where T passed a week last year, just before 
 the Passover." 
 
 1 am glad to hear that," said John, for this wUl 
 
88 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID; 
 
 be a closer bond of friendship between us. The next 
 day we renewed our acquaintance, and after three days 
 departed together homeward. Upon arriving at Bethany 
 Lazarus learned that his friend had gone to Cana, in 
 Graiilee, on a visit with his mother, to the house of one 
 of her kinsfolk, whose daughter is in a few weeks to be 
 married." 
 
 Having now, my dear father, communicated to you 
 all that John related to us, you will see what grounds 
 there are to look upon the prophet of Jordan as a man 
 sent from God, or to believe that he is the true Elias, 
 whom Malachi hath foretold, and who, as the most 
 learned of the Scribes say, must first come to proclaim 
 the approach of the Prince of Peace, the Shiloh of Israel's 
 hopes. My emotions, my ideas, my opinions, at present, 
 are conflicting and full of indecision. On one hand, I 
 am ready to become one of John of Jordan's disciples, 
 and be baptized of him, looking with faith unto Sim 
 who is to come after. On the other hand, I tremble Jest 
 all should be a delusion, for it does not seem possible 
 that it is my lot to live in that blessed age when Mes- 
 siah Cometh, a period towards which all the patriarchs 
 and prophets have looked, desiring to see His day, but 
 died without possessing the promise, beholding it only 
 afar off. The infinite greatness of this privilege is all 
 Jhat causes me to doubt. Instruct me, dear father ; 
 f>per to me the treasures of your wisdom! Thou art 
 read in the Prophets. Doth the youthful prophet of the 
 wilderness truly use their predictions in their applica- 
 tion to Messias ? Is it that the intellectual Lazarus 
 truly drew the sad portraiture of His dark career or 
 •^arth ? How are the opposing prophecies to be recon 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 S9 
 
 ciled ill another manner than the young man of Bethany 
 has unfolded them ? Explain to me one other interpre- 
 tation, dear father, how He can be both king and a 
 prisoner ! Lord of life, yet suffer death ! With a king- 
 dom boundless as the world, yet despised and contemned 
 of men ! 
 
 The account brought by John has set Rabbi Amos to 
 studying the Prophets, and indeed all men are looking 
 into them with interest unknown before ; for the multi- 
 tudes that go away from the new prophet noise his pre- 
 dictions abroad, throughout all the land. May Grod be 
 indeed about to bless His people, and remember His in- 
 heritance I 
 
 Adina. 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 My Dear Father : 
 
 Health and peace to thee, and all my friends honored 
 and beloved in Alexandria ! I have again seen the ex- 
 cellent Ben Israel, with whom, four months ago, I came 
 from Egypt, to sojourn in Jerusalem. He not only 
 delivered to me your letters, with the acceptable gifta 
 you kindly sent by him, but also assured me of your 
 welfare in all things. He is at present absent at Da 
 mascus, whither he went soon after his arriva. here, in 
 order to buy the celebrated Syrian blades of that city, 
 which he takes down to Egypt at great profit, with 
 other merchandise. He assures me that he is gaining 
 much wealth by his caravans of commerce, at which J 
 rejoice, for he is an amiable and worthy man His 
 
90 
 
 THE PRIISUE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 
 
 entreaties that I would return to Alexandria with him. 
 would nearly have overcome my resolutions of remain- 
 ing here, but for the commands you have laid upon me 
 to avail myself of the peculiar privileges which Jerusa- 
 lem affords for improving the mind ; and were it not, I 
 am deeply interested in the issue of the great expecta- 
 tion of Israel. Your letter, dear father, commands me 
 to banish this novelty" from my mind, and continue 
 humbly to worship Jehovah after the manner of our 
 fathers. I trust this I shall ever do, my dear father ; 
 and did I discover in this prophet any disposition to bring 
 in a new faith, opposed to the ancient faith of Abraham, 
 I should tremble to entertain it for a moment. You say 
 that this man must be ^'a false and base prophet," or he 
 would not herald a master so low and despised as he 
 orofesses will be the Christ he bears witness to. There 
 have been many false Christs and false prophets, my 
 child," you add, and Israel has run after them, as they 
 now run after this John of Jordan, and the result has 
 been, that they have either perished in the wilderness or 
 been cut to pieces, with their deceiver, by the jealousy 
 of the Roman Governors, who looked upon such assem- 
 blies as seditious. Hold fast, my child, to the religion 
 of our fathers, and be not carried away, as I fear you 
 are in danger of being, by this wild preachdr of repent- 
 ance. The kingdom, of Messias is not a kingdom of 
 repentance and of humiliation, but one of victory, oi 
 glory, and dominion Touching those prophecies of 
 humility and abasement, which this prophet of Jordan 
 applies to Messias, they have no application to our ex* 
 peoted Shiloh and Prince. They either apply to some 
 losser prophet who will be the forerunner of the true 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 91 
 
 Christ (for that he will have a forerunner the Soriptnros 
 -peak too plainly for doubting)^ or, as some say and 
 Relieve, especially do the Pharisees, there are to be two 
 \Tessias — one who shall ccnie in humiliation and suffer- 
 ng to the Gentiles, as an at£)nement for the expiation 
 f their sins, and one to come to us in regal power, and 
 n circumstances of glory and splendor, such as no poten- 
 tate hath ever manifested, and who shall make Jerusa- 
 lem the metropolis of the globe, and the kings of the 
 earth tributary at his feet. Such is OKr Messias, whon\ 
 the Lord of Hosts send us speedily, to lift Judah from 
 the dust of her humiliation ! If the humble person this 
 prophet of the desert heralds be a Messias, he is one to 
 the Grentiles only, whose great iniquities need the self- 
 immolation and humiliation of one come from Grod, in 
 atonement therefor ; but he is not a Messiah to Israel, 
 nor the mighty Prince who shall sit in David's seat on 
 the throne of Zion. Therefore, my child, you as a 
 daughter of Israel have no interest in this novelty that 
 Cometh out of the wilderness, and after which half the 
 land hath foolishly run mad. Wait, be patient ! the day 
 of Israel's glory shall truly arise and shine, and all 
 nations shall see it and rejoice. Tiiinlc no more of what 
 thy cousin hath told thee. When Messias cometh He 
 wiL be heralded by a more glorious and eminent person 
 than a young man of thirty, clothed in skins, and for 
 food eating locusts and wild honey, whose origin and 
 authority no man knoweth. Believing that your good 
 sense and sound judgment, my Adina, will at once lead 
 you to adopt my views, I shall not urge them further, 
 as if I seriously feared your defection from the house of 
 your fathers, an event which would bring my gray hair? 
 
THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DA ^ lu 
 
 down with sorrow to the grave. It is my belief that thia 
 prophet preaches only himself, and, under the mysterious 
 and deceitful notions of another to come after him, is but 
 gathering an expectant multitude around him to wield 
 them as instruments for his own ambitious ends ; and, 
 by the time you write me again, I expect to learn from 
 you that he openly proclaims himself the Christ, aftei 
 all ; or that he, with all who are led by him, will be 
 destroyed by the swords of the Roman legions." 
 
 How can I write to you, my dear fathei', that which 
 ii, now rushing to my pen, after such an expression of 
 your sentiments as you have made in this extract from 
 your letter ? But I know you are wise, and will not 
 evade truth, in whatever form it may offer itself to you, 
 and I therefore, with confidence in your justice and wis- 
 dom, will faithfully make known to you the events rela* 
 ting to Ihe prophet which have transpired, and may take 
 place in Judea during my abode here. Hear me always 
 with candor, and judge without partiality ; for this is, 
 without doubt, a day of wonderful revelations. I fancy 
 that I can now see your brow darken, and that you say , 
 
 enough of this. Are we to have more of this new pro 
 phet?" Yes, my dear father, more still, and more ex- 
 traordinary circumstances 1 am about to relate than ] 
 have yet written, ^or some of the very priests of the 
 Temple have become believers in the youthful Seer. 
 
 You will remember how that John, Mary's cousin, 
 stated that many priests and others were offended at the 
 plain preaching of the prophet whom they went out into 
 the wilderness to see. When they returned to Jerusa- 
 lem, and made known to the other members of the 
 House of the Priests what had been spoken against 
 
OK. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 93 
 
 them, by the application to them of the words of Esaias 
 and Jeremias, and other Prophets, there arose at once a 
 great outcrv against him. Many of the Levites even 
 forgot their duties in the Temple, in holding discourse 
 with the Scribes and Pharisees, and others, in the streets, 
 in tha arches of the gates, and in the market-places, 
 touching this new prophet, and his bold denunciations 
 of them ; being so much the more grieved at them be- 
 cause they were, alas ! but too well merited by the 
 looseness of their lives. At length Annas, who is High 
 Priest with Caiaphas, sent two of the most learned men 
 of the Temple, Levites of weight of character, to invite 
 the prophet to Jerusalem ; for Annas is a wise man, and 
 not easily carried away by popular feeling ; and, as 
 Rabbi Amos hath told me, he is disposed to look upon 
 the preaching of John, for such is his name, with a 
 serious and reverential eye. The messengers returned 
 after the fifth day, and made their report openly in the 
 Court of the Temple, where the High Priests sat to re- 
 ceive them, expecting to behold the prophet in their 
 company. At length, the assembly being convened, the 
 two learned and venerable Levites both rose up, and 
 declared that they had delivered the message to John, 
 the son of Zacharias, the prophet of Jordan, and that his 
 answer was given with the reverence due to the statioa 
 of the High Priest who had sent to him : 
 
 " Gro and say to the noble High Priest," said he, 
 that I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, aa 
 it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the Pro- 
 phet, who, foreseeing my day, saith, ' The voice of one 
 crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, 
 make his paths straight.' All Rd^h will soon b'^.hold ike 
 
94 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVED 
 
 salvation of Grod. My errand is neitlier to city nor 
 temple, nor into any house of Israel will I enter. He 
 who would hear my testimony to Him who is to come 
 after me, let him seek me in the wilderness, whence only 
 I am commanded to lift up my voice till Shiloh come." 
 
 When the priests heard this answer they were greatly 
 enraged, and many fiercely cried one thing and many 
 another ; some that he should be sought out and stoned 
 to death for defying the High Priest (which he did not 
 do, dear father, as it was for him to obey God rather 
 than man) ; others, that he should be accused to the 
 Procurator, Pontius Pilate, G-overnor of Judea, as a 
 seditious and dangerous person, and fomenter of insur- 
 rections. Caiaphas was of the latter opinion, and wrote, 
 from his tribunal, an epistle to the Roman ruler, making 
 accusation hereof against the prophet of the desert, and 
 recommending him to secure his person, lest further 
 mischief should come of it ; adding, that Tiberius Csesar, 
 hearing of the matter, would conceive it to be a move- 
 ment of the whole Jewish nation, desirous of casting off 
 the Roman rule, under a new chief, and thus bring down 
 an army upon the land, utterly to destroy it. But the 
 milder Annas viewed the whole matter in a different 
 light, and said : 
 
 " Men and brethren — let nothing be done hastily. If 
 this, man be a false prophet, he will soon perish, and W6 
 shall hear no more of him. If, peradventure, as it 
 would appear, he is sent from God, let us not mak. 
 haste to do him a mischief, lest, haply, we be found 
 contending against the Lord of Hosts." 
 
 This modeiation found favor with but few, but ot 
 tliese few, Rabbi Amos was one. But if the priests 
 
OK, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 95 
 
 who thronged the outer court, in presence of the High 
 Priest, were deeply moved at the report of the prophet's 
 answer, their excitement became well nigh uncontroll- 
 able when both Melchi and Ileli, their messengers, rose 
 up, waving their hands for silence, and declared, that, 
 after having listened to the prophet to whom they had 
 been sent, they were convinced of the truth of his words, 
 and of his divine commission, and had been baptized 
 of him in Jordan, confessing their sins ! 
 
 Only the sanctity of the Temple prevented the five 
 hundred priests rushing upon them, and smiting them 
 when they heard this. They were at once placed under 
 arrest by order of the High Priest, Caiaphas, for acting 
 in a manner unbecoming a priest of the Most High G-od ; 
 " For," said he, this is to degrade the Temple to the 
 feet of a wandering impostor, and is an open acknow- 
 ledgment that virtue hath left the worship of Zion, and 
 must be sought for in the deserts of Jordan. Which," 
 he called aloud, which, men of Israel, is the greatest 
 the altar of the Lord, or the waters of Jordan ? — ^the 
 Priest of the Most High, or he of the wilderness ? Away 
 with these recreant blasphemers, to be tried and ad- 
 judged according to our sacred laws." The people who 
 had heard John preach, hereupon were only prevented 
 from rescuing the two priests by the presence of a guard 
 of Roman soldiers, for which Caiaphas promptly sent. 
 
 From this account, my dear father, you can form 
 some idea of the excitement which the preaching of this 
 new prophet is producing among all classes. The poorer 
 Bort of people are his advocates, and the rich and the 
 rulers, the priests and great men of the nation, f ppose 
 him, save a few among the best and wisest Of these 
 
yt) THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 few is Rabbi Amos, who is engaged all the time he Is 
 not on duty in the Temple, in searching the Scriptures, 
 to see if these things are so ; and at every prophecy he 
 reads he is more and more convinced that the day of 
 Messias is at hand, and that this prophet is, without 
 doubt, he who was to be sent from Grod in the spirit 
 and power of Elias," to prepare the way before Him 
 Every evening there are assembled at our house from 
 twelve to eighteen of the chief men of the Jews, who 
 often pass half the night in warm discussions upon these 
 great things ; those among them who have heard John, 
 being disposed to give him the high rank he claims, as 
 forerunner of Shiloh. Among these is Stephen, a man 
 whose father was High Priest, and who is himself a 
 lawyer and student of no mean repute. He has not yet 
 Heard John the prophet, but he openly said last night 
 that, after the most careful examination of all the 
 Prophets, he was firmly of the opinion that the day of 
 the fulfillment of their prophecies was close at hand ; 
 and that, for his part, he was willing to hail the prophet 
 of Jordan as the true herald of Messias. Hereupon, v 
 two-thirds of the company said the same thing, but the 
 others doubted, and cautioned the rest not to be too rash : 
 that it was time enough to believe in Messias when Ho 
 Himself should come in His own person. 
 
 Such, my dear father, is the present condition of the 
 mind of the people of Jerusalem. If the Prince of Glory 
 should, indeed, suddenly appear, there could be scarcely 
 more excitement, though it would be of a different 
 nature. There is something sublime to see a young 
 man, who dwelleth alone in the wilderness, poor and 
 unknown, thus moving the great heart of the nation * 
 
ua THBEE TEAKS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 97 
 
 rarely his power must be divinely derived. You ask 
 me, and so is ttie question constantly put by the SoribeSj 
 and Pharisees, and priests, to the disciples of John: 
 Does he perform miracles ? Show me a miracle and I 
 will believe in him; for this is the only test of a true 
 prophet's Divine commission." No, dear father, he has 
 performed no miracle, unless it be one continuous mira- 
 cle, whereby he keeps in the wilderness a multitude 
 daily enlarged, from the outpouring gates of almost 
 every city in Judah, listening to his words, and bowing 
 their heads to the sacred waters of his penitential 
 baptism. 
 
 As next week Rabbi Amos does not serve in his course 
 kn the Temple, and as he will have some affairs that take 
 him to Grilgal, where he has three fields now ripe for the 
 sickle, he has yielded to the desire of his daughter Mary 
 and myself to accompany him ; for he does not conceal 
 from us that he shall make it a point to visit and hear 
 the prophet, as it will be but two hours travel from 
 Grilgal to the place where he preaches. You will, I fear 
 me, object to this journey. But if the worship of ouj 
 fathers has nothing to fear from falsehood, it surely has 
 nought to fear from truth ; and in either case, I, as a 
 true daughter of Israel, have nothing to fear. If the 
 prophet teach what is false, I shall remain true ; and if 
 he teach what is true, shall I not be the gainer ? I heai 
 yon say this is but feeble and womanly argumentation 
 But as you have given me the credit of, more than once, 
 declaring it to be your belief that I am old and wise 
 enough to judge for myself in most matters, I beg you 
 will sufTei me to hear the prophet with my own ears, in 
 order that I may decide whether I ought to give lieed tc 
 
96 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 his predictions, or reject them as the visions of a dreamer 
 Ooe thing is clear — if the Christ that John prophesies 
 be the true Son of the Highest, and is in reaUty to make 
 his appearance ere long, in humiliation and poverty, his 
 rejection by the High Priests, and by the rich and po^v 
 erfal of Judah, is certain. May Grod, then, remove 
 bhndness from our eyes, that, if this be the very Messias 
 indeed, Israel may recognize their king when He cometh, 
 and not do so fearful a thing in their pride as to reject 
 Him openly! In this case, who will stand between 
 (jtod and our ill-fated race ? Therefore, my dear father, 
 it behooves every man in Israel to examine this mattei 
 with a sober and humble mind, and move with caution 
 in opposition to what ?nay prove the dearest hopes of oui 
 people. When I shall have returned from the desert, 
 whither we are to travel with litters and mules, 1 will 
 write you all that I have heard. 
 
 You will remember the young Roman Centurion, to 
 whose courtesy I was indebted in rescuing me from the 
 rudeness of the two Grentile soldiers. He has preserved, 
 since then, acquaintance with Rabbi Amos, who speaks 
 of him with respect ; and as he has of late expressed 
 mme interest in knowing what the studies are which 
 Dccupy the Rabbi so constantly when he calls to see him, 
 which he has done frequently, a copy of the Prc>phet9 
 was placed in his hands ; but as he professed he was not 
 learned enough to read Hebrew, the good Rabbi, who 
 believed he saw in him a hopeful convert to the faith of 
 Judah, called in Mary to read and interpret to him. But 
 her knowledge of the Roman tongue did not prove sufB- 
 oient ; and at her request, the Rabbi sent for me, to come 
 into the marble hall of the corridor, where they sat bj 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 99 
 
 (he fountain, under the shade of the acacia, which Amos 
 says you took with your own hands from Isaiah's grave, 
 and planted here, many years ago, and which I therefore 
 call ^* my father's tree." 
 
 ^^Oorne hither, Adina," said my uncle, in his benevo- 
 lent tones ; " here you behold a noble Roman youth whorr 
 vou must be too generous to have forgotten." I bowed 
 and scarcely lifted my eyelids from the tesselated floor ; 
 for there was a fire in the glance of the handsome youth 
 that they could not encounter. He said some words of 
 salutation ; but I only heard the voice, which fell upon 
 my heart with a strange vibration, like the effects of 
 music. Surely these barbarians of Italia have the rich- 
 est language of all men ; compared with it, our Hebrew 
 is harsh and strangely guttural. " The Roman Centu- 
 rion," continued Amos, " hath desired to know some- 
 thing of the sacred books of our nation, of which he 
 saith he hath heard much ; and of the prophecies, 
 from which he believes the famed Sibylline books were 
 composed." 
 
 "I have studied the sacred books of Etruria, of Gaul, 
 and those of the Groths and the Druids, of Egypt, and of 
 Persia, as well as of my own people," said the Centurion, 
 modestly, " but in all these I find rites and ceremonies, 
 doctrines, and laws, that are unworthy to emanate from 
 the supreme Jove of so vast a universe. We, Romans, 
 in the multiplicity of our gods, in deifying everything, in 
 reality deify nothing ! Everything we call god, but we 
 realize God nowhere." 
 
 " Then thou hast well directed thy inquiries touching 
 this book," answered Amos, with warmth, and looking on 
 the Roman with respectful compassion. ^' Here is to be 
 
100 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 
 
 found the true and only revelation of Jehovah to men 
 Here is developed a divine character, worthy of the Crea* 
 tor of the universe. Here are laid down laws and cere* 
 monies, rites and doctrines, commands and precepts, that 
 are worthy to emanate from the Father and God of all 
 men. Thou shalt hear and judge for thyself. I am but 
 imperfectly skilled in the Roman tongue, save for daily 
 intercourse ; but here is an Egyptian maiden, who can 
 interpret for thee in the idiom of Grrecia, or of Italia, and 
 I will place the sacred scroll in her hands while I listen. 
 Come, Adina, open and read the beginning of the Book 
 of Moses." 
 
 I obeyed, as I would have obeyed you, dear father , 
 and, seated at the feet of Amos, I read and translated 
 aloud into Greek, which the Roman youth had said was 
 even more familiar to him than his native tongue, (as it 
 is to all educated persons in the world,) the first five 
 hundred lines. These, as you know, give an account of 
 the creation of the world, and of man, of his defection, 
 and his expulsion from Paradise ; of the promise of Mes- 
 sias to restore what he had lost ; of the curse denounced > 
 upon the creation, and the slaying of the patriarch Abel, 
 with the peopling of the earth, its wickedness, and de- 
 gtruction by the flood. 
 
 To all this narrative the youthful warrior listened with 
 the profoundest respect and attention ; and when he had 
 thanked me, and asked permission to come and be further 
 taught from the pages which he said seemed, indeed, to 
 bo written with the finger of the Supreme Lord of the 
 universe, he asked if the Messias had yet ocme who 
 was to restore all things ; and if not, when was he to be 
 looked for ? This inquiry led to a conversation upon 
 
OK THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 10) 
 
 the preaching of John in the wilderness, and hiis predic- 
 tions of the near advent of Shiloh. Rabbi Amos, seeing 
 that he was becoming deeply interested in the subject, 
 made me turn to the particular prophecies of Daniel, 
 Esaias, David, and others, and read them to him ; both 
 those which described, in golden words, the glory and 
 dominion of his power, and those which represented 
 him as despised and rejected. After I had read all 
 which the Rabbi directed me to read, the young man 
 remained some time very thoughtful. At length he 
 said, with animation : *• I can now comprehend why 
 men run into the wilderness. I should like to hear this 
 prophet." 
 
 When Amos told him that he contemplated journeying 
 to Gilgal the next week, and intended to visit the desert 
 to hear him, he at once asked permission to be of his com- 
 pany ; but when I remarked that Mary and I were also 
 to go, his dark eyes beamed with pleasure, and he imme- 
 diately said : 
 
 " I will accompany you with a squadron of horse, as 
 the roads are not safe ; for no longer than yesterday we 
 received a rumor that the celebrated robber chief, 
 Barabbas, at the head of a large band, has made his 
 appearance again on the hills between Ephraim and 
 Jericho, and robbed not only two caravans, but many of 
 those who were travelling to hear this prophet. I will 
 make an expedition against him, after seeing yen safely 
 in Jericho." 
 
 When we heard of this robber we were not a little 
 disposed to decline our journey ; but Rabbi Amos thanked 
 him, and said he would gladly accept his escort, " inas- 
 muohf" he added, smiling, " as T know you Romair 
 
102 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 knights here in garrison have but little to employ you3 
 time, and would esteem it a privilege to have an excursion 
 of this kind. Moreover, you say you must go against this 
 oandit • so we do not so much draw on your courtesy as 
 take shelter under your duty." 
 
 It is therefore decided, dear father, that we leave early 
 next week for Jericho and Grilgal, and go also into thf 
 wilderness to see and hear the prophet. On my return, 
 ^ shall not fail to write you without delay. Till then 
 'vithhold your judgment, and have confidence in mine. 
 With holy aspirations for the coming of the kingdom of 
 David, and the restoration of his throne in Zion, I remain 
 with filial love, your daughter, 
 
 Adina 
 
 LETTER Vir 
 
 VLy Dear Father : 
 
 My trembling fingers scarcely hold the light reed with 
 which I am about to write you concerning the extra- 
 ordinary things I have seen and heard; but they tremble 
 only with Joy. Oh, my father, my dear, dear father^ 
 Messias has come ! I have seen Him ! I have heard 
 His voice ! He has truly come ! Oh, joy, joy ! My 
 eyes have beheld Him of whom Moses and the Prophets 
 did write ! But let me not anticipate. In order that 
 you may believe as I believe, though you have seen Him 
 not, I will give to you an account of those events which 
 hav<i happened since my last letter was sent to you. 1 
 will try to write free from emotion, and keep my bound- 
 ing heart still, and my hand calm while I set in order 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 103 
 
 all that has taken place, that your understanding may 
 )udge of thorn with that candor and wisdom which 
 makes men see in you the wisest Israelite in the land oi 
 Egypt. 
 
 You will recollect that in my last epistle, which went 
 by the Cairo caravan, I mentioned that Rabbi Amos, 
 taking advantage of the recess in his duties at the 
 Temple the course of the venerable Elihud being now 
 waiting upon the altar, made up his mind to pay his 
 annual visit to the wheat fields which he has in charge, 
 near Jericho, and which, as you know, are not his own 
 lands, but are in trust to him for the heirs of the brave 
 soldier, Manasseh, of the tribe of Benjamin, who was 
 slain in trying to rescue Jericho from the Romans. 
 Rabbi Amos, also, felt no little curiosity to hear John of 
 Jordan, as he is called, whose fame has spread far and 
 wide. At the request of Mary and myself, he consented 
 that we should accompany him. John, the young man 
 who is betrothed to my cousin, having gone to the sea 
 of Galilee to see about certain ships which were there in 
 charge of his brother James and his father, was to meet 
 as at Grilgal, and accompany us to Jordan ; for he thinks 
 ftnd speaks of nothing now but the prophet of the wilder- 
 ness, from whom he feels that he suffers great loss to be 
 absent even for a day. 
 
 The road from Jerusalem to Jericho had become re- 
 cently unsafe, on account of the boldness of an insurrec- 
 tionary chief called Barabbas, who a year ago made 
 insurrection against the Romans, but was defeated, and 
 his band dispersed into the mountains south of the sea 
 of Sodom ; but at last, driven to famine, he has taken to 
 rooblng caravane : and since the number of travel]er?< 
 
104 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF OAVID. 
 
 has increased so much between Jerusalem and J( rdon, 
 to hear John preach, and be baptized of him, he has 
 fallen upon large parties of them, and taken from thera 
 all their goods and money. On this account Rabbi 
 Amos accepted the courteous offer of the escort of the 
 young Centurion, who had been ordered by the Procu- 
 rator, Pontius Pilate, to keep the road open between 
 Jerusalem and Jericho ; for even the Roman couriers 
 have been stopped by this fearless robber, and some of 
 them slain by him. The pride of Rabbi Amos shrunk 
 from this dependence upon a Roman arm, in making a 
 peaceful journey through his own land ; but there is, 
 alas ! dear father, no one now among the seed of Abra- 
 ham to assert our natural rights. We can only bow oni 
 heads to the yoke the Lord God has placed upon oui 
 necks. 
 
 It was faint dawn when we rose from our couches to 
 prepare for the journey. The mules upon which we 
 were to ride were brought into the court by the iwf 
 swarthy Gribeonite serfs, whom Rabbi Amos holds in hzs 
 service, and caparisoned with rich saddles covered with 
 Persian saddle-cloths, embroidered with gold. The two 
 pack mules were also made ready, on one of which was 
 the travelling equipage of my cousin Mary and myself, 
 which Rabbi Amos smilingly said took up more space 
 than the goods and travelling wares of a Damascus mer- 
 chant. At sunrise, after we had kneeled upon the house- 
 top, in view of the Temple, and sent up our prayers with 
 its sacrifices and clouds of ascending incense, we de- 
 scended to the court-yard to mount for the road. There 
 was a stout mule for good Rabbi Amos, though the Cen* 
 turion sent him a hanrlsome Persian horse to ride : hut 
 
OR. THREE TEARS IN THE EOLY CITY 1(>5 
 
 my nncle said that he had never trusted himself on se 
 uncertain an animal as a horse in his youth, and he 
 thought he should scarcely adventure such a feat in his 
 old age ; so he preferred his mule. 
 
 Having got ourselves seated upon our cushioned 
 saddles, and our veils ready to draw over our faces, wo 
 expected each moment the arrival of the Centurion and 
 his cohort of horse ; but a Numidian slave came running, 
 and bowing to the ground before Rabbi Amos, said that 
 the Centurion would meet us at the corner of the two 
 ways, beyond the walls, near Bethany. Whereupon we 
 all mounted, and took our way towards the East G-ate, 
 which Pilate has recently repaired, and named the Porta 
 Caesar. We were five persons in all — Rabbi Amos, my 
 cousin Mary and myself, and the two Gibeonites — ^both 
 of whom were young men, whose fathers for many cen- 
 turies had been servants in the family of Amos, even 
 from the time of Joshua, when this people deceived him 
 by their craftiness, and were doomed to perpetual servi- 
 tude. I am much struck with the appearance of this 
 singular race of men. They have very dark faces, eagle- 
 beaked noses, flashing black eyes, and slender, lithe 
 forms. They look cunning and treacherous, but seem to 
 be cowardly, and easily controlled by firmness. They 
 are incapable of any attachments, and gratitude seems 
 to be thrown away upon them. I heard a singular tra- 
 ditior about them from one of the Levites who often 
 visits Rabbi Amos, which is, that they are descunded 
 from the servants of Noah, which were saved with him 
 in the ark, but who, as being of an inferior rank, were 
 not included in the record of Noah's family. But doubt 
 less you have heard the same idle tradition 
 
106 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 The morning was bright and cheerful, with the golden 
 mn pouring its light over temple and tower, castle and 
 roof, wall and rampart, hill and grove, valley and brook, 
 one and all of which w ere lighted up with the glory of 
 his morning beams. As we turned the street leadinf^ to 
 the Shc^p Gate, we passed the house of Caiaphas, thf 
 High Priest, whom I saw standing upon the marble^ 
 porch of his superb palace. He was not arrayed in his 
 sumptuous robes, with the breast-plate of dazzling stones, 
 and kingly cap, as I had seen him in the Temple, but 
 was dressed in a flowing black robe, over which was 
 thrown a scarf of white linen ; and upon his snow-white 
 looks he wore a scarlet hood, a dress common to all the 
 priests, so that if I had not recognized him by his tall 
 and commanding form, and flowing white hair, and 
 piercing eye, as he surveyed us, I should not have known 
 that it was the High Priest. He spoke to Rabbi Amos, 
 who did him reverence, and lowly did I bend my own 
 head before the majesty of the representative of Grod on 
 earth. 
 
 A little further on we met a party coming from tho 
 country beyond Kedron, with large cages upon their 
 mules, laden with turtle doves and young pigeons, which 
 they were carrying to the Temple, to be sold there for 
 sacrifices. My heart pitied the innocent things, whose 
 blue, pretty heads were thrust by the dozen through the 
 rough bars of their prison-houses, as they cast their soft 
 eyes up at me, as if asking me to deliv(3r them from 
 their bondage. And when I reflected that they were to 
 ofter up their innocent lives for the sins of the men and 
 woms::! of Israel, my cheek burned with the blush of 
 shame; that we were so guilty before the Lord Grod, that 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 107 
 
 Ihe iimocent must die for us. As Mary was riding be- 
 hind me, in order to let the laden mules pass with their 
 immense cages, one of the turtle-doves, affrighted by the 
 noise of the streets, extricated itself from between the 
 bars, and, spreading its wings, flew into the air, and then 
 taking its flight for the country, soared far above the city 
 walls J and the lofty summit of the octagonal tower ci 
 Psephinos, and disappeared in the distance. I felt re- 
 joiced at the innocent bird's escape, and sent my good 
 wishes for its safe return to its lodge in the wilderness. 
 Just before we reached the Sheep Grate, by which we 
 were to gain the Jericho road, we met a poor blind man 
 leading a lamb, or rather being led by a tame lamb. He 
 also had two pigeons in his bosom. He was asked by 
 Rabbi Amos, who knew him, whither he was going. He 
 answered, that he was going to the Temple to sacrifice 
 them. Nay," said Amos, with surprise, " thou wilt 
 Qot sacrifice thy lamb, Bartimeus !" 
 
 " I have promised them to Grod, Rabbi Amos, and I 
 may not break my promise without sin." 
 
 " But thy lamb leadeth thee everywhere. It is eyes 
 to thee. Thou canst not do without it." 
 
 " Grod will provide me another lamb," he answered, 
 his face beaming with hope. 
 
 **But thy doves? Thou earnest by th^m many a 
 mite in a day, they are so well taught in cunning and ' 
 pleasant tricks to please children. If thou must sacri- 
 fice accoiding to thy vow, spare these so needful to thee, 
 and here is money to buy doves and another lamb," 
 answered my benevolent uncle. 
 
 *' Hear what I have to say," answered Bartimeus, 
 My father became sick, and was likelv to die, and \ 
 
108 THE PRINCE OP THE H0D8E OF DAVID: 
 
 vowed a vow to God that if he would heal the old manj 
 my father, I would sacrifice un+o him one of my doves 
 The next day my mother, who has nourished my child- 
 hood, and loved me, though I was born blind, with all 
 her heart, was also taken sick. I then vowed my other 
 pigeon. The same night my little daughter, my little 
 blind daughter, whose face T never saw, and who never 
 saw her father's face, was sick nigh unto death. Then 
 it was that I vowed all that remained to me, <5ven the 
 lamb of my bosom, whom I love next to my child ! My 
 father, my mother, my child are restored, and in my joy 
 I am on my way to the Temple to offer these gifts of 
 Grod to Him. It will be hard, sir, but shall I not per- 
 form my vow ? It will be hard to part with them, I 
 shall miss them so much ; but Grod will not let blind 
 Bartimeus suffer, since He will see that he offereth, in 
 offering his two little doves and his lamb, all that he 
 hath." 
 
 With these words he moved on, the lamb obeying the 
 string which he held, softly moving on before ; while 1 
 could see the sightless eyes of the righteous son and ^ 
 pious father trickle tears, as he kissed, and kissed again 
 the precious doves that lay in his bosom. This little 
 occurrence made me sad ; yet I honored the resolute 
 piety of this poor man, whose eyes, though they saw not 
 men, seemed to see Grod and feel his presence. There 
 is still humble piety in the land, my dear father, and 
 finding it not among the proud and splendid priests, we 
 must look for it in the hearts of the poor and humble, 
 like Bartimeus. 
 
 Upon reaching the gate we were not detained by the 
 Roman captain, who kept others, examining their pass- 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 109 
 
 ports, and taking gate-money from those who were with- 
 out them ; for though foot passengers may pass in and 
 out free, yet from those who ride horses or mules is 
 exacted money, unless they have passes signed by the 
 Procurator. But the captain of the gate no sooner saw 
 us than he, with great civility, made us pass through, 
 the gate in advance of others who were ready to go 
 through, saying that the young Centurion, whose name, 
 I think, I have not told you is ^Emilius, had given him 
 orders not to detain us. The stern, iron-cased Roman 
 soldiers that stood about the gate, struck me as having 
 just the aspect and forms of men who could conquer the 
 world. When I reflected that there was not a city on 
 the earth, at whose gates did not stand just such men 
 as these, armed, and clad, and bearded like them, I 
 could not but respect the universal power of the Roman 
 empire, while 1 feared it. 
 
 Once outside of the gates, the air blew fresh from the 
 hills of olives, laden with fragrance. After being so 
 long confined within the walls and narrow streets, it 
 seemed to me that I had just broken out of my cage, 
 like the pretty blue-headed turtle dove, and I felt like 
 winging my way too to the free deserts, if wings of a 
 dove so ardently longed for by King David, could only 
 have been given me. On our right, not far from the 
 gate, Rabbi Amos pointed out to me the pool of Be- 
 thesda, and turning my eyes towards it, I beheld a most 
 touching spectacle. All the five porches were filled 
 with sick and impotent folk, the lame, halt, blind, and 
 withered, waiting, as my uncle told us, for the moving 
 of the waters ; for, at certain seasons, he said that Grod 
 wends an ansrel down into the pool to trcuble the water, 
 
110 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE H008E OF DAVID. 
 
 when, whosoever steps in first, is made whole of what 
 soever disease he may have. I could not but stop my 
 mule to regard so remarkable a sight as this congrega* 
 tion of miserable people, of whom there must have been 
 no less than four hundred ; some leaning, pale and hag- 
 gard, against the columns ; some creeping about in 
 helplessness, like brutes trying to get nigher the pool^ 
 from which the stronger thrust them back ; some re- 
 clining patiently upon their beds, in humble waiting for 
 Grod's time ; and others being borne thither on the 
 shoulders of men. Suddenly, as I was about to ride on, 
 and shut out this painful sight, one of the most extra- 
 ordinary scenes that human eyes could witness took place- 
 The surface of the pool, which was hitherto perfectly 
 placid, all at once became agitated, ah, if it were boiling, 
 and began to swell, rush, or rather swing from side to 
 side, in a remarkable manner. No sooner was this seen, 
 than there arose from the throng of wretched invalids 
 who crowded its steps, a ury of four hundred voices all 
 at once, shrieks of joy, shouts of wonder, words of 
 amazed exclamation, while a simultaneous movement 
 took place of the whole mass of human bodies, which 
 became as wildly tossed to and fro as were the waters 
 Those nearest plunged madly in, while those behind 
 rushed down, some wildly shrieking in their agonizing 
 haste, and some uttering the most fearful curses, as they 
 found their way obstructed by the impenetrable masses 
 before them. The most weak and impotent being most 
 eager, and being farthest off, made superhuman exer- 
 tions to gain the pool, howling, and climbing with hands 
 and feet, over the backs of others, to be hurled to the 
 ground and trampled upon by those who were behind 
 
OR. THBEE YEARS EN THE HOLY CITY. Ill 
 
 them. Some strong men, who tried to open the way foi 
 one whom they were carrying, drew their knives, and 
 proceeded to cut their way through the haggard and 
 mouthing wretches who crowded the way, which violence 
 being seen by the Romans from the gate, they went 
 down, some score of them, with drawn swords, to quell 
 the tumult; for the whole pool was in an uproar. 
 Uiiable to endure the dreadful scene, we rode rapidly 
 on ; but I afterwards heard that before quiet was restored 
 several men were slain, and that five of those who had 
 got into the pool were drowned beneath the feet of those 
 people who recklessly leaped in over the heads of others 
 upon them. 
 
 " Is it possible," I asked Rabbi Amos, after we had 
 reached the herders of Kedron, that it is the act of an 
 angel that can produce all this confusion and outbreak 
 of the worst of human passions ?" 
 
 " There is no doubt that the troubling of the waters is 
 a miracle," he answered. The act of the angel is 
 good. His touch gives a healing power to the water 
 that cures diseases ; and shall his benevolence be an- 
 werable for these dreadful and disgusting consequences 
 vhich we have just witnessed ?" 
 
 I was silent ; but I sighed for the wickedness of man, 
 hat can turn even God's gifts into evils in the reception 
 :.f them. 
 
 now turned a little to the right, out of the high- 
 wdy ; for as the bridge by which the road of Jericho i» 
 a-'^aally gained was being solidly rebuilt by the Romans, 
 we had to follow the brook-side till we came neat 
 Abcalom's Pillar, at the sight of which, the whole history 
 Df that misguided young prince came before me. Hov 
 
1 12 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 
 
 wonderful, that the glorious head of golden hair, of 
 which he was vain, and of which the poets of that daji 
 speak more than once, should have been the instrument 
 of his death ! As we journeyed further on there were 
 ancient oak trees in sight, which the Rabbi said were 
 old enough to be a part of the extensive forest through 
 which he rode so fatally, and doubtless were. He 
 showed me after awhile, and some distance from Jeru- 
 salem, the pit into which the ten young men who slew 
 Absalom cast him, heaping great stones upon him. This 
 prince must have been as brave as he was beautiful and 
 disobedient, that when hanging by his hair in the oak, 
 and incapable of doing them harm, it should require 
 " ten young men to compass him and smite him." Or, 
 possibly, as Rabbi Amos thinks, this number combined 
 to take, together, the blame before King David, which 
 no one of them liked to encounter alone ! How inter- 
 esting to me is every spot about Jerusalem ! I seem to 
 live in the ancient days, when I see the scenes where 
 have been enacted the great events which constitute the 
 history and glory of our nation. 
 
 We had hardly reached the place where the two 
 roads meet, when we heard to the west the sound of the 
 galloping of a large body of horse, and the next moment 
 the young Roman Centurion came in sight, by the road 
 from the Horse Grate, riding at the head of a troop ot 
 horse, whose martial appearance, with the ringing of 
 fcheir armor, and the melody of their bugles, made mj 
 blood leap; and I am sure if I could have seen my 
 eyes, I should have discovered in them a martial light, 
 /Emilius looked like a prince, and his burnished armor 
 ^hone in the sun like armor of fire. At his side rode a 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 113 
 
 youth who bore the eagle of his band ; but the Centurion 
 himself carried in his hand only the badge of his rank, 
 which was a vine- rod bound with rings of gold. He 
 sahited us with that courtesy which distinguishes Ym 
 every motion, and then dividing his troop into two 
 bodies, half of whom, trotting on a-head, led the van, 
 and the other half, falling behind, served as a roar 
 guard. He then gave the word to move forward. The 
 Centurion himself rode either by the side of Rabbi Amos, 
 or near our bridles, but he did not so far occupy himself 
 with us as to forget his duty as captain, which he ful- 
 filled with the utmost vigilance. 
 
 Farewell, dear father, till my next, when I will re- 
 sume my narrative of the events which have taken place 
 since I left Jerusalem. The Grod of our father Abraham 
 be your defence and shield. 
 
 Your affectionate daughter, 
 
 Adina. 
 
 LETTER VIll 
 
 My Dear Father : 
 
 The very kind manner in which you have reoeivod 
 my communicatioD^ respecting the extraordinary prophet 
 now drawing all Judea after him into the wilderness, 
 and the assurance that I can obtain from your wisdom, 
 learning, and piety, a solution of all difficulties, and a 
 true guide to the truth, prompt me to continue freely, 
 and in detail, the relation of events that have passed 
 under my experience. I shall, in my accounts of the 
 marvellous occurrences that I have witnessed, anrl mav 
 8 
 
114 
 
 THkl PRINCE OP THE HOUttE OP DAVID 
 
 yet witness, not only convoy to you the impressions 
 mad 3 upon my own mind, but upon the minds of many 
 others, of the wise, and learned, and great, who also 
 have heard and seen these things. Thus you will have 
 the weight of many testimonies, which you will doubt- 
 less hold in respect in proportioix to the dignity, and 
 wisdom, and rank of the prrsons. 
 
 My last letter ended with an account of the Roman 
 escort, under the authority of the young Roman Centu- 
 rion, who, as I have before written to you, with so much 
 courtesy proffered its protection to our little party. The 
 day was yet early, the sun not having got more than an 
 hour and a half high above the mountains of Moab, and 
 the air was of that buoyant elasticity so agreeable to 
 breathe, and which strikes me as one of the peculiar 
 blessings of this holy land of our fathers. In Egypt 
 there is a want of life in the torrid air at this season, 
 that we do not here experience ; and as I rode along, T 
 felt as if I would gladly mount the Arabian of the desert, 
 and fly across the sandy seas of Edom, with the fleet- 
 ness which amazes me whenever I see the children of 
 the desert ride ; for a band of thirty came boldly near 
 us from a gorge as we approached Bethany, and after 
 watching us a few moments, scoured away into the re- 
 cesses of the hills, like the wind, as a detachment of a 
 score of oui Roman escort was ordered to gallop towards 
 them. Upon this Rabbi Amos said that we were fortu- 
 nate in having such strong protection, for this party ol 
 the children of Esau would otherwise have attacked 
 and pmndered us, as they are wont to do every party 
 of Israelites they fall in with ; and the recent concourse 
 of so many people t4) Jordan has drawn ''h^m, with 
 
Oft, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 115 
 
 great boldness, close to the walls of Jerusalem, says the 
 Roman Centurion, in great numbers, to lay in wait for, 
 and rob them. Thus, the hostility which began between 
 the patriarch Jacob and 'the patriarch Esau, has never 
 yet been healed, but rankles in the bosoms of their de- 
 soendants even to this day ; and still, " Esau hateth 
 Jacob, because of the blessing wherewith his father 
 blessed him'' The Romans greatly admired the horse- 
 manship of these children of Esau ; and, upon their 
 heavy horses, armed with their iron armor, it would 
 have been vain to have followed them to their retreats. 
 
 We soon afterwards reached the summit of the ridge 
 above Bethany, from which eminence, before going down 
 into the village, we had a gorgeous view of the Holy 
 City of Grod, with its lofty Temple glittering in the sun- 
 beams, like a mountain of architectural silver. The 
 txDwer of Antonio darkly contrasted with its splendor, 
 and the citadel of David frowned over the walls with a 
 warlike majesty that deeply impressed me. Ah, how 
 could I gaze upon the scene, my dear father, without 
 emotions of awe, wonder, adoration, and gratitude ! I 
 drew rein, and entreated Rabbi Amos to delay a few 
 moments while I surveyed Jerusalem, which, familiar 
 as it might be to him from this point, and to all the rest 
 of our cavalcade, was new to me ; but he was too far 
 ahead to hear me, for I had already been lingering for 
 some seconds ; and the Centurion riding up to my side, 
 stopped respectfully with a portion of his command, and 
 i^aid he would await my leisure. I could not but thank 
 him for his civility, and then turning towards the city^ I 
 was soon lost to all else but the awful contemplation of 
 !t. Irresistiblv? as I s^azed, I went back, in memory, f:o 
 
116 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 the time when onr father Abraham was met before its 
 gates by Melchisedek, its king, who received regal 
 homage from him. I saw again, David coming forth 
 from its lofty portals, at the head of armies, to conqnor 
 the surrounding nations. I beheld the splendid trains 
 of oriental monarchs, of the kings of the South, and the 
 kmgs of the North, and of Sheba, the queen of happy 
 Arabia, winding through its pleasant valley, and enter- 
 ing in to prostrate themselves before Solomon, the prince 
 of wisdom, glory, and power, the fame of whose wisdorr 
 and greatness filled the whole earth. Alas ! the whole 
 earth is now filled with the story of the shame and 
 bondage of Israel ! But the day cometh, dear father, 
 when she shall lift up her face from the dust, and put on 
 regal garments, and Grod shall place a crown upon hei 
 head, and her glory and dominion shall be without end. 
 This certainty quenched the tears that burst into my 
 eyes, as I contrasted the present with the past. Id 
 memory, as I continued to gaze, I saw the armies of the 
 Assyrians, and the armies of the Chaldeans, the armies 
 of Egj pt, and of Persia, and of Grreeee, all, each in its 
 turn, encompassing the Holy City, and conquering it 
 even though God dwelt therein, in the mysterious fire 
 of the Shechinah. But the presence of Jehovah in a 
 city or in a heart, will not save it from its foes, if the 
 city or the heart be not with Grod ; and we know from 
 the Prophets that the hearts of our fathers were far from 
 God ; and therefore were they delivered up to their 
 enemies to be scourged. Oh, my dear father, that oui 
 people of to-day would learn the fearful lesson that the 
 past teaches them ! 
 
 " You should se3 Rome," said the Centurion, wkr bad 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 117 
 
 watched my emotion evidently with surprise. " It is a 
 city of grandeur unequalled. It covers six times more 
 space than this city, and it contains three hundred and 
 sixty-five templet, while Jerusalem contains but one !" 
 
 There is no Grod but One," I answered, impres- 
 sively. 
 
 ^ We believe that there is one God, who is the author 
 of a great multitude of lesser gods, and to each we 
 erect a temple," he said firmly, yet respectfully. 
 
 Upon this, touched with pity that one so noble in 
 mind and person should be so ignorant of the truth, I 
 began to show him from the Prophets that God was 
 One, and that all things were made by Him. But he, 
 plucking a blossom from a tree which was within reach, 
 said : 
 
 "It is beneath the dignity of the Father of the gods, 
 the great Jove, to descend to make a flower like this ; or 
 shape a crystal ; or color the ruby ; or create that golden- 
 dyed humming-bird which flutters among those iragrant 
 blossoms. He made the sun, and moon, and stars, and 
 earth, but left the lesser works to inferior deities. Talk 
 to me of thy One God, and prove to me, maiden, that He 
 made all things, and is One, and thy God shall be my 
 God " 
 
 It was then no time for me to endeavor tc combat 
 
 I 
 
 this error, but I have reserved to myself the first conve^ 
 nitmt opportunity to instruct him in the truth as it is 
 revealed from Heaven to our favored p.^ple. He has 
 already manifested an inquiring spirit into our holy 
 (aith, and Rabbi Amos has taught him many things 
 from the Books of Moses, but sufficient only to lead liini 
 to desire to know more, but not to eradicate from b'.s 
 
118 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 heart his pagan superstitions. The gentleness of hifl 
 nature, his sound judgment, the frankness of his charac- 
 ter, the ingenuous temper of the whole man, inspire me 
 with great confidence that he will ultimately be con- 
 vinced of his errors, and embrace the faith of Israel. 
 
 We now rode forward through the street of Bethany, 
 and soon came to the house of your former friend. Rabbi 
 A.bel, who died many years ago at Alexandria, when he 
 went there with merchandise, and after the welfare of 
 whose children you desired me to make inquiries. They 
 are now, as you are aware, grown to the full estate of 
 manhood and womanhood, and still dwell at Bethany 
 Being friends of my cousin Mary, it was decided that 
 we should stop there to rest half an hour before proceed- 
 ing on our way. It was a plain and humble dwelling, 
 before which Rabbi Amos assisted me to alight ; but 
 there was an air of neatness and sweet domestic repose 
 about it that at once came home to my heart, and made 
 me love the place even before I had seen the inmates, 
 who had come out to receive, and gone in with my 
 cousin ; but on hearing also of my arrival, there camo 
 out a fair young girl of twenty-two, with the most 
 amiable expression of affectionate welcome ; and, ap- 
 proaching me with mingled respect and love, she era* 
 braced me, while Rabbi Amos pronounced our names to 
 9ach other. I felt immediately as if I were in a sistei^s 
 arms, and that I should love her always. Next came 
 forth a young man of about thirty years of age", with a 
 countenance of an exceedingly interesting expression, 
 tnll of intellect and good will. He was pale and habitu- 
 ally thoughtful, but a fine friendly li^ht beamed in hia 
 dark, handsome eyes, as he extended his hand to wd- 
 
OK, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 119 
 
 ooine me. ^ou have already had a full description of 
 him, and of his character, in one of my former letters, 
 and need not be told that it was Lazarus, the son of 
 \^our friend. At the threshold, Martha, the eldest sister, 
 met me, but with more ceremony, and made an apology 
 for receiving into so lowly a dwelling the rich heiress of 
 Alexandria, as she termed me ; but I embraced her si 
 affectionately, that this feeling passed away instantly 
 I was much struck with this whole family. Each mem- 
 ber of it possessed attractions of a peculiar kind ; and in 
 all three I seemed to have found two sisters and a 
 brother. Martha busied herself at once to prepare re- 
 freshments for us, and soon set before us a frugal but 
 agreeable repast ; more than we desired, for we all in- 
 sisted that we needed nothing, as w^e had not been long 
 in the saddle. Mary, in the meanwhile, and Lazarus, 
 sat on either side of me, and asked me many questions 
 about Alexandria, and particularly if I had ever seen 
 their father's tomb. And when I told them that at my 
 father's request I had kept the flowers fresh about it, 
 they both pressed my hands, and thanked me so grate - 
 fully, that tears in my own eyes answered to the emo- 
 tion in theirs. 
 
 How shall I describe to you the loveliness of the per- 
 mn of Mary, and yet not so much the perfection of fea- 
 ture as the soul which animates them, and lends them a 
 charm that I cannot adequately convey to you ? Hor 
 eyes are of that remarkable color so seldom seen among 
 our people, and when it is, is of a richer and more ceru- 
 lean tone than is found in the azure-eyed natives of the 
 north. They are as blue as the skies of Judea, and yet 
 possess all the starry, torrid splendor of the eyes of He^ 
 
120 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 
 
 Lirew maidens. Her hair, which is a soft, golden brown 
 3olor, IS worn knotted in wavy masses about her superbly 
 moulded neck. Her air is serene and confiding, and she 
 has so little art that she lets you read all the secrets of 
 her pure soul in the summer heaven of the sweet eyes I 
 have spoken of. There is an indescribable nensivenesa 
 about her that is most touching, and at the same time 
 pleasing. 
 
 Martha, the oldest, is of a more lively disposition, yet 
 more commanding in her aspect, being taller, and almost 
 queenly in her mien. Her eyes and her hair are jet 
 black ; the former mild, and beaming with intelligence, 
 like those of her brother Lazarus, whom she resembles. 
 She has a winning voice, and a manner that leads you 
 to feel strong confidence in her friendship. She seemed 
 to take the whole management of our entertainment 
 upon herself, which the quieter Mary left to her, as if a 
 matter of course, preferring rather to talk with me about 
 the land of Egypt, where our fathers were so long in 
 bondage, and about which all our young people in Judea 
 have such awful ideas. Mary asked me if I was not " 
 afraid to dwell there ; if I ever saw the tomb ol the 
 Pharaohs ; and if the seventy pyramids of the Nilus were 
 the work of our forefathers, or had withstood the flo*jd, 
 like the everlasting hills. Lazarus conversed chiefly 
 with Rabbi Amos, who questioned him with much int^e- 
 rest about the prophet John of the wilderness, to whom, 
 you will remember, I wrote you Lazarus had paid a 
 visit. After our repast, Martha showed me three beau- 
 tiful bands of embroidery, which she was working foi 
 the new vail of the Temple to be put up next year ; for 
 ♦he sisters live by working needle- work for the Temple. 
 
OK THKEE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 121 
 
 and Lazarus makes copies of the Law and Psalms for 
 the priests. He showed me his copying-table, and the 
 rolls of parchment upon it, some partly inscribed in 
 beautiful characters, some quite complete. He also 
 showed me a copy of the Book of Isaiah, which he had 
 just finished, and which had occupied him one hundred 
 and seven days. It was exquisitely executed. Another 
 incomplete copy was thrown aside, and was destined to 
 be burned, because he had made a mistake in forming 
 one letter ; for if an iota be added too much, the work 
 is condemned by the priests and burned, so strict are 
 they that perfect and immaculate copies of the Law, 
 and none others, shall exist. Mary, also, showed me a 
 beautifully embroidered foot-tablet, which the wife of 
 Pilate, when she was last from Cesarea, ordered for 
 herself. 
 
 " I shall not receive coin for it," said Mary, but pre- 
 sent it to her, for she has ever been very kind to us ; 
 and when, last year, she and the Procurator Pilate, her 
 lord, came up from Cesarea to Jerusalem, about the time 
 of the Passover, she sent her own household physician 
 to heal Lazarus, who was taken sick from over-much 
 confinement to his tasks. She knew us only by inquir- 
 ing who it was who worked the embroidery of the altar 
 mantles, which she had somewhere seen before they 
 were placed in the Temple, and much admired." 
 
 Seeing upon the table a richly worked book-cover of 
 silk and velvet, with the letters *'L N." embroidered 
 in olive leaves upon it, I asked her if that, it being so 
 elegant, was not for the High Priest. 
 
 " No," answered Martha, with brightening eyes, speak- 
 ing before her sister could reply, " that is for our friend, 
 and the friend and brother of Lazarus." 
 
122 
 
 THE PEINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 What is his name ?" I asked. 
 " Jesus, of Nazareth." 
 
 " 1 have heard John speak of this person," said my 
 cousin Mary, with animation, and appealing to ine, re- 
 minded me how John had repeated what Lazarus had 
 spoken to him of his friend from Nazareth, which I havf 
 written to you. " I should feel happy," added my cousin , 
 " to know him also." 
 
 " And from what I have heard of him," said I, " it 
 would indeed be a pleasure to see him." 
 
 The two sisters listened to us with visible interest, 
 and Martha said : 
 
 " If you had been here a few days ago, you would 
 have seen him. He left us, after being with us three 
 weeks, to return to Nazareth. But he requested to 
 meet Lazarus at Bethabara, on the third day from 
 this, for some important reason ; and my brother will go, 
 for he loves him so that he would cross the seas to meet 
 him." 
 
 " Then," said E>abbi Amos to Lazarus, " if you are to 
 journey so soon towards Jordan to meet your friend, you 
 had best join our company and share our escort." To 
 this Lazarus, after some consultation with his sisters, 
 consented. 
 
 What a happy family, thought I, is this ! The sisters 
 happy in each other's love, the brother happy in theirs, 
 all three united as one in the purest affectirn,- and 
 yet a fourth is added to the circle, whose love for the 
 three is equal to theirs for him ! Humble in sta- 
 tion, poor, and dependent upon the labor of their hands 
 for their daily bread, yet their household is one thai 
 kings might envy, and which nor gold nor jewels could 
 purchase. 
 
OR. THBEE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 123 
 
 I left this blessed abode of fraternal friendship with 
 regret, and felt that I should be perfectly happy if 1 
 oould be admitted as a fifth link in the wreath of theii 
 mitual love. Even the Roman Centurion had been 
 struck with the air of peaceful repose reigning there, 
 and spoke of it to me with enthusiasm as we rode 
 away. 
 
 About noon we stopped at a caravanserai; half the way 
 to Jericho from Bethany. Here we overtook a friend of 
 Rabbi Amos, the venerable and learned scholar and law- 
 yer, Gramaliel. He was, he confessed, also riding to 
 Jordan, to have an interview with the prophet, being 
 persuaded to seek it on account of an extraordinary 
 dream he had, which he repeated to his friend Rabbi 
 Amos, but not in our hearing ; but the effect upon my 
 uncle excited a good deal of my curiosity to know whal 
 it was, but he has been studiously silent upon the sub- 
 ject. Accompanying the lawyer, G-amaliel, was a young 
 man who was his disciple, and who went with him as a 
 companion by the way. His name is Saul; and I no 
 ticed him particularly, because I overheard the venera 
 ble lawyer say that he was the most remarkable young 
 man who had ever sat at his feet to learn the mysteries 
 of the law. This young law-disciple and Lazarus rodt* 
 together, and talked long and earnestly by the way, 
 the former thinking that nothing but mischief would 
 oome of the new prophet's preaching, while the latter 
 warmly defended him and his mission as divine. To 
 their conversation the Roman Centurion listened with 
 the closest attention, for Saul was learned in the Prophets, 
 and drew richly from its stores to prove that the true 
 Messias can never be heralded bv so mean a messenger 
 
124 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID: 
 
 fts this preacher of repentance in the wilderness. Saul 
 .eloquently drew a gorgeous picture of Messias' com- 
 ing, and the splendor of his reign, and added, that angels 
 and heavenly signs, and not a wild man of the wilder* 
 ness, with water baptism, should prepare the way before 
 him. 
 
 At length, as the day closed, we came in sight of the 
 walls and towers of Jericho ; but we succeeded in 
 reaching the gates only after they were closed. The 
 presence of the young Centurion caused them to be im- 
 mediately re-opened, and we were admitted, with some 
 hundreds, who having reached the gate after it was 
 shut, now begged, and received, permission to enter in 
 our company. 
 
 The next day we proceeded to Gilgal alone, the road 
 being perfectly safe, the courteous Roman having early 
 the same morning issued from the gates, in haste to pur- 
 sue the famous Bar abbas, who had the last night attacked 
 a caravan within four leagues of Jordan, and taken much 
 booty, as well as slain many men. 
 
 I now write to thee beneath the roof of the country 
 residence of Rabbi Amos. To morrow early," says a 
 passage which I copy from my journal, written there, 
 
 v/e are going to Bethabara, a little villagje beyond 
 Jordan, but situated on its banks, near which we learn 
 .lohn is now baptizing, he being no longer at the fcrd 
 of Jordan, where my cousin Mary's betrothed, John, 
 found him, and was baptized of him a few weeka 
 ago. Lazarus has gone on with Saul and the learned 
 G-amaliel, with many lawyers and doctors in com- 
 pany, who desire to see and hear this prophet of the 
 wilderness " 
 
OR, THREE raARS IN THE HOLS' CITY. 125 
 
 Indeed, dear father, the advent of a prophet is of so rare 
 an occurrence among us, that the bare idea that John 
 the Baptizer may be a true prophet of Grod, bas moved 
 the great heart of Israel, and stirred up curiosity, hope, 
 and marvel, in the highest degree ever known in the 
 land. There seems to be but one subject, and but one 
 thought. Every man says to his neighbor : " Have you 
 seen or heard the new prophet ? Is he Messias, or la 
 he EUas ?" 
 
 My next letter will give you a narration, my dear 
 father, of what I witnessed at Bethabara, and will, 
 perhaps, more deeply interest you than anything I have 
 yet written. 
 
 That the hope of Israel may not be long deferred, 
 and that we may receive the Messias, when he Com- 
 eth, in humble faith, in honor, and in love, is the 
 prayer of 
 
 Your affectionate daughter, 
 
 Adina 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 My Dear Father : 
 
 In these letters to you which give an account oi my 
 excursion with Rabbi Amos to the Jordan, I hope yo 
 will pardon the details which I enter into, for it is my 
 earnest desire that you should see every thing with my 
 eyes, as if you had been present with me, — in order that 
 you may, though absent, be able to judge, as if you had 
 l^een an eye-witness, of tha remarkable events of which 
 I have undertaken tc give you a complete history, i 
 
126 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THL HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 know that your liberal mind, and your sense of equity 
 and justice, wil^ lead you to read all I have to write^ 
 before you talie upon you to make a reply to the facts 
 which, with filial love and reverence, I present to your 
 consideration. 
 
 After Rabbi Amos had reached the house in the wheat- 
 fields of Gilgal, where he intended to take up his sojourn 
 for the weeks of harvest, and had directed his servants 
 what to do, he kindly told us that he was ready to ac- 
 company my cousin Mary and myself to the Jordan, to 
 hear the prophet. It was with no little gratification, 
 therefore, that my cousin and myself once more mounted 
 our mules, and proceeded towards the place where we 
 heard the great prophet was baptizing. But we had not 
 ridden a great way from the house when we overtook 
 two men on foot, with staves in their hands and wallets 
 upon their shoulders. As we passed, one of them bowed 
 with respect to Rabbi Amos, who, from his rank as a 
 priest, and his venerable appearance, always commands 
 the homage of all men. 
 
 " Whither goest thou at such a pace, friend Matthew?'* 
 said Rabbi Amos, returning his salutation, for he seemed 
 to know him. " Ganst thou leave thy tax-gathering 
 ihese busy times to go into the wilderness ?" 
 
 The person, who was a man of stout figure, with dark 
 hair and beard, and a look of intelligence, but whose 
 costume was plain and ill- worn, smiled and answered: 
 
 " If a man would find the payers of tribute now-a- 
 days, good master, he must not stay at home, forsooth, 
 but go into the wilderness of Jordan, where all men 
 have gone. Verily, this new prophet emptieth our 
 towns, and we publicans must remain idle in our seat 
 of customs, or go with the tide.'- 
 
Oa THBEE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 127 
 
 •*Thy words are near the truth, friend Matthew," 
 answered my uncle ; but hast thou no other motive in 
 fchy heart than looking after thy Roman coins, in taking 
 this journey from Jericho ?" 
 
 " I have curiosity to see a man whom multitudes 
 resort to from Gralilee, and from Decapolis, and from 
 Jerusalem, and from all Judea, and from beyond 
 Jordan.'' 
 
 " And thinkest thou," continued my uncle, as the two 
 men walked along by the side of his mule, thinkest 
 thou this prophet is a true son of the Prophets ?" 
 
 He works no miracles, unless, indeed, the power of 
 his preaching be a miracle," answered Matthew. 
 
 " This man is an impostor. There can be no prophet 
 unless he prove his mission by miracles," suddenly said 
 the companion of Matthew, speaking up abruptly in a 
 sharp and unpleasing voice. Now neither Mary nor I 
 lilted the face of this man from the first. He was low 
 in height, was ill-featured, and his attire was mean ; but 
 he had a suspicious air, combined with a cringing defer- 
 ence to Rabbi Amos, that made me think he must be 
 hypocrite. He smiled with his mouth and teeth, but at 
 the same time looked sinister out of his eyes. An air 
 of humility seemed to me to be put on to conceal the 
 pride and wickedness of his character. He looked like 
 a man who could artfully deceive to gain his selfish ends, 
 and who would kneel to you to overturn you. The 
 sound of his voice confirmed my first impression of him. 
 Upon his speaking. Rabbi Amos fixed his eyes upon him, 
 as if he did not like the manner of his breaking in upon 
 the conversation. 
 
 " What is thy companion's name, friend Matthew ?' 
 he asked aside, as the other walked on ahead 
 
128 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 
 
 " His name is Judas, called Iscariot. He hath beon 
 engaged by me to bear the moneys I collect in the 
 country villages ; and as we are to gather taxes both at 
 Gilgal and Bethabara, he cometh with me," 
 
 "We now came in sight of the Jordan, but could dis- 
 cover no crowd upon its banks. While we were wonder- 
 ing at not beholding any signs of the multitude, we met 
 a stranger who was riding a horse, and coming from the 
 northward, who, seeing us apparently in perplexity, in- 
 quired with courtesy if we were not seeking John the 
 prophet. Upon Rabbi Amos replying in the affirmative, 
 the horseman informed us that he had removed up the 
 river, some two hour's ride, and was then baptizing neai 
 the little village of Bethabara, on the east bank of Jor- 
 dan ; and he added, that not less than eight thousand 
 people must be thronging the shores. 
 
 " Dost thou know this stranger ?" asked of Matthew 
 Rabbi Amos, who had gratefully thanked him for his 
 intelligence, looking back after him as he rode on. " 1 
 saw thee salute him." 
 
 He is an officer of Herod the Tetrarch's household," 
 was the response, a Hebrew of great wealth, and he 
 payeth more tribute-money to the emperor from his 
 lands than any Israelite between Jericho and Jerusa* 
 lem." 
 
 At length, dear father, after hastening the speed of 
 oui mules, and riding pleasantly for two hours along the 
 vordant banks of Jordan, we came in sight of a square 
 tower of stone, peering above the trees which marked 
 the site of the village of Bethabara. " That tower," said 
 Rabbi Amos, stands over a cave in which Elijah long 
 dwelt, and in which Isaiah at one time concealed him 
 
OR, TUREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CIPY. 129 
 
 self from his enemies. It is now called the ^To^wer of 
 Elijah.' From the summit of yonder hill, at the left, 
 the prophet was caught up, and ascended to heaven upor. 
 the chariot of fire ; and near where you see the singlt 
 rock, Elisha divided Jordan with the fallen mantle left 
 him by the ascending prophet of God." 
 
 All these places, with many others which the intelli 
 &;ent Rabbi Amos pointed out to us, were very interest- 
 ing to me, for nothing commands my attention so pro- 
 foundly as allusions to the scenes of the olden days of 
 the prophets and kings of Israel. While my eyes were 
 fixed upon the hill, and my imagination presented to me 
 Elijah standing upon the chariot of heaven, disappearing 
 amid the clouds, there was an opening in the wood be- 
 fore us, and all at once we beheld a scene that made my 
 heart cease to beat, it was so new and wonderful. Near 
 that place the winding river takes a broad curve, and 
 the opposite village of Bethabara lies in the hollow of it, 
 forming the centre of half a circle. This widely curv 
 ing shore was alive with the human heads that filled it. 
 Not a place could be seen where some one did not stand. 
 And of this vast multitude every eye was concentrated 
 upon the prophet, as from the crescent tiers of the am- 
 phitheatre in Alexandria all gaze at once upon the scenes 
 passing in the arena. He was standing near the oppo- 
 site shore, ( the Jordan here is very narrow, and can be 
 forded,) in the water, addressing the countless assembly 
 that stood opposite to and half encircling him. Near 
 him, behind, and on either side, sat his disciples, upon 
 the bank, at least a hundred in number, chiefly young 
 men. Behind rose the Tower of Elijah, and receding 
 farther from the shore lay the sweet village of Betha- 
 Hara, with its green gardens and snow-white walls. 
 
lyO THE FRINGE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 
 
 The clear voice of the youthful prophet of the Avilder 
 ness fell distinctly on our ears, so great was the stillness 
 of the vast audience. We could not approach very near 
 on our mules ; and dismounting at the outskirts of the 
 throng, we left them with the two servants, and on foot 
 drew as near to the place where the prophet stood as we 
 could. Many of the people, seeing and recognizing 
 Rabbi Amos, respectfully made way for him, so that ai 
 length we stood directly opposite the speaker, with a fulJ 
 view of him, so that we could hear every word. To my 
 surprise I saw John, the cousin of Mary, standing close 
 to the prophet, and listening with the deepest and most 
 reverent attention to every syllable he uttered. The 
 subject of the prophet's discourse was as before, and ag 
 always, the coming of the Messias. Oh that I couW 
 give you, my iear father, the faintest idea of the oower 
 and eloquence of his language ! 
 
 There is no remission of sin without shedding of 
 blood," he continued, earnestly. The baptism of water 
 with which I baptize you is unto repentance ; but there 
 must be blood outpoured ere sin can be washed away 1 
 i)o you ask me if the blood of bulls and goats take not 
 away sin ? I answer and say unto you, that the Lord 
 bath said that He delighteth not in these rivers of blood " 
 
 " For what, then, great prophet," asked one of the 
 chief Levites, who stood near him — for what then are 
 the sacrifices ordained by the Law of Moses — for what 
 then the altar in the Temple, and the daily sacrifice of 
 the Lamb?" 
 
 " For what ?" repeated the prophet, with his eyes 
 beaming with the earnest light of inspiration — "for 
 what but as types and shadows of the real and true 
 
OR, THREE TEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 131 
 
 sacrifices appointed by Grod from the foundation of the 
 world ! Think ye a man can slay the lamb of his flock 
 for the sin of his soul? If God demands thy life, shall 
 he accept the life of a brute ? Nay, men of Israel, the 
 day has come when your eyes shall be opened. The 
 hDur is at hand when the true meaning of the dailj 
 sacrifice shall be understood. Lo ! the Messiah cometh, 
 and ye shall see and believe !" 
 
 There now came several persons towards him whii 
 desired baptism. While he was baptizing these persons, 
 both men and women, I saw appear on the little mound 
 near the tower from which Rabbi Amos had said Elijah 
 ascended, Lazarus, the brother of Martha, accompanied 
 by a man of about his own years, of an indescribable 
 dignity and grace of aspect, combined with an air of 
 benevolence and peace that at once attracted me. 
 
 ^' It must be the friend of Lazarus," said Mary to me , 
 for she had discovered him at the same time. " See 
 with what calm serenity he gazes upon the multitude, 
 yet retuing in his manner, as if he shrank from the com- 
 mon eye !" He was wrapped in a vesture of dark blue 
 clotli, which was folded about his form ; his head was 
 bare, and his hair flowed like a Nazarene's down about 
 his shoulders. He seemed so unlike all other men, in a 
 oertain majesty united with sweetness that marked his 
 whole air, that I could not withdraw my gaze from him. 
 
 The prophet at the same moment rested his eyes upon 
 bim, and^ as he did so, J saw a change come over his 
 face, as if he had seen an angel. His eyes shoue with 
 unearthly briLiancy, his lips parted as if he would speak, 
 yet had lost the power ; and then, with his right hand 
 stretched forth towards the noble stranger, he stood for 
 
132 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVI1> 
 
 a moment like a statue. All eyes followed his, and the 
 direction of his stretched-out arm. Suddenly he ox- 
 claimed, and oh^ how like the trumpet of Horeb his 
 voice rung : 
 " Behold!" 
 
 There was not a face in that vast multitude that was 
 not directed towards the little eminence, where Lazarus^ 
 evidently amazed at the attitude and words of the pro. 
 phet, and the gaze of all that way, stood by his friend. 
 
 " Ye have asked wherefore is slain the daily lamb,' 
 continued the prophet. " The day has come when the 
 lamb of sacrifice, which can take away no sin, shall 
 cease. Behold !" And here he stretched forth both arms 
 towards the dignified stranger : " Behold Him who 
 taketh away the transgressions of men! He it is who, 
 coming after me, is preferred before me. He it is to 
 whom I bear witness, as the Messiah the Son of the 
 Highest ! There stands the Christ of Grod ! the only 
 true Lamb, whose blood can wash away the iniquities 
 of us all ! He hath dwelt among you — He hath walked 
 your streets — He hath sat in your homes, and I knew 
 him not, till I now behold on Him the sign of the Mes 
 siah, and therefore know I that it is He who is to redeem 
 hrael !" 
 
 When the prophet had thus spoken in a voice tha^ 
 thrilled to every bosom, we beheld the august strange 
 advance towards the prophet. He moved on alone 
 Lazarus had fallen prostrate on his face when he heard 
 announced that it was the Messiah with whom he had 
 thus been on terms of friendship. As He continued to 
 come forward, all was expectation in the immense mul- 
 titude! The mass of heads swayed this way and that, 
 
OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 135 
 
 to get a sight of His face, which I could see was serene^ 
 but pale and earnest. John, the cousin of Mary, seeing 
 Him approach, lowly knelt, and bowed his head in reve- 
 rential awe 'and love. Those who stood between Him 
 and the prophet moved involuntarily apart, and left an 
 open path for Him to the water-side. He walked at a 
 slow and even pace, with an air of humility, veiling the 
 native dignity of his kingly port. 
 
 The prophet, on seeing Him come near, regarded 
 Him, as it seemed to me, with far more awe than all 
 others. 
 
 "What wouldst thou of thy servant, 0 Messiah, 
 Prophet of God, mighty to save ?" he said, in tremu- 
 lous tones, as the stranger came even some paces into 
 the water towards him. 
 
 " To be baptized of thee," answered the Christ, in 
 a still, quiet voice, that was heard to the remotest 
 bounds of the crowd. Never, oh, never shall I forget 
 the sounds of that voice, as it fell upon my ears ! 
 
 " I have need to be baptized of Thee^ and comest 
 Thou to me," answered the prophet, with the lowliest 
 humility and awe of manner, and with looks expressive 
 of his amazement. 
 
 It become th us to fulfill all righteousness," answered 
 Messiah, mildly ; and when He had said this, the pro 
 phet, though still with a manner of doubt, and with the 
 holiest reverence, administered then unto Him, in the 
 sight of all the people, the like baptism which he had 
 administered to his disciples. 
 
 And now, my dear father, comes to be related the 
 most extraordinary thing that ever took place in Israel 
 ^ince the Law was given from Sinai, and which it must 
 
134 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 Dft clear to you, bears unquestionable testimony, thai 
 Jesus of Nazareth, the noble stranger baptized in Jordan, 
 and to whom John bore witness, is trul^^essias the 
 Son of God. 10^ 
 
 No sooner did the baptized stranger go up out of the 
 water, than there was heard above all our heads a noise 
 as of rolling thunder, although the sky was cloudless j 
 and when in great fear we looked up, we beheld a 
 dazzling glory far brighter than the sun ; and from the 
 midst of this celestial splendor there darted with arrowy 
 velocity a ray of light which descended and lit upon the 
 head of the Christ. Some of the people said it thun- 
 dered ! and others that it lightened ! but judge the 
 amazement and admiration of all, and the dread awe 
 that shook every soul when, amid the glory above His 
 head, was seen the form of a dove of fire, with outspread 
 wings overshadowing Him as it were ; and from the 
 heavens what was supposed to be thunder, shaped itself 
 into a voice, which uttered these words in the hearing 
 of every ear : 
 
 " This is my beloved Son in whom I am well 
 
 PLEASED." 
 
 At hearing these words from the skies a great part of 
 the nmltitude fell on their faces! Every cheek was Dale, 
 and each man gazed on his neighbor in wonder and fear. 
 WTien the majestic, yet terrible voice had given uttci- 
 since to these words, the light disappeared, the dove re> 
 ascended to the skies, and was lost to the sight, leaving' 
 a halo of divine glory resting upon the head of this 
 
 Son of Grod." He alone seemed unmoved and calm 
 amid all this awful scene, and going up the river bank^ 
 disappeared mysteriously and suddenly from my earnest 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 13b 
 
 gaze. At length, when men came a little to themselves, 
 and would gaze on Him whom all knew now to be the 
 Christ, no one could find Him, so effectually had He 
 withdrawn Himself from their homage. 
 
 Your affectionate 
 
 AriNA. 
 
 LETTER X. 
 
 Mr Bear Father : 
 
 I will commence this letter by asking your dispas- 
 sionate perusal of my preceding epistle, and entreating 
 you not to let any prejudice unworthy of the wisdom 
 and liberality by which you are distinguished among 
 men, lead you to reject, without examination, belief of 
 the events which have formed the subject of my recent 
 hitters to you, and to close your mind to the convictions 
 to which they may give rise. Please, my honored and 
 beloved father, please to consider impartially the things 
 of whioh I have written, the preaching of John, and his 
 baptism of Jesus, whom, before ten thousand people, he 
 leclared to be Messias, to whom he bore witness, and 
 how the voice of Grod, as audible in the ears of all as 
 that which shook Horeb and Sinai, proclaimed from 
 Heaven that He was ''His beloved Son!" Think of 
 all this, and ask yourself seriously, '' Is not this the 
 Ohrist ?" 
 
 This question need not pass far on its way ere it finds 
 a response from my lips and heart : '' Yes, He is the 
 Christ, and I will believe in Him !" 
 
 I can see your face, my dear father, change its ex pros- 
 
186 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DA7ID . 
 
 sion of mild benignity, as you read this confession tioin 
 my pen! I can see you look both displeased and 
 grieved. But you have no reason to fear that I shall do 
 or believe aught that v^ill bring shame on your graj 
 hairs, or your name. If thou art a Jew, and proud of 
 being descended from the lineage of the Patriarchs wh(\ 
 walked with the Lord, I am also equally proud of my 
 nation and of my faith, In believing Jesus of Nazareth 
 to be the Messias of God, I do not make myself less a 
 Jewess ; but, without believing it, my dear father, I 
 could not be completely a Jewess. Has not the Messias 
 of our nation been the burden of Judah's prayer and of 
 Israel's hope, for ages ? Does not the belief that Messia? 
 Cometh, constitute one of the great characteristics of the 
 Jewish race ? Do the Grentiles look for the Christ ? If 
 not, and we alone look for him, and every mother in 
 Israel hopes tremblingly, with joy and doubt, thac he 
 may be found in her first-born son, is it that I am less a 
 Jewess, or rather that I am only a true Jewess, when 1 
 believe Jesus to be the Messias, seeing in Him all that a 
 Messias could bring, even the voice of G-od in testimony 
 of His Mission ? But I sincerely trust, my dear father i 
 that I am defending my belief unnecessarily, and that 
 when you come to read and compare, and examine well 
 you will rejoice with me that God has remembered 
 Israel, and that He is about to take away her reproach 
 among the nations. 
 
 I shall wait for your next parcel of letters with the 
 deepest solicitude, in order that I may know what your dc' 
 ci^ion is in reference to these extraordinary things which 
 are coming to pass. You will not hear them only from 
 my letters, dear father, for the report of these wonder*^ 
 
0R» THREE TEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 137 
 
 broad-cast over the land, and men who witnessed the 
 baptism of Jesus, will, no doubt, report in Egypt what 
 then took place, especially the voice of Grod rolling like 
 articulate thunder along the cloudless sky, and the 
 descent of the fiery dove upon the head of the new 
 Prophet. Merchants of Damascus and of Cairo were 
 present, leaving their trains of camels a little way oil 
 and Arab horsemen sat in their saddles on the outsid*) 
 of the crowd ; while Roman soldiers, strangers from 
 Persia and Edom, and even the merchants from Media, 
 with numerous people. Gentiles as well as Jews, were 
 seen mingled with the multitude. This thing, therefore, 
 was not done in a corner. The voice I plainly heard, 
 and understood every word ! It seemed to me to come 
 from the far blue depths of Heaven at an immeasurable 
 distance, but with the clearness of a trumpet, and the 
 sonorous majesty of thunder. But the light which 
 descended was the most dazzling that human eyes ever 
 encountered ; and though Svhen descending with the 
 velocity of lightning, it seemed like a lance of fire ; yet, 
 upon reaching the sacred head of Jesus, as He came 
 forth from out of the water, it assumed, as I before 
 stated, the shape of a dove ; and, resting upon Himj 
 overshadowed Him with its wings of light, and cast ove) 
 His whole person a glittering splendor, like the sun 
 This lasted for full a minute, so that all eyes oeheld it 
 and then followed the voice from the skies! The bril 
 liancy of the light from the heavenly dove was ao 
 resplendent that I could not behold it; and when 1 
 looked again it had disappeared ; but a cloud of softened 
 lustre shone still around the head of Jesus and his face, 
 Mke that of Moses, emitted rays of glory While thoii' 
 
138 THE PRINCK OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID- 
 
 sands either stood stupefied, or fell upon their faces in 
 adoration and fear, He withdrew himself from the mul- 
 titude, no one knew how, save two persons, whose eyes 
 never wander from him. These were the cousin of 
 Mary, John, and Lazarus, the brother of Mary and 
 Martha. 
 
 The people, after recovering a little from their amaze- 
 ment and awe, were looking for Him, and inquiring 
 whither he had gone, some gazing into the water, some 
 towards the wilderness, some even gazing upwards into 
 Heaven, of which last I was one, as if they expected to 
 behold Him ascending upon a chariot of dazzling clouds 
 towards the throne of His God and Father, who had 
 acknowledged Him to be His Son. The general impres- 
 sion was, that he had been translated to Heaven ; and 
 feome wept that a prophet was sent to be taken so soon ; 
 while others rejoiced that the Lord had not forgotten to 
 be gracious unto the house of Israel : some doubted, and 
 called it magic and sorcery ; and others, who were doubt- 
 less filled with their own wickedness, mocked, and said 
 the voice was thunder, and the light lightning. But 
 here they were disputed against, for, said hundreds, ^ 
 
 There is no cloud in the sky, then whence could come 
 thunder and lightning?" But the majority believed^ 
 and greatly rejoiced at what they had seen and heard. 
 The prophet John, of Jordan, appeared to me to be more 
 surprised at what had taken place than any others. He 
 looked constantly around for Jesus, and then, with his 
 hands clasped together and uplifted, gazed heavenward, 
 as if satisfied, with the thousands around him, that he 
 had been received up into Heaven. 
 
 The excitement which the sudden disappearance of 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 139 
 
 Jesus produced, led to a universal separation of the nml 
 titude, who dispersed in all directions, some to seek for 
 Him, some to spread the news of what they had seen, 
 and all forgetting John the Baptizer, whom they had 
 hitherto followed, in the greater splendor of the new 
 prophet, whose advent had been so remarkably accora- 
 p^ied by the descent of fire and a voice from the 'sky 
 
 Rabbi Amos and our party remained standing near 
 the water, for he did not wish us to be lost in the reti- 
 ring throngs, and he also desired to speak with John, 
 who stood alone in the midst of the water, precisely 
 where he had baptized Jesus. Not one of his discipies 
 remained with him. Rabbi Amos drew near, and said 
 to him : 
 
 Holy prophet, knowest thou what man, if man he 
 may be called, was just baptized by thee ?" 
 
 The prophet, whose eyes had been steadfastly raised 
 all the while, bent his looks with tearful tenderness upoD 
 Rabbi Amos, and said, plaintively and touchingly : 
 
 This is He of whom I spake — After me cometh a 
 man which is preferred before me, for He was before 
 me. And I knew Him not ; but He that sent me, to 
 baptize with water, the same said unto me. Upon whom 
 thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining od 
 Him, the same is He that baptizes with the Holy Grhost. 
 Xiid I saw the Spirit descending like a dove, and I saw 
 and bear record this is the Son of God !" 
 
 And whither, oh, holy prophet of Jor4an," asked 
 Rabbi Amos, with deep and sacred interest, " whither 
 has He departed ?" 
 
 " That I know not ! He must increase and I must 
 deoreasp, whether He remaineth oi earth or has h*H^n 
 
140 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAV^ID 
 
 taken up into Heaven ! My mission is now drawing 
 to its close • for He to whom I have borne witness is 
 ome." 
 
 "And is He come to depart so soon forever ?" I asked, 
 with deep interest ; " shall we behold Him no more 
 
 ''The hidden things belong to God. I know not 
 whence He came nor whither He has gone I foi I knew 
 Him not in all His glory, but only as a prophet and son 
 of man, until the Spirit descended and abode upon Him. 
 Ye have heard my testimony that this is the very Mes- 
 sias, the Christ, the Son of Grod !" 
 
 Thus speaking, he turned and walked out of the water 
 on the side towards Bethabara, and disappeared among 
 the trees that fringed the bank. I now looked in the 
 face of Rabbi Amos, upon whose arm Mary was tearfully 
 leaning, still under the influence of the terror which the 
 scenes she had been a spectator of, had produced in 
 her soul. His face was grave and thoughtful. I said, 
 ^' Uncle, dost thou believe all that thou hast seen and 
 heard ?" 
 
 " 1 know not what to say," he answered, " only that 
 the things which I have beheld this day are evidences 
 that Grod has not forgotten his people Israel !" He said 
 no more. We left the banks of the Jordan in silence 
 and awe, and remounting our mules, which the two 
 Gibeonite slaves held for us in waiting under a palm 
 tree not far off, we returned towards my uncle's house 
 at Gilgal. On the way we constantly passed crowds of 
 people who were riding and walking ; and all were in 
 high talk about the wonderful events which had taken 
 place at the river. The impression seemed universally 
 to be that Jesus had gone up into Heaven after he wa5 
 aptized. 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 141 
 
 But, my dear father, it is with deep joy that I am 
 ahle to tell you that this wonderful person is still on 
 the earth, and doubtless permitted to remain thereon for 
 some great purpose. I stated that my cousin John, and 
 Lazarus, the Secretary of the Scribes, had kept their 
 eyes upon Him from the first, and that they had seen 
 Him pass down the river, where some projecting and 
 overhanging trees hid Him at once from view. Though 
 they often lost sight of Him, they yet followed Him by 
 the print of His sandals in the wet sand of the shore, 
 and at length came in view of Him, as he was leaving 
 the river bank, and going towards the desert, between 
 two low hills, which hid Him from their eyes. But one 
 of the young men said to the other, while both were 
 burning with wonder and love : 
 
 Let us not fail to overtake Him, and follow Him 
 whithersoever He may go ; for with Him must be the 
 well of life, as He is so highly favored of Grod." 
 
 So they went on ; but though they moved forward 
 rapidly, they next saw Him far distant, crossing the arid 
 plain that stretches south towards Jericho and the desert. 
 They ran very swiftly, and at length coming near Him, 
 called " Master, good master, stay for us, for we would 
 follow and learn of thee !" 
 
 He stopped, and turned upon them a visage so pale, 
 and marred with sadness and anguish, that they both 
 stood still and gazed upon Him with amazement at be- 
 holding such a change. The glory of His beauty had 
 passed away, and the beaming splendor which shone 
 from His countenance was wholly gone. The expres- 
 sion of unutterable sorrow that remained, pierced them 
 to the heart. Lazarus, who had been so long his bosom 
 
142 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 friend, wept aloud. Weep not ! thou sha*t see me 
 another day, my friends," He said. I go now to the 
 wilderness, in obedience to the Spirit which guideth ine 
 thither. Thou shalt, after a time, behold me again II 
 is expedient for you that I go whither I go." 
 
 *^ Nay, but we will go with thee," said Lazarus, eai 
 uestly. " If thou art to endure evil, we will be with 
 thee." 
 
 There must be none to help. There must be none 
 to uphold," He said firmly, but sadly. ^' I must tread 
 the wine press of temptation alone !" 
 
 He then left them, waving His hand for them to g& 
 back. They obeyed sorrowfully, wondering what His 
 words meant, and wherefore it was needful for Him to 
 go into the desert, where certa^jii mysterious trials seemed 
 to wait for Him ; and tbey wondered most of all at the 
 change in His countenance, which, from bein^ lustious 
 with celestial light, was nov^, said Lazarus, marred 
 more than the sons of men." From time to time the 
 two young men looked backward tc watch the receding 
 figure of the Christ, till they no longer distinguished ,^ 
 Him in the distance of the desert, towards the dreadful 
 solitudes of which He steadfastly kept his face. 
 
 The two friends came on to the house of Rabbi Amos, 
 at Grilgal, the same night, and there Lazarus made 
 known to us what I have just related. It affected us all 
 deeply, and we sat together late at night upon the porch 
 under the fig trees, talking of Jesus, and the things that 
 had transpired concerning Him that day ; and though 
 we all rejoiced greatly that He was still on earth, we 
 wept to think that He was driven by some destiny, 
 unknown and unfathomable by us, to dwell alone in the 
 wilderness 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITT. 143 
 
 How, my dear father, how wonderful is all this ! That 
 a great prophet is among us, cannot be denied. The 
 star of John the Baptizer's fame dwindles into a glow- 
 worm before the glory of this Son of God ! That Ho 
 will draw all men unto Him, even into the wilderness^ 
 if He takes up his abode there, cannot be questioned 
 But all is mystery, awe, curiosity, wonder, and excise 
 ment just now. No one has settled upon any opinion 
 as to what will be the end of these things. Rabbi Amoa 
 advises all persons to wait patiently the issue, for il God 
 has sent a Prophet, He must have a mission, whicli, in 
 due time. He will come forth from the wilderness to 
 deliver. In my next I may be able to write you some- 
 thing further touching the development of that which 
 remains so much enveloped in mystery. May the God 
 of our father's house come forth indeed from the 
 Heavens, for the salvation of His People. 
 
 Your devoted and loving 
 
 Adina. 
 
 LETTER XI. 
 
 My Dear Father : 
 
 In my last letter to you, I spoke of our return from 
 Jordan, to Gilgal, to the country-house in the wheat 
 fields of Peniel, where Rabbi Amos sojourns during the 
 two weeks of harvest. At the house were assembled, 
 aot only John, the cousin of Mary, and the noble Laza^ 
 rus, but also Gamaliel, and Saul, his disciple, of whom 
 I have before spoken, all of whom were invited to par- 
 take of my uncle's hospitality for the night ; beside?, the 
 
144 THE PRIMCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID- 
 
 court of the dwelling was thronged with strangers, and 
 the common people, who, being far from their homes, 
 and without food, had freely been invited to lodgings 
 and food by the hospitable priest. 
 
 As we sat up late conversing, with deep interest, upon 
 he remarkable events of the day, an observation made 
 by John, when speaking of the change in the face of 
 Jesus, that " His visage was marred more than the sons 
 of men," led the venerable Gramaliel to say to us : 
 
 Those are the words of the prophet Esaias, and are 
 truly spoken by him of Messias, when He shall come." 
 
 Let us consult Esaias, then, and see what further 
 he hath said," cried Rabbi Amos. '^Mary, bring hither 
 the roll of the Prophets." 
 
 My cousin Mary returned, and placed the book on a 
 small stand before him, for, as I said in my last, we were 
 all seated in the porch, where the evening breeze was 
 cool. A lamp then being brought, I held it above the 
 rolls of parchment, while my uncle found the portion of 
 the Prophet to which the words belonged. 
 ^ "Read aloud, worthy Rabbi," said the philosopher 
 Gramaliel, " we will all listen ; for though I do not be- 
 lieve this young man who was to-day baptized is Messias 
 and the Christ, who is to restore all things to us, yet I 
 am prepared to reverence him as a great prophet." 
 
 And," answered Rabbi Amos, if we find the pro- 
 phecies do meet in him which we look for to meet m 
 Messias when He cometh, wilt thou believe, venerable 
 father ?" 
 
 " I will believe and reverently adore," answered the 
 sage, bowing his head till his flowing white beard almosl 
 touched his knees. 
 
OK, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 145 
 
 •*Read, Adina, tor thy eyes are young," said my 
 ancle ; and obedient, though embarrassed before such an 
 audience, I read as follows : 
 
 " Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be 
 exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were 
 astonished at thee. His vi.^age was so marred more than 
 any man, and His form more than the sons of men." 
 
 " How completely," said John, these words de 
 cribed his appearance on the verge of the desert ; and 
 yet 1 used them unconsciously." 
 
 "But," said Saul, Gamaliel's disciple, "if this be pro- 
 phesied of the Christ, then we are to have a Christ of 
 humiliation, and not one of honor and glory. Read one 
 part which you have omitted, maiden, and we will see 
 that there are words that import a higher condition than 
 that of this unknown person, whom John the Baptizer 
 himself confessed he did not know, nor ever beheld 
 before." 
 
 I read on as follows : " Behold my servant shall be 
 exalted and extolled, and be very high. He shall 
 sprinkle many nations ; the kings shall shut their 
 mouths at Him. He shall lift up His hand to the 
 Srentiles, and set up His standard to the people. Kings 
 jhall bow down to Him with their faces to the earth, 
 and lick up the dust of His feet !" 
 
 " There ! such is our Messias," exclaimed Saul 
 
 " Yes, it is a Christ of power and dominion who is to 
 redeem Israel," added Gamaliel ; " not an unknown 
 young man, scarcely thirty years of age, who came from 
 whence no one knoweth, and hath gone as he came As 
 for THE Christ, we shall know whence He cometh !" 
 
 At hearing this great and good man thus disoonr^je. 
 
146 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 dear father, my heart sank within ine ; for I conld not 
 but confess that these prophecies of honor and powe> 
 could not apply to the humble person John had baptized ; 
 for Lazarus had already told us that his friend Jesus 
 was of humble birth, a carpenter's son, and his mother 
 a widow ; that he had known him from boyhood, but 
 known him only to love him. I now looked towards 
 him, but I took courage when I saw that the words of 
 Gamaliel did not in the least dim the light of his faith 
 and confidence, which brightly sparkled in his eyes, that 
 his friend Jesus was truly Messias of Grod. But my eye 
 fell on what follows, and as I read it gained more confi- 
 dence: "He hath no form nor comeliness: and when 
 wo shall see Him there is no beauty that we should 
 desire Him." 
 
 If the first part of this prophecy," said Lazarus, his 
 fine eyes lighting up, as he looked at Saul, " be of the 
 Christ, as you have just now confessed, then is this last 
 of him ; and the fact that you reject him, is but the 
 fulfillment of this part of the prophecy." 
 
 Hereupon arose a very warm discussion between 
 Gamaliel and Saul on one side, and Rabbi Amos, John, 
 ind Lazarus, on the other, the former contending that 
 the prophecies referred to two distinct Christs, one of 
 whem was to be lowly and a sufferer, and the othei 
 honorable and a conquerer ; while the latter maintained, 
 that the seemingly opposite predictions referred to bu^ 
 one Christ in two different periods and circumstances cf 
 his life. 
 
 " But let this be as it may," said John, after the argu- 
 ments on both sides had been mainly exhausted, hoMi 
 will you, 0 Gamaliel, and you, Saul, get over the extra- 
 
OR, THREE TEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 147 
 
 ordinary voice and fiery appearance ^^hich distinguished 
 the baptism ?" 
 
 " That must have been a phenomenon of nature, or 
 done by the art of the famed Babylonish sorcerer, whom 
 I saw prominent in the multitude," answered the phi 
 i^sopher. 
 
 Did you not hear the words ?" asked Rabbi Amos. 
 
 " Yes, Rabbi ; nevertheless, they may have beer 
 thrown into the air from the lungs of this sorcerer ; for 
 they do marvellous things." 
 
 Would you suppose that a sorcerer would be dis 
 posed to apply the sacred words of the Lord ?" asked 
 John, earnestly. 
 
 " By no means," he answered, reverently. 
 
 " If Rabbi Amos will allow me, I will show you the 
 very words in King David's prophecies of Messias." 
 
 All looked with interest on John, as he took from his 
 mantle a roll of the Psalms. He opened it and read as 
 follows, looking at Gamaliel : 
 
 " Why do the rulers take counsel together against the 
 Lord, and against his anointed ? I will declare the 
 decree. The Lord hath said unto me, * Thou art my 
 Son.' " 
 
 Upon hearing this read, Gamaliel Was thoughtful 
 Rabbi Amos said : " Of a truth we Jews believe these 
 wwds were to be spoken to our Christ by the Lord Jeho- 
 vah. Have we not heard this prophecy fulfilled this 
 very day in our ears ?" 
 
 It is extraordinary," answered Gamaliel. " I will 
 search the Scriptures when I reach Jerusalem, to see if 
 these things be so." 
 
 And the light in the form of a dove! Dost thou find 
 an explanation for that ?" asked Rabbi Amos. 
 
148 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVTD. 
 
 " No," answered he ; and I will withhold all furthei 
 opinion for the present." 
 
 " It becomes you, 0 Gamaliel," said Rabbi Amos, 
 "who art a father and teacher in Israel, to know 
 whether these things be so, that thou mayest teach thv 
 disciples." 
 
 " But," said Saul, with some vehemence, " listen 
 while I read some prophecies also." And he unrolled 
 fche book of the Prophets and read these words : 
 
 " Thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little 
 among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall Ho 
 come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel, whose 
 goings forth have been ever of old, from everlasting." 
 " Now, you will confess. Rabbi Amos," he added, with 
 a look of triumph, "that this word refers to our expected 
 Messias." * 
 
 "Without doubt," answered my uncle — "but" — 
 
 "Wait, I beseech you, learned Rabbi," said Saul, 
 " until I read you another prophecy, and he read : ' I 
 have made a covenant with David, Thy seed will I es- 
 tablish forever, and build up thy throne to all generations. 
 His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun 
 before me. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I 
 will raise unto David a righteous Branch.' Now you 
 will all admit, brethren, that these prophecies refer to 
 Messias. He is therefore to come of the lineage of 
 Da\id, and he is to be born in Bethlehem. Show me 
 that this Jesus, the Nazarene, fulfills both conditiona 
 in his own person, and I will prepare to believe in 
 him " 
 
 This was said haughtily, and with the air of one who 
 cannot be answered. 
 
 But immediately Tiazarua rose to his feet and said 5 
 
OK, TDRKE YEARS DJ THE HOLY CITI l^^ 
 
 Although I did not recollect this propliec}r, that Olirist 
 was to be born in Bethlehem, yet I am overjoyed l-o find 
 the fact respecting Jesus fulfills it. He was born in 
 Bethlehem of Judah. This I have known some years : 
 and—" 
 
 Here, while my heart was bounding with joy, GariLa 
 liel said sternly, " I thought this man was born in 
 Nazareth ?" 
 
 *^ He has lived," answered Lazarus, " in Nazareth 
 from childhood only. During the days when Cesar 
 Augustus issued a decree that all the world should be 
 taxed, his mother, and Joseph her husband, went up to 
 the city of David to be taxed, which is Bethlehem, and 
 there Jesus was born, as I have often heard from her lips 
 But it is on the records in the proper office of the Temple, 
 and can be referred to there." 
 
 " Admitting, then, that he was born in Bethlehem," 
 said Saul, who, from his training in the schools, appeared 
 to be much given to disputation, " you have to prove his 
 lineage from David's line." 
 
 " Wherefore did his parents go to Bethienem, David's 
 city, unless they were of his royal line ?" asked Rabbj 
 Amos ; "for none went to any other city to be taxed 
 than that of their own family. The fact that thoy 
 went there is strong evidence that they were of David's 
 hcaise." 
 
 Every one born in the city of David,^ remarked 
 Gamaliel, " is not of necessity of David's house ; but 
 it is surprising if this Jesus really was born in Bethle- 
 hem." 
 
 " But may not his lineage be ascertained without a 
 doubt from the reC/ords of the tribes, and of their families 
 
150 THE PEmCB OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 kept by command of the law of the Temple ?" I asked 
 of my uncle. 
 
 Without question. These books of the generationH 
 of our people are to be relied on," he answered, 
 
 " In fact," said Gramaliel, they are kept with the 
 greatest accuracy, and it is so ordained by God, for the 
 very reason that when Messias cometh we may know 
 whether he, who claims to be such, be of the house oi 
 David or no. I will examine the book of the Genera- 
 tions, and see if his? mother and father come of the stock 
 and seed of David." 
 
 " And if you find that they do," asked John, with emo- 
 tion, can you doubt any longer whether Jesus be the 
 Christ ? Will not the fact of his being born in Bethle- 
 hem, and of the lineage of David, not to speak of the 
 witness of God's own audible voice, heard by our ears 
 this day — will not these facts lead you to believe that 
 He is the Christ?" 
 
 " They will prevent me from actually rejecting him," 
 answered the cold philosopher. But every child born 
 in Bethlehem, and of the house of David, and there aroy 
 iimny of them in Judah, fulfills, so far, the conditions of 
 these two prophecies ; these are not therefore Mes- 
 siahs !" 
 
 " What more can you ask for ?" asked Mary, with 
 teeiing ; for she as strongly believed that Jesus was the 
 Ohiist as I did, and was deeply pained by so many doubts, 
 and such subtlety of objection from those who were so 
 learned in the prophets. But men reason and reason, 
 while women simply believe. 
 
 ' " Miracles," answered the disciple of Gamaliel, and 
 fijkiioing at the face of his master inquiringly. 
 
OH. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLi CITY. 
 
 151 
 
 *• Yes, miracles,'- also answer'^d the sage. " The Mes- 
 siah is tc heal the sick by a word, restore sight to the 
 blind, cast out devils, and raise even the dead." And 
 here he desire d Saul to read the particular prophecy 
 giving the power of miracles to the Christ. 
 
 " If he restore the blind and raise the dead, I will doubt 
 ao longer," answered Saul. 
 
 There was at this moment an interruption caused by 
 noisy altercations in the court among some of John the Bap- 
 tist's disciples, some of whom were disposed to acknowl- 
 edge fully the superiority of Jesus ; while others, still in- 
 dulging in the full fervor of their first conversion, stoutly 
 contended for the transcendent greatness of him whom 
 they regarded as their own Prophet. Rabbi Amos, as 
 host, went out to put an end to these disputings, when 
 Gramaliel retired to his chamber ; and the conversation 
 was not renewed. 
 
 Thus, you see, my dear father, that even on the very 
 day of these marvellous events, by eye-witnesses them- 
 selves, there is much difference of opinion concerning 
 who Jesus is ; and therefore I do not expect you, whii 
 are so remote from the scene, and who know them only 
 by report, to believe all at once, as I myself do. Will 
 you w~rite me and tell me what view you take of all this 
 subject, and what can be brought fiom the Scriptures i;) 
 prove that in this wonderful person Messias has not 
 oome ? 
 
 The next morning early the people departed from the 
 oourt where they had lodged ; and when the sun was 
 about an hour high we also took saddle and rode to Jen- 
 oho, where we passed the day with Miriam, th*^ daughte* 
 of Joel, who was cousin to my mother 
 
1.52 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAV^ID 
 
 Lazarus has returned to Bethany, whero his ocoupa- 
 fcion demands his attenaance ; but John, the son ol 
 Eliasaph, has remained with us, having agreed with 
 Lazarus that he would go again alone into the desert and 
 not give up his search for the Divine Prophet, Jesus, 
 until he had found him ; for both young men feel as sad 
 as if they had lost a beloved and honored brother. 
 Your daughter, 
 
 Adina. 
 
 LETTER XII. 
 
 My Dear Father : 
 
 How shall I thank you for your forbearance with me 
 and your kind answers to all my letters, filled as they 
 are with so many inquiries and opinions, which must sur. 
 prise, and perhaps displease you. You say that you have 
 read all that I have written with impartiality, and that 
 fou do not marvel that one whom you are pleased to 
 •sail so imaginative and full of sensibility as myself, should ^ 
 be affected by what has passed under my observation in, 
 Judea." You nevertheless refuse, on your part, my 
 dear father, to listen, with the least proximation towards 
 belief, to the extraordinary recital I have given you. You 
 are pleased to question the reality of the voice at Jordan, 
 and the presence of the dove of fire, and to refer it, as 
 many others try to do who actually witnessed it, to an il'^ 
 lusion of the senses. You are willing to admit that Jesus 
 may be born at Bethlehem, for many whom you know 
 who are not orophets, neither sons of prophets, were borD 
 
OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY ICS 
 
 thore." You are w illing to admit that he may be of the 
 lineage of David, for David's descendants are as numer- 
 ous as they are poor and obscure, yet they are not Mes- 
 siahs, nor do they pretend to be Christs." You are content 
 with doubting the accuracy of the memory of the mother 
 of Lazarus, as to the scene in the Temple, about thirty 
 years ago, described to you by my cousin Mary in her 
 letter, though acknowledging you have often seen both 
 Simeon and Anna in the Temple, and about the time 
 stated by her. But your main objection to receiving 
 John's evidence that this is the Christ, is, " that he is 
 poor, of humble station, destitute of influence, received 
 baptism of a man, when the Messias was to be the 
 anointed of Grod." Who," you ask, of the wise, and 
 the venerated, and the learned, and the aged, with years 
 and experience ; who of the doctors, and lawyers, and 
 priests ; who of the Scribes, and who of the Pharisees, 
 and of the great men of Israel, will agree in acknow- 
 ledging as Him of whom Moses and the Prophets wrote 
 as the central sun around which all the dazzling pro- 
 phecies of Esaias revolve ; as the end and fulfilling of the 
 law ; as the Lion of the tribe of Judah ; as the Shiloh 
 of the nations ; as the Wonderful, the Counsellor, the 
 mighty Grod and the Prince of Peace ; as the glory of 
 Israel, and the Joy of the whole Earth — an obscure 
 young man of thirty, unlearned in letters, the son of a 
 carpenter, a citizen of Nazareth (a city proverbially 
 aiean), a person without name, character, power, rank, 
 wealth, or influence, and the last that was heard oi 
 whom was, that he had fled into the desert ?" You add, 
 dear father, that this mere enumeration of what the true 
 Christ ought to be, with the enumeration of what 
 
154 THE FRINGE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID- 
 
 wanting in this man, should be sufficient to oonviu<5e 
 me that I have given my sympathies and faith to one 
 who has no claim to them. You say further, that you 
 do not call my Messias an impostor, because, so far as 
 you can learn, he has professed nothing, proclaimed 
 notliing, declared nothing, respecting himself. In si^ 
 lence he appeared, and in silence disappeared, nunc 
 knowing whence or whither and you close your review 
 of my history by saying, " that you shall wait for further 
 development before you can give the subject your seriouis 
 consideration." 
 
 In your next letter, where you again allude to the 
 theme, you say, that if this prophet reappears, and 
 from his own lips declares himself sent from Grod, and 
 fcy an appeal to undisputed miracles gives proof of his 
 •livine mission, declaring himself, thereby, to be the 
 Christ, you will then believe in Him, provided the whole 
 of the prophecies can be shown to meet in his person." 
 
 On this ground, I am willing that the issue should be 
 met, dearest father ; and you add, with your usual can- 
 dor, " that you will not hesitate to acknowledge as the 
 Christ a man who fulfills all prophecy in his own person, 
 though he come in a state and condition contrary to 
 your preconceived notions of the character of the Mes- 
 sias ; for that it would be safer for you to question the 
 correctness of your own interpretation of the Messiac 
 prophecies hitherto, than the identity of one in whom, 
 without question, do meet all the golden threads of the 
 pr)dictions relating to the Christ." Here I am content, 
 my dear father, to let the question remain, being, how- 
 ever, fully persuaded in my own mind that though this 
 bumble young man, Jesus, hath come lowly and cb- 
 
OB, THEEE YEARS IN THE HOLY CrJT 
 
 155 
 
 scurely into the world, yet he will prove himscif to that 
 world that; lie is the true Messias, Christ of God. 
 
 Now, my dear father, let me resume the interesting 
 mbject, of which my letters have been so full ; and, 
 iiioreover, as you have desired me still to keep you in* 
 formed of all that transpires toucliing Jesus of Nazareth, 
 ind as no theme upon which I can write is so pleasing 
 to me, I will here narrate all that I have heard since 1 
 last wrote to you. 
 
 It is now eight weeks since our return from Gilgal. 
 For five weeks after we reached Jerusalem, we heard 
 nothing of Jesus, until John, son of Eliasaph, re-ap- 
 peared. He and Lazarus came into the city together, 
 and to the house of Rabbi Amos. Our first inquiry was : 
 
 " Have you seen Him ? Have you heard anything 
 from Him ?" 
 
 " John has seen Him," answered Lazarus, seriously , 
 " ask him, and he will tell you all." 
 
 We looked at John, who sat sad and pensive, as if ho 
 were dwelling in his mind upon some painful, yet tender 
 sorrow. The eyes of my cousin Mary, which always 
 caught their lustre from his, were shaded with an in- 
 quiring look of sympathy and solicitude. 
 
 " You are not well, I fear," she said, placing her fan 
 hand upon his white brow, and putting back the hair 
 from his temples. " You have been long away, and are 
 weary and ill." 
 
 Weary, Mary? I shall never complain of weariness 
 again, after what I have beheld." 
 
 " What have yuu seen ?" I asked. 
 
 " Jesus in the desert ; and when I remember Kim 
 diere, I shall forget to smile more." 
 
156 THE PEmCE OP THE HODHE OF DAVU) , 
 
 " You found Him, then ?" I p-agerly asked. 
 
 " Yes, after days of painful search. I found Him ii 
 the very centre of the Desert of Ashes, where foot of 
 rnan had n >ver trodden before. 1 saw Him upon His 
 knees, and heard His voice in prayer I laid down the 
 sack of bread and fishes, and the skin of water I nad 
 brought with me to succor Him, and with awe drew 
 near where He stood." 
 
 How did you find Him there ?" I asked, with that 
 painful interest which exacts all details. 
 
 " By His footsteps in the sand and ashes. I saw where 
 He sat down to rest, and where two nights He reposed 
 upon the ground. I expected to find Him perished, but 
 sach day I discovered His progressing footsteps and fol- 
 lowed them. As I now drew near Him, I heard Him 
 groan in spirit, and He seemed to be borne down to the 
 earth by some mortal agony. He was, as it were, talk- 
 ing to some invisible evil beings who assailed Him. 
 
 " Rabbi ! good Master, I said, I have brought thee 
 food and water. Pardon me if I have intruded upon 
 thy aw^ful loneliness, which is sacred to some deep grief; ^ 
 but I weep with thee for thy woes, and in all thy 
 afflictions I am afflicted. Eat, that thou may est have 
 strength to endure thy mysterious sufferings. 
 
 He turned His pale countenance full upon me, and 
 extended towards me His emaciated hands, while He 
 emiled faintly, and blessed me and said : 
 
 ** * Son, thou art very dear to me. Thou shalt one dav 
 be afflicted for me, but not now, and then understand 
 wherefore I am now a sufierer in the desert.' 
 
 " Let me remain with thee. Divine Messias, I said. 
 
 ^* * Thou believest, then, that I am He ?' he answered 
 r^s.r''<»*<rm(; me with love 
 
OE, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 157 
 
 replied by casting myself at His desert-parched 
 feet, and bathing them with my tears. He raised me, 
 and said, ' Go thy way presently. When the time of 
 my fasting and temptation is past, I will see thee again.' 
 
 "Nay, I will not leave thee, I asserted. 
 ' If thou lovest me, beloved, thou wilt obey me,' he 
 answered, with a tone of gentle reproof. 
 
 " But thou wilt first eat of the bread I have brought, 
 and drink of the water, I entreated. 
 
 ^' ' Thou knowest not what temptation thou art offering 
 to me,' he replied, sadly. ' Thou hast not enough for 
 thine own needs. Go, and leave me to gain the victory 
 over Satan, the Prince of this world, for which I was ied 
 by the spirit thither !' 
 
 " I once more cast myself at his feet, and He lifted me 
 up, kissed me, and sent me awa\ . Oh, you would not 
 have known him ! Worn and emaciated by long absti- 
 nence, weak through suffering, He looked but the shadow 
 of himself. He could not have lived thus if there had not 
 been a divine power within to sustain him ! His exist- 
 ence so long, for He had been in the desert five week? 
 without food, when I found him, was a miracle in itself, 
 proving the power of G-od to be in him !" 
 
 " For what mighty work among men is Grod preparing 
 him ?" said Rabbi Amos, with emotion. " Surely H 
 is a Prophet come from God." 
 
 " Think you He still lives ?" I asked, with anxious 
 fears, scarcely trusting my voice above a whisper. 
 
 Yes," answered John ; " I am come to tell you He 
 was divinely sustained through all ; and after forty day* 
 He came forth from the wilderness, and suddenly pre- 
 sented himself on the banks of Jordan, among John's 
 
158 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVlD 
 
 disciples. I was standing near the Baptiser, discoursing 
 of the Christ, and marvelling when his exile to the 
 desert would terminate, when the prophet, lifting up 
 his eyes, cried with a loud voice full of joy : 
 
 ' Behold again the Lamb of G-od, upon whom th^^ 
 Spirit of Grod descended! He hath come from the 
 furnace, like gold seven times tried in the fire ! He it 
 is who alone taketfi away the sins of the world.' 
 
 " I turned, and beheld Jesus advancing. He was pale, 
 and wore an expression of gentle, uncomplaining suffer- 
 Lng, on his benign and spiritualized countenance. His 
 ealm, chastened, dignified aspect, the serene composure 
 and peace of his looks, awed me, while they caused me 
 to love him. 1 hastened to meet him, and was kneeling 
 in joy at his feet, when He embraced me as a brother, 
 and said, ' Faithful, and full of love, wilt thou follow 
 mo?' 
 
 I will never more leave thee," I answered. 
 
 'Where dwellest thou. Divine Master!' then asked 
 one of John's disciples, Andrew by name, who was 
 with. me. 
 
 ' Come, my friends, and see,' He answered ; and we > 
 went after Him with joy unutterable. 
 
 " What passed between him and the Baptizer," asked 
 fiabbi Amos, " at the river side on this meeting?" 
 
 " Not a word. They met and parted like strangers, 
 John going away across Jordan into the wilderness, as 
 Jesus entered the village of Bethabara ; and, approaching 
 the house of a widow, where He abode. He went in and 
 we followed Him, and by his request took up our abode 
 with Him. Oh, how shall I be able to make known by 
 words," added John, the sweet expression of his dis* 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITl 
 
 1d9 
 
 coursse ? In one day in his presence, I grew wise ; his 
 words filled the soul like new wine, and made the heart 
 glad. The next day He wished to go into Galilee, and 
 so on to Nazareth, where his mother dwelleth ; an J as 
 I have made up my mind to follow Him as his disciple 
 henceforth, J have only come hither to make known my 
 purpose tc Mary, and to arrange my affairs in the city 
 To-morrow I leave again, to join this, my dear Lord, at 
 Cana of Galilee." 
 
 ^*0h, happy, and to be envied, friend and brother,'* 
 said Lazarus. "How gladly would I go, also, and 
 become one of his disciples ! but the care of my mother 
 and sisters cometh upon me, and I must deny myself 
 the happiness of being ever near this divine man, and 
 listening to the heavenly wisdom that flows from his lips. 
 How blind I have been never to have discovered, undei 
 his gentle and loving character, and unobtrusive wisdom, 
 the Messias. Truly, He was among us, and we knew 
 Him not." 
 
 " Canst thou divine at all his purpose ?" asked Rabbi 
 A.mos of John, " whether He intends to found a schoo' 
 of wisdom, to preach like the prophets, to reign like 
 David, or to conquer like his warrior namesake, Joshua !" 
 
 " I know not, save that He said He came to redeem 
 that which was lost, and to establish a kingdom that 
 sha^ have no end !" 
 
 Upon hearing this, all our hearts bounded with hope 
 and confidence in him, and we altogether burst forth 
 into a voice of thanksgiving, and sang this hymn of 
 praise : 
 
 " O ding unto the Lord a new song : for He hath done niarvell,»us 
 Ihmgs ; his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten the victory. 
 
160 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 **The Lord hath made known his salvation : his righteousness hath 
 
 He openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. 
 
 " He hath remembered his mercy and his truth towards the house of 
 Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 
 
 Make a joyful noise imto the Lord, all the earth : make a loud noise 
 and rejoice, and sing his praise. 
 
 Sing unto the Lord with the harp : with the harp^ and the voice of 
 a psalm. 
 
 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the 
 l^ord, the King. 
 
 ** Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof ; the world, and they that 
 dwell therein. 
 
 Let the floods clap their hands ; let the hills be joyful together. 
 Before the Lord ; for He cometh to judge the earth ; with rigbtecas- 
 ness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity." 
 
 There was this morning, dear father, no little excite- 
 ment produced among the Chief Priests by a formal 
 inquiry sent by Pilate to Caiaphas the High Priest, 
 asking whether this new prophet was to be acknowledged 
 by them as their Messiah, for if he is to be, it will be 
 my duty," said the Grovernor, to place him under 
 arrest, inasmuch as we understand the Jewish Messias 
 is to declare himself king!" Upon this, there was a 
 tumultuous assembling together of the Priests in the 
 porch of the Temple, and with many invectives they v 
 agreed to send answer to Pilate that they did not 
 acknowledge Jesus of Nazareth to be the Christ. They 
 were led to this the more urgently, inasmuch as they 
 feared the arrest of Jesus would give the Romans occa- 
 sion for arresting other Jews, and so bring on the nation 
 great troubles ; just as, a few years ago, when a certain 
 impostor rose up and called himself the Christ, the 
 Romans were not satisfied with taking and destroying 
 him, but they punished with fines every city in Judah. 
 Therefore, the Priests denied to the Procurator any know 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 161 
 
 ledge ol Jesus, and entreated him not to pay any atteiitior 
 to Him, till indeed he should find that he openly took tht 
 lead of armed men. What Pilate will conclude to do, j 
 know not. Rabbi Amos informed us that the Procuratoi 
 fiad got some news by a courier that morning, that Jesus, 
 on his way to Cana, had been followed by full a thou 
 sand people, who, having recognized him as having beoi 
 baptized by John in Jordan, hailed him as the Christ, 
 
 Thus you see, my dear father, that this divine person 
 is already taking hold of the hearts of the people, and 
 arousing the jealousy of our enemies. Be assured that 
 the day will come when He will lift up his standard to 
 the Gentiles, and draw all men unto Him. The develop- 
 ments of his power are daily taking place ; and although 
 He has yet performed no such miracle as would be 
 deemed, by you, a test of his divine mission, yet I have 
 no doubt that in due time He will give this proof, and 
 all other needful manifestations, that He is the Christ 
 of God 
 
 Your loving 
 
 Adina 
 
 LETTER XIII 
 
 Uy Dear Father : 
 
 I have received your last letter by the Cairo merchant, 
 Heber, the son of Malchial, and having read it to Rabbi 
 AmoSj he says, after careful reflection thereupon, that 
 be cannot agree with you in your opinion touching the 
 nndimmed glory of Messiah, viz. : " that he is to coni*^ 
 
162 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVT1>: 
 
 as a King, and Mighty Leader of Hosts, and reign and 
 prosper, and rule the earth, King of the kings of the 
 earth." He desires me to ask you what is meant by 
 " Messias being a man of sorrows and acquainted with 
 grief," as prophesied of him ; and how you interpret, 
 dear father, other than as referring to a violent endj the 
 words of the wise Daniel, " And after threescore and 
 two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself?" 
 Qncle also desires me to ask you to examine into the 
 time named by Daniel, when Messiah the Prince is to 
 come, and take note that we live in the day of the close 
 of the threescore and two v/eeks, whereof the prophet 
 writeth and saith, ^' Know, therefore, and understand, 
 fchat from the going forth of the commandment to restore 
 and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince, shall 
 be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks." Rabbi 
 Amos says, the time for the appearing of Christ is verily 
 come, as all must confess who read the Prophets ; and 
 the only reason that Jesus is not believed to be he, is 
 that he comes in poverty and humility, fasting and suf- 
 fering. But, my dear father, may it not be ordainer^ 
 that the Christ shall come in lowliness and end in power ?> 
 Oh that you could have the faith in Jesus of Nazareth, 
 shat He is Messias, that I have, dearest and most honored 
 father ! Since I last wrote you, my faith has been con- 
 firmed by the testimony which in one of your letters you 
 demanded. You said, let me hear that he has done 
 an authentic miracle in attestation of the divinity of 
 his mission^ — such a miracle as was prophesied Messias 
 shall do — as healing the sick by a word, restoring the 
 blind to sight, and raising the dead, and I will prepare 
 to believe in him." 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 A miracle He has performed, dear father, and one the 
 genuineness of which is not disputed by any one. I can 
 give you the particulars best by extracting from a letter 
 written by John to Mary, a few days after his departure 
 to join Jesus at Nazareth ; for John has joined himself 
 to Him, and become his disciple. 
 
 " Upon reaching Nazareth," says the letter, " 1 was 
 giiided to the humble dwelling occupied by the mother 
 of Jesus, by a large concourse of people gathered about 
 it, of w^hom inquiring, I learned that it was to see the 
 new prophet they had thus assembled. " What new 
 prophet ?' I asked, wishing to know what the multitude 
 thought of Jesus. 
 
 " ' The one whom John of the Wilderness foretold,' 
 answered one. 
 
 " ' They say he is Messias,' replied another. 
 
 " ' He is the Christ,' boldly asserted a third. 
 
 ''Hereupon, a Levite standing by said scornfully, 
 ' Does Christ come out of the country of Galilee ? You 
 read the Prophets to little purpose, if you see therein any 
 Christ prophesied to come out of Nazareth of Galilee.' 
 Hereupon, seeing the faith of many staggered, T said, 
 * Brethren, Christ is truly to be of Bethlehem ; and verily 
 Jesus, though now he dwelleth in this place, was born 
 in Bethlehem.' 
 
 " ' Thou canst not prove it, man,' said the Levite, 
 angrily. 
 
 " ' The stranger speaketh truly,' spoke up both an old 
 man and a gray-haired woman in the crowd ; ^ we know 
 that He was not born here, and that when his parents 
 moved hither, when He was an infant, they then said 
 He was born in Bethlehem. We all remember thiF 
 woU ' 
 
164 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVTD • 
 
 "Hereupon the Levite, seeing that he had not the 
 people with him, passed on his way, while I wont to the 
 door of the house where Jesus dwelt with his mother. 
 There were two doors, one of which led into a work- 
 shop, where I noticed the bench and tools of the occu- 
 pation at which He had toiled to support himself and 
 his mother. This sight made me half question whethei 
 He, who was an humble artisan, whose working tools 
 and shop I saw before me, could in truth be the Christ 
 of God, the Prince Messias whom all the patriarchs and 
 prophets looked forward to with the eye of faith, desiring 
 to see his day ! and it required the recalling of the won- 
 derful scenes of his baptism, the Holy Dove and Voice 
 of Grod, and his miraculous preservation in the wilder- 
 ness, to revive my assurance ; but when, as I entered 
 the dwelling, I saw Him standing, teaching those who 
 hung on his lips, and listened to his calm voice, and 
 heard the sublime wisdom of his instructions, beheld 
 the dignity of his aspect, and felt the heavenly benignity 
 of his manner, I forgot the carpenter, I forgot the man, 
 and seemed to behold in Him only Messiah the Prince, 
 the Son of God. 
 
 "Upon beholding me, He extended his hand, anr! 
 received me graciously, and said, pointing to five men 
 who stood near Him, regarding Him with mingled lovf^ 
 and reverence, * These are thy brethren, who have aL=K) 
 come out of the world to follow me.' 
 
 "Of these, one was Andrew, who had been, as well as 
 myself, John's disciple, and both were talking with him 
 when Jesus came forth out of the wilderness. Another 
 was Andrew's brother, whose name is Simon, who, hear- 
 ing his brother speak of Jesus as the Christ, had gone 
 
oa THUEE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 165 
 
 with him to see Him ; but he had no sooner beheld Him 
 than he joined himself to Him ; and Jesus, from the 
 firmness and immovable zeal of his character, which He 
 seemed to understand, called him also Peter, or Stone. 
 The fourth disciple was of Bethsaida, the city of An- 
 drew and Peter. His name was Philip, and he followed 
 Jesus from having been prepared by John ^he Baptist to 
 receive Him. He was, however, so overjoyed at finding 
 die Christ, that he ran to the house of his kinsman 
 Nathaniel, and finding him in his garden, beneath a fig- 
 tree, at prayer, exclaimed : 
 
 " ' We have found Him of whom Moses in the law 
 and the prophets did write, the Messias of God V 
 
 u t "\^ere is He, that I may behold Him ?' asked his 
 relative rising. 
 
 ^ It is Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph,' Philip 
 answered. 
 
 " Upon hearing this answer, the countenance of Na- 
 thaniel fell, and he replied : 
 
 " ' Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth ?' 
 
 " ' Come thou and see for thyself,' answered Philip. 
 
 " Nathaniel then went with him where Jesus was, 
 When Jesus saw him approaching. He said to those 
 ibout Him: 
 
 " ' Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no 
 guile !' 
 
 " * Whence knowest thou me ?' asked Nathaniel, with 
 enrprise, for he had heard the words which were spoken. 
 Jesus answered, and said : 
 
 *^ ' Before Philip called thee, when thou wast under 
 the /ig-tree, I saw thee.' 
 
 " Upon hearing this, Nathaniel, who knew that he 
 
166 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 was all alone in his garden and unseen at pvdy er, when 
 his brother came, regarded the serene face of Jesus 
 steadfastly, and then, as if he beheld therein the expres- 
 sion of omnipresence, he cried before all the people : 
 
 " ' Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God ! Thou an the 
 King of Israel V 
 
 " Jesus looked upon him as if pleased at his oonfe^^ 
 sion, and said : 
 
 " ^ Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig 
 tree, believest thou ? Thou shalt see greater things 
 than these. Verily, verily, I say unto you, hereafter ye 
 shall see Heaven open, and the angels of Grod ascending 
 and descending upon the Son of Man.' 
 
 " These four, Andrew and Peter, Philip and Nathaniel, 
 were then present in the house with Him ; and, to my 
 surprise and joy, with them stood my own brother 
 James, whom Jesus had seen on the lake in his boat, 
 and called him, when James left all and followed Him. 
 Thus we were six disciples in all, bound to Him by ties 
 of confidence and love. The mother of Jesus, a noble 
 and matronly woman, still beautiful, and with a face of 
 the holiest serenity, was present, and gazed with pride 
 and tenderness upon her Son, listening to his words, as 
 if she also would learn of Him that wisdom which hatb 
 descended upon Him from above. The next day Jame& 
 and I went to the sea of Tiberias, but two hours distant, 
 to see our father Zebedee, and transfer our interests to 
 him ; and, during the afternoon, Jesus passed near the 
 shore on his way to Cana, when, calling us, we forever 
 left our ships and our father and joined Him. His 
 mother, and many of her kinsfolk were of the company, 
 all going to a marriage of the cousin of the family 
 
OR, THKEE TEARS IN THE HOLY CITY". 167 
 
 Upon our arrival at Cana, we were ushered into the 
 guest-chamber, and Jesus in particular, was received 
 with marked respect by the Hebrew master of the house, 
 though he was an officer in the service of the Romans. 
 We here met Elizabeth, the mother of John the Bap- 
 tizer, who is a relative of Mary, the mother of Jesus, 
 The meeting between these two blessed women was 
 very touching. 
 
 " * Ah,' said the mother of John the prophet, as she 
 looked upon Jesus, who was talking with the governor 
 of the feast, ' How blessed art thou, 0 Mary, to have 
 thy son ever with thee ! while I am a mother, and yet 
 no mother. The son whom Grod gave me He hath taken 
 from me to be his prophet, and he is to me as if he 
 were dead ! Since his twelfth year he has been a dwel* 
 ler in the wilderness, knowing no man, until six months 
 ago he came forth to proclaim, according to the word of 
 the Lord, the advent of thy holy Son !' 
 
 " The marriage feast at length commenced. The 
 wine which should have come from Damascus, had not 
 arrived, the caravan having been delayed by the insur- 
 rection near Cesarea. The guests had therefore but 
 httle wine, and the chief ruler of the town presiding at 
 the feast, seeing that the wine had given cut, bade the 
 servants to place more upon the board. The mother of 
 Jesus, who knew that the wine was out, turning to 
 Him, said, ' They have no wine!' for it seems that she 
 know of the mighty power that was within Him, though 
 He had not yet manifested it openly. I sat next to Him, 
 and hfeard her when she whispered to Jesus. The holy 
 Prophet of Grod looked grave, and said, with a slight tone 
 of respectful reproof, and applying to her that tifcic which 
 
168 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID- 
 
 we in Judea believe most honorable of all others, * Wo- 
 man,' he said to this purport, ' what have I to do with 
 thy private requests for the exercise of my power? 
 Then desirest me to perform a miracle before this noble 
 company, that they may behold it and believe on me. 
 Mine hour for manifesting my glory to the world is not 
 yet come : nevertheless, affectionate, in obedience to thy 
 wish, my honored mother, I will do what I perceive thou 
 desirest me to do.' 
 
 " She then thanked him with deep and grateful emo- 
 tion, and turning to the servants, beckoned to them, 
 while her cheek borrowed a rich color from her hidden 
 loy, and her eyes kindled with the feelings of a mother 
 about to see her son display powers such as only come 
 by the gift of Grod, and which were to seal Him as a 
 mighty Prophet, before the eyes of Jew and Gentile. 
 For myself, not anticipating, or suspecting what was to 
 take place, I regarded the nervous emotions of the joyful 
 mother with marvel. When two or three of the servants 
 had approached, she said to them : 
 
 " ^ Whatsoever He saith to you, do it.' 
 They then fixed their regards upon the Prophet. > 
 awaiting his commands, as little suspecting what they 
 would be as I did. The face of Jesus, ever calm and 
 dignified, now seemed to assume a look of majesty inex . 
 pressible, and his eyes to express a certain conscious- 
 ness of power within, that awed me. Casting his glance 
 upon several stone vases, which stood by the door empty 
 He said to the servants : 
 
 " ' Fill the water-pots with water.' 
 
 " In the court, in full sight from the table, was a well, 
 to which the servants forthwith went with jars, which I 
 
OR, THREE YEARS tN THE HOLY CITY. 169 
 
 gaw them fill with water, bear it in upon their heads^ and 
 pour it out into the water-pots, until they had filled 
 them all, six in number, to the brim. While this was 
 going on, the governor of the feast was relating to the 
 guests, and fixing their attention, as well as his own^ 
 how that Herod and Pontius Pilate had recently become 
 enemies, because the latter, on his way from Cesarea 
 Philippi to Jerusalem, in order to be present with his 
 forces during the weeks of the Passover, having come to 
 a caravanserai, at night, which was occupied by Herod 
 and his body-guard, turned the latter all out to maky 
 room for his own retinue, saying that a Roman Procu- 
 rator was more honorable than a Jewish Tetrarch of 
 Gralilee. ' It will be long,' added the governor, as the 
 last water-pot was filled, ' before this quarrel will be 
 made up between them. But we talk, my friends, and 
 forget our wine.' 
 
 " ' Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the 
 feast,' said Jesus to the servants. 
 
 " They obeyed, and pouring rich, blood-red wine from 
 the jars which I and others had seen filled up with 
 simple water from the well, the amazed servants bore it 
 to the chief of the feast. He had no sooner filled his 
 {goblet and tasted it, than he called to the bridegroomi 
 who sat in the middle of the table, and said : 
 
 "'Every man at the beginning doth set forth good 
 wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which 
 is worse, but thou hast kept the good wine until now.' 
 
 " ' Who hath brought this wine ?' asked the bride^ 
 groom, drinking of the water that was made wine 
 ^ Whence it came, sir, I know not.' 
 
 " Then the servants and others told that they had 
 
170 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 tilled the six water-pots with water to the brim, at the 
 command of Jesus, the Prophet, and that when they 
 drew out, behold it flowed forth wine instead of water 1 
 Upon this there w^as a general exclamation of surprise , 
 and the governor of the feast crying out, ' A great pro. 
 phet indeed hath been among us, and we knew it not, 
 rose to approach and do honor to Jesus ; but he had 
 already conveyed himself away, at once rising and pass- 
 ing out through the door, and seeking the solitude of 
 the gardens. Thither T followed Him, and worshiping 
 Him, sat at his feet and listened while he unfolded tc 
 nie wonderful things concerning himself, showing that 
 He is truly the Son of G-od and the very Christ. But 
 these things I cannot speak to thee of now, for I do not 
 clearly understand all that He is to be, save that I know 
 He is destined to suffer, and to be exalted. Doubt not." 
 concludes the letter to Mary, " doubt not that Jesus is 
 the Christ. His miracle at Cana, of turning water into 
 wine, is a public display of his divine power. All men 
 at the feast have believed on Him, and his fame is 
 spreading abroad throughout Gralilee and Samaria. He 
 has told me privately that He must soon visit Jerusa- 
 lem, and He will there openly proclair?, his mission as 
 the Christ of God." 
 
 In this manner, my dear father, writes the betrothea 
 husband of my cousin Mary ; and I have given you the 
 above extract from his letter, in order that you may see 
 that Jesus is already attracting great attention, that He 
 has disciples, and that He is, by no means, poor, who 
 has the power to convert wells of water into wine . 
 From this letter you must perceive that Jesus is at least 
 a prophet equal to Elijah, who kept full the cruse of the 
 
OK raREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITF. 
 
 171 
 
 widow of Zarephath. If, therefore, you acknowledge 
 this much, you must confess that he is a good man. 
 Now, a good man will not deceive. Yet Jesus hath 
 plainly said to John, that He is the Christ !' How, 
 then, my dear father, can any one deny, who believes 
 Him to be a prophet, that He is even more than a pro- 
 phet, even Messias? Pardon your daughter for thus 
 presuming to reason with you ; but I am so earnest that 
 you should believe, that I sometimes forget the daughter 
 in the disciple of Jesus. As for my uncle, the good and 
 learned Rabbi Amos, he is more than half his disciple , 
 and I have no doubt that when Jesus shall present him- 
 self in Jerusalem, and he can see Him, and hear his 
 divine teachings, he will cast off all prejudice, and be- 
 come his open follower. 
 
 The rumor of the miracle at Cana has reached Jerusa 
 iem since I began this letter, and I hear that it has 
 produced n*^ little excitement in the market-places and 
 courts of the Temple. Rabbi Amos, on his return frora 
 sacrifice, a few minutes ago, said that he saw, in the 
 Court of the Temple, more than thirty priests with rolls 
 of the Prophets in their hands, engaged in looking up 
 tiie prophecies of the Christ. So, my dear father, you 
 see that the young man " who came," as you remarked, 
 "no one knew whence, and went, no one knew whither," 
 is already taking hold of the attention of Israel, and stir- 
 ring up the minds cf all men to investigate his claims 
 to being the Christ 
 
 Your affectionate daughter, 
 
 Adina. 
 
172 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUBB OF DAVUj 
 
 LETTER XTV. 
 
 Iff i Dear Father : 
 
 You will not require the testimony of my letters to 
 enable you to appreciate the fame of the wonderful 
 young man of Nazareth, Jesus, who is daily proving 
 himself a prophet indeed, and mighty before Grod, show- 
 ing all the people that God is with Him. Not a stran- 
 ger Cometh into Jerusalem who does not bring report of 
 some new miracle that He hath done, some wonderful 
 manifestation of his power. He still delays coming to 
 Jerusalem, but is engaged in preaching the coming of 
 the kingdom of David and of Grod on earth, teaching in 
 the synagogues, and showing from the Prophets that He 
 is truly the Messias. His fame for wisdom, for know- 
 ledge of the Scriptures, for power to teach, and for 
 miracles, has gone abroad through all Syria, so that they 
 bring to Him sick persons, both rich and poor, even from 
 Damascus, to be healed of Him ; and He heals all who 
 are brought unto Him, whether possessed of devils, 
 lunatic, or having the palsy. His footsteps are attended 
 by thousands wheresoever He goes, and even the Grov- 
 ernor of Philippi, descending by the way-side from his 
 chariot, hath mingled in the throng, and kneeling at 
 his feet, asked the health of his son, who was palsied , 
 and his son wsl^ healed by Him by a word, though many 
 leagues distant. While I now write, a cx)mpany is pass* 
 
OR, THKEE FEARB IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 173 
 
 Ing the open window, bearing upon bed? two wealthj 
 men of Jerusalem, given over by their physicians, who 
 are going to Him to be cured ; for all Jerusalem talks 
 of nothing else than the wonderful miracles of Jesus. 
 There was a man who wove baskets, who has occupied 
 a stall opposite our house for many years. He had lost 
 entirely the use of his legs, for twelve years, and had U 
 be carried to and fro. Hearing of the fame of Jesus, he 
 was seized with a strong desire to have Him perform a 
 miracle upon him. For this purpose he begged money 
 from the priests, as they went by to the Temple, but 
 though some gave, all laughed, saying that he could not 
 be cured, inasmuch as one of his limbs was withered. 
 But the man had faith, and having begged silver enough 
 for his journey from the benevolent, hired two men to 
 convey him five days' journey into Galilee. Lo ! at the 
 end of three weeks he returned, walking upright, and 
 well in body and limbs ! All the city flocked to behold 
 him ; and he related how, that when he had reached 
 Capernaum, where Jesus was, the crowd was so great 
 that his bearers could not for some time get near Him. 
 A-t length Jesus moved on, healing the files of sick as 
 He passed through them by a word. " Seeing me,'' 
 narrates the man, " He fixed his eyes upon me, and 
 said, calling me by name : 
 
 " * Great is thy faith. As thou hast believed, be it 
 done unto thee.^ 
 
 " Immediately my legs and ankle-bones received 
 strength ; I leaped from the litter to the ground, and 
 found that I was wholly free from pain or disease, and 
 my slirunken limb restored as sound as the other. 1 
 would fallen at his feet in ecstasy of joy, but the 
 
174 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HUUSK OF DAVID. 
 
 crowds which pressed Him sepai^ated me from the sight 
 of Him. But I filled the air with shouts of rejoicing and 
 hallelujalis to the Son of David !" 
 
 This man, my dear father, I now see daily, moving 
 about souiid in limb and health ; but this one instance ia 
 but one of a thousand. John, who follows Jesus every- 
 where he goes, and is a witness of all that He does and 
 teaches, writes to Mary, that " the sick and afllicto 
 from all parts of the land of Gralilee, from Decapolis, from 
 Jerusalem, irom beyond Jordan, even from Lesser Asia, 
 come to Him. When my beloved master," he writes^ 
 " comes forth from a synagogue, where He has been read- 
 ing the Prophets to the people, who hear him gladly, I 
 have beheld two hundred persons, the lame, the palsied, 
 the withered, the blind, the possessed of devils, and per- 
 sons afflicted with all manner of diseases, laid in rows 
 before the gate of the synagogue, awaiting his coming 
 forth. Those who bore or held them were standing in 
 eager expectant groups near them. It was a painful, yet 
 sublime spectacle, to behold the hollow eyes of those 
 wretched sufferers turned towards the door as the peo- 
 ple came running forth, shouting, ' He comes ! He 
 comes !' The writhing torments of the possessed with 
 devils ceased for the moment, and groans gave way to 
 expecting silence. Jesus at length appears, and upon 
 seeing his face, that ever expresses holy benignity and 
 innate power, all set up touching cries of the most thril- 
 ling appeal for his aid, and such appeals are never ut- 
 tered in vain. Going through the rows of beds and lit- 
 ters. He lays his hand upon some, speaks a word to 
 others, touches the eyes of the blind and the ears of the 
 deaf, places his hand gently on the head of the lunatic, 
 
OR, THREE TEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 17S 
 
 and commands in tones of authority the devils to leave 
 the bodies of the possessed. And what is extraordinary," 
 continues John, the devils always conduct with more 
 terrific violence as He draws near, and while they leave 
 the possessed with curses, they confess loudly that Jesus 
 is ^ the Son of David — the Son of God !' and implore 
 Him, in the most abject manner, not utterly to destroy 
 them ! So great is the multitude which everywhere 
 follows Him, that He is often compelled to withdraw 
 from them by stealth, to get to some by-place of quiet 
 where He can refresh his wearied strength for a few 
 days. At such times we, who are his immediate fol- 
 lowers, have the benefit of his teaching and private in- 
 structions. But He cannot remain long away from the 
 people. They soon penetrate his retirement, and He 
 never can refuse their appeals to his miraculous powers 
 to do them good. How wonderful is He who thus holds 
 in his hands divine power ! The authority of kings is 
 nothing before that which He possesses in his voice ; 
 yet He is serene, humble, oh, how humble ! to our 
 shame ; and always calm and gentle. He spends much 
 time in private prayer to God, whom He always ad- 
 dresses as his Father. Never was such a man on earth. 
 We, who know Him most intimately, stand most in awe 
 of Him ; yet with our deep reverence for his holy char- 
 a3ter is combined the purest affection. In one and th^. 
 game breath I feel that I adore Him as my Lord, and 
 love Him even as my brother. So we all feel towards 
 Him. His engaging manners, his patience with our 
 ignorance, his forbearance with our grossness, his 
 ready excuses for us when we are in fault, ere we have 
 time to exculoate ourselves, all have bound us lo Wnr 
 
176 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 witli ties that can never be sundered. When I next 
 write to you," continues John, I will relate xu you, so 
 far as they are understood by me and my fellow-disci- 
 ples, the things which He reveals respecting himself 
 and the object of his mission on earth. Many things, 
 however, are not comprehended by us, but He promises 
 that we shall by and by understand what nc w appears 
 obscure to us." 
 
 Such, my dear father, is the tenor of the letters which 
 my cousin Mary receives from John, the disciple of Je- 
 sus. They are all filled with accounts of his miracles, 
 of his teachings, and of his journeyings. When we shall 
 Jesus at Jerusalem, I shall be able from personal 
 obiter vation to write to you more particularly concerning 
 nis doctrines and miracles. That He is Christ, thou- 
 sands now believe ; for they ask, very naturally, how 
 could He do these things unless God were with Him ? 
 What is also of importance, it has been proven by the 
 results of the examination made by some of the scribes 
 of the Temple, that He was truly born in Bethlehem, 
 and that both his mother Mary, and Joseph her husband, 
 are lineal descendants of the house of David. Moreover, 
 Phineas, the venerable priest, whom you know, hath 
 borne testimony to the fact, that when Jesus was an in- 
 tant, during the reign of the elder Herod, there arrived 
 in Jerusalem three eminant princes, men of wisdom and 
 learning. One of these came from Persia ; one from the 
 Grecian province of Media; and one from Arabia, and 
 brought with them gifts of gold and spices, and were 
 attended by retinues. These three princes reached Je- 
 rusalem the same day by three L^fferent ways, and en- 
 tered by three different gates, <^.aca unknowing to tb^ 
 
UK, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 177 
 
 otlier's presence or object till they met in the city before 
 Herod's palace. One represented himself descended 
 from Shem, another from Japhet, the third from Ham ! 
 A.nd they mysteriously, it is said, typified all the races 
 of the earth who by them recognized and adored the Sa- 
 viour of men in the child Jesus. The king hearing 
 that these three strangers had arrived in Jerusalem, 
 sent to know wherefore they had honored his kingdom 
 with a visit. " They answered," says Phineas, as he 
 yesterday related the narrative in the presence of Cai- 
 aphas^ and many of the rulers and Pharisees, 'that they 
 came to do homage to the young Prince, who was born 
 king of the Jews.' And when Herod asked what prince 
 they spoke of, they answered, ' we have seen his star in 
 the East, and are come to worship Him !' 
 
 ' How know you the star you have seen indicates 
 the birth of a Prince of Judea ?' demanded King Herod 
 greatly troubled at what he heard. 
 
 " ' It had a motion towards this city,' they answered, 
 * and we have been led by a heavenly impulse to follow 
 it, and lo ! it has led us to Jerusalem, over which, were 
 it now night, you would see it suspended, burning with 
 the glory of a planet ; and it hath been revealed to us 
 that it is the star of the birth of one who is to reign 
 King of Judah ! Tell us, therefore, oh king, where this 
 august Prince is now to be found, that we may worship 
 Him!' 
 
 " Hereupon," says Phineas, " the king issued an edict 
 for all the chief priests and eeribes of the people to as* 
 semble in the council chamber of his palace He then 
 addressed them : 
 
 ' Ye to whom is given the care of the Books of the 
 
178 THE PEINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 Law and of the Prophets, whose study they are, and in 
 whom lies the skill to interpret the prophecies, search 
 therein, and tell me truly where the Christ is to be born. 
 Behold here present these august and wise men who 
 have come from afar to do him homage ; nay more, as 
 they aver, to worship him as God. Let us have the 
 courtesy to give them the answer that they seek, and 
 let us not be found more ignorant of these things than 
 those who dwell in other lands !' 
 
 " Several of the chief priests then rose and said : * It 
 is known, oh king, to all who are Jews, and who read 
 the Prophets, that Messias cometh of the house of David, 
 of the town of Bethlehem : for thus it is written by the 
 Prophet : " And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, 
 art not least among the Princes of Judah, for out of 
 thee shall come a Governor that shall rule my people, 
 Israel 
 
 " This question being thus decided," continued Phi- 
 neas, " Herod dismissed the council, and retiring to his 
 own private room, secretly sent to the three princes of 
 the East to inquire of them what time the star appeared. 
 And when they had named the very day and hour on 
 which they had first seen it, he was thereby enabled to 
 irrive at the probable age of the infant. He then said 
 to them : 
 
 " ' You have my permission, noble strangers, to go to 
 Bethlehem, and search for the young child ; and when 
 ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may 
 3ome and worship him also ; for it is tut meet that wt3 
 should pav all possible honors to a Prince of our realm, 
 whose birth is heralded in so unusual a manner, and in 
 worship whom even the East sends forth her wise men,' 
 
OK. THKEB YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 179 
 
 Tlioy then left the presence of Herod, and it being dark 
 when they left the palace, they were overjoyed to Lehold 
 the star which they saw in the East, going before them. 
 They followed it until it left Jerusalem by the Bethlehem 
 gate, and it led them on to the town of Bethlehem, and 
 stopped above an humble dwelling therein. When thoy 
 were come into the house, they saw the rays of the star 
 resting upon the head of an infant in the arms of its 
 mother Mary, the wife of Joseph. They at once acknow- 
 ledged and hailed Him as Prince and King of Israel, and 
 falling down, worshipped Him ; and opening their trea- 
 sures, they presented unto Him gold, frankincense, and 
 myrrh, gifts that are offered on the altar to God alone !" 
 
 When Phineas was asked by Caiaphas how he knew 
 this fact, he answered, that he, himself, prompted by 
 curiosity to see the Prince they had come to worship, 
 had followed them out of the palace of Herod, out of the 
 gate, and even into Bethlehem, and witnessed theii 
 piostrations and offerings to the infant child of Mary. 
 "And," he added, if this be doubted, there are many 
 Jews now living in Jerusalem, and a certain Hebrew 
 captain, now stricken in years, who can testify to the 
 slaughter, by Herod's command, of the infants of Beth- 
 lehem ; for this captain Jeremias led on the sotdiers." 
 
 " And wherefore this slaughter ?" asked Caiaphas. 
 
 It is not on record " 
 
 " Kings do not record their deeds of violence," an- 
 swered Phineas. Herod kept it hushed up when he 
 found that he gained nothing by it but hatred. He slew 
 tJiem in order that the infant Jesus might be destroyed 
 among them ; for the three wise men, instead of return- 
 ing through Jerusalem to their own country, and in- 
 
180 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 forming him where they had found the child, departed 
 Dy another way ; and when Herod found that they were 
 gone, he became so highly enraged, that he sent out a 
 party of his household guard, under Jeremias, their cap 
 tain, who now liveth to testify, ordering them to slay 
 every child under two years of age in Bethlehem, hoping. 
 
 1 have said, to kill the infant Jesus among the num- 
 ber. But the child escaped, doubtless by Grod's powder- 
 ful protection ; and his fame in his manhood this day 
 fills the ears of all Israel. The adoration of these three 
 men, who were the sons of *Shem, Ham, and Japhet, 
 clearly represents the homage of the whole race of man- 
 kind that shall yet be paid to him, if be be the Christ 
 Messias !" 
 
 " Dost thou believe in him also ?" asked Caiaphas, 
 with angry surprise, looking sternly on Phineas. 
 
 " I will first see, and hear him speak ; and if he be 
 proven to me to be Messias, I will gladly worship him." 
 
 Hereupon," said Rabbi Amos, who gave me the de- 
 tails of the foregoing interview between Caiaphas and 
 Phineas, ''there arose a great uproar, some crying that 
 Jesus was the Christ, and others, that Phineas should be 
 stoned to death." 
 
 Thus you see, my dear father, how the evidence in 
 creases in value and importance, proving Jesus to be the 
 Messiah Lo ! his very cradJe bears testimony to his 
 divine character ; and surely do his miracles now con* 
 firm the pledge given by the remarkable circumstances 
 attending his childhood. The captain Jeremias, now a 
 gray -headed old soldier, having been called upon, testi- 
 fies that he obeyed such an order of Herod, and that it 
 VA as given .within three days after the three Princes of 
 
OR THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 18\ 
 
 the East quitted Jerusalem for Bethlehem. Now, niv 
 dear father, let me sum up the evidences that go to 
 show that Jesus is the Messiah. First, his presentation 
 in the Temple, when holy Simeon and Anna worshipped 
 and prophesied of Him! Secondly, the supernatuial 
 star which led the wise men to Bethlehem ! Thirdly, 
 adoration of Him in his cradle! Fourthly, the testi- 
 mony of John the Baptist ! Fifthly, the voice of God at 
 his baptism ! Sixthly, the descent of the Holy Grhost 
 upon Him in the form of a fiery dove ! Seventhly, his 
 miracle at Cana of Galilee ! And lastly, the glittering 
 coronet of miracles that now encircles his brow, shed- 
 ding a light and glory upon his path which it blinds 
 and dazzles the eye steadfastly to behold. Tell me, 
 dear father, is not this the Christ ? 
 
 Your affectionate and loving 
 
 Adina 
 
 LETTER XV. 
 
 My Dear Father : 
 
 The inquiry you made in your last letter, What 
 hath become of the Prophet of Jordan, since Ihe fame 
 of Jesus hath so far eclipsed his own?" I can answoij 
 but with sadness. Your inquiry seems to infer that he 
 would feel envious of the power and the miracles that 
 distinguish his successor. But on the contrary, John 
 always plainly declared in his preaching, that he was 
 not worthy to unloose the shoe latchet of Him who was 
 to come after him and he distinctly said many times 
 to all, that He to whom I bear witness must increaso, 
 
282 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAYLO 
 
 but J must decrease !" The mission on which John 
 came terminated when Jesus came. Soon afterwards, 
 he left the wilderness and entered Jericho, where Herod 
 chanced then to be visiting. Here he preached in the 
 public places, and in the market, and on the very stepg 
 of the Grovernor's palace, that Grod's judgments were 
 coming upon the earth, and that men must, by rept^nt* 
 ance, appease His wrath ; and that the Christ would be 
 the Judge of men ! Now while he was thus speaking 
 to the people, and the officers and soldiers of the Te- 
 trarch's guard, Herod himself came forth upon the bal- 
 cony to listen, for he had heard in Gralilee much of 
 John, and had long a desire to hear him. The prophet 
 no sooner beheld him, than he boldly addressed him, and 
 sternly reproved him for the sin of having married the 
 wife of his brother Philip, contrary to the law. Now 
 Herod, it is said, did not show resentment at his plain 
 dealing, but inviting the prophet into his hall talked 
 much with him, and in parting offered him gifts, which 
 John refused to touch. The next day he sent for him 
 again to ask him some questions touching the Messias of 
 u^hom he preached. Now Herodia, when it was reported 
 to her, after the return of Hercd from Jericho to hig 
 Tetrarchy, how that the prophet had publicly spoken 
 against her marriage with Herod, became very angry ; 
 and when she found that Jchn was still favored by her 
 husband, she sent for Herod, and said, ''that if he would 
 please her he must throw the prophet of Jordan into 
 prison." Herod would have excused him, asserting that 
 he was a man of Grod ; but Herodia only the more rehe- 
 nuently insisted that he should be cast into prison. At 
 length Herod yielded, against his own will, and gave 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 183 
 
 orders for the arrest of the prophet ; who, the same 
 aight, was thrown into the ward of the castle. When 
 this intelligence reached the followers of John, it created 
 great sorrow ; and many went to see him and talk with 
 him. But he told them they must think of him n«' 
 longer ; that his brief life was drawing to its close ; Lu' 
 that they must turn their eyes towards the Christ, th< 
 Sun of Righteousness, whose rising was unto an ever« 
 lasting day. " Said I not unto ye," he asked of them, 
 
 He must increase and I must decrease ?" For some 
 weeks this holy man, whose only offence was that he 
 had the courage to reprove sin in high places, remained 
 in bonds, while Herod each day sought to find some 
 excuse for releasing him without displeasing Herodia, 
 of whose anger he stood in great fear, being an abject 
 slave to his love for her. At length the birthday of 
 Herod arrived, and he conveyed word to John that in 
 honor of the day he would send and fetch him out of 
 prison, so soon as he should obtain the consent of his 
 wife, which he believed she would accord to him on such 
 an anniversary. 
 
 Now, after the feast, Philippa, the daughter of He- 
 rodia and of her former husband Philip, came in and 
 danced before prince Herod ; and being beautiful in per- 
 «on and full of grace in every motion, she so pleased her 
 »tep-father that he made a great oath, having drunk 
 much wine with his guests, that he would give her 
 whatsoever she would ask, were it the half of his king* 
 dom. Her mother then called her, and whispered to her 
 imperatively. 
 
 Give me," said the maiden, turning towards Herod 
 with the demand her mother had commanded her tc 
 make, "the head, now, of John Baptist in a chargor " 
 
184 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 
 
 The Tetrarch no sooner heard this request than he 
 turned pale, and said, fiercely : 
 
 Thy mother hath been tampering with thine ears, 
 girl." Herodia, however, betrayed no confusion, but sat 
 unconcerned. Herod, it is said by those who were pre- 
 sent, hesitated a long time, and at length said: "Ask 
 half of my kingdom and I will give it thee ; but let me 
 not shed blood on my birthday." 
 
 " Wilt thou falsify thine oath ?" asked his wife, 
 ecornfuUy. 
 
 " For mine oath's sake, and for these who have heard 
 it, I will grant thy desire,'' he at length answered, with 
 a sigh of regret and self-reproach. He then turned to 
 the captain of the guard, and commanded him to slay 
 John Baptist in prison, and bring presently there hia 
 head upon a charger. 
 
 At the end of a quarter of an hour, which was passed 
 by Herod in great excitement, walking up and down the 
 floor, and by his guests in silent expectation, the door 
 opened, and the captain of the guard entered, followed 
 by the executioner, who carried a brazen platter upon 
 which lay the gory head of the eloquent forerunner of 
 Christ. 
 
 " Give it to her !" cried Herod, sternly, waving hira 
 towards the beautiful, but cruel and heartless maiden 
 who stood near the inner door. The executioner placed 
 the charger in her hands; and, without turning pale 
 but with a smile of triumph, she bore it to her mother 
 who had retired to an inner chamber. It is said, that 
 no sooner did she behold it, than she spat in the face, 
 and setting it up before her, reviled it. His disciples, 
 when they heard of his death, came to Herod, and asked 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 185 
 
 the body of John, and taking it away, buried it ; but 
 when they would have asked the head also of Herod ia, 
 she answered, ''that she had given it to her dogs to 
 devour !" So terrible can be the revenge of a woman 
 who fears not God ! 
 
 All the disciples of the murdered prophet then went 
 where Jesus was preaching and healing, and told Hira 
 what had been done to John. '' When Jesus heard of 
 the death of John, He was very sorrowful," writes John, 
 his disciple, to Mary, '' and went away into a desert 
 place apart, in order to mourn over the fate of his bold 
 and holy forerunner." In the meanwhile, the disciples 
 of John Baptist, believing that the murder of their pro- 
 phet was but the first blow of a general slaughter, fled, 
 some into the deserts, while others sought Jesus to pro- 
 tect and counsel them. At length He found himselt 
 surrounded by a great multitude, who had fled from the 
 cities, chiefly of John's disciples, besides many who had 
 come to hear Him preach, and be healed of Him. The 
 place was a desert, and far from any town. Forgetful 
 of all else, save following Jesus, they were without food. 
 " Which," says John, writing to Rabbi Amos, " we who 
 were his disciples seeing, suggested that Jesus should 
 send them away to the villages to buy themselves 
 victuals. But Jesus answered as, and said quietly : 
 
 '' They need not go away — give ye them to eat.' 
 
 ''And Simon said, 'Master, where can we get bread 
 for so many ? There is verily here an army to be fed , 
 and we have among us but five loaves and two small 
 fishes.' Upon hearing this, Jesus said, ' It is enough ; 
 bring them hither to me.' 
 
 " We collected the bread and fishes, and I, myselE 
 
18t)' THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DA\1D: 
 
 laid them upon a rock before Jesus. He then said tc 
 us, * Command the multitude to sit down on the grass.' 
 And when they were all seated, He took the five loaves, 
 and laying his hands upon them and upon the two 
 fishes, He looked up to Heaven and blessed them ; and 
 then breaking them into fragments, He gave them 
 us his disciples, and bade us distribute to the people 
 As often as we would return for more, we found the 
 loaves and the fishes undiminished, and I saw with won- 
 der how, when this Prophet of God would break off a 
 piece of one of the fishes, or of a loaf, the same part 
 would immediately be seen thereon as if it had not been 
 separated ; and in this manner He continued to break 
 and distribute to us for nearly an hour, until all ate as 
 nmch as they would, and were filled ; and when no one 
 demanded more, and He ceased to break, He commanded 
 us to gather up the fragments which lay by his side, 
 which he had piled up about him as rapidly as he broke 
 them off, and there were twelve baskets full over and 
 above what was needed. The number that were thus 
 miraculously fed was about five thousand men, besides 
 nearly an equal number of women and children. And > 
 this mighty Prophet, who could thus feed an army, 
 voluntarily suffered forty days and nights the pangs of 
 hunger in the desert ! He seems a man in suffering, a 
 God in creating !" 
 
 This wonderful miracle, my dear father, is onf3 that 
 has too many witnesses to be denied. He who could 
 miraculously feed five thousand, could f^=*ed all men! 
 Must not He, then, who could feed all mankind, be 
 divine ? Surely, this must be the Son of God ! If 1 
 should mention to vou all the miracles which have been 
 
UR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 187 
 
 done by Him, I should fill many letters. Not a daj 
 f)ass(is that we do not hear of some still more extraordi- 
 nary exhibition of his power than the preceding. Ever} 
 lorning, when men meet in the market places, or in 
 he corridors of the Temple, the first inquiry is, "What 
 lew wonder has He performed ? Have you heard of 
 inother miracle of this mighty prophet ? Indeed, so 
 great is the interest here felt to see Jesus, and witness 
 his miracles, that where one went to hear John preach 
 in the wilderness of Jordan, ten go to see Christ in Gali- 
 lee. The priests alone are offended, and speak evil of 
 Him through envy. They complain that He draws ofl^ 
 people from the sacrifices ; that He is preaching anothei 
 law than that of Moses ; that He eats with sinners ; 
 that He enters the houses of Samaritans ; and that He 
 toveth Galilee rather than Jerusalem, which they con- 
 tend, is an evidence that He is not the Christ who was 
 " to come to the Temple and send forth his law from 
 Jerusalem." 
 
 They even have gone so far as to assert that He per- 
 forms his miracles by magic, or by the aid of Beelzebub, 
 the Prince of the devils. "If we suffer Him to take 
 men's minds as he doth,-' said Caiaphas to Rabbi Amos 
 yesterday, when he heard that Jesus had walked on th(^ 
 sea to join his disciples in their ship, and stilled a tem- 
 pest with a word, " the worship in the Temple will be 
 at an end, and the sacrifice will cease. He draweth all 
 men unto Him." 
 
 Herod having, as I have said, slain John, and hearing 
 directly after of the fame of Jesus, said to Herodia. 
 
 This is John Baptist risen from the dead, and therefore 
 do mighty works show forth themselves in him." 
 
188 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVIb 
 
 If he rise from the dead threescore and ten times, ' 
 will as many times have his head," answered Herodia ; 
 whereupon Herod privately sent to Jesus, supposing Hini 
 to be John Baptist, to keep in the parts of Gralilee where 
 ITe V7as. The Ijevites and Scribes of the city contend 
 that He is Elias, who it is prophesied must come and 
 estore all things before Shiloh come. Others believe 
 that He is Isaiah, or Jeremiah, raised from the dead , 
 and some say one thing, and others another thing. They 
 are willing to believe Jesus to be everything but thai 
 which He is, viz. : the true Christ and the Son of the 
 Highest. 
 
 You have asked, dear father, in your letter, "Where 
 is Elias, who is to precede Messias, according to the 
 prophet Malachi?" This question Jesus himself has 
 answered, says John, when a Rabbi put it to Him. 
 replied thus : 
 
 Elias has come already, and ye have done unto him 
 whatsoever ye listed." 
 
 " Dost thou speak of John the Baptist?" asked 'those 
 about Hnn, when they heard this. 
 
 " John came in the spirit and power of Elias, and > 
 therefore was he thus called by the prophet," was the 
 answer of Jesus. 
 
 I have written to you mainly of the miracles of Jesus^ 
 dear father, as being evidences conclusive of his divine 
 powder and authority to teach and restore Israel. I have 
 said little of his teaching, as I have not yet heard Him ; 
 "but I have heard those v/ho have listened to Him repeal 
 much that He has taught them.' Such words of wis- 
 dom, such pureness of teaching, such holy precepts and 
 divine instruction, never before fell from the lips of man 
 
Oa THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY, 
 
 189 
 
 Oh, when shall I be so blessed as to hear his voice, and 
 hang on the eloquence of his lips? I envy all who 
 have heard Him speak. 
 
 I did not tell you that besides the six disciples whom 
 I have named, he has chosen six others, which twelve 
 he Keeps near his person as his more favored followers 
 and whom He daily instructs in the doctrines He came 
 down from Heaven to teach. Of the thousands who 
 never weary going from place to place in his train, he 
 has also selected seventy men, whom He has dispatched 
 by twos into every city and village of Judea, command- 
 ing them to proclaim the kingdom of Grod as at hand, 
 and that the time when men everywhere should repent 
 and turn to Grod, had come. 
 
 Thus you see, my dear father, that the solitary and 
 unknown young man, who was baptized hardly a year 
 since in Jordan, is now wielding more influence in the 
 land than the Roman Procurator Pilate, or Herod. Nay, 
 not many days since, after He had fed another multitude 
 by a miracle, the people would have made Him a king 
 by force ; but He withdrew from the press, and retired 
 into a mountain alone to escape this honor. Therefore, 
 dear father. He is no ambitious leader. His kingdom, 
 if He is to be a king, is not to be received as the gift of 
 men. Yet that He will be a king is as certain as tha 
 He is the Christ ; for the prophecy says, that Messias 
 " shall sit upon the throne of his father David." AVho 
 can look into the future and behold the limit of his 
 glory? Already by faith I see Him crowned by the 
 game mighty God who proclaimed from Heaver that He 
 A^as his beloved Son, King of kings and Lord of lords ; 
 with his tlirone upon Mount Zion, and tne nations of the 
 
190 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THL HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 earth tributary to his sceptre of righteousness, and su\^ 
 missive to his illimitable dominion. He is the Stone out 
 out of a rock without hands, that shall fill the whole 
 earth. 
 
 You may charge me with being enthusiastic, my dear 
 father ; but if Jesus be the Christ, earth has no Ian- 
 guage that can express the splendor of his reign. 
 
 It is now commonly reported that He will be here at 
 the Passover. I shall then behold Him, and like the 
 wise men, I shall worship Him with mingled awe and 
 love. I will again write you, dear father, after I see 
 and hear Him. Till then, believe me your affectionate 
 daughter, 
 
 Adina 
 
 LETTER XYI. 
 
 My Dear Father : 
 
 While I write, the city is agitated like a tumultuous 
 sea. The loud murmurs of the multitudes in the streets, 
 and even in the distant market-place, reach my startled 
 ears. A squadron of Roman cavalry has just thundered 
 past towards the Temple, where the uproar is greatest ; 
 for a rumor of an insurrection begun among the people, 
 has come to Pilate the Procurator. But this is no in- 
 Burrection against the Roman authority, dear father ; 
 alas, our people, who were once Grod's people and the 
 masters of the East, are now too servile and submissive 
 to their pagan masters, the Romans, to lift up a finger 
 to remove their degrading yoke ! Would that it were 
 
OR, TBREE YEARS IN TBE HOLY CITY. 
 
 191 
 
 a movement for the liberties of J u Jea ! The occasion 
 of the tumult, which seems to increase each mo- 
 ment, is an extraordinary act of power on the part 
 of the new prophet, Jesus, — that name become, by means 
 of my pen, so familiar to you, — a name at which, I can 
 say without enthusiasm, every knee will yet bow, both of 
 Jew and Grentile ! I will relate to you the circumstances *, 
 for this manifestation of power from Him is another prool 
 of his divine mission. 
 
 In my last letter, dear father, I stated that it was com* 
 monly reported that this wonderful man would be at the 
 Passover, and that all men were talking of the approach- 
 ing event, and really thinking more of his presence 
 here, than of the Feast itself. Nay, it was said that 
 many who would not otherwise be in Jerusalem, would 
 come hither in order to see Him, and to witness soma 
 new miracle ; and to-day Rabbi Amos says the number 
 of strangers in the city is hitherto unprecedented. 
 
 Yesterday Mary's cousin, John, returned and came 
 unexpectedly into the hall of the fountain, in the rear 
 of the house, where we were all seated in the cool ol 
 the vines, with which Mary's taste has covered a wall 
 of trellis- work. Uncle Amos was in the act of reading 
 to us from the Prophet Jeremiah, a prophecy relating 
 to the Messias that is to come (nay, that is come, dear 
 father), when John appeared. Mary's blushes welcomed 
 him, and showed how dear he was to her. Uncle Amos 
 embraced and kissed him, and seated him by us, and 
 called for a servant to bathe his feet, for he was dusty 
 and travel-worn. From him we learned that his be- 
 loved master, Jesus, had reached Bethany, and was 
 •eposing from his fatigues at the hospitable, thoug^h 
 
192 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 
 
 humble house of Lazarus, Mary and Martha. When 
 we heard this, we were all very glad ; and uncle Amos 
 particularly seemed to experience the deepest satis- 
 faction. 
 
 " If He come into Jerusalem," said he warmly, " He 
 shall be my guest. Bid Him to my roof, 0 John, that 
 my household may be blessed in having a Prophet of Grod 
 step across its threshold." 
 
 Oh, by all means do not forget to ask Him to remain 
 through the Passover with us !" exclaimed Mary, earnest- 
 ly looking up into the young disciple's face, and laying 
 her hand confidingly upon his wrist. 
 
 I will tell my beloved Master thy wish. Rabbi 
 Amos," answered John. Doubtless, as He has no 
 home nor friends in the city. He will remain under your 
 roof." 
 
 " Say not no friends !" I exclaimed. " We are all his 
 Iriends here, and fain would be his disciples." 
 
 " What ! Rabbi Amos also ?" cried John, with a 
 glance of pleasure and surprise at the venerable Priest oi 
 Grod. 
 
 " Yes, I am ready, after all that T have heard and 
 seen, I am ready to confess Him a Prophet sent from 
 God." 
 
 He is far more than a prophet, 0 Rabbi Amos !" an- 
 swered John. " Never prophet did the works Jesus does. 
 It seems that all power is at his command. If you wit- 
 nessed what I witness daily, as He traverses Judea, yoii 
 would say that He was Jehovah descended to earth in 
 human form !" 
 
 Nay, do not blaspheme, young man," said Rabbi 
 Amos, with some severity of reproof. 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 193 
 
 John bowed his head in reverence to the rebuke of 
 the Rabbi, but nevertheless answered respectfully and 
 firmly, " Never man did like Him. If He be not God 
 in the flesh, He is an Angel in flesh invested with divine 
 power." 
 
 " If He be the Messiah," I said, " He cannot be an 
 angel ; for are not the prophecies clear that the Messiah 
 shall be ' a man of sorrows ?' Is He not to be ' the seed 
 of the woman V a man and not an angel?" 
 
 " Yes," answered John, " you remember well the pro- 
 phecies. I firmly believe Jesus to be the Messiah, the 
 Son of God. Yet, what He is more than man, what He 
 is less than God, is incomprehensible to me an3 to my 
 fellow-disciples. We wonder, love, and adore ! At one 
 moment we feel like embracing Him as a brother dearly 
 beloved ; at another, we are ready to fall at his feet and 
 worship Him ! I have seen Him weep at beholding the 
 miseries of the diseased wretches which were dragged 
 into his presence, and then with a touch — with a 
 cvord, heal them ; and they would stand before Him in 
 the purity and beauty of health and strong manhood ! 
 f have seen Him, with a voice of command, as nevei 
 man spake, expel devils from those who were possesses] 
 by them ; and I have heard the devils submissively hc£ 
 avt to be sent to their own place, but be permitted bj 
 flim to remain roaming still in the air and on the earth, 
 aafil the hour of their final sentence shall proceed from 
 rho lips of God. Even the devils are thus subject unto 
 Him, so mighty is his power ; and all diseases disap})ear 
 before his eye, like the foul air of the fens bei'ore tli^^ 
 beams of the morning sun !" 
 
 And yet," said Nicodemus, a rich Pharisee, who en- 
 
194 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 tered as Jolin was first speaking, and listened without 
 interrupting, — for it is his wont to come in and out as he 
 will, being a friend of my uncle, — and yet, young maU; 
 I heard you say that Jesus, of whom you and all men 
 relate such mighty deeds, has remained at Bethany to 
 recover from his fatigue. How can a man who hold 
 all sickness in his power be subject to mere weari 
 ne^s of body ? I would say unto him. Physician, heaJ 
 thyself'' 
 
 This was spoken with a tone of incredulity by thi? 
 learned ruler of the Jews ; and, stroking his snowy beard, 
 he waited of John a reply ; for like many of the chiel 
 men, nay, most of them, he was slow to believe all he 
 heard of Jesus ; for as yet he had not seen Him ; noi 
 would he be likely to visit Him were He to come into 
 the city, in order to see for himself, lest his popularity 
 among the Jews be diminished ; for he is a man of re- 
 markable ambition, and aims one day to be the chief 
 ruler of the people ; therefore, though he should really be 
 convinced that Jesus is Messias, I fear he would not 
 have candor enough, for fear of the Jews, to confess 
 it Such is my opinion of my uncle's frjend, the 
 rich and powerful Pharisee. John answered him, and 
 said : 
 
 " So far as I can learn the character of Jeisas, his 
 healing power over diseases is not for his own good, bn^ 
 for the benefit of the multitude. He uses his power to 
 work miracles for the benefit of others through love and 
 compassion, and to show forth the divive power in Him. 
 His miracles are used solely as proofs of his Messiahship. 
 Being a man with this divine power dweUing in Him 
 for us^ He is subject to infirmities as a man ; He 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITT 195 
 
 hungers, thirsts, wearies, suffers, as a man. I have 
 seen Hirn heal a nobleman's son, and restore him to 
 strength and activity by a word, and the next momont 
 seat himself, supporting his aching head upon his hand, 
 looking pale and languid, and without strength; for 
 liis labors of love are vast, and He is often overcome 
 by them, those who follow Him to be healed not giv- 
 ing Him time to repose at night. Once, Simon Peter, 
 seeing Him ready to sink with very weariness, aftei 
 healing all day, asked Him and said : ^ Master, thon 
 givest strength to others, why suffer thyself, when all 
 health and strength are in thee, as in a living well, to be 
 weary ?' 
 
 " * It is not mine to escape human infirmities by any 
 power my Father hath bestowed upon me for the good 
 of men. It behooves me to suffer all things. Through 
 suffering only can I draw all men after me !' " 
 
 John said this so sadly, as if he were repeating the very 
 tones in which Jesus had spoken it, that we all remained 
 silent for a few moments. I felt tears fill my eyes, and 
 I was glad to see that the proud Pharisee, Nicodemus, 
 looked moved. After a full minute's serious pause, he 
 said : 
 
 " This man is doubtless no common prophet. When 
 he comes into the city I shall be glad to hear from his 
 own mouth his doctrines, and to witness some potent 
 miracle." 
 
 Surely," said Amos, if he be in truth a prophet, we 
 ought not to reject him. We ought to examine fairly his 
 claims to be sent from God to our people." 
 
 Certainly," answered Mcodernus. We Phariseee 
 tire ready to give him a fair hearing. It would seem that, 
 
I9b' THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 by coming to Jerusalem from the provinces, where hither* 
 to he has been preaching and doing miracles, he means 
 to challenge the whole people to acknowledge him as a 
 prophet." 
 
 " Prophet he is, without doubt," answered Amos. "It 
 (s not the question now whether He be a prophet or not : 
 for the hundreds He has healed are living witnesses that 
 He has the spirit and power of the old prophets, and is 
 truly a prophet. The question that remains is, whethei 
 He te the Messiah, or not ?" 
 
 Nicodemus slowly and negatively shook his head, anr^ 
 then answered : 
 
 " Messias cometh not out of Gralilee." 
 
 " He will prove himself the Messias with power," an- 
 swered my cousin John, with zeal. " When you hear 
 Him speak. Rabbi Nicodemus, the grace of his lips and 
 the depth of his wisdom will charm you into belief ; 
 and without miracles, you will acknowledge that He is 
 the Christ." 
 
 At this moment a sudden, wild, joyful cry from Mary, 
 thrilled our nerves, and, looking towards the door, we 
 saw her folded in the arms of a young man whom I had 
 never seen before. My surprise had not time to form 
 ii&oU into any definite explanation of what I saw, whoii 
 I beheld the young man, who was exceedingly hand- 
 ^me, and the picture of health, after kissi ig the cling- 
 ing Mary upon her cheeks, leave her to throw himself 
 into the arms of Rabbi Amos, crying : 
 
 " My father, my dear father !" 
 
 My uncle, who had stood amazed, and wondering]^ 
 gazing on him, as if he could not believe what his eyes 
 beheld, now burst into profound expressions of grateful 
 
ua THREE YEARS IN IHB HOLY CITY 
 
 W7 
 
 joy, and as he clasped the young stranger to his heart, 
 fell upon his neck and wept, with scarcely power to 
 articulate the words : 
 
 My son ! my son ! Lost, but found again ! This isi 
 the Lord's doing, and is marvellous in our eyes " 
 
 John also embraced the new-comer, while the Ruler 
 stood silent with wonder. Whc the young man was 
 whose arrival was producing such emotion, and why he 
 should be hailed as a son by my uncle, Amos, I had no 
 idea ; and while I was looking bewildered upon the 
 scene, Mary ran and said to me, with tears of gladness 
 shining in her dark fine eyes : 
 
 " It is Benjamin, my lost brother, beloved Adina !" 
 
 " I did not know you had a brother," I answered in 
 surprise. 
 
 " We have long regarded him as dead," she replied, 
 with mingled emotions. " Seven years ago he became 
 lunatic, and fled to the tombs without the city, where 
 he has long dwelt with many others who were possessed 
 with devils. For years he has been a madman, and has 
 neither spoken to nor known us, and we have tried to 
 forget that he lived, since to remember it made us mise- 
 rable, without hope of his restoration. But oh, now— 
 now behold him ! It seems a vision ! See how manly, 
 noble, like himself he is, with the same intelligent and 
 smiling eyes." 
 
 She then flew to take him by the hand and lead hira 
 towards me, all eyes being fixed upon him, as if he had 
 been a spirit. 
 
 When he saw their wondering gaze, he said : 
 
 " It is I, both son and brother to those dearest to ma 
 I am in mj right mind and well " 
 
198 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DA VIU 
 
 WTio has effected this change, so extraordiiiaiy, oh, 
 my son ?" inquired Rabbi Amos, with trembling lips, 
 and keeping his hand on Benjamin's shoulder, as if he 
 feared he would vanish away. 
 
 " It was Jesus, the Prophet of the Highest," answered 
 he, with solemn gratitude. 
 
 " Jesus !" we all exclaimed in one voice. 
 
 " I could have said so," answered John, calmly. " i 
 needed not to ask who had effected this great work upon 
 him. Rabbi Nicodemus thou knowest this young man 
 well! thou hast known him in childhood, and behela 
 him in the madness of his lunacy, among the tombs. 
 Post thou doubt now, whether Jesus be the very 
 Christ ?" 
 
 Nicodemus made no reply ; but I saw from the ex 
 pression of his face that he believed. 
 
 " Ho\Y was this thing done to thee, young man ?" he 
 asked, with deep and visible emotion. 
 
 " I was wandering near Bethany this morning," an- 
 swered the lost and restored one, with modesty and feel- 
 ing, " when I beheld a crowd which I madly followed. 
 As I drew near, I beheld in their midst a man, whom I 
 had no sooner cast my eyes upon, than I felt seize me 
 an ungovernable propensity to destroy him. The same 
 fury possessed seven others, my comrades in madness, 
 and together, with one mind and will, we rushed upon 
 him, with great stones and knives in our hands The 
 crowd gave way and fell back aghast, and called him 
 to save himself. But he moved not, but, left alone in a 
 wide space, stood calmly awaiting us. We were within 
 a few feet of him, and I was nearest, ready to strike 
 him to the earth, when He quietly lifted one finger. 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 1 1)9 
 
 And sai(i " Peace !" We stood immovable, without 
 power to stir a foot, while our rage and hatred increased 
 with our inability to harm him. We howled and foam- 
 ed at the mouth before him, for we then knew that he 
 was the Son of Grod, come to destroy us. 
 
 * Come out of the men, and depart quickly !' he 
 said, in a tone of command as if to us, but really to the 
 demons within us At this word I fell at his feet in a 
 dread fux convulsion^ and my whole body writhed as if it 
 had been wrestling with an invisible demon. Jesus then 
 etooped and laid his hand upon my brow, and said, ' Son, 
 arise. Thou art made whole !' 
 
 "At these words a black cloud seemed to be lifted 
 from my mind, and to disappear ; the glory of a new 
 existence appeared to dawn upon my soul, while his 
 voice melted my heart within me. Bursting into tears, 
 the rirst I have shed for seven years, I fell at his feet 
 and kissed and embraced them, wholly overcome with a 
 aew sense of peace, of inward happiness unspeakable. 
 
 "*Go thy way and fear Grod, that thou fall not a 
 second time into this captivity to Satan !' he said, rais- 
 ing me to my feet. I then followed him, rejoicing and 
 blessing Grod, until he entered the house of a Centurion, 
 aoar Bethany, when I hastened hither, to gladden your 
 kearts with the sight of me restored to my right 
 mind." 
 
 When Benjamin had done speaking, we all gave 
 glory to Grod, who had given him back to us, and who 
 had sent so great a prophet among men. As the master 
 in Israel took his leave, 1 overheard him, congratulating 
 the happy father, say, that he should embrace the first 
 op]iortunity to have an interview with Jesus ; and when 
 
200 THE PBINCB OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID. 
 
 my uncle told him that he hoped to entertain the nughty 
 Prophet as his guest, the ruler desired permission to 
 visit him here upon his arrival, but secretly," I heard 
 him add, in Rabbi Amos's ear, as he took his leave. 
 
 T commenced this letter, dearest father, by an allusion 
 to a great commotion which is agitating the whole city, 
 and which was caused by an act of power on the part 
 of the Prophet Jesus, who this morning, two hours ago, 
 entered the city, and proceeded at once to the Temple, 
 followed through the streets by an innumerable multi- 
 tude, such as was never known in Jerusalem before. 
 But as I have taken up so much of this letter in relating 
 what passed yesterday in the hall of the Fountain, T wiL 
 leave the account of the tumult, the voices of which are 
 still to be heard, for my next letter, which I shall write 
 this evening ; for now that all events are so interesting 
 connected with the great Prcphet, Christ, I shall write 
 to you almost daily, that I may keep you advised of all 
 things that come to pass, even as you desired me to do. 
 This request from you, dear father, filled me with joy. 
 It was an assurance to me that you have begun to take 
 an interest in these wonderful things concerning Mes- 
 siaS; and leads me secretly to hope that you may yet 
 believe in Him, and accept Him as the Anointed Onf 
 of God, which without doubt He is, as both his words 
 and his mighty works do testify. 
 
 When I get a package of letters made up, I shall send 
 them by Israel Ben Judah, with the caravan that leaves 
 eight days after the Passover. 
 
 May the God of our Fathers be with you, and bless 
 you, and the holy people of the Promise. 
 
 Your loving daughter, 
 
 Adina • 
 
UU. itiUiiiJbi i EAKb US' THE HULY OITjr, 201 
 
 LETTER XVII. 
 
 My Dbab Father : 
 
 The last letter which I sent to you, was written during 
 an extraordinary tumult which prevailed in the city, an 
 account of which I promised to give you in the present 
 one. I will do so now. When, on the morning of the 
 Passover, it was noised abroad that the Prophet of Grali- 
 lee was entering the city by the gate of Jericho, the 
 whole city was stirred, and from houses and shops 
 poured forth crowds which turned their steps in that 
 direction. Mary and I went upon the house-top, hoping 
 to see something ; but far and near was visible only a 
 sea of heads, from which a deep murmuring arose, like 
 the ceaseless voice of the ocean chafing upon a rocky 
 shore. The top of the gate- way was visible from the 
 place where we stood ; but it was black with the people 
 who had crowded upon it to look down. There was 
 heard, at length, an immense shout, as of one voice, 
 which was followed by a swaying and onward pressure 
 of the crowds. 
 
 The Prophet must have entered the gate," said my 
 cousin Mary, breathlessly. " How they do Him honor. 
 It is the reception of a king !" 
 
 We were in hopes He would pass by our house, as wo 
 were on one of the chief thoroughfares, but were disap- 
 pointed, as He took the way round the foot of Mount 
 
202 THE PRINCE OF TflE HOUSE OF UAVID. 
 
 Zion, and ascended the hill of Moriah to the T(5raple A 
 part of the ascent to the house of the Lord is visible from 
 our roof, and we had the satisfaction of seeing the Pro- 
 phet at a distance. We knew Him, only because He 
 was in advance ; and the people, while they walked near 
 Him, yet left Him a little space. The nighest cne b 
 Him, Mary said, was her cousin John, though at thai 
 distance I could not have recognized him ; tut the eve* 
 of maidenly affection, though mild as the dove's, arc as 
 piercing as the eagle's. The head of the multitude 
 disappeared beneath the arch of the Temple, and thou- 
 sands upon thousands followed after; and in the rear 
 rode the young Roman Centurion, whom I have before 
 spoken of, at the head of four hundred horse, to keep 
 order in the vast mass. Mary could not recognize him, 
 saying it was too far to tell who he was ; but I knew 
 him, not only by his air and bearing, but by his scarlet 
 pennon that fluttered from his iron lance, and which I 
 had bestowed upon him ; for he told me he had lost one 
 his fair Roman sister, TuUia, had given him, and as he 
 so much regretted its loss, I supplied its place by ano- 
 ther, worked by my own hands. As this was an act ei 
 kindness only, to a stranger, dearest father, I know yon 
 will not disapprove of it — though being done for an idol 
 ator may not please you. But I am full of hope, dear 
 father, that this noble and excellent youth may yet 
 become a Jew ; for he loves to listen to my teachings 
 from the Prophets, and last week he told me that ho 
 could never weary hearing me read to him from the 
 Books of Moses, and from the sublime Psalms of King 
 David ; which, he says, surpass any poems, either in his 
 own tongue or the Greek Thus, by attention and for- 
 
OR, THREE TEARS IN THE HOLY CITl 20:i 
 
 bearance, I assuredly believe that he may be led to 
 renounce his idolatrous faith, and become a worshipper 
 of the Grod of Hosts. 
 
 The multitude, as many as could gain admission, 
 having entered the great gate of the Temple, for a few 
 minutes there was a profound stillness. Mary said : 
 
 " He is worshipping or sacrificing now." 
 
 *^ Perhaps," I said, He is addressing the people, and 
 they listen to his words." 
 
 While I was speaking, there arose from the bosom of 
 the Temple a loud, irregular, strange outcry of a thou- 
 sand voices, pitched to high excitement. The people 
 without the gate responded by a universal shout, and 
 then we beheld those nighest the walls retreat down the 
 hill-side in terrified confusion, while, to increase the 
 tumult, the Roman horse charged up the hill, seeking 
 to penetrate the masses, to reach the gate out of which 
 the people poured like a living and tempest-tossed river, 
 before which the head of the cohort recoiled, or was 
 overwhelmed and down-trodden ! I held my breath in 
 dreadful suspense, not knowing the cause of the fearful 
 scene we beheld, nor to what it might lead. Mary, who 
 knew both her father and her cousin were exposed t(^ 
 whatsoever danger was threatening those who had gone 
 into the Temple, was overcome by her apprehensions of 
 evil to them, and, burying her face in her hands, ^he 
 sunk down almost insensible by my side. My attention 
 was then drawn to her away from the scene on Mount 
 Moriah, and leading her down into the apartments of 
 the house, I saw no more of what followed. But a 
 quarter of an hour had not passed when young Samuel 
 Ben Azel, who had the day before come up from Nain 
 
204 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID: 
 
 to the Passover, with his mother, who is a distant rela. 
 tive of Rabbi Amos, entered, and explained to us the 
 cause of the scene I had witnessed, assuring Mary at the 
 same time of the safety both of her cousin and her 
 father. His account was thus : 
 
 The Prophet Jesus having entered into the Temple 
 with the multitudes following Him to see what he would 
 do, found all the courts filled with merchants, changers 
 of money, and sellers of cattle to the sacrificers. Por- 
 tions of the sacred place were divided off by fences, in 
 which hundreds of sheep and cattle were stalled ; and 
 between almost every two columns of the vast portico 
 sat at their tables men whose business it was to change 
 the foreign money, brought by the Jews from G-reece, 
 Egypt, Elam, Parthia, and Africa, who had come up to 
 the Passover, into Jerusalem and Roman coin, which 
 only the sellers of the cattle and sheep will receive for 
 what they sell. On his way to the inner Temple, the 
 Prophet found his path so obstructed by the stalls, and 
 the tables of the brokers, that he had to go round them, 
 and often to turn back and take a less hedged up ave- 
 nue. At length finding, upon the very lintel of the 
 Court of the Priests, a priest himself -ngaged at a table 
 as a money-changer, and near him a Levite, keeping a 
 stall for selling doves and sparrows to the worshippers, 
 He stopped upon the step, and, turning round, cast his 
 calm, terrible eye (for it was terrible then, mild as it 
 waft before) over the scene of noisy commerce and bar- 
 tering. Every face was turned towards Him in expec- 
 tation. The half-completed bargain was suspended, and 
 buyer and seller directed their gaze, as by a sort of fas- 
 cination, not unmingled with a strange awe and fear. 
 
OR, THREE nCARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 20S 
 
 upon Him. Those who had crowded about Hira, dre^ 
 back farther and farther, slowly but irresistibly widen- 
 ing the space between them and Him, they knew not 
 by what impulse, till He stood alone, save near Him 
 remained John, his disciple. The uproar of the buyin^i 
 and selling suddenly subsided, and even the loud lowiii<i 
 ol the cattle, and the bleating of the sheep, stopped at 
 if a supernatural awe had seized even the brute creation 
 at his presence ; and only the soft cooing of doves stirred 
 the vast, death-like stillness of the place, a moment 
 before a scene of oaths, cries, shouts, of running to and 
 fro, buying and selling, the ringing of money, and the 
 buzz of ten thousand voices ! It was as if a hurricanCj 
 sweeping with deafening uproar of the elements over 
 the lashed ocean, had been suddenly arrested and fol- 
 lowed by a great calm. The silence was dreadful ! It 
 stopped the very beating of my heart. Every eye of the 
 vast multitude seemed to fasten itself on the Prophet, in 
 expectation of some dread event. I thought of the world 
 hereafter to be assembled before the tribunal of Jehovah, 
 awaiting their sentence. The step of the Temple upon 
 which He stood seemed to be a throne, and the people 
 before Him expecting judgment. Suddenly the silence, 
 which had become oppressive, was broken by a young 
 man near me, who gave vent to his feelings by a piero- 
 ing shriek, and fell insensible upon the marble floor 
 There was a general thrill of horror, yet the same awfui 
 stillness succeeded this startling interruption. That one 
 intense shriek had spoken for us all, given expression 
 and outlet to what we all felt. Suddenly the vr»ice of 
 the Prophet was heard, clear, authoritative, and ringing 
 like the trumpet that shook Sinai when the Law wa? 
 ^iven, and made all the people tp auake • 
 
206 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID . 
 
 * It is tmitten, my Father's house shall be called 
 a House of Prayer ! but ye have made it a den oi 
 thieves !' 
 
 " He then picked up from the pavement at his feet 
 a small cord, v^hich some one had thrown down, and 
 doubling it in the form of a scourge. He advanced. 
 Before his presence fled the changers of money, priests, 
 and Levites, sellers of oxen, sellers of sheep, sellers 
 of doves, escaping in such haste from the terrible 
 displeasure of his countenance, that they left their 
 property to its fate, seeking only their personal 
 safety. 
 
 " ' Take these things hence,' cried the Prophet, ' make 
 not my Father's house a house of merchandise I' 
 
 " Such a scene of confusion and flight was never wic- 
 iiessed as now followed ! The whola mass was in retro- 
 grade motion. I was borne along with the cuirent. 
 Money-tables were overturned on all .s;des ; but not the 
 most avaricious one present thought, a^ that rr^oment, of 
 stopping to gather any of the gold and siNer which the 
 rushing thousands trampled beneath their t^et. It was 
 not the whip of small cords before which we fled, foi 
 He touched no man therewith ; but it was from his 
 presence ! We were driven like chaff* before him. To 
 the eyes of all, the little whip seemed to blaze and flash 
 above their heads, as if it were the fiery sword of a 
 destroying angel. Nothing but terror, flight, escape, 
 was thought of. In a few moments, the Priest's Couit 
 of the Temple was cleared of every soul, and we were 
 driven across the Court of Israel and the broader Court 
 of the Gentiles, towards the south gate. On looking 
 back, T saw that the Prophet pursued n^t, but stood 
 
OR, THEI5E YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 207 
 
 alone, Master and Lord of the Temple. The whip was 
 no longer in his hand ; and his whole attitude and ex- 
 pression of face were changed from their late impress 
 of terrible power, to an air of the profoundest com- 
 passion, as He looked after us, stil^ Ayii^g from his 
 presence^ 
 
 " Bit I had no time to marvel at this extraordinary 
 change, for the multitude still sought escape, and bore 
 me onward, and I lost sight of the mighty Prophet. A* 
 the gate we were met by a cohort of Pilate's cavalry 
 and pressed backward into the Temple. The scene 
 now became appalling ! What with the Roman spears 
 in front, and the Prophet behind, the multitude fearing 
 to go either way, trode one upon another, trampled the 
 weak under foot, and filled the air with curses, shrieks, 
 and horrible outcries, of mingled pain, rage, and terror. 
 How I escaped, I know not," added Samuel, as he 
 completed his narration, but on finding myself out- 
 side of the gate, I at once, with hundreds, sought 
 shelter in the city, and happy am I to have reached this 
 place of security ; for the Romans are scouring the streets, 
 driving all the people into their houses." 
 
 When Samuel had ended, and we were wondering at 
 this new exhibition of the mighty power of the Prophet 
 Jesus, the street in front of our dwelling was filled with 
 persons seeking their homes. Some cried, the terrible 
 Prophet !" others, the Romans !" and some, by their 
 outcries, seemed to fly from equal fear of both. In the 
 midst ot this tumult, dear father, I sat down to write 
 you my last letter, while the incidents were fresh, and 
 lest other events should come in and crowd these froio 
 my mind. 
 
208 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID. 
 
 Ah ! my dear father, Jesus of Nazareth must be ill 
 deed invested with powers divine ! He who, witli a 
 word and a look, for the whip in his hand could not, 
 says Rabbi Amos, have hurt a child, can thus impel 
 thousands of men before Him, could make the vmoLE 
 wcrld fly from the terrible majesty of his presence ! My 
 uncle, Rabbi Amos, who, on his return from the Temple, 
 corroborated what Samuel had stated, added, that as 
 Jesus stood alone, possessor of the gold-strewn floors 
 of the Courts of the Temple, the High Priest advanced 
 towards Him, and with awe, not unmixed with anger, 
 demanded of Him by what authority He did these 
 things, seeing that He took upon himself to purify the 
 Temple. 
 
 His answer was, " My Father's House must not 
 be made a house of merchandise. Zeal for the glory 
 of His Temple hath caused me to do these things.'' 
 
 " Art thou the Christ ?" asked the High Priest, still 
 standing some distance off from Him. 
 
 " If I tell thee that I am, ye will not believe." 
 
 " When Christ shall come. He will restore all things/ 
 answered the High Priest. 
 
 ^'And I have begun this restoration by expellin-^i 
 from the Temple those who defile it, and restoring it 
 to be a House of Prayer, according as my Father hath 
 ordained." 
 
 And who is thy father ?" asked Caiaphas. 
 ' G-od is my Father ; and to do His will am I senl 
 into the world. I came not of myself, but my Fathei 
 who sent me. It is written of me, ' He shall suddenly 
 come to His Temple, and be a^^ a purifier and refiner 
 of silver.' '* 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 209 
 
 " Wliat sign showest thou that thou art sent, and hast 
 authority to do what thou doest here to-day within the 
 Temple ?" 
 
 Hast thou not had proof of my power from heaven ?" 
 answered Jesus, stretching forth his hand towards the 
 rtill terror-stricken multitude ; and then laying it upon 
 his breast, He added : Destroy this temple, and in 
 three days I will raise it up ! Be this to you, 0 Priest, 
 and to all Judea, the sign that I am sent by my Father, 
 who is in heaven. As He hath given me commandment, 
 soldo!" 
 
 A t this there was a great murmuring, said Rabbi Amos, 
 for many of the priests, with Annas also, had got boldness, 
 and drawn near to hear. 
 
 He cannot be a just man,^' said Annas, " nor 
 doth he honor God, if he would have us destroy the 
 Temple !" 
 
 " Yet if he be not sent of God, whence hath he thii?i 
 power over men ?" answered anothei . 
 
 " He doeth this by Beelzebub, whose prophet he doubt- 
 less is," said Annas, in a loud tone, " for a true pro 
 phet would not seek the destruction of God's holy 
 House." 
 
 Thereupon there was a multitude of voices, some 
 crying one thing, and some another ; but the most part 
 asserting their belief that Jesus was a just man and divine 
 prophet. Caiaphas at length obtained silence, and said 
 to Him with awe : 
 
 " Art THOU that Christ of the Prophets ? ' 
 
 "jTam.^" calmly and firmly answered the Prophet : 
 and, raising his eyes to heaven. He added impressively, 
 " I am come down from God ! " 
 
 14 
 
21U 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 
 
 When, adds my uncle, Annas heard this, he lifted up 
 his voice in an exclamation of horror, and cried out : 
 
 " Hear ye this blasphemer ! Let us cast him forth 
 from the Temple which he pollutes !" 
 
 But no man dared approach the Prophet, whose mighty 
 power had so recently been expressed in the expulsion o 
 the merchants and buyers from that sacred place. 
 
 " Bear witness," then said He, sorrowfully, rather 
 than in anger, " that I have come unto my own, and ye 
 have received me not ! This Temple of my Father, from 
 which you would drive me forth, shall no longer be the 
 dwelling-place and altar of Jehovah. The day cometh 
 when your priesthood shall be taken away and given to 
 ethers, and among the Gentiles shall arise to my Father's 
 name, on every hill and in every valley of the earth, holy 
 temples, wherein he shall delight to dwell ; and men 
 shall no longer need to worship Grod in Zion, but in all 
 places shall prayer and praise be offered to the Most 
 High. This Temple, which ye have polluted, shall be 
 overthrown, and ye shall be scattered among the nations, 
 because ye knew not the time of Grod's mercy." 
 
 Thus speaking, the Prophet quitted the Temple, leav- 
 ing the High Priest, and priests, and Levites, standing 
 gazing after Him, without power to utter a word. Rabbi 
 Amos, who saw and heard all this, says that nothing 
 could have been more striking than the contrast pre- 
 sented between the two men, the High Priest and Jesus, 
 (if it be lawful to call Him a man, dear father,) as they 
 talked with each other ; the one clothed in magnificent 
 garments, with a glittering tiara upon his brows, his port 
 lofty and proud, his hair and beard white as snow, and 
 his whole appearance majestic and splendid with out- 
 
OH. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY C.^ITY 
 
 211 
 
 ward richness! the other youthful^ clad in coarse gar- 
 nents, with a gray Galilean mantle folded about Himj 
 sandals much worn upon his feet, and his whole garb 
 mean, and covered with the dust of his journey on foot 
 from Bethany; while the severe sadness of his face, 
 which seemed beautifully and touchingly chastened by 
 prayer and suffering, contrasted strongly with the stern, 
 harsh face of Caiaphas, flushed with anger and envicus 
 hostility. 
 
 " He passed out of the Temple with an even pace, 
 neither looking back at his enemies nor followed by 
 them. I beheld John join Him, and hastened to ask 
 him to invite Him to my house to sojourn and eat the 
 Passover with me, but He disappeared, and I lost sight of 
 Him. But at the gate I encountered a man leaping and 
 ringing, whom the Prophet had healed by a touch as He 
 passed out, though the man had been paralytic for nearly 
 thirty years. Thus this mighty person never ceases to 
 do good." 
 
 Such, my dear father, is the account given by Rabbi 
 Amos of what passed in the Temple. Th^t Jesus is the 
 Christ, is now beyond question ; for He has openly 
 acknowledged it to the High Priest ! 
 
 Adieu, dearest father. The servants are bringing ir 
 I <)Ughs» for the booths, and I must close this letter, with 
 prayeri^ to our father's Grod for your peace and weltare. 
 
 Adina, 
 
212 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DaVID 
 
 LETTER XVIII. 
 
 My Dear Father : 
 
 The last letter which I received by the hands of the 
 Roman courier, filled me with gratitude, at learning 
 from it your recovery. When I heard from Ben Israel 
 of your ill health, I felt like flying with the wings of a 
 dove to reach your pillow, and administer to the comfort 
 of the venerated and luved author of my being. The 
 Grod of our fathers be praised in raising you up : and 
 that He may preserve you long to me, shall be my daily 
 prayer. 
 
 You say in your letter, dear father, that you have 
 read with interest all my letters, and more especially 
 fchose which relate to Jesus of Gralilee, the mighty Pro- 
 phet now vouchsafed to Israel. You say that you are 
 ready to acknowledge Him as a prophet sent from God, 
 " for evidently no man could do such great works except 
 Grod were with him." But you add, " while I am ready, 
 my child, to recognize him as a prophet of the Lord, I 
 am far from seeing in Him the Messias promised to our 
 people ! Aside from the lowliness of his parentage and 
 his humility of condition, traveling on foot, and without 
 retinue (while Messias is to be a Prince and King), He 
 can have no claim to be the Christ, because he comes 
 out from Galilee. Doth Messias come out of Galilee ? 
 Let Rabbi Amos, who seems ready, I perceive, to ac* 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE ROhY CITY. 
 
 213 
 
 knowledge Him as the Christ, let him examine th^ 
 writings of the Prophets, and see ! Hath not the Scrip- 
 ture said that Christ cometh of the seed cf David, and 
 out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was ? 
 Search and look, for no prophet, much less Messiat*, 
 oometh out of Galilee 
 
 To this objection, dear father, also made (and answer- 
 ed by me) in a previous letter. Rabbi Amos desires me 
 to say, that he has investigated the records of births 
 kept in the Temple, and finds, as I have before named 
 to you, that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He after- 
 wards removed with his parents to Egypt, and thence 
 returning to Judea, settled in Gralilee, where He was 
 brought up. Of these facts in his history, not onlj 
 Rabbi Amos is satisfied, but Nicodemus also, whose learn- 
 ing you will not gainsay ; and the latter, very much tc 
 our surprise, and my own delight, added yesterday, when 
 we were talking over the subject at supper, " there is a 
 prophecy, 0 Rabbi Amos, which strengthens this mighty 
 Prophet's claim to be the Messiah." 
 
 ^" What is it ? Let me hear all that can strengthen I" 
 1 asked earnestly ; not, dear father, that my confidence 
 in Him needs confirmation, but I wish others to believe. 
 
 "You will find it in the Prophet Hoseas," answered 
 Nicodemus, and thus it readeth : ' I have called my 
 son out of Egypt.' These words refer to Messias, with- 
 cnt question, as say all the doctors of the law.'' 
 
 "It is a new argument for Jesus, then,*' answered 
 Rabbi Amos. 
 
 My heart bounded with joy, dear father, at hearing thi9 
 prophecy named ; but judge my emotion when Nicode- 
 mus, taking the roll of the Prophet Isaiah in his hand 
 
214 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID : 
 
 read the words that follow, and applied them to Je^us : 
 Beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the Grentiles, the people 
 which sat in darkness have seen a great light !" Thii^ 
 changes the objection to his coming from Gralilee, into 
 additional proof of his claim to be the Messias. 
 
 I hear you now ask, dear father, with many of the 
 rich and influential citizens of Jerusalem, Have the 
 rulers begun to believe in Him?" Yes, Mcodemus does 
 begin to believe that He is the Christ, being more and 
 more assured of it the more he examines the divine 
 Scriptures. 0, my dear father, that you could see 
 Jesus, and hear Him discourse, as I have done ! All 
 your doubts would then be dissipated, and you would 
 be willing to sit at his feet, and learn of Him the 
 words of life. How shall I describe Him — ^how shall I 
 cause you to hear and see Him, as I have heard and 
 seen ? 
 
 In my last letter I informed you that Rabbi Amos 
 had invited Him to sojourn with us during the Pass- 
 over. John, the cousin of Mary, conveyed to Him the 
 invitation of my uncle, and He graciously accepted 
 it, and came hither yesterday, after He had quit- 
 ted the Temple, from which He had, with such com- ^ 
 manding power, driven forth the merchants and money- 
 changers. 
 
 Hearing, while expecting Him, the rumor flying along 
 the streets, " The Prophet comes ! the Prophet comes 1' 
 uttered by hundreds of voices of men and children, 1 
 hastened to the house-top, which commanded a view ol 
 the stieet, to the foot of the Temple. The whole way 
 was a sea of heads. The multitude came rolling on- 
 ward, like a mighty river: as I have seen the dark Nil*' 
 
OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CIT7. 216 
 
 flow when pouring its freshenincr floods along its con- 
 fined banks. 
 
 Mary stood by my side. We tried to single out, aniiJ 
 the advancing throng, the central person around whoi:i 
 undulated the sea of heads, and whose progress g^w 
 occasion to so mighty a commotion. But all was so wiUJ 
 ly confused with the waving cf palm branches, that sv< 
 could distinguish nothing clearly. While I was strain 
 ing my gate to m.ake out the form of the Prophet. 
 Mary touched me, and bade me look in the opposite 
 direction. As I did so, I beheld iEmilius Tulliu.s, the 
 young Roman Centurion, of whom I have before spo- 
 ken, now Prefect of Pilate's Legion, advancing a 
 the head of two hundred horsemen at full spur, in 
 order to meet and turn back the advancing column of 
 people. 
 
 As he came opposite the house, he looked up, and see^ 
 ing us upon the parapet, he gracefully waved his gleam- 
 ing sword, saluted us, and was dashing past, when Mary 
 cried out : 
 
 " Noble sir, there is no insurrection, as some of the 
 people have doubtless told thee, but this vast crowd mov- 
 ing liitherward is only an escort to the Prophet of Naza- 
 reth, who cometh to be my father's guest." 
 
 " I have orders from Pilate to arrest him, lady, as a 
 disturber of the peace of the capital." 
 
 " Shall a prophet suffer because his mighty deeds draw 
 crowds after his footsteps, noble Roman ? If thy troops 
 advance there will be a collision with the people. If thou 
 wilt withdraw them a little, thou wilt see that when the 
 Prophet crosses my father's threshold, they will go aw? / 
 in peace." 
 
216 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVll^. 
 
 The Prefect said nothing, but seemed to look at me for 
 some words, which seeing, I earnestly entreated him ic 
 do the Prophet no violence. 
 
 " For thy wishes' sake, lady, I will here halt my 
 hoop ; especially as I see that the people are un- 
 armed." 
 
 The Centurion then gave orders to his horsemen tc 
 draw up in line opposite the house. The multitude now 
 came near ; but many of those in advance, seeing the 
 Roman horse, stopped or fell into the rear, so that I be- 
 held Jesus appear in front, walking at an e\en, calm 
 pace, John at his side ; also Rabbi Amos was with 
 Him. As He came nigher, the people, for fear of the 
 long Roman spears, kept back, and He advanced almost 
 alone. I saw John point out to Him our house. The 
 Prophet raised his face and gazed upon it an instant. 
 I saw his features full. His countenance was not that 
 of a young man, but of a person past the middle age of 
 life, though He is but thirty. His hair was mingled 
 with gray, and in his finely-shaped, oval face, were carved, 
 ovidently by care and sorrow, deep lines. His flowing 
 beard fell upon his breast. His eyes appeared to be 
 fixed upon us both for an instant, with benignity and 
 peace Deep sadness, gentle, not stern, seemed to be 
 the characteristic expression of his noble and princely 
 visage. There was an air of manly dignity in his car 
 rage and mien ; and as he walked amid his followers 
 be was truly kingly, yet simplicity and humility quali 
 ued this native majesty of port. He seemed to draw 
 )ut both the awe and love of those who saw Him — to com- 
 mand equally our homage and sympathy. 
 
 Ajs He drew near where the Roman Prefect sat upou 
 
OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CIIY 
 
 217 
 
 hifi horse, the Prophet inclined his body slightly, but 
 with a courtesy indescribable, to the young chief, who 
 bent low to his saddle-bow in acknowledgment, as if t:i 
 a monarch. We were both surprised and highly grati- 
 fied, dear father, at this act of homage from the Roman 
 knight to our Prophet, and I thought more kindly than 
 ever ol jEmilius. 
 
 Passing the troop of horse, John and Rabbi Am»>s 
 conducted Jesus to our door ; but before they reached it 
 there was a loud cry from several harsh voices to the 
 Roman to arrest Him. On looking from whence these 
 shouts came, I saw that they proceeded from several of 
 •Jie priests, headed by Annas, who were pressing forward 
 through the crowed, crying menacingly : 
 
 " We call upon you, 0 Prefect, to arrest this man. 
 Shame on thee. Rabbi Amos ! Hast thou also believed in 
 the impostor ? We charge this Galilean, 0 Roman, with 
 having made 'sedition. He has taken possession of the 
 Temple, and unless you see to it, he will have the citadel 
 oat of your hands. If you arrest him not, we will not 
 aiLSwer for the consequences that may befall the city and 
 the people." 
 
 I see nothing to fear from this man, 0 ye Jews,'' 
 answered iEmilius. He is unarmed, and without troops 
 Stand back ; keep ye to your Temple. It is from you, 
 outcries comes all the confusion ! Back to your altars > 
 If commotions arise in the city, Pilate will make you 
 accountable. All the rest of the people are peaceable. 
 Rave only yourselves." 
 
 We will take our complaint before the Procurator," 
 cried Annas, who was the chief speaker ; and, lollowed 
 bv a large company of angry priests and TiPvi^■es, with 
 
218 
 
 ME PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVli;- 
 
 stavciS in their hands, he took his way towards the palace 
 of the Roman governor. 
 
 T looked my gratitude to iEmilius, for so fearlessly 
 taking part with the Prophet. 
 
 The multitude now began to retire as the Roman 
 horse slowly moved up the street, and Jesus being re- 
 ceived into the house by Mary, who descended to open 
 tilie door, quiet was soon in a measure restored ; though 
 at one one time a large concourse of persons, whose 
 money-tables had been cast down, came to complain of 
 their losses, and would have attacked the house but for 
 Rabbi Amos, who went forth and civilly addressed them ; 
 showing them that if they had sold and bought in the 
 Temple, contrary to law, and that if Jesus had driven 
 them forth alone, he must be a prophet, for only a pro- 
 phet could make a thousand men flee before him ; and 
 if he be a prophet, my friends, he has acted by command 
 r)f G-od ; and take heed, lest in avenging yourselves 
 against him, ye be found fighting against the Lord of 
 the Temple !" 
 
 With such words he caused them to retire, though 
 many sick, lame, halt, blind, and infirm, as well as 
 a group of lepers, stood a long time without, calling 
 upon the Prophet to come forth and touch them and 
 heal them. 
 
 In the meanwhile, Jesus was taken into the inner hall 
 and water being brought, Rabbi Amos himself removec 
 his sandals and reverently washed his feet ; while Mary, 
 to do him all honor, dried them with a rich veil, which 
 she had just worked in anticipation of her coming bridal 
 with her cousin John. It was at this moment I entered 
 the hall Desirous as I had been to see and speak with 
 
OK, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 the Prophet, now that I beheld him face to face, I shrunk 
 with awe. He raised his eyes, and beholding me, said : 
 Daughter, come Aou also and bid me welcome with 
 diese dear friends ; for I know thou believest in me, and 
 Jesirest that thy father also should believe. Be patient, 
 and hope ; for thou shalt yet behold him whom ^hou 
 lovest, my disciple !" 
 
 As He thus spake He extended to me his hand, upon 
 which I let fall, like rain, tears of joy. I perceived that 
 he knew my heart and thoughts, and that his words 
 would prove true. Yes, dear father, you also will be- 
 lieve, as we all believe ! You also are to acknowledge 
 Him as the Christ. 
 
 There were in the room, not only Amos, and John, and 
 Mary, but the Priest Elias, cousin to Caiaphas, who, 
 desirous of hearing from the lips of the Prophet his sub- 
 lime teachings, had come in with him. There were also 
 present five men whom I never saw before ; but who, as 
 John said, were his disciples. One of them was tall, 
 spare in person, with high, energetic features, a bold 
 brow and eagle eye, with an air of singular determina- 
 tion, like a soldier. His name was Simon Peter. An- 
 other was a very intellectual-looking person, with a calm, 
 thoughtful air, who seemed to hang on every word his 
 tnastei uttered, as if he were listening to the very oracles 
 of God. His name was Andrew, and he is brother ttj 
 Simon. But I had no eye or ear for any one but Jesus 
 I saw that He seemed weary and pale, and for the first 
 time I noticed He seemed to suffer, as from time to time 
 He raised his hand to his temples. Desirous of serving 
 so holy a person, I hastened to prepare a restorative, 
 whicli, bringing it into the hall, T was about to ^ajive U> 
 
220 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVIP • 
 
 Him, when the Priest Elias put me rudely back, and 
 said, Nay, maiden, let us witness a miracle !" He 
 then turned to the Prophet and said, Master, we have" 
 heard much of thy power to do miracles, but have seen 
 none by thee! If thou wilt presently show me a mi- 
 racle, I will believe, I and all my house ! Thou hast a 
 pain in thy forehead ; heal it with a touch, and I will 
 acknowledge thee the Christ, the Son of the blessed !'* 
 
 Jesus turned his eyes upon him and said, Elias*, 
 thou readest the Prophets, and shouldest know whether 
 he who speaketh unto thee be the Christ or no ! Search 
 the Scriptures, that thou mayest know that the time of 
 his visitation is come, and that I am He ! One pro- 
 phecy fulfilled is of more value than many miracles. 
 But I do no miracles to relieve my own sufferings. I 
 came into this world to suffer. Isaiah wrote of me as a 
 man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief! Blessed 
 are they who not seeing, shall believe. Ye believe that 
 I am a prophet, and come out from Grod. It is well 
 Shall a prophet, then, deceive ? If I am a prophet, (ana 
 ye doubt it not,) and I say that I am also the Christ, 
 why will ye not believe me ? If I am a true prophet, 
 come out from God, I cannot deceive. Yet ye believe 
 me when I say T am a prophet, and ye are displeased if 
 I say that I am the Christ. If ye believe me at all, then 
 believe what I say unto you, that I am the Christ." 
 
 " But, master," said the aged Levite, Asher, we 
 know whence thou art — even from Galilee. But when 
 Christ Cometh, no man knoweth whence he is !" 
 
 " It is true, 0 man of Israel, ye both know me and 
 whence I am. Yet ye know not Him who sent me. Ye 
 do not understand the Scriptures, or ye would indeed 
 
OU THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 22\ 
 
 know mo, whence I am, and who hath sent me. But 
 ye know neither me nor Him that sent me, for I am 
 come out from Grod. If ye had known Him, ye would 
 know me also. The time cometh when ye shall know 
 whence I am and believe in me ; but now your hearts 
 are darkened through ignorance and unbelieving. ] 
 have told you plainly I am the Christ." 
 
 When He had thus spoken with great dignity and 
 power, there were many present who were offended, and 
 Bomo voices murmured against Him. Then Rabbi Amos 
 led Him forth to the apartment he had prepared for Hhn ; 
 but the people remained warmly discussing the subject, 
 and were greatly divided about Him, some saying that 
 He was Christ, and others denying it ; while others cried 
 aloud that He did his miracles by Beelzebub, Prince of 
 the devils. 
 
 "And so," said my cousin John to me, bitterly, " and 
 so it is wherever my beloved master goes. Detraction 
 and envy, malice and unbelief, follow his footsteps, and 
 daily his life is menaced, and no place is a place of shel- 
 ter for his aching head." 
 
 In going to his apartment, the Prophet had to crosM 
 the court, and as I was watching his retiring footsteps, 
 I saw four men, who had climbed to the house-top from 
 the side street, the doors being closed, let down a fifth 
 in a blanket at the very feet of Jesus. It was a man 
 afflicted with the palsy, and their own father. Jesus 
 semg their filial love, stopped and said kindly : 
 
 " Young men, what would ye have me to do ?" 
 
 " Heal our aged father, hoiy Rabbi." 
 
 " Believe ye that I can do this ?" He asked, fixing his 
 gaze earnestly on them 
 
222 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 " Yes, Lord ! we believe that thou art the Christ, 
 the son of the living Grod ! All things are possible unto 
 thee !" 
 
 Jesus looked benignantly upon them, and then tak- 
 ing the venerable man by the hand, He said to him 
 in a loud voice, so that all who were looking on heard 
 Him : 
 
 " Aged father, I say unto thee, arise and walk !" 
 
 The palsied man instantly rose to his feet, whole and 
 Btrong, and after casting a glance around upon himself, 
 he threw himself at the Prophet's feet, and bathed them 
 in tears. The four sons followed their father's exam* 
 pie, while all the people who witnessed the miracle 
 shouted, " G-lory to Grod, who hath given such power 
 unto men !" 
 
 Jesus then withdrew himself from the embrace of the 
 grateful sons, who now embracing their father, wept 
 upon his neck, and then the whole four escorted him, 
 two on each side, with their arms about him, and about 
 each other, into the street, where they were received by 
 the multitude with loud cries of gratulation ; for the old 
 man had been well known in the city by all men, as 
 palsied and unable to walk for many years. 
 
 Such, my dear father, are the increasing testimonies 
 Jesus bears, by miracles as well as by words, to his be- 
 ing Messias. 
 
 The God of our fathers keep you in health. 
 Your loving daughter. 
 
OR THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 223 
 
 LETTER XIX. 
 
 iSftY I>EAR Fathfk : 
 
 The visit of the Prophet Jesus to the city has produced 
 results of the most amazing character. His numerous 
 miiacles, performed in open day by a word, or by a look, 
 or a touch, or a command ; the power of his preaching ; 
 the excellency of his doctrines, which are evidently 
 divine ; his clear assertions that He is the very ChrisT) 
 have all contributed to bring the first men of Israel, 
 rulers as well as people, to believe in Him ! During 
 the four days He remained at the house of my uncle 
 Amos, the chief men of the city came to hear Him, and, 
 if possible, to see some miracle performed by Him. The 
 priesthood is divided. Caiaphas has publicly recognize>d 
 Him as a prophet, while Annas has publicly declared 
 that He is an impostor ; and thus two parties are formed 
 in the city, headed by the two priests, and most men 
 ha /e taken sides with one or the other. But the ma- 
 jority of the common people are in favor of Jesus, be* 
 lieving Him to be the Christ. The Pharisees most op- 
 pose Him, because He boldly repioves their sins and 
 hypocrisies ; and though they fear Him, they hate and 
 would destroy Him, for He preaches so plainly against 
 their wickednesses, that the people havo ceased to res- 
 pect them. Even Mcodemus, who at first was inclined 
 to accept Jesus* as a prophet, finding the Pharisoe>» 
 
224 TRh PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID. 
 
 against Him, and being unwilling to lose his popularity 
 with them, kept away from the house where Jesus was, 
 by day ; but his curiosity to learn more of Him lecj^ 
 him to visit the holy Prophet secretly by night. This 
 he did twice, coming alone in the darkness, and being 
 let in by his friend Rabbi Amos. What the result oi 
 these interviews was, I can only tell you from Mary'» 
 Hccount. She overheard their conversation, her win- 
 dow opening upon the corridor, where Jesus was seated 
 after supper, alone in the moonlight for full an hour 
 gazing meditatively heavenward. His pale and chis- 
 eled features in the white moonlight seemed radiant 
 as marble, and as cold, when Rabbi Amos came and 
 announced the ruler Nicodemus, as desirous of speaking 
 with Him. 
 
 " Bid him come in and see me, if he has aught 
 tc say to me," answered the Prophet, turning towards 
 him. 
 
 " Nicodemus," added my cousin Mary, " then came 
 to the corridor, wrapped carefully in his mantle ; and, 
 looking about to see if he was unobserved, he dropped 
 it from his face, and, bowing reverently, said to the 
 Prophet : 
 
 ' Pardon me, 0 Rabbi, that I come to thee by nighl 
 bat by day thy time is taken up with healing and teach 
 ing. I am glad to find thee alone, great Prophet, for 1 
 would ask thee many things.' 
 
 ' Speak, Nicodemus, and I will listen to thy words, 
 answered the Prophet. 
 
 * Rabbi,' said the ruler of the Pharisees, ' I know 
 thou art a teacher come from Grod ; for no man can do 
 these things that thou doest except God be with him 
 
OB. THREE TEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 That thcu art a mighty Prophet, I believe, as do all 
 men ; but art thou Messias ? Tell us plainly !' 
 
 " ' If I tell thee, Nicodemus, thou wilt not believe,' 
 answered Jesus, mildly. ' I will ask you one question 
 Whence cometh Christ ?' 
 
 ^ He is the son of David, and cometh out of Betlilo- 
 hem.' 
 
 " ^ Thou hast well answered. Rabbi Amos, here, will 
 tell thee that he has examined the records. Ask him 
 whose son he is who speaketh unto thee.' 
 
 ' The son of Joseph and of Mary, of the lineage ol 
 David's house,' answered Rabbi Amos. ' The record ol 
 this Prophet's birth I have seen, 0 Nicodemus, and also 
 have Caiaphas and many others. Thou canst examine 
 for thyself, if thou wilt come to the Temple with me to 
 morrow ' 
 
 " < Thy word suffices, 0 Rabbi Amos ; for who eve? 
 knew thy lips to utter falsehood ?' 
 
 " ' The same record shows that the great Prophet, now 
 here among us, was born in Bethlehem in the days oi 
 the taxation,' answered Rabbi Amos. 
 
 " * Then whence is it, 0 Prophet, that thou comest 
 out of Nazareth of Gralilee ?' asked Nicodemus doubt- 
 Jngly. 
 
 ' I will tell thee, Nicodemus,' answered Jesus. ' My 
 mother dwelt in Nazareth, and as she sojourned at Beth- 
 lehem, to be registered in her own family town, David'S 
 town, I was born ! Thus am I of the line of David, of 
 the town of Bethlehem, and also as it was prophesied 
 of me, a Nazarene. Dost thou ask more? Dost thou 
 believe ?' 
 
 * Yea, Lord ; but how read the Prophets that Messiafi 
 Is to be a king, and to rule the whole earth ?' 
 
226 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 " ^ My kingdom, 0 ruler of the Pharisees, is not of this 
 world I I am indeed a king, but of a spiritual kingdom. 
 My kingdom, unlike earthly kingdoms, has no end ; and 
 those who become its subjects must be born again, or 
 they cannot see it !' 
 
 " ' Born again ?' answered Nicodemus, with surprise ; 
 ^ How can a man be a second time born after he is 
 grown to manhood ? 0 Rabbi, thou speakest in para- 
 bles.' 
 
 " * Art thou a wise man of the Pharisees, and a mas- 
 ter in Israel, and knowest not what I say V answered 
 the Prophet. * Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a 
 man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter 
 my kingdom. He who is born of Adam is of the flesh, 
 and of Satan's kingdom, of which Adam was ; but he 
 that is born again is born a spiritual man, and is of my 
 kingdom ; for I come to build up a kingdom on the 
 ruins of Satan's seat. Marvel not, then, that I say that 
 the sons of Adam must be born again to be sons ol 
 Grod. If ye would enter into my kingdom and live for- 
 ever, ye must be born again, even of water and of the 
 Spirit.' 
 
 " ' How can these things be ? Pray, master, explain, 
 that I may know what this mystery meaneth. How 
 can a xnan be born when he is old ?' 
 
 ^' * What ! dost thou stumble at the very threshold ol 
 the doctrine of my kingdom, 0 Pharisee ? If ye can* 
 not believe earthly things, how shall ye understand tho 
 heavenly things which ye seek to know ? He that 
 would be my disciple must be born again ! Your first 
 birth is under Satan's power, which rules the world, as 
 ft now is, in bondage ; your second birth will be into His 
 
OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 227 
 
 kingdom, who has come to destroy Satan's and build up 
 His own. This birth is spiritual.' 
 
 " Upon this Nicodemus rose and said, with an incredu 
 Ions shake of the head : 
 
 " ' I will hear thee again, 0 Rabbi, of this matter 
 ^ouching this new birth, of which thou speakest.' 
 
 " ' "When Nicodemus left Him, Rabbi Amos said, ' Is 
 it indeed true, 0 Master, that thou art to establish a 
 kingdom ?' 
 
 " * Yes, Rabbi Amos, a kingdom in which dwelleth 
 righteousness,' answered the Prophet. 
 
 " ' And shall all nations pay us tribute ?' 
 
 " ^ Thou knowest not what thou sayest, 0 Rabbi. But 
 the vail shall be removed from thine eyes when thou seest 
 the Son of man lifted up on his throne, as Moses lifted up 
 the serpent in the wilderness.' 
 
 " ' Where will be thy throne, 0 Messias ? Wilt thou 
 expel the Romans from the city of David, and reign 
 there 
 
 " * Thou shalt yet behold me on my throne, 0 Amos, 
 raised above the earth, and drawing all men unto 
 me.' 
 
 " * Wilt thou have thy throne in the clouds of heaven, 
 O Master, that thou shalt be raised above th*' earth upon 
 it ?' asked Rabbi Amos. 
 
 " * My throne shall be set on Calvary, and the ends 
 of the earth shall Ic ok unto me, and acknowledge 
 my empire. But thou knowest not these things now ; 
 but hereafter thou shalt remember that I told thee oi 
 them.' " 
 
 Jesus then rose, and bidding his host good night, re- 
 tired to the apartment which was assigned Him, an^ 
 Marv remained wonrlerinor at his savin<rs 
 
228 THE PRLNCE OP THE HOOSE OP DAVID: 
 
 Thus, dear father, it is made certain from his own 
 words, that Jesus is the Christ ; that He is to establish 
 a Kingdom ; that He will stand on a throne high and 
 lifted upj" as saith the Prophet, and all the earth shall 
 acknowledge Him. But why his throne should be on Cal 
 vary instead of Mount Zion, Rabbi Amos wonders great- 
 ly, in conversing with us to-day ; for Calvary is a 
 place of skulls, and of public executions, and is covered 
 with Roman crosses, where every week some malefac- 
 tor is crucified for his crimes ! And yet it is more mys- 
 terious still, his saying that we must be born again. 
 But John remarked that there are many things which 
 He says to him and his disciples, which Jesus plainly 
 tells them they cannot yet understand, but will by-and- 
 by remember ; and that He tells them now, that then, 
 when they see these things fulfilled, they may re- 
 member that He told them of them and believe va 
 Him, and so have confidence that other sayings and 
 prophecies of his, yet further in the future, will come to 
 pass. 
 
 Jesus, in all that He says, in all that He does, seems 
 both omniscient and omnipotent ! Whatever He wills 
 to do. He doeth. Never man had power such as dwells 
 in Him. This morning, as He was going forth from the 
 house to depart into the country, a man lame from his 
 youth, seated upon the threshold, caught Him by his 
 robe, saying, " Master, heal me !" 
 
 " Son, thy sins be forgiven thee," answered Jesus, and 
 then passed on ; but, the Scribes and Pharisees who stood 
 about, when they heard this, cried, "This man, be he 
 prophet or no, biasphemeth; for Grod alone can forgive 
 sins 1" 
 
OR. THBEE YEARS IN THE HOLT CITY 
 
 229 
 
 Jejius stopped, and turning to them, said : 
 
 " Which is easier, to say to this man, who has not 
 walked for twelve years, and whose logs and arms are 
 withered, as you see, ' Thy sins be forgiven thee,' or to 
 say, ^ Rise and walk ?' If I can bid him rise and walk 
 as aforetime, and he does so before your eyes, is it nni 
 proof to you that I have power to forgive his sins also ' 
 For who could make him to rise and walk but the powei 
 of G-od alone, who also forgiveth men's sins ? But thai 
 ye may know that the Son of Grod hath power on earth 
 to forgive sins— -Behold !" 
 
 Then, in a loud voice, the Prophet said to the lame 
 man, " Arise, take up thy bed, and go to thine house !'* 
 
 Immediately the man rose to his feet, leaping and 
 praising God, and taking up the mattress upon which 
 they had brought him to the door, he ran swiftly away 
 to show himself to his kinsfolk, while all the people 
 shouted and praised Grod ! 
 
 Thus did Jesus publicly show men that He could for- 
 give sins, if He could heal — as the powder to do either 
 came equally from God. Does not this power prove that 
 He is the Son of God? 
 
 You should have seen Him, dear father, as He left our 
 house, to go away into Galilee. Mary and I fell at hia 
 feet and bathed them with our tears. Rabbi Amos, a.id 
 even Nicodemus, kneeled before Him, with many others, 
 asking his blessing ; mothers came with their infants, 
 that He might lay his hands on them ; and the sick and 
 impotent were placed by their friends in his path, that 
 his shadow in passing might heal them. Hundreds 
 brought handkerchiefs, amulets, and sprigs of cypress 
 torn from the booths, in order that they might placi' 
 
230 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 them in contact with his garments. The street was 
 lined with all the afflicted of Jerusalem ; and as He 
 moved on between the rows of wretched sufferers, whose 
 hollow eyes and shrivelled arms were turned imploringly 
 towards Him, He healed by words addressed to them, 
 as He moved on, so that where He found disease before 
 Him, stretched on beds. He left behind Him health 
 and empty couches. We all wept at his departure, and 
 followed Him to the Damascus gate. Here there was 
 assembled a large company of Levites and priests 
 among whom were mingled some of the most des- 
 perate characters in Jerusalem. Knowledge of this 
 fact reached Rabbi Amos, who at once sent a message to 
 ^milius, our Roman friend, informing him that he ap- 
 prehended that there would be an attempt made to assas- 
 sinate Jesus at the going out of the gate, and asking his 
 aid. 
 
 ^Emilius placed himself at the head of fifty horse, and 
 reaching the gate, pressed the crowd back, and took pos- 
 session of it. When Jesus passed through the armed 
 guard beneath the arch, the young Roman courteously 
 offered Him an escort to the next village. 
 
 Jesus, graciously looking on him, said : 
 
 " Young man, I need not thy help. My hour is not 
 yet come. They cannot harm me till my hour arrives, 
 [ am not yet given by my Father into their hands! 
 Take my blessing, and one day thou shalt know to whom 
 thou hast offered the aid of thy troop." 
 
 The Levites and their hired murderers now pressed 
 forward, and broke through the cohort to reach Jesus, 
 uttering wild and fearful cries ; but ^Emllius charging^ 
 routed them, and put several to the sword. He then 
 
OK, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 231 
 
 rode ap to the side of the Prophet, offering Him the 
 best horse in this company This accommodation Je- 
 <5us refused, but walked by the Roman soldier, who in- 
 sisted on escorting Him, affably conversing with him, 
 and teaching him wonderful things touching the kingdom 
 of God 
 
 uEmilius, who informed me of these things, conducted 
 Him as far as Ephraim, and then was about to leave 
 Him to return to the city, when four lepers came from 
 the cemetery of the tombs, near the village, and crying 
 out afar off, said : 
 
 " Thou blessed Christ, have mercy on us !" 
 
 Jesus stepped, though his disciple Peter would have 
 bidden the lepers hold their peace, as it was late, and 
 his Master was weary ; but Jesus, who never wearies 
 doing good, called to the lepers to approach. As they 
 obeyed, the whole company of people, as well as the 
 Roman soldiers, drew back to a distance, in horror at 
 the sight of these dead-living men. They came timidly 
 within twenty paces of Jesus, and stood still, tremb- 
 lingly ! 
 
 Fear not," said He, " I will make you whole !" 
 
 He then advanced towards them, and laying his hand 
 apon each of them, they all, at the touch, were instantly 
 changed to well men, with the bouyant form, clear eye, 
 and rich bloom of health ! 
 
 When ^^Imilius saw this miracle, he dismounted 
 from his horse, and falling at Jesus' feet, cried, worsliip- 
 ping Him : 
 
 " Thou art Mercury or Jupiter, 0 mighty god ! Give 
 me wisdom and power froir the skies !" 
 
 "Rise, young man," answered Jesus, sadly looking 
 
232 THE PEINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 upon hiin ; thou shalt have wisdom and grace, bat not 
 from thy gods ; there is but one God, even the Father ; 
 worship Him, and He will reward thee !" 
 
 iEmilius said to me that his heart thrilled at these 
 words, with others he had spoken in the way, and ho 
 promised me that he would henceforth " cast aside his 
 gods and believe in the Grod of Israel, and in Jesus, his 
 holy Prophet " 
 
 Is not this blessed news? "Lo! He exclaims," as 
 saith the Prophet, liberty to the Grentiles." 
 
 Now, my dear father, I have thus far faithfully writteik 
 all that I have heard and witnessed respecting Jesus, 
 as you desire. You must see that He is more than a 
 prophet, and must be the very ('lirist, the son of the 
 Blessed. Withhold, oh, withhold not, your belief lon- 
 ger ! Thousands believe in Him, and love and reverence 
 Him, as Messias. Daily his power over the hearts and 
 minds of men is increasing. The common people wor- 
 ship the very dust of his sandals. The priests believe 
 and tremble ; but, like Herod, when He was an infant 
 in Bethlehem, would destroy Him lest He should sup- 
 plant them. They say the daily sacrifice will cease, 
 the Temple fall to ruins, and the foith of Israel depart, 
 il Jesus be suffered to live and preach, and do these 
 mighty signs and wonders among the people. But all 
 this establishes his claims ! Did not David prophesy 
 of Messias, that when He should come, The kings ol 
 the earth would set themselves, and the rulers take 
 counsel together against the Lord and against his 
 anointed? But He that sitteth in the heavens shall 
 laugh : the Lord shall have them in derision " Thus, 
 
OR, THREE TEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 2»i3 
 
 dear father, all things more and more go to prove Jesus 
 ot Nazareth to be the Christ of G-od. 
 
 Your affectionate and loving daughter, 
 
 Adina 
 
 LETTER XX 
 
 My Dear Father : 
 
 It is many months since you have received a lette/ 
 from me, written with my own hand ; and I rejo ce thai 
 1 am so far restored to health as to resume my corres- 
 pondence with you. I cannot speak to you too warmly in 
 praise of my uncle Amos and cousin Mary, during my 
 illness. By their care and nursing, under the Messing 
 of God, 1 am now nearly well. The pure air oi the- 
 mountains of Gralilee being recommended to me, they 
 journeyed with me thither, and at the foot of Mount 
 Tabor, in the lovely village of Nain, I have passed many 
 weeks, reviving each day. 
 
 We are now at the humble abode of Sarah, a widow, 
 whose husband had been lost on the Great Sea, on which 
 he was a seaman in one of the merchant ships of Cesa. 
 rea. The cottage of the widow stands in a garden, fron) 
 which is a sublime view of Tabor, in all the majesty of 
 his mountain grandeur. One day while I was in the 
 garden walking, two men, dusty and travel- worn, stopped 
 at the half-open gate, and saluting us, said : 
 
 Peace be to this house, maiden, and all who dwell 
 therein." 
 
 " Enter," said the widow, overhearing them, " enter 
 and ye shall have water for your feet, and bread for yom 
 
234 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 The two men then entered and seated themselves ; 
 and having been refreshed by the poor, but hospitable 
 widow, one of them rose and said : 
 
 " This day is salvation come to this house. We are 
 ambassadors of Jesus of Nazareth, and go from city to 
 city, proclaiming the day of the Lord at hand, for Mes- 
 sias is come !" 
 
 At hearing these words, Mary and I both exclaimed 
 with joy that we had both seen and heard Jesus at Jeru- 
 salem, and believed on Him. Upon this they looked 
 greatly pleased ; and answered our inquiries respecting 
 the Prophet, saying that He was in Samaria, preaching 
 and working miracles, and proclaiming his kingdom 
 When we heard this we rejoiced exceedingly, for we had 
 not heard of Him for a long time. From them we 
 /earned that He had chosen twelve apostles, who always 
 went with Him, and were daily taught of Him : and 
 also, more recently, seventy others, whom He sent two 
 and two into every city, to herald his approach. 
 
 " Will He, then, come to Nain ?" said the widow, 
 with emotion. " I should be willing to die so that 1 
 oould lay my eyes once upon so great and holy a man !" 
 
 " Yes, He will come hither," answered the men ; " and 
 w^hen we shall report to Him your hospitality to us. He 
 will visit your house ; for He never forgets a cup of 
 water given to one of his disciples." 
 
 The men then departed, again calling the peace of 
 God upon our abode. They had not been gone many 
 Tiinutes before we heard a great commotion in the mar- 
 ket-place near by. Upon going to the house-top, we 
 beheld these two men standing upon an elevation, and 
 preaching the kingdom of Christ at hand and callinfi; 
 
OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 23/1 
 
 apon all who heard them to repent of their evil deeds 
 and lead a godly life ; for Jesus would one day judge 
 them according to the deeds done in the body. Upon 
 this, some cried out against Jesus, and others threw 
 stones at the two men ; and when we reached the house- 
 top, we saw one of them remove his sandals and shake 
 die dust from them, saying, in a loud voice : 
 
 "As ye reject the words of life, youi sins remain 
 upon you, as I return to you the dust of ycur city." 
 
 They then departed, followed by Levites and men of 
 the baser sort, who fairly drove them from the town 
 This hostility, we found, was caused by an order from 
 the Grreat Sanhedrim, to all the synagogues and priests 
 in the land, that they should denounce all who preach 
 Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ. 
 
 While we were grieving at this enmity against a pro- 
 phet sent from G-od. whose life is a series of good deeds, 
 there entered hastily a fair young maid whose name was 
 Ruth. She held an open letter in her hand, and her 
 beautiful face glowed rosily with some secret joy, which 
 contrasted strangely with the present sadness of our 
 own. We knew Ruth well, and loved her as if she had 
 been a sister. She was an orphan, and dwelt with her 
 uncle, Elihaz, the Levite, a man of influence in the 
 town. She was artless, unsuspecting, and very inte- 
 resting in all her ways. 
 
 "What good news, dear Ruth ?" asked Mary, smiling 
 In response to her bright smiles. " A letter from whom ?' 
 
 For Sarah," answered the pretty maid, blushing so 
 timidly and consciously, that we half suspected the 
 truth. 
 
 " But that is not telling us from whom^ persevereif 
 Mary, with a little playfulness. 
 
236 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DaVID : 
 
 You can guess," she answered, glancing over hei 
 white shoulder, as she bounded away from us into the 
 house 
 
 Wo were soon after her, and heard her as she cried 
 on putting the letter int > the dear widow's hand : 
 " From Samuel !" 
 
 *' Grod be blessed," cried the widow, " My eon liveth, 
 and is well." 
 
 " Read, dear Sarah," cried the maiden " He was at 
 Alexandria when he wrote this, and will soon be at 
 home. Oh, happy, happy day !" added the overjoyed 
 girl, quite forgetful of our presence. But we had long 
 known the story of her pure love for the widow's son, 
 whom we had once seen in Jerusalem, as she had made 
 us confidants of all her hopes and fears, and read to us 
 all the letters that came from him on the seas ; for he 
 went down to trade in the sea in ships, like his father 
 before him. We knew, too, that the youthful wanderer 
 loved her with as much devotion as she loved him, and 
 our hearts sympathized with her in her true affection. 
 
 Nay," said the widow, " my eyes are filled with 
 tears of gladness ; I cannot see to read. Do thou read 
 it aloud. Let Adina and Mary also know what he wri- 
 teth. Is the letter to me, or thee, child?" 
 
 " To — to me, dear Sarah," answered the maiden, with 
 a momentary embarrassment. 
 
 Likely — likely ; it is most natural thou shouldcsf 
 get the best part of the epistles. But so 1 hear and 
 know that he is well, it is the same, writeth he to me oi 
 thee !" 
 
 Ruth then cast a bright look upon us, and thus^ read 
 B loud from the letter from ovc^.r the sea : 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY, 2^7 
 
 Dearest Buth : — I fear you have been impatient at 
 my long silence ; but I love you not less, though you do 
 not often hear from me. Now that I am safe I will 
 write to you, which I would not do in a state of uncer- 
 tainty. Know that after our ship left Cesarea for Crete, 
 we were caught by a north wind, and in striving to 
 make the east end of the island, we lost way, and were 
 dri7en upon Africa, where we were wrecked, losing all 
 our cargo, and the lives of many who sailed with us. 
 With others, I was taken by the barbarians, and carried 
 inland to a country of rocky mountains, and there be- 
 came a bondman to one of the chief men of the nation 
 wherein I was captivated. At length, inspired by a con- 
 sciousness of the anguish you and my beloved mother 
 must suffer, should you never more hear tidings of me, 
 I rewolved to effect my escape. After great perils I 
 reached the sea-side, and at the expiration of many days, 
 by following the coast, I was taken on board by a small 
 ship of Cyprus, and conveyed to Alexandria. The ves- 
 sel was owned by a rich merchant of my own people, 
 Manasseh Benjamin Ben Israel, who, finding me sick 
 and destitute of all things, just as I escaped, took me 
 home to his hospitable house, and treated me as a son 
 till I recovered my health and strength — saying that he 
 had a daughter far away in Judea, whom I saw at the 
 house of Rabbi Amos, and he hoped that if she ever 
 needed the aid of strangers, Grod would repay him by 
 making them kind to her." 
 
 Here Mary and I looked at each other with agitation 
 and pleased surprise. 
 
 " It was my father," I exclaimed, with emotion; ^^I 
 rejoice that his house became thy son's home, 0 lady, 
 essed be my father !" 
 
238 THE PRINCE OP THL HOUSE OP DAVID: 
 
 Wlien Sarah heard that it was at your house, doai 
 father, her son had been so hospitably entertained, she 
 embraced me again and again, and entreated me to con- 
 vey to you her heartfelt gratitude — which I do herewith 
 And it is, dearest father, because you know and love this 
 young man, so providentially thrown upon your care, 
 that I shall be so particular in recounting what I am 
 about to do concerning him. 
 
 B.uth then ended the reading of the letter, which 
 told that he should return in the first ship bound to 
 Sidon, or Cesarea, when he hoped to behold her and his 
 mother face to face, and to receive as his bride the 
 maiden he had so long loved and cherished in his heart. 
 
 Sarah now seemed to be drawn closer to me in afFec- 
 tion, and also so did Ruth, since they have learned that 
 I am the daughter of the noble Jew who did so much 
 for Samuel in a strange land. At length, as the day 
 drew near for me to leave, in order to return to Jerusa- 
 lem, my health being quite invigorated, we were all 
 filled with delightful surprise at the appearance of the 
 long absent son and lover in the midst of our happy 
 circle. 
 
 Mary and I had once seen him, and we were now 
 impressed with his manly and sun-browned beauty, his 
 bold air, and frank, ingenuous manner. We could not 
 but agree that the pretty Ruth had shown fine taste. 
 He gave me the package which you desired him to for- 
 ward to Jerusalem, and thus we all had reason to rejoicH 
 at his coming. But alas ! my dear father, our joy was 
 short-lived ! Little did we anticipate how speedily our 
 rejoicings were to end in mourning. The very night of 
 his return he was seized with a malignant fever, which 
 
OR. THKEE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 23S' 
 
 he had "brought from Africa with him ; and we were all 
 overwhelmed with grief. 
 
 It would be impossible to paint the anguish of the 
 mother, the heart-rending distress of his betrothed, as 
 they bent over his couch, and saw the fierce plague 
 burning him, as if he were in a furnace. 
 
 Unconscious of their presence, he raved wildly, and 
 sometimes fancied himself suffering thirst on the burii- 
 ing sands of Africa ; and at others, battling with the bar- 
 barians for his life. All that physicians could do, and his 
 friends could do — for he was greatly beloved as well for 
 his own sake as for his mother's and Ruth's — all was oi 
 no avail. This morning, the third day after his return, 
 he expired, amid the most distressing agonies. Poor 
 Ruth ! She cast herself in perfect abandonment of grief 
 upon his lifeless and disfigured corpse ; and now that 
 they have removed her from the chamber of death, her 
 shrieks fill the house. His mother sits by him, the 
 image of despair, holding his cold hand in hers, and 
 uttering wails of woe sad enough to rend a Romanes 
 heart : 
 
 "My son! my son ! lost and found, to be torn froni 
 me forever ! Oh, that I had died for thee ! Thou and 
 Ruth would then be happy. Would to God I had died 
 for thee, 0 my son, Samuel, my son !" It is like David 
 bewailing Absalom. 
 
 I write this sad news to you, dear father, knowing 
 how deeply you will mourn his death ; for your letters 
 show me that you have formed for him almost a pater- 
 nal attachment, carried so far as a promise to provide 
 him with a ship to trade in Egypt, after his marriage 
 with Ruth shall have taken place Alas ! instead of a 
 
240 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID: 
 
 bridal, behold a funeral. Already tho bearers are at the 
 door, and in a few minutes he will be borne forth upon 
 the dead-bier to the burial-place without the city. 
 
 " Oh," sighs Mary near me, as I write, " oh, that Jesus, 
 the mighty Prophet, had been here; He could have 
 healed him !" John has sent to her a message, saying that 
 He is travelling this way, on his mission of healing and 
 teaching, and may be here this evening. But what will 
 it avail, dear father ? Even Jesus may not return the 
 dead to life ! Oh, if He could have been here yesterday, 
 his power over diseases would have enabled Him to save 
 his precious life ! But regrets are useless. The noble 
 young man is dead, and will live again only in the resur 
 rection of the just. 
 
 I hear the heavy tread of the dead -bearers in the court 
 below. The shrieks and wails of the mourning women 
 thrill my soul with awe. But above all, pierces the 
 wild cry of anguish of the bereaved mother! Ruth's 
 voice is hushed. She has been for the last hour inani- 
 mate as marble, sitting with a glazed eye and rigid fea- 
 tures gazing on vacancy. Only by her pulse can it be 
 said she lives ! Poor maiden 1 The blow is too terrible 
 for her to bear. 
 
 My cousin Mary has this moment received a small roU 
 of parchment, which, from the flush on her cheek, I know 
 to be from her betrothed. She smiles sadly, and with 
 tears in her eyes hands it to me. 
 
 I have read it, dear father. It reads as follows ; if 1 
 have time I will transcribe it before the call to follow the 
 dead forth to burial is given : 
 
 " Gadaray beyond Judea. 
 
 " The bearer, beloved, is one of the disciples of Jesus. 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CHT 241 
 
 HLs name is Bartimeus. He was blind and poor, and 
 subsisted by begging; and, as ) m see, his sight is re- 
 stored, and he insists now on going from town to towr 
 where he has been known as a blind man, to proclaim 
 Jesus has done for him. He takes this to you. I 
 write to say that I wish thou mayest prosper in all things, 
 and find the health for which thou and thy cousin sought 
 the air of Mount Tabor. I have no greater joy than to 
 hear of your welfare. This letter comcth beseeching 
 thee, maiden, that as we love one another unfeignedly, 
 so may we soon be united in that holy union which God 
 hath blessed and commanded. I would have thee bear 
 in remembrance that thou gavest thy piumise hereto 
 when last we met at Nazareth. But, having much to 
 say hereupon, I will not commit it to paper and ink ; 
 but by to-morrow, or the day after, I trust to come 
 to you, and speak with you, dearly beloved, face to 
 face, upon those things which come now to my lips. 
 Farewell, lady, and peace be with you, and all in your 
 house. Greet thy friends in my name, letting them 
 know that we shall shortly be with you ; also Amos, 
 your father, now our dear brother in the Lord. There 
 are many things which I have seen and heard touching 
 my holy Master, Jesus, and his holy mission to the world, 
 which I will declare unto you when we meet, that you 
 also may have fellowship with us in those things which 
 wo know and believe concerning Him. My Master 
 saluteth thee and all in your house ; Rabbi Amos, also, 
 greeteth thee with a kiss. This is the second epistle I 
 have written unto you from this place." 
 
 Oh, that the mighty Prophet had come one day 
 soouer 1" cried Mary. " What woe and anguish would 
 26 
 
242 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 have been spared poor Ruth and his mother ! Bat the 
 will of Jehovah be done." 
 
 We hear now, dear father, the voice of the governor 
 of the fimeral, bidding us come down to bury the 
 dead. 
 
 Farewell, my father. I know you w^ill shed a lear 
 to the memory of the noble youth whose death has this 
 day filled all Nain with mourning. As 1 look from the 
 lattice, I see the concourse of people to be immense, fill* 
 ing all the street. Now, may the Grod of our father 
 Abraham preserve and keep you, and suffer us once more 
 
 meet face to face in joy and peace. 
 
 Your dutiful and sorrowful daughter, 
 
 Adiwa 
 
 LETTER XXI. 
 
 My Dearest Father : 
 
 I seize my pen, which I laid down an hour ago, in 
 order to follow to his burial the son of our hostess, to re- 
 cuant to you one of the most extraordinary things which 
 ever happened, and which fills us all with such joy and 
 wonder, that I fear my trembling fingers will scarcely 
 express legibly what I have to tell you. 
 
 As I told you in my letter just fmished, I was call 
 ed away to accompany the weeping mother to the 
 burial-place outside of the gates. But when I reached the 
 courtyard where the body of her son lay upon a bier, 
 which the bearers had already raised upon their shoulders, 
 the deep grief of poor Ruth overcame her wholly, and I 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLT CITY. 24S 
 
 led her to her room, where she sank insensible upon hei 
 couch. I could not leave her in her situation, and th 
 procession went forth from the house without me, — Mary^ | 
 as she walked, supporting upon her arm the bereaved 
 mother, clad in her mourning weeds. 
 
 As the funeral train passed the lattice, it seemed end 
 'ess, so vast a number of people accompanied the body, 
 to do honor to a widow in Israel. At length it passed 
 by, and I was left alone with the motionless Ruth. 
 She seemed to sleep, though every few moments she 
 would murmur the name of the dead. I sat by her, re- 
 flecting upon the mysterious ways of God in bringing 
 this widow's son safely home from the thousand dangers 
 to which he had been exposed, from shipw^reck and bond- 
 age, to gladden her soul with his presence for a few hours, 
 and then to die in her arms ! As 1 gazed on the mar- 
 ble countenance of the bereaved maiden, I could not but 
 pray that she might never recover from her swoon, to re- 
 vive to the bitter realization of her loss, and the renewal 
 of her grief. 
 
 Suddenly I heard a very great shout. I started, and 
 hastened to the lattice. It was repeated louder, and 
 with a glad tone, that showed me that it was a shout of 
 joy. It seemed to come from beyond the city walls, and 
 from a hundred voices raised in unison. I knew that 
 the house-top overlooked the walls, and seoing Ruth 
 moved not, I ascended rapidly to the parapet, the should 
 and glad cries still increasing as I went up, and exciting 
 my wonder and curiosity. Upon reaching the flat roof, 
 and stepping upon the parapet, I saw coming along the 
 street, towards the house, with the speed of the ante- 
 lope, Eleo. our Gribeonite slave. He was wavin^^ his 
 
244 
 
 THE PRmCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID, 
 
 hands wildly, and crying out something which 1 could 
 not distinctly hear. Behind him I saw two youths run- 
 ning also, appearing to be the bearers of some great 
 tidings. 
 
 I knew something wonderful must have occurred, bnt 
 could not divine what it could be. On looking towards 
 the gate, from which direction the shouts at intervals 
 continued to approach., I discovered on the hill-side of 
 the cemetery many people crowded together, and evi- 
 dently surrounding some person in their midst ; for the 
 whole order of the procession was broken up. The bier 
 I cuuld not discern, nor could I comprehend how the 
 solemnity of the march of the funeral train was suddenly 
 changed to a confused multitude, rending the sky with 
 loud acclamations. The whole body of people was press- 
 ing back towards the city. The persons whom I had 
 first seen running along the street, now made themselves 
 audible as they drew nigher. 
 
 " He is alive ! he is alive !" shouted Elec. 
 
 " He has been raised from the dead !" cried the young 
 man next behind him. 
 
 " He lives, and is walking back to the city !" called 
 the third, to those who, like me, had run to their house- 
 tops to know the meaning of the uproar we heard. 
 
 " Who — who is alive ?" I eagerly demanded of Eleo 
 as he passed beneath the parapet. What is this shout- 
 ing, 0 Elec?" 
 
 He looked up to me with a face expressive of the 
 keenest delight, mixed with awe, and said : 
 
 Young Rabbi Samuel is come to life ! He is no 
 longer dead. You will soon see him, for they are escort- 
 ing him back to the city, and everybody is mad with 
 
ua THREE YEARS IN THE HOLT CITY. 
 
 245 
 
 3«v. Where is Ruth, the maiden ? 1 am coine to tell 
 her the glorious news." 
 
 With emotion that I cannot describe, hardly believing 
 what I heard, 1 hastened to Ruth, in order to prevent 
 the effects of too sudden joy. Upon reaching the apart- 
 ment, I found that the voice of Elec, who had shouted 
 the news of which he w^as the bearer into her ears, had 
 aroused her from her stupor of grief. She was looking 
 at him wildly and incomprehensibly, I ran to her, and 
 folding her in my arms, said : 
 
 Dear Ruth, there is news — good news ! It must l>^j 
 true ! Hear the shouts of gladness in all the town 
 
 " Lives !" she repeated, shaking her head ; " No^ — no — 
 no ! Yes, there /" she said, raising her beautiful, glit 
 tering eyes to heaven, and pointing upward. 
 
 " But on earth also," cried Elec, with positiveness. " l 
 saw him sit up, and heard him speak, as well as ever ho 
 was !" 
 
 " How was it ? Let me know all," I cried. 
 
 " How ? Who could have done such a miracle but 
 the mighty Prophet we saw at Jerusalem ?" he an- 
 swered. 
 
 " Jesus ?" I exclaimed, with joy. 
 
 " Who else could it be ? Yes ; he met the bier just 
 outside the . Bat here they come !" 
 
 Elec was interrupted in his narrative by the increased 
 noise of voices in the streets, and the tramp of hun- 
 dreds of feet. The next moment the room was filled 
 with a crowd of the most excited persons, some weep- 
 ing, some laughing, as if beside themselves. In their 
 midst I beheld Samuel walking, alive and well I his 
 mother ohnging to him, Uke a vine about an oak. 
 
246 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 <niere is Ruth ?" he cried. " Oh ! where i:5 she ? 
 Let me make her happy with my presence." 
 
 I gazed upon him with awe, as if I had seen a spirit. 
 
 Ruth no sooner heard his voice than she uttered a 
 shriek of joy. ^' He lives — he indeed lives !" and spring- 
 ing forward, she was saved from falling to the grounii 
 by bbing clasped to his manly breast. 
 
 Let us kneel and thank Grod !" he said. 
 
 For a few moments the scene was solenm and touch- 
 ing, beyond any spectacle ever exhibited on earth. The 
 newly-risen from the dead knelt in the midst of the floor, 
 with his mother on his right, leaning her head upon his 
 shoulder, and Ruth clasped in his left arm, and fast 
 embracing him, as if he were an angel, who would else 
 spread his wings and ascend, leaving her forever. Mary 
 and I knelt by her side, while all the people bowed their 
 heads in worship, as he lifted up his voice in grateful 
 acknowledgments to the Griver of life and health, for 
 -estoring both to him. When he had performed this first 
 sacred duty, he rose to his feet and received all our em- 
 braces. Hundreds came in to see his face, and every 
 tongue was eloquent in praise of the power of Jesus. 
 
 " And where is the holy prophet ?" I asked of Mary. 
 " Shall He be forgotten amid all our joy!" 
 
 " We thanked Him there with all our hearts, and 
 bathed his hands with tears of gratitude," she answered; 
 
 but when they would have brought Him into the city 
 m triumph. He conveyed himself away in the confusion, 
 and no one could see aught of Him. But John, who 
 was with Him, told me he would come into the city after 
 quiet was restored, by-and-by, and he would bring Him 
 to our abode " 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 247 
 
 Oh ! T shall then behold Him, and thank Him also," 
 I cried. Make known to me, Mary, the particulars of 
 this wonderful miracle," I asked of her ; for though I 
 saw Samuel now seated, and even eating in the room 
 food served by his glad mother and the happy Kuth, 
 ^hile all lookea on to see if he really ate, and, though I 
 believed in the power of Jesus to do all things, yet 1 
 could hardly realize that He whom I had beheld carried 
 out a dead man on his bier, I saw now seated at table, 
 partaking of lood, alive and well. 
 
 T will tell thee all," answered Mary, whose face 
 shone with a holy light, radiating from her intense hap- 
 piness ; and, leading me apart, she spoke thus : 
 
 As we went weeping forth, slowly following the 
 bier, and had passed the gate, we saw coming along the 
 path through the valley leading to Tabor, a party of 
 twelve or thirteen men on foot. They were followed 
 by a crowd of men, women, and children from the coun- 
 try, and were so journeying that they would meet us 
 at the crossing of the stone bridge. Hearing some 
 one say aloud, ^ It is the Prophet of Nazareth, with his 
 disciples/ I looked earnestly forward, and joyfully re- 
 cognized Jesus at their head, with Jolm walking by his 
 aide. 
 
 ^ Oh, that Jesus had been in Nain, when thy sor. 
 was sick !' I said to the widow, pointing Him out to her, 
 as He and his company stopped at the entrance to the 
 bridge, and drew to one side, the way being too narrow 
 for both parties to cross at the same time. Upon lOoking 
 up and seeing Him, and marking his benign countenance, 
 and how sorrowfully He gazed upon the widow, and re- 
 collecting how He might have prevented her son's dying 
 
24^ THE PBINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID; 
 
 had He been in Nain, the poor lady could no longer c<nn- 
 mand her grief, which broke forth afresh ; and covering 
 her face with her veil, she wept so violently that all eyes 
 were piteously fastened upon her. I observed that the 
 holy Prophet's gaze rested upon her with compassion ; 
 and as the w^idow came opposite where He stood, He ad- 
 vanced a step towards us, and said, in a voice of thril- 
 ling sympathy : 
 
 ' Weep not, mother. Thy son shall live again !' 
 " ' I know it, 0 Rabboni, at the last day,' she an- 
 swered. ' He was so noble — so young — he was all to 
 me, and had been so many months absent in far lands, 
 only to come home to die. I know that thou art a Pro^ 
 phet come from Grod, and that all good works follow thee. 
 Oh, if thou hadst been here my son need not have died. 
 Thy word would have healed him. But now he is dead i 
 dead ! dead !' 
 
 " The bereaved mother then poured forth her tean- 
 afresh. 
 
 " ^ Woman, weep not. I will restore thy son!' 
 
 " ^ What saith he ?' cried some Pharisees who were m 
 the funeral ; ' that he will raise a dead man ? This ie 
 going too far. God only can raise the dead.' And they 
 emiled and scoffed. 
 
 " But Jesus laid his hand upon the pall over the body, 
 and said to those who bore the corpse : 
 
 " * Rest the bier upon the ground.' 
 They instantly stood still and obeyed Him. He 
 then advanced amid a hushed silence, and uncover 
 ing the marble visage, touched the hand of the dead 
 young man, and said, in a loud and commanding 
 voice : 
 
OR THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 249 
 
 ' Young man, I say unto thee, Arise !' 
 
 There was a moment's painful stillness through the 
 vast multitude. Every eye was fixed upon the bier. 
 The voice was heard by the spirit of the dead, and 
 it came back to his body. There was at first visible a 
 living, trembling emotion of the hitherto motionless 
 iwpse ! color flushed the livid cheek ; the eyelids opened 
 and he fixed his eyes on Jesus ; then he raised his hand 
 and his lips moved ! The next moment he sat up 
 on the bier, and spake aloud in his natural voice, say- 
 ing: 
 
 ' Lo ! here I am.' 
 
 " Jesus then took him by the hand, and assisting hiiu 
 to alight upon his feet from the bier, led him to his* 
 mother, and delivered him to her, saying : ' Woman, 
 behold thy son !' 
 
 Upon seeing this miracle, the people shouted with 
 ioy and wonder, and there came a great fear on us all ; 
 and, lifting up their voices, they who so lately mourned 
 and bewailed the dead, glorified G-od, saying, ' God has 
 indeed visited his people Israel. A great prophet is risen 
 up among us. The Messias is come, and Jesus is the 
 very Christ, with the keys of death and hell' 
 
 " With such words and exclamations, and great shouts 
 of rejoicing, the multitude surrounded the restored young 
 man, and proceeded to escort him back to the city ; the 
 great mass of the people being attracted more by the 
 raised-to-life than by the august Person by whose act it 
 had been done. I sought out Jesus to cast myself at 
 his feet, but He shrunk from the homage and gratitude 
 which his mercy to us had awakened. Thus, humility 
 is an element of all power." 
 
250 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DA VID 
 
 Such, my dear father, is the narrative of the restora 
 tion to life again of Samuel, the son of Sarah, widow of 
 Nain. I give it to you in its simple outlines. It will 
 not fail to command your belief The miracle was per- 
 formed in open day, in the presence of thousands. The 
 opposers of Jesus, the hostile Scribes and Pharisees, ih 
 not deny the miracle, for they were convinced of the 
 reality of the death of the young man ; for he died, as I 
 have before said, of the plague, and his corpse was a 
 loathsome sight to those who beheld it , yet, wonderful 
 to relate, when he was restored to life by the power of 
 Jesus, he sat up free from all external signs of the putrid 
 disease, his skin fair and smooth, and his whole aspect 
 that of ruddy health and manly beauty. No man could 
 doubt, therefore, that a miracle had been performed, and 
 one of the most extraordinary kind ; for never was it 
 heard before that the dead were restored to life by the 
 power of a man. This miracle of the restoration from the 
 dead of Samuel, the widow's son, has caused hundreds 
 fchis day to confess his name, and to believe in Him as 
 the anointed Shiloh of Israel. 
 
 Since writing the above, I have conversed with 
 Samuel upon the consciousness which he had of bein^ 
 dead. He replies that it seemed to him that he had 
 been in a dream, the chain of which was now broken; 
 and could not be recollected again. Fragments," said 
 ho, " of a delightful condition ; of splendor ; of glory and 
 bliss ; of music ineffable, and scenes indescribable, passed 
 before my mind for a few moments after standing upon 
 my feet ; but they presently melted away, and I can 
 now only recollect that there were such ! When I found 
 myself unon the bier, I felt no surprise ; for the faot that 
 
OR, THBEE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 261 
 
 [ was being taken to my burial seemed instinctively to 
 present itself to my re-animated consciousness." Many 
 i)f the doctors have been to see him through the day, 
 HiJ have put profound questions to him touching the 
 'tale of the soul out of the body ; but he could give them 
 lo satisfaction, all appearing to him like shining frag- 
 iients of a gorgeous vision. 
 
 Jesus came into the town during the evening, and 
 abode with us. You should have witnessed how the 
 gratitude of the happy mother, and of the no less happy 
 Ruth, exhibited itself. They anticipated his every wish, 
 and seemed to desire that he had a thousand wants, that 
 they might administer to them. But his life is simple — 
 his wants few. He thinks little of comforts ; and so 
 that he can speak of the kingdom of Grod to those about 
 Him, he forgets to partake of the food placed before Him. 
 We also forget all things else when He speaks, and stand 
 or sit around Him, drinking in the rich eloquence of his 
 v/ise lips. The more I see of Him, dear father, the more 
 I stand in awe of Him, and love Him. 
 
 Mary is to-morrow to become the bride of John, and 
 Jesus will be present at the wedding, for while He 
 severely rebukes sin and folly. He sanctifies by his pres. 
 ence the holy rite of marriage, which Grod ordained. 
 Next month, the happy Ruth will wed the noble youth 
 whom she has so wonderfully received alive from the 
 iead; 
 
 On the eve of the eighth day from this I shall depart 
 tience, with John and Mary, for Jerusalem, whence I will 
 vrito you again. 
 
 Your loving daughter, 
 
 Amu A. 
 
THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAYID 
 
 LETTER XXir 
 
 Once itiore, my dear father, I address a letter to you 
 from this holy city. This morning when I awoke at the 
 Bound of the silver trumpets of the priests, ringing melo- 
 diously from the top of Mount Moriah, I experienced 
 anew that profound devotion which the children of Abra- 
 ham must always feel in the city of Grod, and in the 
 presence of His very Temple. As T ascended the roof 
 of the house to prayer, the gorgeous pile of the Temple 
 towered heavenward fi'om the summit of Moriah, in all 
 the magnificence of its celestial beauty. The azure 
 wreaths of incense were already curling upward into 
 the still skies, while the murky cloud sent up by the 
 burnt sacrifice rolled darkly above the pinnacle, cast- 
 ing an awful shade above the Temple. As it sailed 
 onward, and hung above the valley of Kedron, the sun 
 rose and gilded its massive edges as if they had been 
 turned out with gold. Louder and clearer rang the 
 trumpets, and every house-top soon had its group oi 
 worshippers, while along the streets rolled the tide of peo- 
 pie, some leading lambs, others driving goats before them, 
 others carrying doves in their bosom, to be offered to the 
 Lord by the priest. 
 
 It was a joyous morning to me, dear father, foi 
 iErailius, the ncble Roman Prefect, was this day volun* 
 
OB, THREE lEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 253 
 
 taiily to present himself at the Temple to be made a prose- 
 lyte to the holy faith of Israel. I will not now detain 
 you by recording the arguments by which he was led to 
 renounce idolatry and become a Jew ! Pilate, the Pro- 
 curator, encouraged, instead of opposing it, believing 
 that it would conciliate the Jews in favor of the Romans : 
 he resolved, therefore, to gi-ace the rite with his presence. 
 I could see him proudly rolling onward toward the Tem- 
 ple in his gilded chariot, escorted by a score of guards^ 
 blazing in their Grrecian cuirasses. I sought in vam 
 the form of ^Emilius ; but he reached the Temple by 
 another street. The morning was, therefore, additionally 
 lovely to me. I thought I had never seen the olive 
 groves, on the hill-side beyond the king's gardens, so 
 green, nor the harvest so yellow, as they undulated in 
 the soft breeze of the opening morn. The lofty palms 
 everywhere appeared to bend and wave their verdant 
 fans with joyous motion. The birds in the palace gar- 
 dens sang sweeter and louder ; and Jerusalem itsell 
 seemed more beautiful than ever. 
 
 While I was gazing upon the scene, and adoring God, 
 and thanking Him for the conversion of j3Emilius, Rabbi 
 Amos came, and said that he would take us to the Tem- 
 ple, for he was at leisure on that morning. We were 
 soon on our way climbing the paved pathway to Moriah 
 Oh; how sublimely towered the divine Temple abov 
 our heads, seemingly lost in the blue of the far heaven ! 
 The great gates opening North and South to the East 
 and West were thronged with the multitude pressing 
 through ; while from the galleries above each gate pealed 
 forth continuously the clear- voiced trumpets of God in 
 oeaj^oless reverberation. My uncle pointed out to me 
 
254 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 the massive doors, all overlaid with sheets of beaten gold^ 
 and the floor of green marble on which we trode. He 
 bade me notice the costly entablature of colored stones,, 
 exquisitely worked with the Grecian's chisel ; and es- 
 pecially the roof of fretted silver, set with precious stones, 
 the onyx, beryl, sapphire, carbuncle, and jasper. I 
 was dazzled by the magnificence, and awed by the vast 
 extent of the space of splendor surrounding me ; while 
 ten thousands of people were to be seen moving towards 
 the altar of sacrifice. From that superb court I was 
 led into a hall nearly a hundred cubits in length, its 
 ceiling of pure gold sustained by a thousand and one 
 columns of porphyry and white marble, ranged alter- 
 nately. Such richness I had never conceived of, or 
 thought possible on earth. But when Rabbi Amos ex- 
 plained that they all were made after patterns of hea- 
 venly things, I ceased to marvel, and only wished I 
 might one day dwell in those celestial abodes, where, the 
 holy Jesus teaches us, are mansions not made with 
 hands, of endless duration, reserved for the good and 
 virtuous. 
 
 I was not permitted to approach the sacred chambei, 
 where stood the four thousand vessels of gold of Ophir, 
 used in the sacrifices on great days ; and this being a 
 high day, I saw n: less than six hundred priests stand- 
 ing about the altar, each with a golden censer in his 
 hand Beyond is the holy ark of the covenant, over 
 whicn the cherubim hovers, their wings meeting, and be- 
 tween them is the mercy-seat ! As this was the Holy oi 
 Holies I was not permitted to se« it ; but its position 
 wa^ pointed out to me within the veil, which conceaLs 
 from all eyes but that of the High Priest once a year, the 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLT CrrY. 255 
 
 place of Grod's throne on the earth, alas, now left vacant 
 since the glory of the Shechinah departed from the Holy 
 of Holies ! 
 
 The air of the vast Temple was dehcious with the 
 fragrance of burning frankincense As the victims bled, 
 and the smoke ascended, the people fell on their faces 
 a.nd worshipped Grod. It was an impressive scene, and! 
 made my heart stand still. I seemed to expect to hear 
 the voice of Jehovah breaking the stillness that followed. 
 But after a few moments' silence, a startling trumpet 
 note thrilled every soul in the countless multitude. It 
 was followed by a peal of music that shook the air, from 
 a choir of two thousand singers, male and female, of the 
 sons and daughters of Levi, who served in the Temple. 
 Entering from the southern court, they advanced in 
 long procession, singing sacred chants, and playing on 
 sacbut and harp, psalter and nebble, chinna and tym- 
 pana. As they ascended to the choir, their voices, min- 
 gling with the instruments, filled all the Temple. I 
 never heard before such sublime harmony; especially 
 when, on reaching the elevated choir, a thousand Le- 
 vites, with manly voices, joined them, and the whole 
 company chanted one of the sublimest of the Psalms of 
 David. I was overcome — my senses dissolved in a sea 
 of seraphic sounds ; my heart swelled as if it would 
 break, and I found relief only in a flood of tears. 
 
 When the chant was concluded, the whole multitude 
 responded, " Amen, and Amen," like the deep voice of a 
 mighty wind suddenly shaking the foundations of the 
 Temple. 
 
 At length I beheld a train of priest*? following the 
 High Priest, as he marched thrice around the altar, In 
 
256 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 that procession I discovered a company of proselytes, 
 escorted by twelve aged Levites, with long snowy beards, 
 and clad in vestments of the purest white. Among the 
 proselytes, which numbered full a score of men, from 
 almost every nation, I discerned the tall and noble figuie 
 of the Roman ^milius. He was robed in a black gar 
 ment from head to foot. But upon approaching ti e 
 baptismal basin, two young priests removed this outer 
 sable dress, and robed him in white. I then saw him 
 baptized into the family of Abraham, and a new name 
 given him, that of Eleazer. I heard the silver trumpets 
 proclaim the conversion, and the multitude shouting 
 their joy ! 
 
 Of the rest of the ceremony I have no recollection, as, 
 after the baptism of ^Emilius, I was too happy to see or 
 think of any one else. There stands now, dear father, 
 no further bar to our union. ^Emilius is become a Jew, 
 and henceforth will worship the God of our fathers ! 1 
 know you said, in your last letter to me, that you feared 
 the noble young Roman was led by his attachment to 
 me to renounce his religion, and not from honest convic- 
 tion of its truth and of its falsehood. But I am assured, 
 dear father, that he acts from conviction. The conver- 
 sations he has had wltli me, and with Rabbi Amos, and 
 othei of the learned doctors of our nation, whom he has 
 met at our house, wiih the careful reading of the Scrip 
 tures of the Prophets, have not only convinced him that 
 the Lord Grod of Israel is the only God of the whole 
 earth, but that the worshippers of idols are the worship- 
 pers of Satan, who hath set up that religion in opposi- 
 tion to that of the true 0 od. 
 
 While I was lifting up my heart in gratitude fo? the 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE flOLr OITY 257 
 
 harfpy conversion of iEmilius, and while the Jews werr 
 crowding about him to extend to him the hand of fel- 
 lowship, rejoicing that so noted a person should embrace 
 our faith, uncle Amos drew my attention by exclaiminji 
 with gladness : 
 
 " Behold ! there is Jesus, the Prophet !" 
 
 " Where ?" I cried, trying to discover the divine Pro 
 phet among the multitude. 
 
 Standing by yonder pillar of porphyry. John is ou 
 one side of Him and Peter on the other. He is pointing 
 to the altar, and explaining or teaching them something 
 Let us try and approach Him !" 
 
 We at once made our way, but with difficulty, towards 
 the spot where we had discovered Him. The rumor that 
 the Chrisi was in the Temple rapidly spread, and the 
 whole multitude pressed towards the same point. At 
 length we attained our object so as to get within a 
 few feet of Him. Here a tall, richly attired Greek, 
 addressed Rabbi Amos, saying : 
 
 "Sir, tell me who that youthful Jew is, whose coun- 
 tenance is stamped with firmness and benevolence, so 
 finely combined in its expression ; whose air possesses 
 puch dij2;nity and wisdom : whose noble eyes seem filled 
 with a holy sadness, and whose glance is full of inno- 
 cence and sweetness. He seems born to love men and 
 t(> command them. All seek to approach him. Pray, 
 sir, who is he?" 
 
 " That, 0 stranger, is Jesus of Nazareth, the Jewish 
 Prophet," answered Uncle Amos, delighted to point Him 
 out to a foreigner. 
 
 " Then am I well rewarded for my journey in turning 
 addo to Jerusalem," answered the Grrecian, I have 
 17 
 
258 IRE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE 07 DAVID 
 
 bveii heard of his fame in Macedonia, and am rejoiced 
 to behold Him. Think you He will do some great 
 miracle ?" 
 
 *^ He performs miracles not to gratify curiosity, but 
 to bear testimony to the truths He teaches, that they 
 are delivered to Him of Grod. Hark ! He speaks," cried 
 my uncle. 
 
 Every voice was hushed, as that of Jesus rose clear 
 and sweet, and thrilling like a celestial clarion speaking 
 And he preached, dear father, a sermon so full of wisdom, 
 of love to man, of love to G-od, of knowledge of our 
 hearts, of divine and convincing power, that thousands 
 wept ; thousands were chained to the spot with awe and 
 delight, and all were moved as if an angel had addressed 
 them. They cried, Never man spake like this man !" 
 and certainly never human lips dispensed such wisdom. 
 
 When He had ended, the priests, seeing that he had 
 carried the hearts of all the people, were greatly enraged, 
 and not being able to vent their hatred and fear in any 
 other way, they hired a vile person by the name of Gra- 
 zed, a robber, who, taking one of the blood-stained sacri- 
 ficing knives by the altar, crept towards Him behind 
 the column, to assassinate Him. The robber drew near, 
 and securing a favorable position to execute the deed, 
 raised his hand to strike the Prophet from behind, when 
 Jesus, turning his head, arrested the hand of the assaa- 
 bin in mid-air, by a look! Unable to move a muscle, 
 tiazeel stood betrayed to all eyes in this murderous 
 attitude, like a statue of stone. 
 
 " Return to those who hired thee. My hour is not 
 vet come ; nor can they have any power over me until 
 my Father's will be fulfilled concerning me 
 
UR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 25i< 
 
 The assassin bowed his head with deep humility ; the 
 knife dropped from his hand and rang upon the marble 
 floor; and he sank at Jesus' feet, imploring forgiveness, 
 The people would instantly have torn Grazeel in pieces , 
 but Jesus said : 
 
 Let him depart in peace. The day shall come when 
 he will be willing to lay down his life to save mine, Ye, 
 priests, go about to kill me," he added, fixing his clear 
 gaze upon the group which had sent Grazeel. " For 
 what do ye seek my life ? Because I bear testimony to 
 the wickedness of your own. Ye lay heavy burdens on 
 the people, and will not lift them with one of your fin- 
 gers, I have come to my own, and to my Temple, and 
 ye receive me not. The day cometh when this Temple 
 shall be thrown down, and not one stone left upon an- 
 other ; and some who hear me shall behold and mourn 
 in that day. Oh, Jerusalem, thou that killest the pro- 
 phets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how oft 
 would I have gathered thy children together as a hen 
 gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would 
 not. Thou shalt be left desolate and cast out among 
 cities, because thou knewest not the day of thv visita- 
 tion. But ye, who would escape these troubles, seek 
 to enter my kingdom, which shall have no end ; fly to 
 the Jerusalem which is above, and which is above all, 
 whose foundation is eternal, and whose Temple is the 
 Lord Grod Almighty, who is also the light and glory 
 >;hereof.'' 
 
 Upon hearing these words, there arose a great cry from 
 ten thousand voices : 
 
 " Hail to Jesus, the king of Israel and Judah ! Ho- 
 sanna to the Prince of David ! We will have no king but 
 Jssus." 
 
2m 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 
 
 Al his shout, which was caught and repeated beyond 
 the four gates of the Temple, the priests cried aloud that 
 the people were in insurrection. 
 
 Pilate, who was, with his guard, just leaving the Couit 
 of the Grentiles, hearing it, turned to ask what it meant. 
 One of the priests, desirous of having Jesus slain, quick < 
 ly answered, That the people had proclaimed Jesus, 
 the Nazarene, king," and that he was already placing 
 himself at the head of the people. 
 
 Hearing this, Pilate sent off messengers to the Castle 
 of David for soldiers, and with his body-guard turned 
 back to the Temple gate, charging the people sword in 
 hand. 
 
 The tumult was now fearful, and the bloodshed would 
 have been great, but Jesus suddenly appeared before 
 him — none saw how He had reached the place — and 
 said : 
 
 0 Roman ! I seek no kingdom but such as my 
 Father hath given me. Neither thy power nor thy mas- 
 ter's is now in peril. My kingdom is not of this 
 world." 
 
 Pilate was seen to bend his proud head with low obei- 
 sance before the Prophet, and said graciously : 
 
 "I have no wish to arrest thee. Thy word, 0 Prophet, 
 is suflicient for me. Of thee I have hitherto heard much. 
 Wilt thou come with me to my palace, and let me heaf 
 thee, and see some miracle ?" 
 
 " Thou shalt see me in thy palace, but not to-day ^ 
 and thou shalt behold a miracle, but not now." 
 
 When Jesus had thus said. He withdrew himself 
 from Pilate's presence ; and those who would have 
 sought Him to make Him a king could nowhere discover 
 Hhn. 
 
OR THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 261 
 
 The result of this attempt of the people to make the 
 Prophet their king, and under his direction to overthrow 
 the Roman power, is, that the Roman authorities, insti- 
 gated by Annas and the priests, look upon Jesus with 
 eyes of jealousy ; and Pilate this morning told a depu ta- 
 li jn of priests, who waited on him to petition him to ar 
 rest and imprison the Prophet, that on the first proof the) 
 could bring him of his hostility to Caesar, he would send 
 soldiers to take Him. To-day Jesus was refreshing 
 himself in our house, when several Scribes and Pharisees 
 came in. I saw by their dark looks they meditated evil ; 
 and secretly sent Elec with a message to ^Emilius, {no^^' 
 Eleazer,) asking him to be at hand to protect Jesu* 
 for ^milius is devoted to Him, as we are, and Jesut 
 takes delight in teaching him the things of the kingdom 
 of God. 
 
 Jesus, knowing the hearts of these ^bad men, said to 
 them, after they had seated themselves, and remainec 
 some minutes in silence : 
 
 " Wherefore are ye come ?" 
 
 " Master," said J:*horam, one of the chief Scribes, W( 
 know that thou art a Teacher come from Grod, and fear 
 est no man, nor regardest the person of any man." 
 
 " Yes," added Zadoc, a Levite of great fame among 
 the people, we have heard how boldly thou speakest a1 
 all times ; and that thou shrinkest from no man's powei 
 — that not even Pilate, nor Heroa, yea, nor Caesar, could 
 make thee refrain from what thou choosest to utter. Is 
 it lawful for us, Jews, the peculiar nation of God, to 
 pay tribute to Caesar, who is an idolater ? Is it lawful 
 for us to obey the laws of Pilate, rather than of Moses ? 
 We ask this as Jews to a Jew. Tell us frankly ; for thoi) 
 fiearest not the face of anv man " 
 
262 
 
 THE PRINCB OF THE HOUSE OP DATID 
 
 Let the question rest simply upon the tribute to 
 the Romans," answered Jehoram. Master, ought 
 we, the holy nation, to give tribute to the Emperoi 
 Csesar ?" 
 
 Jesus looked fixedly upon them, as if He read the* 
 wicked designs, and said : 
 
 Show me the tribute money." 
 
 Zadoc handed Him a penny, the Roman coin sent into 
 Judea by Caesar, as our currency, and which we return 
 to Rome again in tribute. When Jesus had taken the 
 money. He looked at the head of Augustus stamped upon 
 one side, and then turning to them, as they waited 
 breathlessly for his answer, said : 
 
 Whose image and whose name is here impressed ?" 
 Caesar's," eagerly answered the whole party. 
 
 " Then render unto Caesar the things that be Caesar's, 
 and unto God the things that be God's," was his calm 
 and wonderful answer. 
 
 I breathed again ; for I feared He would answei 
 openly that tribute ought not to be paid, which thej 
 hoped He would do, when they would immediatel) 
 have accused Him to Pilate as teaching that we oughi 
 not to pay tribute to Rome, and so fomenting rebel 
 lion. 
 
 But the divine wisdom of his answer relieved all oui 
 minds ; while the Scribes and Levites, his enemies, looked 
 upon Him with amazement, interchanged glances of 
 conscious defeat, and left the house 
 
 Sach, dear father, is his wisdom that his enemies 
 cannot triumph over Him. Oh, that you could see Him 
 and hear Him. It is worth a visit from Egypt to Jeru 
 ^lem to listen to Him, and behold his miracles, of which 
 
UH. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITV. 263 
 
 he every day performs one or more ; till disease, deform 
 ity, leprosy, and sickness, seem almost to have disap- 
 peared from Jerusalem and all Judea. 
 
 When iEmilius arrived, and found Jesus alone with 
 our family, unharmed, he spoke freely his satisfaction. 
 
 " ^milius," said Jesus to him, " thou art now become 
 a Jew. One step more, and thou shalt enter the king- 
 dom of heaven." 
 
 What step, dear master ?" he asked, earnestly 
 
 Thou must be baptized with the Holy Grhost, and 
 thou shalt be partaker of eternal life." 
 
 Rabboni," said uEmilius, ^* I verily thought that to 
 be baptized a proselyte of thy people was to be Moses' 
 disciple, and to have the seal of life eternal. Have I 
 still more to do ?" 
 
 To be my disciple, ^milius. I am the end of the 
 Law^ of Moses. He that believeth in Me, though he 
 were dead, yet shall he live. I give eternal life to as many 
 as believe in Me. But thou knowest not now what ] 
 say ; thou shalt know hereafter." 
 
 ^milius would have questioned him further, but 
 Jesus left him, and went forth into the garden, where 
 He remained late at night in meditation and prayer. 
 
 1 am rejoiced, dear father, that you permit me to 
 accompany my uncle Amos to Cesarea. We leave afte^ 
 the new moon. Believing, my dearest father, that all 1 
 have written joa touching Jesus has not been in vain 
 and that you are, with me and thousands in Israel, 
 ready to believe that He is the Christ, the Deliverer of 
 Jacob, 
 
 I remain your affectionate daughter, 
 
2G4 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUBB OF DAVm: 
 
 LETTER XXllJ. 
 
 My Dear Father : 
 
 I have received with joy your letter, in which you 
 say you shall leave Egypt with the next passover cara- 
 van, in order to visit Jerusalem. Already you must be 
 on the way, and are by this time near G-aza, where my 
 uncle Amos says the caravan will halt to-morrow night 
 My heart bounds to embrace you, and my eyes fill with 
 bright tears at the thought that I shall once more gaze 
 upon your noble countenance, and hear the loved tones 
 of your paternal voice. My happiness is augmented to 
 know that you will be here while Jesus is in the city ; 
 for it is said, and John, Mary's husband, asserts it, that 
 He will certainly be at the Passover. ] wish, dear 
 father, oh, I wish you to see Him, because I feel that you 
 would be unable to resist the conviction that He is the 
 very Messias of Grod, of whom Moses and the Prophets 
 wrote. But if his words, that divine eloquence and 
 wisdom which flow from his sacred lips, do not convince 
 you, the miracles He will do in proof of his mission will 
 be resistless. These miracles are daily becoming more 
 and more mighty and amazing. For himself, for his 
 own aggrandizement, and personal safety, (for often has 
 his life been put in peril by his foes,) He never resorts 
 to this divine power ; but to give attestation to his 
 words of truth that He came from Grod, to heal the suf- 
 
OR THREE YEARS UN THB HOLY OTTY 265 
 
 fering, to relieve the distressed, He dailj perforinj? them 
 If man never spake like Him, man never syorke-<l won- 
 dors such as He works. He has convf^.ried watei into 
 wine ; healed by a word the dying son o( the autjleinan, 
 Chuza, Herod's first officer of his li<»us^Hhold, though 
 many leagues from him at the time ; He stilled a fear- 
 ful tempest on the sea of Tiberius, by speaking thereto 
 and commanding peace ! In the country of the Gadarenes 
 lie cast out unclean spirits from many demoniacs, who, 
 In coming out of the bodies of those they had possessed, 
 acknowledged his power, and confessed Him, as if against 
 their will, to be the Christ, the son of David.' Of the 
 raising of the daughter of the ruler Jairus, and of the 
 son of the widow at Nain, I have already written you. 
 Besides these miracles of healing and raising from the 
 dead, He has been seen walking upon the sea a league 
 from the shore, as firmly as if He trode upon a floor ol 
 porphyry ; which many of the fishermen seeing, they 
 were filled with terror, and made all sail to flee to the 
 land, where they spread it abroad. He has restored 
 sight to the blind, whose eyes were wholly gone ; and 
 created new limbs where legs and arms had been lost 
 for years. Last week, Eli, the paralytic, whom you 
 knew, a scribe of the Levites, whose hand has been 
 withered nine years, so that he had been dependent on 
 the alms of the worshippers in the Temple for his bread, 
 hearing of the power of Jesus, sought Him at the house 
 of uncle Amos, where He was abiding ; for it was out 
 blessed privilege to have Him our guest, for John, his 
 beloved disciple, now the husband of the fair daughter ol 
 ancle Amos, my gentle cousin Mary, always led ihp 
 Prophet to our house. 
 
266 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 Jesus was reclining with our family at the e^vening 
 meal, at the close of the day on which the uproar had 
 taken place in the Temple, as described in my last letter 
 but one, when Eli came and stood within the door 
 lltimble and doubting, his knees trembled, and he timid 
 ly and wistfully looked towards Jesus, but did not speak 
 I kn3w at once what the afflicted man came for, and 
 approached him, saying : Fear not, Eli ; ask Him, and 
 He will make thee whole !" 
 
 "Ah, lady, I fear it is too much happiness for me to 
 expect. It is more than I dare dream of. But I have 
 come to Him, hoping." His voice trembled, and tears 
 dropped from his eyes, as he thought of his family in 
 poverty, and of his own helplessness. " How shall I 
 speak to the great Prophet, daughter — I, a beggar at the 
 gate of the Temple ? Speak for me, and the Lord shall 
 bless thee, child. My tongue cleaves to the roof of my 
 rnouth !" 
 
 Jesus did not see the poor man, his face being turned 
 towards Rabbi Amos J to whom He was explaining the 
 meaning of the sacrifice of Abel. But leaving this con- 
 versation, He said, in a gentle voice, without turning 
 round : 
 
 " Come to me, Eli, and ask what is in thy heart, and 
 fear not ; ior if thou believest, thou shalt receive all thy 
 wish !" 
 
 At this Eli ran forward, and casting himself at Jesus^ 
 feet, kissed them and said : " Rabboni, I am a poor, sm- 
 ful man ; I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of 
 the Blessed !" 
 
 " Dost thou believe, Eli, that I have power to 
 make thee whole?" asked Jcfus, looking steadily upon 
 him. 
 
OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY GIT?. 
 
 267 
 
 " 1 beliave, my Tiord," answered Eli, bowing his face 
 to the ground. 
 
 " Thy sins, then, be forgiven thee. Rise and go to 
 thy house, and sin no more, lest a worse thing come 
 upon thee." 
 
 " This man forgiveth he sins also cried the 
 venerable priest, Manasses, who was at the tabic 
 " He is a blasphemer ! for Grod alone forgiveth sins 
 Will he call himself Grod?" And he rose quickly up 
 and rent his robe, and spat upon the floor in detesta- 
 tion. 
 
 " Manasses," said Jesus, mildly, tell me whether is 
 it an easier thing to do — to say unto this man kneeling 
 here, * Thy sins be forgiven thee,' or to say, ' Stretch 
 forth thine hand whole as the other ' ?" 
 
 " It would be more difficult to do the latter," answered 
 Manasses, surprised at the question. 
 
 " Who alone can do the latter, 0 priest ?" 
 
 " Grod alone, who first made him," answered Manasses, 
 gazing upon the withered arm, which, shriveled to the 
 bone, hung useless at his side. 
 
 " If, then, Grod alone heals, and Grod alone forgiveth 
 sins, both acts, Manasses, would be of God ! Therefore,'' 
 »aid Jesus to the paralytic, " I say unto thee, Eli, stretch 
 forth thy hand whole !'* 
 
 The man, looking upon Jesus' face, and seeming to de- 
 rive confidence from its expression of power, made a con- 
 vulsive movement with his arm, which was bared to the 
 shoulder, exhibiting all its hideous deformity, and stretch- 
 ed it forth at full length. Immediately the arm was 
 rounded with flesh and muscles ; the pulse filled and 
 leaped with the warm life-blood and it became whole 
 
2G8 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 the other. The change was so mstantaneous that it was 
 done before we could see how it was done. The amazed^ 
 and wonderingly delighted Eli bent his elbow, expanded 
 and contracted the fingers, felt the flesh and pressed 
 it with his other hand, before he could realize that he 
 was healed. Then he lifted up his voice in praise to 
 Jehovah, and casting himself at the feet of the Prophet, 
 cried : 
 
 " Thou art not a man, but Gabriel, the angel o^ 
 God!" 
 
 " Thou art now healed, Eli," said Jesus impressive 
 ly ; " worship God, and go, and sin no more !" 
 
 Master, thou knowest all things ! Lo ! my sin even 
 was not hid from thee, though I believed no eye beheld 
 it. Men and brethren," he continued, addressing those 
 who were assembled, well did this holy Prophet, or 
 angel of God, say unto me, at the first, ^ my sins were 
 forgiven,' instead of bidding me stretch forth my hand ; 
 for it was a great sin that brought on my paralysis, as 
 a punishment for it. I had copied a parchment for the 
 Levite, Phineas, the tax-gatherer for the Temple service, 
 and wickedly altered a figure in an amount, by which 1 
 should be a gainer of four shekels of silver. Instantly 
 upon writing the last figure, I felt a stroke of palsy, and 
 my arm fell dead at my side. It was God's punishment. 
 This was eight years ago. No eye knew the deed but 
 God's and my own ; but I have repented in deep humilia- 
 tion. Therefore, as my withered arm was for the pun- 
 ishment of my sin, well did my Lord, the mighty Pro- 
 phet, say unto me, ' my sin was forgiven,' for then would 
 my punishment have been removed ; for I felt already 
 at his word the blood coursing through my parched 
 veins !" 
 
OK. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CrTY. 
 
 269 
 
 Upon ihis frank acknowledgment, Manasses cried in 
 amazement, Truly, Grod is good to Israel. The hour 
 of his promise is come. Verily, 0 Jesus of Nazareth 
 thou art the Son of the Highest ! Forgive a worm of the 
 dust, and my sins also !" And the proud priest fell at 
 Jesus' feet, and bowed his snow-white locks upon them 
 in adoration and reverence. 
 
 If, then, dear father, the secret sins of men are known 
 to Jesus ; if He forgives sins as well as heals diseases ; 
 if He removes the temporal penalties which God inflicts 
 upon men for their iniquities, what name, what power, 
 what excellence, shall we concede to Him ? Shall we 
 not, with Esaias, call Him the Wonderful, the Coun- 
 sellor, the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace, who shall 
 sit upon the throne of David to establish it with justice 
 and judgment henceforth, even forever?" ''Who," 1 
 repeat with Manasses, "who forgiveth sins but God 
 alone ?" 
 
 How shall I be able to remember and repeat all the 
 other mighty works which Jesus has done in proof of hia 
 divine power ! You must have heard how He fed, from 
 a small basket of bread, (the frugal provision which a 
 lad had brought into the desert for his mother and his 
 brothers,) no less than five thousand men, not naming 
 the women and children. This vast multitude had foU 
 lowed Him far from the cities to listen to his teachings — 
 people of all classes and tongues, including not a few 
 Roman captains. When the mighty host was an hun- 
 gered. He caused them to sit down on the grass and 
 from the basket He took forth bread inexhaustibly in« 
 creasing it tc his hand as He distributed ; so that when 
 all had eaten, there were gathered twelve times as much 
 
270 THE PRINOE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 In fragments as the little basket originally held. Who, 
 dear father, but Messias, could do this miracle ? He whp 
 could thus create bread at his will, is He not the Lord of 
 the harvests of the earth ? My mind is overwhelmed, my 
 deal father — T am filled with astonishment and awe, 
 when I reflect upon the might, power, and majesty of 
 Jesus, and I fear to ask myself — who more than man is 
 He ? Is He verily the awful and terrible Jehovah o^ 
 Sinai, visible in the human form ? Oh, wondrous and 
 incomprehensible mystery ! a man with Almighty power, 
 and manifesting the very attributes of Jehovah, the Lord 
 of Hosts, walking the earth, conversing with men, dwel- 
 ling in our habitations, eating and drinking with us, and 
 sleeping with the peaceful helplessness of an infant be- 
 neath our roofs ! I dare not trust my thoughts to pene- 
 trate the mystery in which He walks among us in the 
 veiled Godhead of his power. His beloved disciple, John, 
 says that Jesus has told him the day is not far off when 
 this veil will be removed, and that we shall then know 
 Him, who He is, and wherefore He has come into the 
 world, and the infinite results to men of his mission. 
 
 The Passover is nigh at hand, when we shall again be- 
 hold the majesty of His presence. I have just heard that 
 Lazarus, the amiable brother of our cousins Mary and 
 Martha, is taken suddenly ill, and I close this letter in 
 order to accompany my cousin Mary and her father to 
 Bethany, from whence they have sent us an earnest mes- 
 sage of entreaty. May God preserve his life. 
 Your devoted daughter, 
 
 A DIN A. 
 
OK. TflUEB YEAB8 IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 27i 
 
 LETTER XXIV. 
 
 My Dear Father : 
 
 As I was closing my last letter to you, intelligence 
 reached my uncle Amos, .that Lazarus, the amiable 
 brother of Martha and Mary, was very ill. The mes- 
 8age was brought by Elec, the Gibeonite slave, who, 
 with tears in his eyes, communicated to us the sad 
 news. My cousin Mary and I at once set out to go to 
 Bethany with him, uncle Amos kindly offering his two 
 mules for us to ride upon, promising himself to come 
 out also after the evening service at the Temple, if 
 Lazarus should be no better. 
 
 We were soon beyond the city-walls, on the read 
 to Bethany, guided by the faithful servant, who, every 
 few minutes, would urge us to ride faster ; and then 
 lifting his hands and eyes, he would lament the danger 
 of the young man, and the destitution of his sisters, 
 should he be removed from them — he being, dear father^ 
 their only support, as I once wrote you ; his occupation 
 being that of copying out rolls of the Prophets for the 
 uses of the various synagogues. 
 
 Although we did not expect to be able to do much by 
 hastening to our dear relatives in their affliction, yet wt 
 hoped by our presence and heartfelt sympathy to relieve 
 
272 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSiii OF DAVID; 
 
 much of the solicitude of the beloved sisters for their dear 
 brother. 
 
 " Knowest thou, Elec, the disease that has so sudden!} 
 seized my cousin ?" asked Mary, as we wound slowly up 
 the path that leads around the steepest side of Olivet. 
 
 All, dear me, noble lady, I know not," answerer 
 Elec, shaking his head. ^' He had just returned from 
 the city, where he had been staying night 9nd day for a 
 week, laboring industriously to complete a copy of the 
 Five Books of the blessed Moses for the Procurator's chief 
 captain, for which he was to receive a laige sum in 
 Roman gold." 
 
 What was the name of this captain who seeks to ob- 
 tain our holy books?" I asked, hope half answering the 
 question in my heart. 
 
 " Emilius, the brave knight, they say, who was made 
 a proselyte at the last Passover." 
 
 I was rejoiced to hear this proof of the steady desire oi 
 the princely Roman knight to learn our sacred laws, you 
 may be assured, dearest father. But Elec went on speak- 
 ing, and said : 
 
 It was his hard work to complete this copy which 
 made him ill ; for he slept not, nor ceased to toil until he 
 had completed it ; and when he came home with the 
 silver-bound Roll in his hand, and laid it upon the table 
 before his sisters, he fell at the same moment fainting 
 to the ground. When they raised him up, he was in a 
 fierce fever, and raved so that he knew no one around 
 him,' 
 
 Alas, poor Lazarus!" we both exclaimed, and urged 
 our mules forward at a faster pace, our hearts bleeding 
 for the sorrow of his sisters, and for his sad condition I 
 
THREE YEARS IN THE ROhY CHY, 27^ 
 
 have already told you, in a former letter, in which I do- 
 Bcribed my visit to the house of Mary and Martha, what a 
 noble and good young man their brother was ; how he 
 was beloved by all who knew him — commanding the 
 respect of his superiors by his dignity of bearing, while 
 his manly beauty won the hearts of the maidens who 
 wore his sisters' friends. I told you how diligently he 
 toiled for the maintenance of those dearly-loved sisters and 
 helpless mother, thinking only of their comfort, forgetful 
 of his own. I also related how that his many virtues had 
 won for him the friendship of the equally youthful Prophet 
 Jesu« who loved to make his abode his often-abiding 
 place ; «nd lofty must the virtues and excellencies of a 
 man be, dear father, to command the holy friendship oi 
 this divine man of Grod. Nearly of the same age, they 
 walked and discoursed together in sweet companionship 
 like Jonathan and David in the golden age of oui 
 country's glory. 
 
 At length, half an hour after leaving the gate of th< 
 city, we drew near to Bethany, and beheld the roof of 
 the house of Lazarus. Upon it, watching the roaa 
 towards Jerusalem for us, w^e discovered the graceful 
 form of Mary, who no sooner saw us, than she waved 
 her hands in earnest longing. In a few moments we 
 uere m her arms, mingling our tears together. 
 
 Does he yet live ?" I asked, scarcely daring t( m- 
 quire, as she led us into the house. 
 
 " Yes, lives, but fails hourly," answered Mary, with 
 forced composure. God bless you both for hastening 
 to me.'' 
 
 At this moment Martha's pale and suflering face, 
 beautiful even in its pallor appeared in the door of the 
 18 
 
ft74 
 
 THK PRINCE OP THE HOCTSB OP DAVID; 
 
 iimer room. Upon seeing us she advanced, and taking 
 both our hands in hers, said in a touching whisper, " Yoii 
 have come, sweet friends, to see my brother die !" 
 
 She then led us into the room, where lay upon a couch 
 the form of the invalid, whose perilous condition had 
 brought a pang to the hearts of so many dear and loving 
 ones around him. Upon entering the apartment, he 
 turned his lustrous eyes upon us, and smiled faintly a 
 grateful recognition. Noble and beautiful as his coun- 
 tenance was in health, I thought that its expression, 
 with his brilliant eyes and feverish cheek, was no\^ 
 superhuman. 
 
 " He has slept a little,'' said Martha, softly, to me , 
 but his fever is consuming him. He has now closed 
 his eyes again, and seems heavy ; but his slumbers are 
 restless, as you see ; and he seems to think his dear 
 friend, Jesus the Prophet, is by him ; or he talks of Ra- 
 chel as if she were not present." 
 
 And who is Rachel, dear Martha ?" I asked, as I was 
 about to follow her out of the room, leaving her brother 
 lo his weary repose. 
 
 Alas ! It was for Rachel's gentle love's sake he now 
 lies there," she answered ; there is the sweet maiden 
 irneeling on the other side of his couch, her tearful face 
 buried in the folds of the curtains. She leaves him no 
 a moment ; nay, though he does not seem to be sensible 
 of her presence, yet when she has once or twice gone 
 from the room, he awakes directly and calls for her." 
 
 1 turned, and regarded with tender interest the grace- 
 ful and half-concealed form of the young girl as she 
 bent over his pillow, her hand clasped by his. At this 
 moment she looked up, and directed her s^aze towarcL 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY C]£Y. 
 
 27b 
 
 me Her face was inexpressibly lovely, bathed as it 
 was in its glittering tear-dews, and her large, glorious 
 eyes, shone like slarry heavens of tenderness and love 
 Her hair would have been raven black, save that rays 
 of golden bronze enriched its waving masses with every 
 play of the light upon it. As our eyes met, she seemed 
 to receive me into her soul, and my heart to embrace 
 hers Lazarus now moved, and murmured her name, 
 when she dropped her eyes, and bent like an angel over 
 him. 
 
 " "WTio is this marvellously lovely maiden 1 asked 
 of Martha, as we went out into the court of the hall. 
 
 " The betrothed bride of our beloved brother," an- 
 swered she ; sit with me here in the shade, beneath 
 this vine, and I will tell thee their sad story. Lazarus, 
 you know, dearest Adina, is a writer in the Temple, and 
 by his labors has lived in humble competence, and sur- 
 rounded us all with many comforts, nay, luxuries ; for 
 ell we have, we owe to his filial and fraternal love. His 
 attachment to us led him to forego the pleasure of all 
 other society ; as he said he found in our sweet bond of 
 sisterly love all that he required to render him happy. 
 He was therefore insensible to the attractions of the 
 maidens who are our acquaintances and friends ; and 
 when, a few months since, our mother was gathered to 
 her fathers, he said he felt more than ever his duty to 
 devote his life to our happiness. We would fain have 
 induced him to seek a companion for life, knowing his 
 nobie nature, and how he possessed in an eminent de- 
 gree those amiable qualities which would render, as his 
 wife, happy and honored, any daughter of Israel Bui 
 when urged by us, he would smile, and playfully say, 
 
276 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 that he had but a ver} little heart, and that it would 
 hold no more love than mine and Mary's. 
 
 " A few weeks ago, as he was engaged late and alone 
 in the copying-room of the Temple upon a Roll which 
 the noble ^miliushad ordered, which he desired to have 
 completed on a certain day and for which he was to give 
 him a large sum, he was startled by the sudden entrance 
 of a young girl in great terror, who seemed to be flying 
 from pursuit. Upon beholding him, she bounded to- 
 wards him, and casting herself at his feet, implored hi» 
 protection ! Amazed and interested, he promptly 
 promised it, but had hardly spoken the words before 
 Annas entered, and advanced towards her. His face 
 was flushed with rage, and his voice was loud and 
 fierce as he demanded her at the hand of my bro- 
 ther. 
 
 " * Nay, my lord Annas,' answered Lazarus, boldly ; 
 ' were a dove to seek shelter from a hawk in my bosom 
 I would protect it, much more a distressed maiden o 
 the daughters of Abraham !' and he placed himself before 
 the fugitive. 
 
 " * Darest thou protect from me ? She is my child, a 
 wicked and disobedient daughter of Belial ! Resign her 
 to me, young scrivener, or I will have thee sent to the 
 lowest dungeon of the casfJe of David.' 
 
 " ' Oh, save me ! save me !' cried the young girl, aa 
 Annas advanced to seize her. ^ I am not his child ! I 
 am the orphan of Rabbi Levi, who left me and my es* 
 tate to this false priest as a sacred charge ; and having 
 done, I know not what, with my inheritance, he would 
 BcU me in unholy marriage to a Grreek captain in the 
 Roman Legion, who offers him large bribes in gold foi 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. ^77 
 
 me. And when but now he would have delivered me 
 up to him, I fled to the altars of my Grod for the protee- 
 tion which man denied me ; and, ignorant of the way, 
 and lost in the labyrinth of the Temple, I found myself 
 hero. Rather than be given into the hands of this fierce 
 and terrible Grrecian, whom I have seen only to dread, 
 I will oast myself down from the height of the Tem- 
 ple!' 
 
 " And to the surprise and horror of Lazarus, she bound 
 ed from the lattice, and stood upon the edge of the rock, 
 which looks sheer three hundred feet down into the valley 
 beneath. 
 
 " ' Thou seest, 0 Annas, to what thy cupidity for 
 gold will drive this maiden. Has the land of Israel 
 sunk so low, that its chief priest will sell the daughters 
 of the land for gold to the lust of the Gentiles ? Is 
 this the way thou givest protection to orphans ? Leave 
 her ; and until I find a protector for her, she shall 
 be a sacred guest with my sisters in their humble 
 abode !' 
 
 " ' Thy life shall pay for this arrogance, young 
 man,' answered the priest. ' I have power and will 
 exercise it.' 
 
 * Not to the danger and wrong of this maiden, my 
 lord Annas, whom Jehovah will protect, since she has 
 trustingly sought the sheltering wing of his altars, 
 answered my brother, firmly. ' If thou continue to 
 persecute her, I will appeal to the Procurator, Pontius 
 Pilate, against thee. Thou already knowest, that Ro 
 man justice knows how to punish Jewish guilt with ter- 
 rible severity.' 
 
 "The result was," continued Martha, *^that the 
 
278 
 
 THE FRINGE OF THE HODBE OF DAVIV 
 
 wicked priest, alarmed hy the threat of appeal to Pilate, 
 relinquished his present purposes, and left them, breath?, 
 ing menaces against my brother. The same day 
 Lazarus conducted the maiden whom you already guess 
 to be Rachel, to our house ! She has since then been our 
 guest, and has won all our hearts, as well as our den ' 
 brother's. Pilate, to whom Lazarus appealed, h s 
 placed the shield of his protection between them auvl 
 Annas. It was to obtain money to be able soon tc 
 wea Rachel, that our brother has at length fallen a vio 
 tim to his arduous toils, and now lies at the brink of the 
 grave." 
 
 " Is there no hope for him ?" I asked, after listening te 
 Qcr touching narrative 
 
 " None ! The physicians say that he will never rise 
 again." 
 
 " There is one hope left," I said eagerly. 
 
 What is that ?" demanded Martha. 
 
 Jesus!" I answered; "send to Him, 0 Martha, 
 and He will yet save him, and raise him up to life and 
 health." 
 
 I had no sooner spoken, than Mary, who overheard me, 
 uttered a cry of joy. 
 
 " Yes, Jesus has the power to heal him, and Jesus 
 loves him ! He will come and save him the moment He 
 hears of his danger." 
 
 Immediately Mary wrote on a slip of parchment iheso 
 brief and touching words : 
 
 " Lord^ behold ho whom thou lovest is sick ! Hasten 
 to come to us that he may live ; for nothing is impossi- 
 ble with Thee." 
 
 This message was forthwith despatched by the handj* 
 
Oa THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITST. 
 
 279 
 
 of a young friend to Bethabara, beyond Jordan, where 
 we learned Jesus at present abides. We have, there- 
 fore, no hope for our dear relative, but in the power of 
 tlie Prophet. I will write as soon as we hear. Dear 
 fether. 
 
 Your attached daughter, 
 
 LETTER XXV. 
 
 HIy Dear and Honored Father : 
 
 It is with emotions of the deepest grief that 1 convey 
 to you the sad intelligence of the death of Lazarus. It 
 is amid the low sounds of the plaintive moans of his 
 bereaved sisters over his lifeless form, and with my tears 
 almost blinding my overflowing eyes, that I write to you. 
 The hand of the Lord hath fallen heavily upon this 
 household, and stricken down its prop^ smitten the oak 
 around which clung these vine-like sisters, vine-like in 
 their dependence upon him, and confiding trust in his 
 wisdom and love. Now prostrate in the dust they lie 
 stunned by the sudden and mysferious stroke of GrodV 
 providence. 
 
 I have spoken to you of the noble character of Lazarus, 
 in a former letter, dear father ; how that by writing in 
 the Scribe's room in the Temple, he had supported his 
 venerable mother and sisters, while they, in their aflec- 
 tion, labored with the needle in embroidery work, where- 
 in they had very delicate skill, in order to lighten hie 
 labors To the young men of Israel, Lazarus was held 
 
5d80 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID: 
 
 lip by the Elders, as a pattern of filial and brotherly 
 virtue and honest industry; and to his sisters, Mary and! 
 Martha, other maidens were directed to look for examples 
 of maidenly piety and diligent household thrift. Their 
 humble dwelling was the home of hospitality and kind- 
 ness, and thither the Prophet of Grod, Jesus, loveth to 
 resort whensoever his great labors will permit him. 
 Nearly of the same age, a holy friendship had sprung up 
 Detween him and Lazarus, who so loved the Blessed 
 Anointed One of God, that he would readily have laid 
 down his life for him. I have told you, dear father, 
 what a happy household I have seen it when Jesus com- 
 pleted the number ; for He stayed so much with them 
 when not preaching, or when wishing to rest a day or 
 two from his weary toil, that they came to regard Him 
 as one of their family. Mary would devise ways to do 
 Him honor, and to show her respect and affection, by 
 working for Him silken covers for the Books of the 
 Prophets, which Lazarus would copy and present to his 
 beloved friend ; while Martha seemed ever to be think- 
 ing what and how she should administer to his comfort, 
 by providing every delicacy for her table. But so that 
 Jesus could find listeners to his words of truth and 
 wisdom, like Mary — who loved to sit at his feet and 
 hear the golden language fall from his sacred lips — He 
 thought not of meats or drinks. 
 
 One day when I, with Mary and Lazarus, was listen 
 ing to his heavenly teachings, wrapt in wonder and ab- 
 sorbing interest, Martha, who was preparing the meal, 
 came and desired Mary to come and assist her ; but the 
 dear, pious girl heeded not nor heard her, feeding, for- 
 getful of all else, upon the celestial food that fell from 
 
OB THREE YEARS IN THE HOLT CITY 
 
 281 
 
 the lips of Jesus, who was talking to us of the kingdom 
 of God and the glories of heaven, and the necessity of 
 holiness to enter and to dwell there. At length Martha, 
 finding that Mary heard not, appealed to Jesus, saying, 
 Bomething sharply : 
 
 Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left m 
 *-o serve alone ? Bid her, therefore, that she help rae." 
 
 We turned with surprise to hear her, who was usually 
 «o gentle and good, thus forget what was due to the 
 presence of the Prophet; and Lazarus was about to 
 speak and excuse his sister, who looked as if she were 
 much worried with her domestic troubles ; when Jesus 
 said kindly to her : 
 
 " Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled abrml 
 many things ; thy household takes up too much of thy 
 time and thoughts. In this world but one care is truly 
 worthy of the regard of men, which is to provide need- 
 ful sustenance for the soul ; for the body perisheth. 
 Mary hath chosen more wisely than thyself. While thou 
 rarest much for the wants of the body, she careth for 
 those of the spirit, and thus has that good part which 
 shall not be taken away from her. Think not, beloved 
 Martha, of sumptuous living for me, who have no 
 earthly goods, nor even where to lay my head !" 
 
 Say not thus, oh, say not so, dear Lord," cried 
 Martha, suddenly bursting into tears at Jesus' toucliing 
 words, and casting herself impulsively at his feet ; " this 
 house is thy home — ever beneath its roof, while I have 
 one above me, shalt thou have where to lay thy head ; 
 Say not so, my Lord !" 
 
 We were all moved at Martha's pathetic earnestness. 
 Jesus raised her up, and said gently : 
 
282 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID : 
 
 " It is thy love for me, I well know, that maketh thob 
 BO careful and troubled to provide for me at thy bountiful 
 table. But I have meat to eat that ye know not of. To 
 teach the truths of Grod, as thou findest me doing to 
 these, is tc me meat and drink, for herein J ani doing my 
 Father's will, who sent me." 
 
 I have been particular in giving you, dear fathei, 
 these details of the domestic relations existing in the 
 abode of Lazarus, of the sweet friendship that resided 
 in their bosoms towards Jesus, and of his familiar^ 
 brotherly love for them. You can now understand why, 
 when Lazarus was taken ill, after his laborious vigils to 
 copy the manuscripts for the Roman Centurion, a mes- 
 sage was at once sent to Jesus, who was in Bethabara 
 beyond Jordan ; for a physician of Jerusalem, whom the 
 noble Caiaphas had sent out to Bethany, on hearing of 
 the sudden sickness of the youthful secretary, to whom 
 he was greatly attached, for all people did love him who 
 knew him, had pronounced him in danger of sudden 
 death from inward bleeding of the lungs. 
 
 Why, then," you may ask, dear father, should they 
 send for Jesus when death was certain. Jesus," you add, 
 
 was no physician, or if he had been, he could not re- 
 verse the fate of the dying young man !" 
 
 The fact, dear father, that under these circumstances 
 they did send to Jesus to come and heal hnn, shows that 
 it was not as a human physician they desired his 
 presence, but as the miracle-working Prophet of Godl 
 It proves, and will, I trust, prove to you, dearest father, 
 that they who should best know his power, and who 
 remembered the mighty miracle at Nain, believed assu- 
 redly that He could save their brother. It is those who 
 
OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 283 
 
 are most intimate with others who know them best 
 Now, that the sisters of Lazarus sent a message presently 
 
 Jesus to interpose between death and his life, is evi- 
 lence thai they plainly believed He had not only the 
 R'wer of miracles, but had power to prevent death ; and 
 hey had witnessed instances of his power sufficient to 
 ^ve them faith in his ability to save their brother ; 
 while they knew that his love for him would certainly 
 prompt Him to exert it. 
 
 My last letter closed with informing you of the depart- 
 ure of the messenger. After he had gone out of sight from 
 the door, and the last echo of his horse's hoofs ceased to 
 be heard by the long-listening ears of his sister Martha, 
 I re-entered the room where Lazarus lay. He was as 
 white as marble. His large black eyes seemed to be 
 twice their usual size and brilliancy. He breathed with 
 difficulty, and every few moments he would be compelled 
 to have his head raised in order to free his mouth from 
 the welling blood that was constantly bubbling up froir 
 the broken fountains of his life. Mary's tender privi- 
 lege it was, assisted by liaohel, to render him this service 
 ol Jove. As she bent over him, looking downward with 
 anxious fondness into his pale, intellectual face, watch- 
 ing every shadow of the change that the sable wing 
 of advancing death cast over it, I thought I had never 
 gazed on a more lovely being ! Who, in beholding the 
 seraphic beauty of her face, the brilliant light of her 
 dark eyes, which were now glittering with sisterly grief 
 the graceful expression of her proud Rebecca-like head, 
 and the supeib outline of her figure, where love and 
 majesty seemed blent to mould a second Eve — who, in 
 the admira+ion of her person, could otherwise than ad- 
 
284 TAB PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 mire and love her ? I forgot for the moment the dying 
 young man about whose form her snow-white arms were^ 
 entwined, his head reclining upon her bosom, her raven 
 tresses bronzed with a changing light, all unbound and 
 floating above him and over his pillow, like a rioh veil 
 interwoven of sable silken floss and threads of gold. This 
 was a pure act of grateful adoration for the restoration 
 of her brother, and of holy love for blessings conferred 
 on herself. 
 
 I commenced this letter by informing you of the de» 
 parture of the good, and generous, and pious Lazarus 
 He fell asleep in death as an infant sinks to slumber in 
 its mother's arms, gradually sinking from the loss of 
 blood, and growing fainter and fainter till his eyes 
 closed heavily, when his pulse ceased to throb, and his 
 noble heart, no longer fluttering like an escaping bird 
 beneath the hand's light pressure, was at rest ! 
 
 All too late was Jesus sent for ! To-morrow his burial 
 will take place. Alas ! how suddenly has perished the 
 noblest young man in Judea ! 
 
 Farewell, dear father ! My heart is full ; I can now 
 v/rite no more. The day after to-morrow I return to 
 Jerusalem, when I will write you again. You said in 
 your last letter you would soon leave Egypt for Judea, 
 for the purpose of taking me back to my dear native 
 valley of the Nile. The Grod of Abraham preserve you 
 in your journey, and bring you in safety to the em- 
 braces of 
 
 Your loving daughter, 
 
 Adina. 
 
OS THBBB TEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 285 
 
 LETTER XXVI. 
 
 Mv Dear Father : 
 
 In my last letter I told you that Lazarus was dead \ 
 I write this to say that he that was dead is alive ! 
 Lazarus lives ! He whom 1 saw dead and buried, and 
 sealed up within the rocky cave of the tomb, is alive 
 again from the dead ; and at this moment, while I am 
 penning this extraordinary account, I hear his voice 
 upon the porch, as he is engaged in relating with pro- 
 foundest awe, what has transpired respecting himself to 
 a crowd of wondering people from Jerusalem. Even 
 Pilate, the Roman Procurator, stopped his chariot at the 
 door this morning, to see the once dead Lazarus, and 
 have speech with him. 
 
 How, my dear father, how shall I find adequate lan- 
 guage to tell you all that has happened within the last 
 twenty-four hours! How shall I make you fully be- 
 lieve the marvellous recital which I have taken up my 
 pen to make ! I know not how to begin the wonderful 
 narrative, for joy prevents me from arranging my thoughts 
 and presenting the facts intelligibly to you. God has 
 indeed remembered his chosen people Israel once more, 
 and shown his power among us ! 
 
 You must have already been informed by me ho^ 
 
286 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 rapidly Lazarus failed after his sudden attack of hemor- 
 rhage of the chest, and that he soon died ; and how, in, 
 hopes that He might avert death, Jesus was sent for at the 
 first to eome to him. But Bethabara was a long day's 
 journey, and ere the messenger reached him the soul ol 
 his friend had fled. The next day he was buried ; a 
 very large concourse of people, from the town of Bethany 
 and from Jerusalem, coming to his burial; for he was 
 greatly beloved ! even the chariot of the noble lady, Lucia 
 Metella, the good and virtuous wife of Pilate, was pres 
 ent to do honor to the obsequies of him who had no othe^ 
 renown than his virtues. 
 
 The funeral procession was so very long, that strangers 
 pausing, asked what great master in Israel, or person of 
 note, was being taken to the sepulchre. 
 
 Some answered, Lazarus, the industrious scribe P 
 Others said, A young man who has devoted his life to 
 honor his mother !" Others answered, as Lazarus hira- 
 self, were he alive, would have had them : 
 
 " It is Lazarus, the friend of Jesus !" 
 
 This, living, was his proudest title ; and dead, he 
 would have desired no other. Ah, dear father, may the 
 day yet come when you shall deem such a title greatei 
 honor than the gold of Egypt, or all the glory of your 
 proud descent from Abraham and David ! 
 
 The place where they were to lay him was the cave 
 in which both his father and mother were entombed. 
 It wa5 in a deep, shady vale, thickly shaded by cypress, 
 palm, and pomegranate trees ; and a large tamarind 
 grew, with its stately branches, overclasping the summit 
 of the secluded place of sepulchre, while an abrupt clifl 
 of Olivet hung impending above. From its summit, to 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE UOLT CITY. 
 
 287 
 
 which I had ascended the evening previous, looking in 
 the direction of Jerusalem, are visible the majestic heights 
 of the distant Temple, and the warlike battlements of 
 the city of David, while the sunlight, glancing upon the 
 dazzling shield of a sentinel who was standing upon Its 
 loftiest watch-tower, caused it to gleam like a i^essor 
 eun. The remote swell of a Roman bugle from the head 
 of a cohort, which was just issuing through a defile, came 
 now softly and musically to our ears, as we stood in 
 silence about the grove wherein we were to place the 
 dead. jiEmilius, the Centurion, was also present, wearing 
 a white scarf above his silver cuirass, in token of grief ; 
 for he also loved Lazarus. Of him, dear father, I have 
 not of late spoken ; for should I begin to write of him, 
 I should have no room in my letters for any other theme. 
 You will soon see him, and judge for yourself how wor- 
 thy he is of your confidence, and all the love of my 
 heart. I am too grateful to you, dearest father, for nol 
 refusing your consent to our union, but only withhold- 
 ing it until you reached Jerusalem. The blessed winds 
 waft your bark swiftly to Jaffa, that I may soon 
 embrace you, and present to you the noble iEmilius, 
 who is as faiihful a worshipper of our Grod as if he 
 were a son of Abraham by birth, rather than by 
 adoption. 
 
 The sacred observances at the grove being over, they 
 raised the bodv of the dead young man from the bier, 
 and f ^ur youths, aided by ^milius at the head to sup 
 poH it, conveyed it into the yawning cavern. A moment 
 they lingered on the threshold, that Mary and Martha 
 raight take one more look, imprint upon its icy cold lips 
 one last kiss, press once more his unconscious head to 
 
288 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID- 
 
 their loving and bursting hearts ! I also gazed upon 
 him, weeping at their sorrow, and sorrowing to behold 
 so noble a face, beautiful as chiselled alabaster, about 
 tx) be consigned to the loathsome worm of the charnel- 
 house. He was so good, and excelling all his compan- 
 ions in all things great and pure, and lofty in character 
 hat my tears freely flowed! 
 
 The young men moved slowly forward into the glooin 
 of the cave. Mary rushed in, and with disheveled hair, 
 cried : 
 
 " Oh, take him not away forever from the sight of 
 my eyes ! Oh, my brother, my brother, would that 1 
 had died for thee ! for I am willing to lie down with the 
 worm and call it my sister, and sleep in the arms of 
 death, as on the breast of my mother, so thou could st 
 live ! Thou wert happy and honored, and shouldest have 
 lived ! Oh, brother, brother, let them not take thee for- 
 ever from the sight of my eyes ! Without thee, how 
 shall life be Ufe !" 
 
 iErnilius entered the tomb, and tenderly raising her 
 from the body, on which she had cast herself in the elo- 
 quent abandonment of her wild grief, he led her forth, and 
 beckoning to me, placed her in my arms. 
 
 Martha bore her grief with more composure, but her 
 face expressed how deeply she was moved within, thus to 
 '?ay adieu forever to her only brother, to her beloved 
 Lazarus, who had been the strong rock which had pre- 
 sented ever its front to the shock of the stormy billows 
 of this life, as they threatened her and Mary, who was 
 a tower of strength to them in the day of trouble, 
 as well as an exhaustless fountain of holy domestic 
 
OK, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 289 
 
 The body being placed in a niche hollowed out in the 
 rock, was decently covered with a grave raantle, all but 
 the calm face, which was bound about by a snow-white 
 napkin. Maidens of the village advanced and cast flowers 
 upon his head, and many, many were the sincere tears, 
 both from beneath manly lids and those of virgins, 
 which bore tribute to his worth. 
 
 The burial ceremonies being ended, five strong mer 
 replaced the ponderous stone-door closely fitting the en- 
 trance to the cave, and so secured it, by letting it into a 
 socket, that it would require a like number to remove it. 
 
 As they were retiring with heavy hearts from perform- 
 ing this last duty to the beloved dead, the sun sank be- 
 yond the blue hills of Ajalon in the west, in a lake of 
 gold. To enjoy the sunset, and to relieve our emotions 
 of sadness, 1 walked apart with Mary to the top of the 
 hill, from which I beheld the sun gilding the pinnacle of 
 the Temple, and making it appear like a gigantic spear 
 elevated into the sky. From the Levites at evening 
 sacrifice came, mellowed by the distance, the deep chant 
 of the Temple service, uttered by a thousand voices. 
 The cloud from the altar sacrifice ascended slowly into 
 the still air, and catching the splendor of the sun's last 
 beams, shone as if the pillar of cloud and of fire which 
 stood above the tabernacle in the wilderness. The labor- 
 ers in the harvest were hastening towards the gates, eie 
 they should be shut for the night by the Roman guards; 
 and dwellers in the village were hurrying forth, lest they 
 should be held in the city over night. 
 
 There was a sacred hush in the sleepy atmosphere 
 that seemed in sympathy and touching harmony with 
 the scone in which we had just borne a part With 
 
290 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOQSB OP DAVID 
 
 Mary leaning sobbing upon my shoulder, T sat uyKra a 
 rock giving my heart up to the sweet influences of th§ 
 hour. We were alone, save iEmilius, who had riddeu 
 after us, anxious for our safety, and who sat upon his 
 hoise near by, gazing upon the beauty of the evening 
 scene. Martha and my cousin, with John, had returned 
 to the now desolate home of which Lazarus had been 
 the light and the honor. 
 
 " I am calmer now," said Mary, after a while raising 
 her head, and looking into my face, her splendid eyes 
 glittering brimful with tears ; "I am better now! The 
 peace of the sweet holy sJties seems to have descended, 
 and entered my heart. The heavens of my soul are as 
 clear and pure and peaceful, as those above me ! The 
 spirit of Lazarus pervades all and hallows all I see ! I 
 will weep no more. He is happy now, very happy, and 
 let us try to be holy and go to him, for he cannot come 
 back to us !" 
 
 At this moment we heard the tramp of horses' hoofs ! 
 iEmilius, startled thereby from his reverie, lecovered his 
 seat and laid his hand upon his sword ; for though the 
 Romans have the mastery in our land, as conquerors, 
 they are not loved ; and scarcely a week passes without 
 some conflict between the soldiers of the Legion and the 
 common people among the Jews ; and even the oflScers 
 have been attacked when riding abroad from Jerusalenj 
 not sufficiently attended. 
 
 iEmilius, therefore, who had with him only his white- 
 haired Celtic servant, Frwynn, prepared to receive a foe 
 or welcome his friends. The next moment, around a 
 rock projecting from the shoulder of Olivet, appeared a 
 horseman in the wild, warlike costume of an Ishniaelite 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. '^91 
 
 of the Desert, brandishing a long spear in the air ; then 
 another and another similarly clad and armed, and 
 mounted on superb horses of the Desert, dashed in sight ! 
 These were immediately followed by a tall, daring-look« 
 ing young man, in a rich costume, half Grecian, half 
 Arabic, though his dark, handsome features were deci- 
 dedly Israelitish. He rode a superb Abyssinian charger, 
 and sat upon his back like the heathen centaur I have 
 read of in the Latin books which ^Emilius has given 
 me to read. TJpon seeing us, he drew rein and smiled, 
 and waved his jewelled hand with splendid courtesy ; but 
 at the sight of ZEmilius, his dark eyes flashed, and leap- 
 ing to his feet in his stirrups, he shook his glittering fal* 
 chion towards him, and rode with a trumpet-like cry full 
 upon him ! 
 
 The brave Roman soldier received the charge by turn- 
 ing his horse slightly, and catching the point of the 
 weapon upon the blade of his short sword. 
 
 We meet at last, 0 Koman !" cried this wild, dash- 
 mg chief, as he wheeled his horse like lightning, and 
 once more rode upon the iron- armed Roman knight. 
 
 Ay, Barabbas, and with joy I hail thee," responded 
 iEmilius, placing a bugle to his lips. 
 
 At hearing the clear voice of the bugle awaking the 
 echoes of Olivet, the dread robber chief, of whom you 
 have heard me speak before, dear father, said haughtily, 
 and with a glance of contempt: 
 
 " Thou, a knight of the tribune, and commander of a 
 legion, call for aid, when I offer thee equal battle, hand to 
 hand, and ask not aid of my own men's spears ? " 
 
 " I know no equal battle with a robber. I would hunt 
 thee as I would do the wolf and the wild beasts of thy 
 
292 
 
 THE PKINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 deserts," answered iEmilius, pressing him closely. A I 
 a signal from the robber chief, his four men, who hajl 
 reined up a short distance off, near the tomb of Lazarus^ 
 sent up a shrill, eagle-like scream, that made my blood 
 stand still, and then rode down like the wind to overcome 
 iEmilius. 
 
 Hitherto I had remained as one stupified at being an 
 involuntary spectator of a sudden battle ; but on seeing 
 his danger, I was at his side, scarce knowing how 1 
 reached the place. 
 
 " Retire, dear Adina," he said authoritatively, I 
 shall have to defend both thee and myself, and these bar- 
 barians will give both my hands enough to do." 
 
 As he spoke, he turned his horse's head to meet the 
 fourfold shook, and I escaped, I know not how, with 
 the impulse to hasten to Bethany for succor. But 
 Heaven interposed its aid ! A detachment of the body- 
 guard of Pilate, which iEmilius had left in an olive 
 grove to bivouac and refresh themselves and horses, 
 hearing the recall of their chiefs bugle, came now can- 
 tering up the hill, a score strong of armed men, bearded 
 Grauls, who had served in Britain against the Picts. At 
 the sight. Bar abbas and his party fled, like wild pigeons 
 pursued by a cloud of Iturean hawks. Bar abbas, how* 
 ever, turned more than once to fling back defiance to his 
 foes. iEmilius soon reached his side, seized the crimson 
 sash which encircled his waist, and held him thus, both 
 fighting as they rode. The Roman troop came up, and 
 after a desperate battle the celebrated robber chief was 
 taken alive, though bleeding with many wounds, and 
 bound with his own sash to the column of one of the 
 fcombs. iEmilius was but slightly hurt ; and I saw the 
 
OR THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 29o 
 
 bright joy which sparkled in his eyes, that he had at 
 length captured the bold bandit leader, who had so fre- 
 quently before escaped him, and to get possession of 
 whom he had made so many attempts. At length he 
 had in his power the terror of all the country between 
 Jericho and Jerusalem, a bound captive. The prisoner 
 smiled still proudly defiant, and looked haughty even in 
 his bonds. His men were also taken ; and giving them, 
 with their chief, into the charge of his soldiers to be con 
 veyed to the prisons of Jerusalem, ^milius rejoined me 
 and Mary, and accompanied us to the house of the twc 
 sisters. 
 
 It appears that Barabbas, emboldened by the rumor 
 that a rich company of merchants were to leave Jerusa- 
 lem at daybreak, had advanced near the city with a few 
 followers, to lie in wait for their coming out, and so 
 hang on their path until they should have entered a de- 
 file in the mountains of Bethel, where his troop were 
 lying in ambush ; and it was while seeking shelter from 
 observation among the tombs in the side of Olivet that 
 he came suddenly upon us. jEmilius says that he wiU 
 assuredly be crucified for his numerous crimes. Dread- 
 ful punishment ! and for one so young as this Desert 
 robber to come to such an ignominious and agonizing 
 death ; doomed to hang for hours under the sun-beamg 
 by his lacerated hands and feet, till death at last comes 
 from slow exhaustion of all the powers of nature. I 
 am amazed that so polite and humane a nation as the 
 Roman can inflict such a cruel and agorizing death, 
 even upon their malefactors. Last week, as I was 
 walking with my uncle Amos among the sepulchres o) 
 the kings outside of tlie North gate, being prevented 
 
294 
 
 THE PEINCB OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 from re-entering the gate by the passage of a Roman 
 detachment, marching to suppress an insurrection jji 
 -Samaria, we passed round by the Western gate, to reach 
 which we had to cross the Place of Calvary, on which 
 two crosses were erected, upon one of which hung th 
 still living body of a seditious Jew, executed by c rdei 
 of the Procurator. He writhed fearfully, while hi 
 groans penetrated my heart. I covered my eyes and 
 my ears, and begged Rabbi Amos to hurry with me 
 from such a fearful spectacle. Yet it was in full sight 
 of the city and of the road ; and many spectators, 
 both of women and men, lingered to gaze. Ignominious, 
 indeed, must the life of a man have been, for him to be 
 doomed justly, to suffer such a death. 
 
 In this letter, dearest father, I intended to relate to 
 you how Lazarus has been restored to life, but it is al- 
 ready taken up with so much, that I defer it to my 
 next. But, believe me, that Lazarus is living and well, 
 and thousands are crowding into Bethany, and throng- 
 ing the house, to learn this great thing that has happened. 
 Suffice it for me to tell you at the close of this letter, 
 that it was Jesus who raised him from the dead, that 
 Prophet of God of whom you are yet in doubt whether 
 He be the Messias or no ! Ah, is He who raised the 
 widow's son of Nain — who walked on the sea a league 
 to his disciples' boats — who stilled the tempest by the 
 word of his power — who fed five thousand men with fiva 
 pounds weight of bread — who healed the nobleman 
 Hadad's son — who raised the dead daughter of the Gali- 
 lean ruler Jairus — who restores the deaf, the blind, the 
 dumb, by a word, a touch, a look — around whose patli 
 and life are gathered together such a multitude of teajti- 
 
Oil THREE YEARS IN THE HOLT CITl. 
 
 296 
 
 monies to his superhuman power, in prophecies, in migh- 
 ty works, and in glittering miracles — ah, my dear father, 
 is He only a common man ? Is He an impostor ? Oh, 
 is He not, is He not the Son of Grod — the Messias of the 
 Prophets — the Lion ot the tribe of Judah — the Deliverer 
 md future glory of Israel ? Is He not He whose day of 
 splendor Abraham saw afar off? Is He not Shiloh, 
 ,vhoin the patriarch Jacob beheld rise up to wield the 
 sceptre of Israel ? Is He not the mighty Son of God, ol 
 whom the burning pen of Esaias writes in these words 
 of inspiration : 
 
 " Unto us a child is born — unto us a son is given ; and 
 the government shall be upon his shoulders ; and his 
 name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Migh- 
 ty GrOD, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace ; 
 who shall sit upon the throne of David, and establish it 
 with justice and judgment from henceforth, even for- 
 ever !" 
 
 Think of these things, dear father ; oh, ponder them 
 well, and let not the poverty of Jesus be a stumbling- 
 block tx) your faith in Him as Messias. That He ha« 
 raised Lazarus from the dead, is alone evidence enough, 
 to me, that He is the Son of God. 
 
 Your affectionate daughter, 
 
 LETTER XXVII. 
 
 My Dear Father : 
 
 Your letter has filled me with joy that I can poorly 
 express by my pen. It was received this morning by 
 ♦•Vi^. omirif^r from EsfVpt, with the packaofe. botV» Kpsiny 
 
296 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DATIT) 
 
 safely placed in my hands, nine days only after thej 
 quitted your own. I kissed them, and pressed there 
 again and again to my heart, at the thought that they 
 were so lately touched by your fingers. The letter as- 
 sures me that you are certainly to leave at the new moon, 
 and after a few days' delay at Gaza, that you will be 
 with me not many days afterward. This letter I shall 
 Bend to meet you at Gaza. 
 
 Three years, three long years, dearest father, have 
 passed since I last beheld your venerable and kind face. 
 Ah, when you come, how" I shall love you, and hang up- 
 on you, and watch every dear look, and fondly catch 
 your every word ! It is true, my uncle Amos has been 
 next to a father to me. He is all affection ana i^ood- 
 ness ; but no love nor care can hold the place of a 
 father's. 
 
 When I review the interesting scenes I have passed 
 through, the wonderful events which I have witnessed 
 since I first came to Jerusalem three years ago, with 
 the caravan of Rabbi Ben Israel, I do not regret my long 
 absence from you ; for to have been in Jerusalem during 
 the period I have named, is a privilege that Abraham 
 and all the patriarchs and prophets of God would have 
 coveted. During that period Messias has walked the 
 earth, clothed with divine power, and familiarly gone in 
 and out of Jerusalem before all eyes, performing mira- 
 cles, and doing mighty works which never man did. I 
 have learned to love and honor that blessed Prophet as 
 the Son of the Highest, and the Anointed of the Lord i 
 I have sat at his feet, and listened to his heavenly teach- 
 ings, and the wisdom of his sacred lips has made me. 
 wise and good. 
 
 But f have not yet made known to you the part»cu- 
 
OR, THRKE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 297 
 
 ATS of the greatest miracle of power and love above all 
 ^ho3e wonders which He has d< »ne, viz., the raising up of 
 Lazarus from the dead, and I will heie recount them ai^ 
 1-1 vn' nor nr red. 
 
 When Mary and Martha, upon finding Lazarus given 
 over by the physicians as past possible recovery from 
 Iiis grievous illness, had dispatched the message to Jesus, 
 as I have already stated, they began to be more cheerful 
 with new-born hope, saying : 
 
 " If our dear Rabbi, the holy Prophet, comes, He will 
 heal him with a word, as He has done so many of the 
 sick." 
 
 Yes ; many whom He knew not he has sestored to 
 health by a touch,'' remarked Martha; "how much 
 more, Lazarus, whom He loveth as a brother ! Oh that 
 the messenger may press forwnid with all hasto 
 
 " If Lazarus should die ere He come," hesitatingly re* 
 marked my gentle cousin, the betrothed of John the disci- 
 ple, " He could bring him to life again, even as He did the 
 son of the widow at Nain." 
 
 " Yes, without doubt, unless it were too late," re- 
 marked Martha, shrinking at the thought that her 
 brother should die ; " but if he be long dead it will be 
 impossible." 
 
 "Nothing is impossible with Jesus," answered Maiy, 
 her eyes brightening with trusting faith. 
 
 Thus the hours passed between mingled hopes and 
 fears ; but ere Jesus came, lo ! the mantle of death was 
 laid over the face of their dead brother. " Lazarus is 
 dead, and Jesus is far away !" was the bitter and touch- 
 ing cry made by the bereaved sisters^ as they wept in 
 each othe.r's arms 
 
298 
 
 TAB PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVO 
 
 Tho next day the burial took place, as I have described 
 already to you, dear father, in my last letter, and yet no 
 messenger came from Jesus. The morning of the third 
 day the man returned, and said that he had found the 
 Proph(5t on the farthei banlc of Jordan, where John had 
 baptized, abiding in an humble cottage in the suburls 
 of Bethabara with his disciples, engaged in teaching the 
 things of the kingdom of Grod, and unfolding the proph- 
 ecies to many who resorted unto Him. 
 
 The bearer of the sad tidings from the two sisters 
 delivered his simple and touching message : 
 
 " Lord, behold he whom thou lovest is sick !" 
 
 " And what said He ? — how did his countenance ap- 
 pear ?" asked Martha, of the man. 
 
 " He betrayed no surprise, but said calmly to me, 
 ' Son, I know it ! This sickness shall not be unto death 
 It shall be for the glory of God ; for hereby will my 
 Father permit me to be glorified, that men may see and 
 believe truly that I came out from Grod.' " 
 
 " What said He more ?" aslfed Martha, sorrowfully and 
 doubting. 
 
 " Nothing more, lady ; and having given my message, 
 I departed," answered the man. 
 
 "Alas ! He knew not how ill his friend was," said 
 Mary, " or He would not have said it was not unto death, 
 and would surely have hastened with you." 
 
 " Thy Lord should know all things, daughter," said a 
 priest who stood by. " This ignorance of the danger of 
 Lazarus, and his assertion that he would not die, shows 
 tliat he is not of God. Is not Lazarus dead and buried 
 
 At this, Martha's faith seemed for a moment shaken, 
 but Mary eloiiuently defended hei brother's absent friend 
 
OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 299 
 
 tlie holy Prophet, sa/ing, that " when Jesus should 
 come and speak in person for Himself, He would make 
 his words plain, and show them to have been spoken 
 with wisdom." 
 
 With what deep sorrow they mourned their brother ! 
 and their tears fell the faster in that they felt assuied 
 he would not have died had Jesus been there. Their 
 faith and confidence in Him underwent a sore trial ay 
 day after day passed, and nothing more was heard from 
 [Tim. 
 
 *'He has forgotten us," answered Martha. ''He 
 should be here to console us in our deep affliction, 
 though He came not to heal our brother." 
 
 " Nay, sister, do not think hardly of the blessed friend 
 of Lazarus," said Mary, with soothing tones, as she 
 caressed her elder sister. '' I feel that if He had seen 
 fit He could have raised up our brother, even speaking 
 the word from Bethabara. It was not needful He should 
 see him to heal him ; for dost thou remember how He 
 healed Lucius, the Centurion's son ? Yet at the time He 
 was a day's journey distant from him." 
 
 " And why, oh why, did He not save Lazarus ?" ex- 
 claimed Martha, bitterly. 
 
 '' In that He did not, sweet sister," answered Mary, 
 gently, '' it was for the best. Did He not say to the 
 m<3ssenger, his sickness should be to the glory of his 
 power." 
 
 '' But not his death, Mary, not his death ! He is 
 dead four days already ; and how can the grave give 
 glor}- to the power of Jesus ? Will He raise him up 
 since corruption hath begun, nay, begun ere we laid 
 hin^ in the cold sepulchre ? Oh, speak not to me of tJie 
 
300 THE PRINCE OP THE flOUSfc. OF DAVID 
 
 Prophet. He loved not Lazarus, or He haJ not the 
 power to save him. Nay ; leave me, Mary, to the bit-, 
 terness of my grief." 
 
 Ah, dear Martha, how soon is thy faith in Jesus, 
 when tried, become naught !" said Mary, bending upon 
 her, from her dark, earnest eyes, looks of sad reproach. 
 
 Shall one day overturn your years of holy friendship 
 for Him ? Because He answered not our prayer to 
 come to Lazarus, think you He loved him not, and is 
 indifferent to our anguish ? He is wronged by your 
 reproof, and injured by your want of confidence in hia 
 love and care for us." 
 
 He can heal a proud and rich ruler's son, but He 
 heeds not the cry of the poor and lowly," perse veringly 
 answered Martha, expressing in her looks the intensity 
 of her feelings. 
 
 Ah, sister, Grod forgive thee, and let thy grief excuse 
 thy words. Though He slay me I will trust in Him," 
 exclaimed Mary, laying her hand on her sister's shoulder, 
 while holy firmness and a resolute light beamed in her 
 shining and tearful eyes. 
 
 "While they were thus discoursing, one came running 
 swiftly towards the house, and, breathless with haste, 
 cried to them and to the Jews sitting there, who had 
 come to comfort them concerning their brother : 
 
 " The Prophet ! the Nazarene ! He comes !" 
 
 Almost at the same moment Elec, the Gribeonite; en. 
 tered and said : 
 
 " Jesus, Messias of Grod, is at hand ! He already en- 
 f.ereth the village followed by his disciples." 
 
 At this intelligence the mourners who sat with Mary 
 ana Martha in the vine porch, rose up to go and meet 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY C[TY 
 
 801 
 
 Him ; but Martha, shrieking with the reaction of sudden 
 joy, sprang up, and, more quickly than they, reached 
 the street, and flying with great speed, came where Jesus 
 was. 
 
 Mary, who had received the news without betraying 
 Any other emotion than the secret and holy joy of pi 
 heart that had confidence all along in her Lord, instead 
 of hastening to meet Him rending her hair with grief, 
 like her sister, proceeded to prepare a room for the hos* 
 pitable entertainment of the beloved Prophet, when He 
 should come in, thus taking Martha's usual place ; and 
 when she had arranged all, she sat down with me in the 
 house, her heart filled with joy, and her face expressive 
 of calm and quiet happiness. 
 
 ' I knew He would come ! I knew He would not 
 leave or forsake us in our deep sorrow, Adina," she said 
 to me two or three times ; and as the confused noise of 
 advancing footsteps fell upon our ears, her heart beat 
 quicker, and, with the glow that joy and expectation 
 made to enrich her face, I thought she looked more beau- 
 tiful than ever. 
 
 When Martha had come near Jesus, whom she met 
 just entering Bethany, walking with four of his dis- 
 ciples along the dusty road, and looking weary and 
 travel-worn, she ran and threw herself at his feet^ 
 crying : 
 
 " Lord^ if thou hadst been here, my brother had net 
 diedr 
 
 Jesus taking her hand, raised her up, and said to 
 her with emotion, for He seemed deeply moved by her 
 grief: 
 
 " Lazarus sleepeth, Martha. I am now come to awake 
 bim out of his sleep." 
 
302 
 
 TBE PRINOE OF THE H008E OP DAVID 
 
 " Lord, if my brother slept only, he would not have 
 been buried. He is dead, and hath been dead four 
 days." 
 
 " Death to those whom my Father loveth is sleep. 
 The good die not! Lazarus is not dead but sleepeth; 
 and he shall rise again !" 
 
 I know, 0 Rabboni, that he shall rise again in the 
 resurrection at the last day." 
 
 Jesus then said to her, lifting his celestial glances to- 
 wards heaven : 
 
 " I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth 
 in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live ! and whoso- 
 ever liveth and believeth in me shall never die ! Be- 
 lievest thou this, daughter ?" 
 
 " Yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son 
 of God, which should come into the world. I know, that 
 whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee, 
 and that even now thou couldst bring Lazarus back 
 again !" 
 
 'i^ Corruption and the worm have begun their work," 
 said a proud and unbelieving Pharisee near, on hearing 
 this ; " whatever may have been the state of the ruler's 
 daughter, and of the son of her of Nain, Lazarus, thr 
 scribe, at least, is dead /" 
 
 To this speech Jesus made no reply, but turning to 
 Martha, said softly : 
 
 " I am rejoiced that thy faith in me hath come back 
 into thine heart, for thou hast doubted, 0 daughter of lit- 
 tle faith, in that I came not at thy call. It was needful 
 that thy brother should die, that I might display the 
 power of God in me by raising him up. This day my 
 Father shall be glorified, and the world shall truly know 
 
OR THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 that I come from Him who is Life, and the giver of lifo/ 
 Go, thou, and tell thy sister that I am here, and WDiikl 
 have her come and speak with me !" 
 
 Martha, then, overjoyed, and wondering that Jesus 
 should have known her thoughts, so as to reproach her 
 for her little faith as He had done, hastened to her sister, 
 and entering, cried : 
 
 " I have seen the Lord ! He calleth for thee, Mary. 
 Come and see Him as He sits by Isaiah's fountain, near 
 the market-place ; for He hath said He will not enter our 
 house until He crosses its threshold with Lazarus by 
 his side !" 
 
 Her words made my heart bound with an indescriba- 
 ble thrill ! Lazarus to come again into the house alive, 
 walking with Jesus ! I buried my face in my hands, 
 overcome with an idea so full of joy, terror, wonder, and 
 supernatural awe. Mary rose quickly, and went out, 
 scarcely supporting herself up on her failing limbs for 
 trembling joy, and a sweet, undefined hope of she knew 
 not what immeasurable and unbearable happiness about 
 to come upon her. Certain of her Jewish friends froni 
 Jerusalem at that moment met her at the door, not know* 
 ing that Jesus had entered Bethany ; and began to com- 
 fort her, and to ask her if they also should go with hei 
 to weep at the grave of Lazarus ; for they said one to 
 another : 
 
 " She goes unto the grave to weep there !" 
 She goes to see Jesus, the friend of Lazarus, for He 
 calleth her," answered Martha, smiling with eagerness, 
 and speaking with an animation that presented a singula! 
 contrast to her late deep grief. 
 
 Mary hastened to whore Jesus sat by the fountain bath* 
 
:i()4 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUISE OP DAVID. 
 
 ing his dusty and wounded feet, and discoursing to tlioae 
 about Him upon the resurrection of the dead. Upon see^ 
 ing Mary, He extended his hand, but she sank at his feet, 
 in tears! 
 
 Lord," she said, in her sister's words, and withdeej 
 emotion, " If thou. Lord, hadst been here, my brothe: 
 had not died !" 
 
 Then bowing her head to the edge of the marble basin, 
 she wept very heavily. The Jews, men and womon^ 
 who stood about, being touched with her sorrow, also 
 wept, while glittering tears coursed their way down the 
 face of the beloved John, his disciple, who stood near. 
 
 Jesus sighed deeply, and groaned in spirit as He be- 
 held her grief, and their mourning with her. His sa- 
 cred countenance was marred with the anguish of his 
 soul. 
 
 Rise, let us go to the grave where he lieth !" He said 
 to them. Where have ye laid him 
 
 Come, dear Lord, and see," answered Mary, holding 
 Him reverently by the sleeve of the robe, and gently yet 
 eagerly drawing Him towards the place of the tombs in 
 che vale of Olivet. 
 
 In the meanwhile, at home, Martha had been diligent- 
 iy, and with strange cheerfulness, getting in readiness 
 the room of Lazarus. She swept and dusted it, and gar- 
 nished it with fresh flowers, which she gathered in the 
 little garden. 
 
 " This is the rose he set out and loved. This is the 
 violet which blooms immortal. I will place it upon hifi 
 pillow," she said, with a joyous hilarity, softened by the 
 most lovely look of peace ; while hope shone in hei 
 eyes like twin morning-stars ushering in a glorious day. 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 She spoke scarcely above her breath, and moved on 
 tiptoe. 
 
 " For whom is this preparation, dearest Martha ? For 
 Josus ?" I asked. 
 
 " Oh, no I The holy Prophet's own room is ready. Mary 
 has prepared that. This is Lazarus' room, and I am 
 decorating it for him !" 
 
 " Dost thou truly believe that he is coming back 
 from the dead ?" I asked, between doubt and strange 
 fear. 
 
 Believe ! Oh, yes. I know that nothing is impos- 
 sible with Him ! 1 doubt no more. My faith trembles 
 no longer. He will raise up my brother, and this day 
 he shall sit down at our table with us again, and this 
 night rest his head in peaceful slumber upon this pil- 
 low which I am strewing with his favorite flowers. 
 Never had house two such guests as we shall have this 
 day — ^the Messias of God, and one come back alive frorr 
 the dead !" 
 
 At this moment we heard the noise of the multitude 
 passing by, and it being told us that Jesus was going to 
 the grave, Martha, embracing me with a heavenly smile, 
 drew me gently after her, to follow the blessed Prophet 
 to the tomb. All Bethany was in his footsteps. Won- 
 der and eager expectation were on every face. There 
 was no outcry, no lawless uproar, in the vast concourse, 
 but rather a subdued under-current murmur of awe and 
 curiosity. 
 
 How shall I describe Jesus, as He then appeared I 
 He wore a blue robe, woven without seam throughout, 
 the affectionate work and gift of the two sisters. Hia 
 {aco was pale and sad ; yet a certain divine majesty rest 
 
306 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID. 
 
 ing thereon, so that his calm, high forehead looked as 
 if it were a throne ! His holy, earnest eyes were fuU 
 of sorrow. His mouth o>mpressed, betrayed the effort 
 He made to suppress the outbursting of his heart's 
 deep grief. 
 
 Slowly He moved onward, and entering the ceme- 
 tery, He soon stood before the tomb of his beloved friend. 
 
 For a few moments He stood gazing upon the closed 
 stone door of the cave in silence. There reigned an expect- 
 ant hush among the vast throng. Mary knelt at his feet, 
 gazing up into his countenance with a sublime expres- 
 sion of hope and trust. Martha drew softly near, and 
 fell upon her knees by the side of her sister. Jesus 
 looked tenderly upon them, and, resting his eyes upon the 
 tomb, wept. Large, glittering tears rolled down his 
 cheeks, and glanced from his flowing beard to the ground. 
 I knelt by the side of the sisters. 
 
 Behold how he loved him !" whispered the Jews 
 present, with surprise. 
 
 Others said : 
 
 Could not* this man which opened the eyes of the 
 blind, have caused that even this man should not have 
 died ?" 
 
 Jesus, heaving a deep sigh, now came nearer the grave. 
 It was, as I have before said, a cave, and a stone lay 
 upon it. With a slight movement of his right hand to 
 those who stood by. He said in a tone that, though low> 
 was heard by the whole people, so solemn was the sur* 
 rounding stillness. 
 
 " Take ye away the stone !" 
 
 " Lord," said Martha, " by this time the body is offen- 
 sive, for he halh been dead fDur days." 
 
 ''Daughter," said Jesus, lonkin<^ on her. said I noi 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 307 
 
 to thee, a little while since, if thou wilt believe that 1 
 can raise up thy brother, that thou shalt see him alive 
 again ? Believe, and thou shalt behold the power of 
 God." / 
 
 The men, then, with some difficulty took away the 
 stone from the door of the sepulchre, and stood it upon 
 one side. The dark vault yawned with gloomy horrors 
 and so corrupt was the air that rushed out, all tell back 
 from it, save Jesus and Mary, retiring several steps from 
 the entrance. 
 
 Jesus stood looking into the cave, where, as our eyes 
 became accustomed to the darkness within, we could 
 discern the corpse of Lazarus, covered with the grave 
 mantle, and his face bound with a napkin which was 
 already discolored with the sepulchral damp of the 
 grave. 
 
 Raising his hands towards heaven, and lifting up his 
 spiritual eyes, which were yet moist with tears, Jesus 
 spoke in a voice of indescribable pathos and earnestness 
 of appeal, and with a manner of the most awful rever- 
 i^nce, as follows : 
 
 " Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And 
 I know that thou hearest me always ; but because of the 
 j)eople which stand by do I offer unto thee this prayer, 
 ^hat they may believe that the power I have cometh 
 from thee, and that they may believe thou hast sent me. 
 And now, 0 Holy Father, may I glorify thee on the 
 earth with the power which thou hast given me !" 
 
 He then turned towards the tomb, and stretching 
 forth his hand. He cried with a loud voice, that madf 
 every heart quake : 
 
 Lazarus, come forth !" 
 
U08 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVU 
 
 My blood stood still in my veins. Scarcely daring to 
 behold, 1 looked and beheld what all eyes also saw, the ^ 
 corpse rise and stand up within the vault, turn round 
 with its face towards us, and come forth, wrapped hand 
 and foot with the grave-clothes, and his face bound about 
 with a napkin. His countenance was like marble foi 
 whiteness, and his eyes, which were open, beamed supor- 
 naturally brilliant. 
 
 At beholding him, a simultaneous shriek burst from 
 the lips of the people, and there was a terrified backward 
 rush of all who were nighest the cave. 
 
 Martha, wildly uttering her brother's name, fell for- 
 ward upon her face, insensible. 
 
 ''Loose him and let him go free /" said Jesus, calmly, 
 addressing the petrified and amazed men who had taken 
 away the stone. 
 
 Mary was the first one who had the firmness to 
 approach him, and as she began removing the napkin 
 from the sides of his face, others, taking courage by her 
 example, hastened to unsw^athe his arms and feet. In 
 a few moments he was free from his outer grave-clothes, 
 and the healthful color of his cheeks coming to him, his 
 lips flushed brilliantly with red, his eyes looked natural^ 
 beaming with wonder and love as he gazed about him. 
 Perceiving Jesus, he was about to cast himself at his 
 feet in gratitude (for he seemed to have consciousness 
 of all that had happened), but the mighty Prophet drew 
 him to his embrace and kissed him. Mary, at first 
 shrinking from awe, now threw herself, blind with tears 
 of joy, into her brother's arms ; and Martha rajsod up by 
 him to his manly breast, his loved voice breathmg ten- 
 derly into her ear recalled her to the consciousness of 
 her happiness. 
 
an. THUEE TEARS IN THE HOLV CITY. 
 
 309 
 
 Bat my pen refuses to find language to express the 
 unspeakable emotions of joy and gratitude, words of love 
 and praise, that filled all hearts. Lazarus, the new-born 
 from the dead, blooming in the rich hues of complete 
 health, walked homeward by the side of Jesus, while 
 the sisters hung upon him with deep thankfulness over- 
 flowing their happy hearts. Now the great Prophet, 
 now Lazarus, and now Jesus again, received the plauditj? 
 of the vast throng of people ! Hymns were chanted to 
 Jehovah as we passed through the streets, and so many 
 fell down to worship Jesus, that it was long before we 
 crossed the threshold of the dwelling ; which Jesus did 
 indeed enter with Lazarus by his side ! And Martha 
 did see her brother sit at the table, and that night his 
 head rested in deep slumber upon the flower-strewn pillow 
 which her faith and love had prepared for him. 
 
 Thus, my dear father, have I given you a recital of 
 the particulars of this mighty miracle, the report of 
 which has filled all Jerusalem with amazement, and 
 must lead the priests and the people to acknowledge 
 Jesus to be the Messias of G-od, him of whom Moses and 
 the Prophets did write. Do you doubt longer, my deal 
 father ? 
 
 This letter will meet you at Graza. With the hope of 
 omtraoing you, I remain as ever, 
 
 Your loving daughter, 
 
 A01NA. 
 
310 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAYlb 
 
 LETTER XXVTTT. 
 
 My Dear Father : 
 
 Your letter from Graza came safely to my hands this 
 morning, by the courtesy of the Roman courier of the 
 Procurator. I read it with deep grief and feelings of the 
 saddest disappointment. Instead of the letter, I expected 
 to see you in person, and when I heard Elec call out 
 that a horseman had alighted at the gate, I ran down 
 into the court, crying, " My father, my dearest father 
 and when, instead of rushing into your embrace, 1 wa» 
 met by the mailed and helmeted figure of an armed 
 Roman, oh, you may judge of the reaction upon my heart. 
 I read your letter with tears ; but you have taught me 
 to bear patiently what cannot be revoked, and I have 
 -schooled my impatience till the Grod of our fathers shall 
 bnng you, in his own good time, to your loving ana 
 longing daughter. I trust that the two Arabian mer 
 chants, from Eziongeber, whom you are delaying id see* 
 will not be lonsr journeying to Gaza, and that on theii 
 arrival ^^ou will speedily conclude the commerce, which, 
 you wnre, it is so important to your interests should be 
 effected. In the meanwhile I will try and wait with 
 serenity and peace the day of your coming, but continue 
 to write to you as the only solace which can compensate 
 for not behol'^ing and speaking with you. Like all my 
 
UK, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. Sll 
 
 letters, dearest father, the theme of this will be Jesus, 
 whose claims to be the Messiah I unspeakably rejoice to 
 hear you are beginning to regard with more favorabM 
 eyes, saying in your last letter, these words, which madf^ 
 my heart bound with joy 
 
 " Were I to resist the testimony of the miracles whir! 
 this wonderful Nazarene Prophet has evidently don(^ 
 especially the raising of Lazarus the scribe, from tht 
 dead, I fear I should be fighting against Grod ; for who 
 can restore life and soul to the dead but Jehovah alone! 
 The fame of the raising of Lazarus, as well as many of 
 the other miracles which he has done, has reached me 
 by other channels than your letters, and the accounts 
 fully corroborate all you have so enthusiastically written. 
 Nay, there is now here in Gaza, on his return from Da- 
 mascus to Alexandria, my friend, Abraham Gehazi, the 
 silk -merchant, who was passing through Bethany at the 
 moment, and, halting with his party, witnessed the 
 miracle. He spoke with Lazarus, and confesses to me 
 that Jesus is evidently a mighty Prophet, sent from 
 G-od ! I am willing to believe this, also, my daughter ? 
 and when I behold him I am ready to do him the hom- 
 age 1 would offer to Isaiah or Daniel, were they now 
 tlive. That he is the Christ, I cannot yet believe ; fni 
 Chrisi is to be a Prince and King, and to sit on the 
 ihrone of David, and give laws to the nations ; before 
 whom every crowned head shall fall prostrate, ever^ 
 knee bow in reverence, and at whose feet the sceptres 
 of the earth shall be laid in submission ! A humble cai- 
 penter's son. Prophet of God though he may be, cannot 
 realize the idea of the august person of Messias ! Turn 
 to Esaias, and behoM how his language glitters wiili 
 
312 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 the splendor of the prophesies he enunciates of the power, 
 glory, and dominion on earth, of the Son of David ! 
 How can these prophetic words apply to the prophet 
 whom you love to honor ? That the hand of the Lord 
 »9 upon him, and that mighty works show forth them- 
 selves in him, doubtless cannot be disputed ; but that 
 he is the Shiloh ot Jacob, the kingly Lion of the tribe of 
 Judah, I cannot for a moment entertain the idea ; for, 
 if I accept him as Messias, neither have I, nor my coun- 
 trymen at large in Israel, nor the scribes, nor the fathers 
 in Jerusalem, read the Prophets aright, but rather with 
 eyes blindfolded ; for to Jesus they do not, cannot aim, 
 else we have altogether misunderstood what is written 
 in Moses and in the Prophets^ and in the Psalms, con- 
 cerning the Christ." 
 
 Such, my dear father, is a part of your letter, which 
 I quote, in order to reply to it, if I may do so without 
 presumption. 
 
 You confess, dearest father, that you are at length 
 convinced that Jesus is a Prophet, and that Grod is with 
 Him, for He could not do such great miracles except the 
 power of Grod was upon Him. Now, if God co-operates 
 with Jesus ; if Grod, so to speak, lends Him his power, 
 endows Him with his own attributes, so that, like God, 
 He heals, stills tempests, restores lost limbs, raises th^> 
 dead from their graves alive again, it is because God 
 has chosen Him from among men, in order to clothe 
 Him with his mighty and divine attributes. Now that 
 He chose Him, and invested Him therewith, it is evident 
 that He did so because He delights in Him ; because He 
 loves Him, and would greatly honor Him. To be the 
 chosen recipient, by the Lord God Jehovah, of such 
 mighty powers, Jesus must be e:ood^ must be ho v 
 
OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 313 
 
 pious, and full of those holy virtues in which th*^ 
 Almighty delights ; in a word, Grod must approve of his 
 chara-cter, and be content with whatsoever is done by 
 Ilim. 
 
 Nov/" Jesus, thus favored by Grod, whose power to 
 work miracles you yourself, my dear father, have con- 
 fessed must be conferred by Jehovah alone, asserts dis* 
 fcinctly and everywhere that He is Messias, the Son ol 
 God, the Shiloh of Israel, of whom Moses and the Pro- 
 phets so eloquently wrote. Besides claiming for himself 
 this high character. He was heard, by both my uncle 
 A.mos and myself, in the synagogue at Bethany, two 
 days after He raised Lazarus from the dead, to read 
 from Esaias the words following, and apply them to 
 himself, which He had done before at Nazareth : 
 
 " The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath 
 anointed me to preach the Grospel to the poor : He he th 
 sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliver- 
 ance to Ihe captives, and recovery of sight to the blind : 
 to set at liberty them that are bruised : to preach tb*^ 
 acceptable year of the Lord." 
 
 When He had read this prophecy, which all oui 
 people, dear father, do acknowledge to refer to Messias 
 when He cometh. He closed the book, gave it again to 
 the officiating scribe, and sat down. The synagogue was 
 thronged, so that people trode upon one another ; for the 
 fame of his miracles had brought people to hear and see 
 Him, not only from Jerusalem but from all Judea, and 
 Decapolis, and beyond Jordan ; nay, his lame, it 
 seemeth, is spread abroad in all the world. All eyes 
 were now intent, and all ears were ready to hear what 
 He should speak. He then said unto them : 
 
814 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAA^tD 
 
 " This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears. Ye 
 ask me, 0 scribes and men of Israel, to tell you plafnly 
 who I am — whether I am the Christ or no. What saitl^ 
 the Prophet of Messias when He shall come ? Ye have 
 just hoard his words. If such works as he prophesieth 
 do show forth themselves in me, know ye not whc I 
 am ?" 
 
 Here a voice cried out in the assembly : 
 " Tell us plainly, art thou the Christ, the Son of thn 
 Highest ?" 
 
 At this direct inquiry there was intense interest showc 
 to hear the reply. 
 
 Jesus seemed about to answer, when a man, who 
 stood near the reading desk, in whom was an unclean 
 spirit, cried out, with a shrieking voice of mingled terror 
 and awe : 
 
 Let me alone ! Leave me as I am, thou Jesus of 
 Nazareth ! Art thou come hither to destroy me ? I 
 know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God !" 
 
 Jesus rebuked the devil which possessed the man, 
 (who was Jaius, a Roman proselyte of the gate, whc 
 had long spread terror in the suburbs, by his exceeding 
 madness and ferocity,) and said, in a voice of a mastei 
 commanding a bond-slave — 
 
 " Hold thy peace, Satan ! The Son of Man needetb 
 !iot, though thou givest it, thy testimony Hold thy 
 peace, and come out of the man !" 
 
 At this word the man uttered a fearful crj of despair 
 and rage, and foaming at the mouth, cast himself, or 
 rather was thrown down by the devil within him, to the 
 ground ; where, after a moment's terrific struggle, with 
 contortions of bodily anguish, he lay senseless as if dead, 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 Jes'JS took him by the hand, and he stood up, and, loolc- 
 ing in the face of the Prophet with earnestness and 
 -von(]er, burst into tears of gratitude, exclaiming: 
 
 J am escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler ; 
 he snare is broken, and I am escaped. Grod hath do- 
 jvered me out of the hand of my enemy He then sat 
 it the feet of Jesus, calm, grateful, happy, and in his right 
 ;nind ! All gazed on him with wonder ; while from the 
 great mass of the people rose a great shout, (for they were 
 all amazed,) saying: 
 
 This is none other than the Christ, the son of David ! 
 This is the king of Israel ?" While the loud shouts of 
 " Hosanna ! hosanna ! hosanna !" cheered by a thousand 
 voices, ^' Hosanna to our king !" shook like a passing 
 storm the synagogue. 
 
 "When the noise had a little subsided, some of the 
 Scribes and Pharisees said, reproving Him for not rebu- 
 king these cries : 
 
 " Who is this that suffereth himself to be hailed as 
 king ? This is treason to the emperor !" 
 
 At this moment, ^milius, the Roman knight, appeared 
 at the door of the synagogue, attended by half a dozen 
 soldiers. No sooner did the eyes of these wicked Jews 
 catch the gleam of his helmet, and behold his tall 
 pmme rising above the heads of his people, than they 
 cried out, as if with eager loyalty to their conquerors, at 
 the same time looking at ^milius to get his approba^ 
 tion : 
 
 " We Jews have no king but Caesar ! Down with the 
 traitor I He who maketh himself king rebels against 
 our most mighty emperor. Away with him ! Arrest 
 hiin, most noble Roman ! Drag him before the Procura- 
 toi PUate 1" 
 
316 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 iEmilius — who well understands these envious Jews, 
 who is wise in the knowledge of what Jesus teaches, and 
 who loves Him as a brother, and reveres Him as a father 
 ' — iEmilius remained quiet, giving no signs that he would 
 do the will of these wicked enemies of the Prophet 
 Jesus then said, in a loud, clear voice • 
 
 My kingdom is not of this world ! I seek not an 
 earthly throne or earthly sceptre. My kingdom is from 
 above. Ye say truly, I am king," He added, with inde- 
 scribable majesty of manner ; " and hereafter ye shall 
 behold me sitting upon the throne of heaven, high and 
 lifted up, with the earth my footstool, when before me 
 every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, of things on 
 oarth, and things under the earth !" 
 
 When He had thus far spoken. He could not proceed 
 farther, on account of the sudden and immense uproar 
 which his words produced. Some shouted " hosannas 
 others said He blasphemed ; one cried for the Roman 
 guard, another for the priests, to eject Him from the 
 tribune ; many rushed towards Him, to cast them- 
 selves at his feet, while many, putting their fingers 
 ill their ears, hurried forth from the synagogue, cry 
 ing: 
 
 " His blasphemies will cause the house to fall upon 
 us and crush us !" 
 
 Never was such an uproar heard. In the midst of it 
 Jesus conveyed himself away, none knew whither ; and 
 when I returned to the house of Martha, I heard his low 
 earnest; touching voice in prayer to Grod, in his little 
 chamber. He had sought its sacred quiet to be alone 
 with his Father in Heaven ! At times I could hear Him 
 praying and supplicating, in tones of the most heart-break- 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 317 
 
 mg pathos ; at others, the silence of his room was only 
 broken, at intervals, ly sighs and pitiful groans, that 
 seemed to come from a breaking and crushed heart : 
 Oh, what hand may remove the veil, and reveal what 
 passed there in that holy retirement, between the Pro- 
 phet and his God ! 
 
 It was late in the day when He came forth, Martha 
 having softly tapped at his door, to say that the evening 
 meal was prepared, and alone waited for Him. When 
 He appeared, his face was colorless and bore traces oi 
 weeping, and though He smiled kindly upon us all, as 
 He was wont to do, there was a deep-seated sorrow 
 upon his countenance that brought tears to my eyes I 
 iEmilius joined us at the table, and, with dear Lazarus 
 and with uncle Amos, we passed a sacred hour ; foi 
 the Prophet ate not, but talked to us much and 
 sweetly of the love of Grod ; and as all listened, the 
 viands were forgotten, notwithstanding Martha more 
 than once ventured to remind her blessed guest that 
 such and such a thing was before Him, and that she 
 had prepared it for Him with her own hands. But, 
 like Him, we all feasted upon the heavenly food, the 
 bread of life, which fell, like manna, from his consecrated 
 lips. 
 
 Such, then, my dear father, is the testimony, as you 
 have seen in what I have above related, which Jesus 
 publicly bears to himself, that He is the very Christ 
 who should come into the world. There can be no 
 further doubt of the fact now that He has so plainly 
 stated it, pointing to the prophecies, which He is daily 
 fulfilling by mighty works, in proof of the truth of his 
 flussertion 
 
318 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 ISTow, to what irresistible conclusion, to what inevita- 
 ble consequence, do we arrive ? Is it not that He i$ 
 THE Christ ? This result cannot be avoided. Either 
 Jesus is Messias, as He asserts, and his miracles prove, 
 or He is not. Now if He is not, then is He not a de- 
 ceiver of the people, as well as a blasphemer of Jehovah? 
 If so, we then have the Almighty conferring upon an 
 impostor his own Almighty attributes, giving him power 
 to heal, to cast out devils, to control the elements, to raise 
 the dead ! that is, bearing testimony to the truth of one 
 whom He never sent, empowered, nor authorized to be 
 his Christ ! 
 
 Moreover, the mJracles of Jesus, you admit, prove Him 
 to have come from God, while you deny his claim to be 
 Messias. Now, if Jesus truly came from God, as, look- 
 ing at his miraculous power, you readily concede. He 
 cannot be a sinner, and, therefore, cannot assert of him- 
 self what is not true. Yet He asserts that He is the 
 Christ! He, then, either did come from God, oi 
 there is no truth in Him ! But you will not consent to 
 charge such character upon a man who heals with a word, 
 who casts out demons, who raises the dead to life, and 
 who proclaims such pure precepts, and the necessity of 
 holiness in men, in order to enjoy the favor of God ! 
 We, therefore, are forced to the irresistible conclusion, 
 that either the miraculous power with which Jesus ia 
 invested, is derived from God, and that He is, as He 
 says, the true and very Christ of the prophets and patri- 
 archs, or that God has endowed a blasphemer of His 
 name, with His own powers, and endorses the imposture 
 by continuing these powers to Him in every miracle 
 that He performs Do not, by any artful subterfuge. 
 
OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 aearest father, attempt to avoid this conclusion ! Jesus 
 is the Christ, or we make both God and the Prophet co- 
 partners in an enormous imposture ! 
 
 Pardon me, dearest father, if I am too warm and 
 urgent in my efforts to bring you to accept Jesus as the 
 Clu*ist. Convinced, as I am, that He is Messias, I can- 
 not but ardently desire that you, also, should come to 
 the knowledge of this truth. What He is yet to be, 
 how He is yet to develop his majesty and power, is un- 
 known to us all. Some do think that He will enter 
 Jerusalem, ere long, attended by tens of thousands of 
 his followers, and that before Him Pilate will peaceably 
 vacate his Procuratoral chair, and retire, not only from 
 the Holy City but from Judea, with his legions ! that 
 Jesus will ascend the throne of David ! the glory of the 
 age of Solomon be revived under his rule ! and with the 
 kingdom of Judah for the centre of his power, that He 
 will extend the sceptre of his dominion from sea to sea, 
 and from the river of Egypt and of the East, to the ends 
 of the earth, till all nations shall fall down beiore Him, 
 emperors and kings sit at his feet, and every tongue and 
 language and speech in the whole world acknowledge 
 Him to be the King of Israel, King of kings and Lord 
 of lords! while, under the splendor of his reign, Jerusa- 
 lem and Judah will be more powerful than all the cities 
 and kingdoms that have ever been on the earth, and to 
 the dominion and glory of our people there will be no 
 end ! 
 
 Such, dear father, is the future of the Prophet, aa 
 looked for by all his disciples, save one, and this is John, 
 the betrothed of my cousin Mary. He is more closely 
 intimate with Jesus than any other man ; and is bo bo 
 
820 THE FRLNCJU OP THE HOUSE OP DAVIU , 
 
 loved by Him that He makes known to him many things 
 which He withholds from the rest. John, on hearing 
 our views of the coming glory of the Prophet, looks sadly, 
 and says • 
 
 Not now — not here — not in this world ! The glory 
 of Jesus you wiU behold, but first we must pass through 
 the valley of darkness, the gate of the tomb. His king- 
 dom is not on the earth, but in the heavens. Here, 1 
 fear, He will pass through suffering and sorrow, and, 
 perhaps, a painful death, for He has told me that He 
 came to suffer and die, and that He can only win, bleed- 
 ings from every vein, the kingdom over which He is 
 hereafter to reign in endless dominion ! Prepare your 
 hearts, dear friends," he would say, to be rent, and 
 your eyes for tears, rather than fill your imaginations 
 with pictures of glory, splendor, and power. He has dis- 
 tinctly said to me, ^ I must first suffer many things at 
 the hands of men, before I enter upon my reign of glory 
 The Jews will seek me to kill me, and I shall be taken 
 from among you ; but let not sorrow fill your hearts. 
 Death can have no power over me save such as I permit it 
 to hold, I lay down my life, and I take it again. Through 
 much tribulation and sorrow must the Son of Grod win 
 the sceptre of this earth from him who hath the power 
 over the nations, even from Satan, the prince of this 
 world. I shall conquer, but I must first fall. Yet fear 
 not ! I shall make death the gateway to Paradise for 
 you all !' 
 
 " Such," says John, " are the mysterious and sorrow- 
 ftd words which He has often spoken to me. What they 
 mean, or how to understand them, I know not ; foi 1 
 cannot comprehend how He who can raise the dead oai) 
 
OR THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 32 i 
 
 die, or h(3w He who can calm a tempest can suffer him- 
 self to be taken and slain by men, the tempest of whose 
 wrath He could as easily pacify !" 
 
 Thus, dear father, do we discourse together about this 
 wonderful Prophet, whose future life is all a mystery- 
 save that, from the prophecies, we know it is to be in - 
 conceivably glorious — from his own lips, to be inconcei\ 
 ably sorrowful. But, whether on a throne, giving laws 
 to the world, or in the dust, borne down by the deepest 
 woe, I shall still love, honor, reverence Him, and trust 
 in Him, as my Saviour, my Prince, and the Holy One 
 of God I 
 
 Your devoted and loving 
 
 Adina.. 
 
 LETTER XXIX. 
 
 My Dearest Father : 
 
 With what emotions of grief and amazement 1 com 
 mence this letter, you can form no just conception 
 Jesus, the Prophet of God, is a prisoner to the Roman 
 power ! He is accused of making himself a king, and 
 of a conspiracy to re-establish the throne of David ! And 
 who, think you, have accused Him of this noble effort 
 but the Jews, our own, his own people ! men who shculd 
 glory in seeing the dominion of the Caesars at an end ; 
 men who should blush longer to have Mount Zion com- 
 manded by a Roman citadel. These base, degraded, 
 and wicked scribes and priests, whom I am ashamed to 
 call my countrymen, have accused the divinely-gifted 
 21 
 
322 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP D VV11> 
 
 Jesus, before Pilate, of rebellion and treason! And at 
 this moment, while I write, He is in the ward-ro*'>m of 
 the Procurator's palace, held a close prisoner ! 
 
 But I fear not the issue ! He cannot be holden of his 
 foes, save by his own free will. He can, with a word, 
 turn his chains into bands of sand, and by a glance ren- 
 der his guards dead men ! He will, therefore, escape 
 their bonds ! They can have no power over Him. But 
 will not the Lord Grod punish our nation for this sin and 
 enmity against His Christ? You will ask, my father, 
 why, if He possesses such mighty power^ hath He 
 suffered himself to be taken prisoner ? This question I 
 cannot answer. It troubles me. J wonder, and am 
 transfixed with amazement. Every one around me asks 
 the same question. Our house is thronged with his 
 friends, who, midnight as it is, have come hither to hear 
 if the rumor be true. Five of his disciples are with 
 uncle Amos in the court, giving an account of the man- 
 ner of his arrest, which I will relate to you, although it 
 increases the mystery. 
 
 It seems that to-day, after eating the Passover with 
 his twelve chosen friends, and instituting a new and 
 peculiar feast with wine and bread, which He told them 
 mipressively would be his last supper with them. He 
 went forth towards Olivet, and there seating himself 
 beneath the shade of a tree. He talked with them \Qxy 
 sadly ; saying " that his hour was come, that He had 
 ended his work, and that He was about to be delivered 
 into the hands of sinful men !" 
 
 John, upon being questioned by cousin Mary and my- 
 gelf, gave the following narrative : "It was evening, and 
 th« south side of Olivet lay in deep shadow. We vvere 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 32^ 
 
 all sorrowful We felt, each one of us, as if some 
 grievous evil was pending over us. The tones of our 
 beloved Master's voice moved us to tears, quite as much 
 as his words, which latter were full of mystery. We 
 were all present, except Iscariot, who had remained in 
 the city to discharge the costs, he being our purse- 
 bearer, of the Passover Supper, and pay for the hire of 
 the room. At that supper Jesus had said very plainly, 
 that one of our number would betray Him into the 
 hands of the priests ; who, since his triumphant entry 
 into the Holy City, preceded and followed by the 
 multitude, shouting hosannas, and proclaiming Him 
 Messias, had diligently sought his life. At hearing our 
 Lord say these strange words in accents of touching 
 reproach, we were all deeply moved ; and Peter and the 
 rest at once questioned Him, individually, if it were 
 they. ^ Lord, is it I V and another, ' Lord, is it I ?' I 
 was resting at the moment, with my face on the shoul- 
 der of Jesus, and said, softly : ' Lord, who is it that be- 
 trayeth thee ? I will forthwith lay hands upon him, 
 and prevent his doing thee harm !' Jesus shook his 
 head, and smiling gently said : 
 
 " ^ My beloved brother, thou k newest not what fchou 
 wouldst do. The Svon of Man nmst needs be betrayed 
 by his own friends, but woe unto him who betrayeth 
 me. Mark which of the twelve dippeth bread with me 
 into the dish !' 
 
 T looked, and saw Judas r«?.ach forward and dip into 
 the dish at the same instant with Jesus; but in hia 
 eagerness, or from conscious guilt, hib hand trembled, 
 he spilled the salt over the board, and the sop fell from 
 his grasp into the bowl; upon ijvlach Jesus gave him 
 
324 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 
 
 the piece He held, saying to him, with a remarkable ex 
 pression in his clear, piercing eyes : 
 
 ' Judas, that thou doest do quickly!' 
 
 " We were surprised at the tone and manner in 
 which this was spoken, but supposed the words had 
 reference to some of Judas's duties as bearer of the 
 purse, little suspecting what fearful thing he was to do 1- 
 Instantly Judas rose from the table, and without a 
 reply, or casting a look at any of us, went out. 
 
 " For a few moments, after his footsteps had ceasexl 
 to be heard, there prevailed a heavy silence in the cham- 
 ber ; for a strange fear had fallen upon us, why, we 
 could not tell ; and looking into one another's faces, and 
 then into our dear Master's, we seemed to await some 
 dread event. His face was placid, and full of affection, 
 as He looked upon us. The momentary cloud which 
 shaded the noble profile when He spoke to Judas, had 
 all passed off", and there was the serenity of a cloudless 
 sky in his face." 
 
 " What was the mysterious feast w^hich He instituted 
 asked Mary, interrupting him here. 
 
 You may properly call it mysterious," he answered. 
 " As we were eating the Passover, Jesus took up breadj 
 and blessing it by a solemn act of consecration, broke it 
 with his hands and gave a portion to each of us, saying 
 with it, ' Take, eat ! this is my body !' 
 
 " Awed and impressed by his manner and the act, we 
 all received and ate it as He commanded us to do (for 
 who there would disobey his Lord ?) as reverently as if 
 it were the holy shew-bread of the Temple, dedicated to 
 G jd's use ! When we had eaten in silence what we 
 perceived was the inauguration of a new and moat 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 325 
 
 sacred feast by his own hand. He took up the cup of 
 Trine, consecrated it also, by giving thanks and blessing. 
 The hallowed cup He now oflfered to each one of us. We 
 all drant of it with deep devotion, for He said to us, ^ 1 
 will drink no more with you the fruit of the vine until 
 that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of Qod I 
 He also said of the wine — 
 
 *This is my Blood!'" 
 
 ** And how do you understand these words, that the 
 bread consecrated was his body, and the wine was his 
 blood ? " I asked of the disciple. 
 
 "That is an inquiry I cannot answer," said John. "It 
 is a mystery. But my Lord says it shall be made clear 
 to us by-and-by. 
 
 " We then sang the Passover hymn to God, and went 
 out at his command to go to Olivet. As we went He 
 discoursed with us : 
 
 " ' My children,' He said, * I am to be with you but a 
 little while longer. The hour of my departure is at 
 hand. Remember my last words — Love one another. 
 In this shall all men know that ye are my disciples.' 
 
 " ' Lord,' cried Peter, * we will go with thee ! Thou 
 shalt not leave us, nor go without us !' 
 
 " ' The priests seek to kill thee, and thy footsteps ar^ 
 watched I ' exclaimed Andrew, earnestly. 
 
 " ' We will not suffer thee, dear Rabbi, to go abroad 
 alone,' said James, with enthusiasm; 'our hearts and 
 hands will defend thee !' 
 
 " ' Whither wilt thou depart, Lord ? ' I asked, with 
 emotion. ' Thou wilt not trust thyself to the Jews ?' 
 
 " Thus we all, eagerly and tearfully, gathered around 
 
326 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVlb . 
 
 Hinj, alarmed and grieved at the words He had said, 
 He regarded us lovingly, and said : 
 
 " ' Little children, I must leave you. Whither I go 
 )*ou cannot come !' 
 
 " * Though thou wentest to the uttermost parts of the 
 I will follow thee, my Master and Lord !' exclaimed 
 Peter. ^ Whither goest thou, that we may not follow f 
 I will lay down my life for thee, and so will all these !' 
 
 '^With one voice we asserted our devotion to our 
 beloved Master, and secretly I asked Him whither He 
 intended to go, and why He forbade us to go with 
 Him? 
 
 " ' As Abraham bound Isaac, his son, and laid him 
 upon the wood, so shall my Father cause me to be bound 
 and laid upon the wood, a sacrifice for the sins of his 
 people !' 
 
 " ' Not so ! not so. Lord !' cried Peter. ' I will die 
 for thee, ere this thing happen to thee !' And the warm- 
 hearted disciple placed himself by the side of Jesus, as 
 if to defend him. 
 
 " ' Wilt thou die for me, Peter ?' said Jesus, gazing 
 on him with a sad, sweet look : ' Verily, verily, Peter, 
 thou little knowest thyself. The cock shall not crow 
 twice, heralding the coming morning, ere thou shalt 
 thrice deny that thou knowest me !' 
 
 " ' Deny thee. Lord !' repeated Peter, with amazed 
 grief and horror in his looks. 
 
 '*'Yes, Peter,' answered Jesus, firmly, but kindly, 
 ^ deny that thou ever knewest me ; for the time drawetli 
 near when there will be safety only in confessing igiw>- 
 rance of Jesus the Nazarene. And all ye,' He added, 
 while his voice grew tremulous, and tears glistened is 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CTTY 327 
 
 his eyes, ' all ye shall be offended because of me, this 
 night ; ye shall be ashamed to confess that ye are my 
 disciples, and ye will think me a deceiver, and will be 
 displeased at me. Yea, every one of you shall desert 
 me ; for thus i^ is written : The Shepherd shall be 
 smitten and the sheep shall be scattered !" ' 
 
 " At hearing these words we knew not what to an 
 Bwer ; but I kissed my dear Lord's hand, and said, 
 that if danger were hanging over Him, as it seemed, I 
 would share it with Him ! 
 
 ''When He saw that our hearts were troubled, and 
 that we were sad, and that the faithful Philip sobbed 
 dloud, at being supposed capable of abandoning his Mas* 
 ter, He added, ' Let not your hearts be troubled ; I go 
 to prepare a place for you in my Father's house !' 
 
 a i Thy father, Lord, no longer liveth in Nazareth ; 
 and, were he alive, there are but two small apartments 
 m his humble house,' said Thomas ; ' how sayest thou 
 that we are all to lodge there ?' 
 
 " ' Thomas, thou canst understand only what thine 
 eyes see. I speak of my Father who is in Heaven. In 
 His house are many mansions.' 
 
 " Jesus then, as we drew near Cedron, began plainly 
 to tell us that He was to die, and that by his death we 
 ',hould be admitted into a heavenly paradise, and live 
 forever. We could not understand all He said, but we 
 knew that He was soon to be taken from us ; and 
 sorrow filled all our hearts. After discoursing with us 
 in the most touching words, He at length said : 
 
 " ' Come, let us go over Cedron to the side ef Olivet 
 into the garden we so much love to walk in.' 
 
 We went on with Him, inclosing Him as a guards 
 
328 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID . 
 
 to conceal his person from the Jewish spies, ad well as 
 to defend Him. Peter and James went before. In this 
 wa^^ we had passed through the gloomy streets of the 
 city, and forth from the gate, which Pilate suffered to be 
 open day and night, on account of the crowds at the 
 Passover, continually coming in and going out. The 
 full moon shone brightly, and by its light glancing on 
 the face of Jesus, by whom I walked, I saw that it 
 W€LS sadder than its wont, while He spoke but little. 
 
 " We at length crossed the brook, and entered the 
 dark groves of Olivet. Familiar with all the paths, we 
 advanced to a central group of venerable olive-trees, 
 beneath which, tradition says, Abraham used to sit ; and 
 there Jesus, turning to us, said in a voice of the deepest 
 woe : 
 
 " * Friends, the hour of my time of trial is come I 
 My work is ended. I would be alone ! Remain you 
 here, and watch, for we shall be sought for. Come with 
 me, Peter, and you, also, James. I am going to pray 
 yonder.' 
 
 " * Take me, also, dear Lord,' I said, sorrowfully. 
 
 ' Yes, thou art always with me, beloved,' He an- 
 pwered ; * I will not leave thee now.' 
 
 So leaving the eight friends to keep watch against 
 the intrusion of his enemies, who were known to be 
 everywhere seeking Him, He walked away to the most 
 secluded recesses of the garden. He stopped at the 
 place, near the rock, where Adam is said to have hidden 
 from Jehovah ; and, saying to us, in a sorrowful tonC; 
 
 Tarry ye here, while I go apart and pray to my Father, 
 He went from us about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, 
 where a thick olive-branch hanging low to the ground, 
 
OU, THREE TEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 329 
 
 rjoncealed Him from our view. I was so solicitous lest 
 He should leave us, and we should see Him no more, 
 that I soon softly advanced near to the spot, and beheld 
 Him prostrate on the ground, while deep groans brcko 
 from his heart. I heard his voice murmuring, but 
 could not distinguish the words broken by grief ; only 
 the tones were those of strange horror and dread. 
 
 " As He prayed thus, in great agony, I suddenly bd 
 held a swift light pass by me, as if from he skies, and, 
 lo ! an angel stood by the side of Jesus, bending ovei 
 Him, and raising Him up from the ground. A soft 
 bright glory shone around the spot, so that Peter, seeing 
 it, advanced towards me, supposing some one had en- 
 tered the garden, bearing a torch. I beckoned to Peter 
 to be motionless, and he gazed with me in speechless 
 astonishment and admiration upon the form of the angel, 
 from whose glorious face was emitted the radiance 
 which illumined the place where Jcc^us was. As the 
 angel raised Jesus from the ground, we saw that his 
 divine countenance was convulsed with anguish ; and 
 upon his brow stood great shining drops of sweat, min* 
 gled with blood, which oozed from his pallid temples, 
 and, rolling down his marble cheeks, dropped to the 
 ground. Never had we beheld a human visage sc 
 marred by sorrow, so deeply graven with the lines of 
 agony. 
 
 The angel seemed to utter soothing words, and 
 pointed, with his shining hand, towards hea vren, as if tc 
 encourage Him with hope and gi\e Him strength. The 
 face of Jesus grew more serene ; He raised his eyes 
 heavenward with a divine expression of holy submission, 
 and cried; in a strong voice : 
 
330 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSto OF DAVID 
 
 " ' Thv will^ not miney 0 God, be done !' 
 The angel then embraced Him, as if strengthening 
 Him, and soaring upward, disappeared like a star re- 
 turning into the blue depths of heaven ; while Peter 
 ttnd I stood by wondering, and full of awe at what we 
 beheld !" 
 
 " How looked the angel ?" I asked of John, interrupt^- 
 uig him in his recital. 
 
 " ils a young and noble youth, with a countenance so 
 dazzling I could not look upon him steadily. He seemed 
 to be clothed in flowing raiment, silvery white ; and a 
 fragrance more delicate and grateful than the subtilest 
 attar of roses of India, was diffused by his presence 
 throughout the garden, while the sound of his voice seem- 
 ed to fill all the air with strange musical vibrations, un- 
 like anything heard on earth." 
 
 Had the angel wings ?" asked Mary. 
 Nay, I could not well discern," answered John. 
 " His robes seemed to shape themselves into wings, as 
 he rose from the earth ; and when he stood they flowed 
 with living grace about his god-like form. After the 
 departure of the angel from heaven, Jesus seemed calmer, 
 ftnd as we did not wish to intrude upon his sacred pri- 
 vacy, we softly returned to where James lay asleep. 
 We remained for some time conversing together upon 
 the wonderful vision we had seen, which confirmed us 
 In the certainty that Jesus came from Grod, and was in 
 truth the Messias, that should come ; but at length 
 wearied with our day's excitements, we must have fallen 
 asleep, for we were suddenly startled by the voice of our 
 denr Master saying . 
 
 ^ • Wh^ sleep ye^ chil Iren ? But the hour is past 
 
OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 331 
 
 lot watching Ye may sleep on now, for though youi 
 flesh is weary, your spirit is willing. I need your aid no 
 longer !' 
 
 " But we refused to sleep longer. We then advanced 
 to where the other disciples were, and found them also 
 asieep. 
 
 " ^ Arise, let us be going !' cried Jesus, in a tone that 
 roused them to their feet ; ' lo, they are at hand who 
 eeck me !' 
 
 " While He was speaking, we saw many torches gleam- 
 ing through the trees, along King David's walk, and the 
 tramp of feet fell on our ears. We soon saw a large party 
 advancing into the midst of the garden, who walked 
 rapidly, and spoke only in under-tones. We at once 
 took the alarm and said to Jesus : 
 
 " ' Fly, dear Master ! Let us ascend the hill, and es 
 cape by the way to Bethany ; for these are enemies.' 
 
 " ' Nay,' answered our dear Master ; ' I must submit 
 to my Father's will. It must needs be that I deliver 
 myself into the hands of these men ; how else shall the 
 Scriptures be fulfilled ! Seek safety in flight for your- 
 selves ; but I must go whither they will lead me.' 
 
 * Not so, Lord,' answered Peter. * There is time for 
 thee to escape ; or if not, we w^ill stand by thee and de- 
 fend thee !' 
 
 * So said all the disciples. Jesus shook his head, and 
 8aii, with a sad smile : ^ Ye know not now what ye say 
 or would do. My hour is come !' 
 
 While He yet spake the multitude drew nearer, and 
 thos<3 who had the lead, raising their torches high above 
 their heads, discovered us, with Jesus in the midst. To^ 
 my surprise I beheld Judas acting as their guide, for h*' 
 
332 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DATTD. 
 
 alone knew where his Master was to be found at that 
 hour. Up « discovering Jesus, this wicked man ran 
 forward, with expressions of friendship in his face, and 
 kissed Jesus on the cheek, saying : 
 
 " * Hail, Master ! I am glad I have found thee !' 
 
 " ' Judas,' said Jesus, ' betrayest thou the Son of Man 
 with a kiss 
 
 " When Judas heard this he turned to the multitude, 
 at the head of which I recognized some of the chief 
 priests, and of the most learned scribes of the Temple 
 and cried aloud : 
 
 " * This is He ! seize Him, and hold Him fast !' 
 Thereupon the crowd, to the number of full ten 
 score men, among whom were the vilest sort of people, 
 rushed forward to lay hands upon Jesus ; the moon and 
 torches together shedding almost the bright light of day 
 into the garden upon the whole group. 
 
 At seeing them advance so furiously, with spears, 
 and clubs, and swords, Peter and James placed them- 
 selves before Jesus, to defend Him, while I, being un- 
 armed, cast myself across his breast, to shield his heart 
 with my body. The more bold men in the crowd com- 
 ing too near, Peter smote one of them with his sword, 
 as he was reaching out his arm to grasp Jesus by the 
 shoulder, and clave off his ear. At seeing this the 
 crowd uttered a fierce shout, and were pressing upon 
 us, when Jesus raised the palm of his hand, and said, 
 quietly : 
 
 ' Whom seek ye ?' 
 
 Instantly the whole mass rolled backward, like a 
 receding billow rebounding from the face of an immov- 
 able rock, and every man thereof fell with his forehead 
 
OE. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 333 
 
 to the ground, where they all lay fcr a minute stunned I 
 We twelve alone stood, for Judas had not been struck 
 down, and now remained gazing with amazement and 
 jerror upon the prostrate enemies of Jesus. 
 
 " ^ Lord !' cried Peter, astonished, ' if thou canst thus 
 repel thy foes, thou needest not fear them more. Shall 
 I smite Judas also ?' 
 
 ' Nay — put up thy sword, Peter ! Let him remain 
 to witness my power, that he may know that he nor 
 his have any power over me, save that I give them.' 
 
 "While He was thus speaking, the people and soldiers 
 rose to their feet, and instead of flying, they seemed to 
 be infuriated at their discomfiture ; and the chief priests 
 crying out that it was by sorcery that they had been thus 
 stricken down, they rushed madly forward, and laid their 
 hands upon Jesus, and upon us all ! In vain I contended 
 against numbers to rescue Jesus ; overpowered we were 
 defeated, and driven from the garden, leaving Jesus in 
 the hands of his enemies !" 
 
 When John had gone thus far in his relation, dear 
 father, our tears and his were mingled. We wondered 
 that Jesus, who could, as He had shown, destroy his 
 enemies with a wave of his hand, should suffer them to 
 make Him their prisoner ; for in their hands He knew 
 He must die! This amazes and bewilders us. At 
 one moment we are tempted to lose our confidence in 
 Him, and believe, as many now begin to say, that we 
 have been following a deceiver, and in the next to trust 
 fully in Him, and that He will yet overcome his ene- 
 mies, and be restored to us. Every step we hear at the 
 door makes our pulses bound, for we think it may be 
 that of our beloved Lord escaped from the hands of bt* 
 
334 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 captors. We must wait the issue with hope and faith i 
 To-morrow will, perhaps, reveal all. The mystery that 
 more and more envelopes this great Prophet is inscru- 
 table. The seeming contradictions that make up his 
 prophetic character, bewilder us. But we try and o< m- 
 fort ourselves with the word of his promise : 
 
 " Ye know not now, but ye shall know by-and-by, 
 and shall believe truly, that I came out from Grod! 
 What now seems to you mysterious, shall be made clear 
 as light. Wait, and have faith, and all shall be made 
 known which now you understand not. Let no trials and 
 degradations ye see me pass through cause your faith to 
 fail. I am come into this world to conquer ; but it is 
 expedient first that I humble myself ; but if I stoop, it 
 is to raise up the world with me, when I rise again !" 
 
 Ah, it is stooping, indeed, for this Prince of the Pro- 
 phets to suffer himself to be led away bound by his foes ! 
 But we hope with trembling, dear father, trustfully re- 
 membering his words ! 
 
 I have omitted to mention to you what more John 
 related as wonderful, touching the arrest of the Prophet 
 "As the chief priests bound and laid their hands on 
 Ilim, there was," he said, " heard in the air the sound 
 A myriads of rushing wings, and notes like the gather- 
 ing signal of a trumpet, echoing and re-echoing in the 
 skies, as if a countless host of invisible beings were 
 marshalling, armies by armies, in mid-heaven ! At 
 these fearful and sublime sounds all raised their heads, 
 but could behold nothing! Then Jesus said, with a 
 majestic and commanding look, such as I never before 
 beheld upon his face : 
 
 ' Ye hear, oh men of Israel, thp*^ T am not without 
 
OB. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLT CITY. 
 
 335 
 
 heavenly friends! I have on^y to pray my Pathei, 
 which is in Heaven, and He will bid twelve legions of 
 his angels, now hovering, sword-armed, in the air, and 
 yearning to defend me from my foes, descend to my aid ! 
 But I may not use my powers for myself I I came on 
 earth to suffer. As man, I must submit to all things 
 that come upon me, nor make use of more means in my 
 behalf than a man can command. For this I came into 
 the world. Lead on ! I go with you !' " 
 
 Thus, dear father, was Jesus borne away by a fierce 
 multitude, and dragged into the city, followed by a 
 shouting and insulting crowd, who, seeing that, not- 
 withstanding his miraculous powers, they could so easily 
 secure and hold Him, mocked Him only the more, ma 
 king light of powers which could not be exercised to 
 prevent the capture of his person. Some of them even 
 reviled Him on the way, and sneeringly asked Him to 
 call down his twelve legions of angels ; while others 
 pretended they were hungry and thirsty, and would 
 have Him turn water into wine for them, and to give 
 them bread by another miracle of loaves. 
 
 John, whose interest in, and affection for Jesus, led 
 him to follow them, heard all this ; but Jesus made no 
 answer, only walking quietly along, patiently enduring 
 all they said and did. 
 
 As they entered the city gate, the Roman guard, see- 
 ing the immense crowd and uproar, stopped them in 
 learn the cause of the commotion. 
 
 " * We have here a traitor and conspirator, 0 captain 
 of the guard,' answered Eli, the chief priest; ^ a pesti- 
 lent fellow, who calls himself Christ, a king. We have, 
 ♦h«refore, with this band of hired soldiers, taken him, as 
 
336 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVIl?: 
 
 ae was met 8«oretly, with twelve of his fellow conspira- 
 tors, plotting 10 overthrow the government of Caesar, and 
 make himself king of Judea.' 
 
 ' Long live Caesar ! Long live the emperor,' shouted 
 the Roman soldiers. ' We have no king but August 
 fmperator !' 
 
 Upon this, many of the soldiers cried, ^ Take hiiii 
 before the Procurator ! He will give him his deserts, 
 who would take his Procurator ship from him ? Tc 
 Pilate ! to Pilate !' 
 
 ' To Annas !' shouted the Jews. ' First, to Annas !' 
 " Then, with some shouting one thing, and others an- 
 other thing, and with vast numbers of those who had 
 come up to the Passover pressing to get a sight of the 
 Prophet, He was hurried towards the house of Annas, 
 who is the most popular man among our people, and 
 whose influence over them is unbounded. On reaching, 
 with great uproar of voices, and by the glare of torches, 
 t2ie dwelling of the High Priest's son-in-law, they called 
 him to the roof of the house, upon which he appeared in 
 his night apparel, for it was by this time past the hour oi 
 midnight. 
 
 " When Annas knew that the prisoner was Jesus, he 
 uttered a fearful oath expressive of his joy and wicked 
 satisfaction, and hastily robing and coming down into 
 the court, he bade them bring the prisoner in. But the 
 calm majesty of Jesus abashed him, and checked the 
 course of insulting questions he began putting to Him. 
 At length, finding that the Prophet would make him no 
 reply, he caused Him to be bound still more closely 
 with more cords, lest He should, like Samson, rend his 
 bonds and escape or ^he way, and sent Him to Caiaphgis 
 the Hii^jh Priest, say^^^^ to Him : 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITl. 337 
 
 * Caiaphas will find voice for thy tongue, 0 Proph- 
 et 1 So, thou wouldst destroy the Temple, and callest 
 thyself the Son of the Lord Jehovah! Out, blasphemer! 
 Away with him, or the house will be swallowed up 
 with the presence of one so impious. Away with the 
 man 1 By the crown of David ! Pilate will make thee 
 king in truth, and give thee a Roman throne, to which, 
 flo that thou mayest not presently fall from it, he will 
 nail thee foot and hand !' 
 
 At this the cruel crowd shouted their approbation^ 
 and many cried : 
 
 <i < Ay ! To the cross ! to the cross with him !' 
 
 *^ But others said: 'Nay, but to Caiaphas!' The 
 captain of the Roman soldiers resolved that He should 
 be taken before Pilate, and led the way thither, Jesus 
 bound in the midst. 
 
 With renewed uproar, they tumultuously pressed for- 
 ward, their way lighted by the red glare of a hundred 
 torches, insulting the Roman soldiers with seditious 
 cries 1 John followed, but being recognized as one of 
 his disciples, by a soldier in iEmilius' legion, he was 
 seized and only escaped by leaving his apparel in the 
 grasp of the rude Roman ; for such was the prevalent 
 hatred to Jesus, that they threateningly called for his 
 followers, and would have taken them also had it been 
 in their power. Five of the disciples, who have escaped 
 arrest, are now in this house, whither John fled, also, 
 m eluding the grasp of the soldier, leaving his linen gar- 
 ment in his hand. We are all so sad and anxious ! To 
 move in favor of Jesus is only to share his fate, and 
 do Him no service ; besides, I am pained to say, two 
 or three of his disciples begin to doubt whether He ij^ 
 22 
 
338 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 Messias, since, instead of establishing his promised 
 icingdom, He is now held a prisoner, and even menaced 
 with death. 
 
 Yet, through all, dear father, I do trust in Him, and 
 hope ! Oh, I cannot doubt his truth and power. I 
 have seen Him bring Lazarus up from the grave, and 
 I will not believe but that He can save himself, and 
 will save himself, from their hands ! It is only when 
 I shall behold Him, really, no more — see Him really 
 dead I that my faith in his divine mission will waver. 
 If He should be slain, then, alas ! not only will per- 
 ish forever all my hopes, and those of his trembling, 
 weeping disciples, but the hopes of the restoration 
 and glory of Judah ; for verily we have believed that 
 it is He which should have delivered Israel ! With 
 eyes blinded with tears, I can scarcely subscribe ray- 
 Half, 
 
 Your sad but loving daughter, 
 
 Adina 
 
 LETTER XXX. 
 
 My Dear Father: 
 
 I know not how to write — I know not what to say ! 
 Dismay and sorrow fill my heart. I feel as if life were 
 a burden too heavy to bear 1 Disappointment and regrets 
 are all that remain to me ! He, in whom I trusted — 
 He, whom thousands in Judah had begun to Iook upon 
 as the Hope of the nation — He who, as his now wretched 
 uisoioles trusted, would have redeemed Israel — Jems, 
 
OR, THREE YEARS ESI THE ROLY CITY. 339 
 
 lias been delivered, this morning, by the Roman Procu* 
 rator, to be condemned to death, and — they have cruci- 
 fied Him! 
 
 Tears of grief unutterable fall upon tlie parchment as 
 I write, and, more eloquently than any words, tell you 
 how I am smitten by this heavy, heavy blow ! Jesus ; 
 the noble, mild, courteous, and wise Prophet, who taught 
 with such grace and wisdom, and whom we believe to 
 be sent from Grod to be the Saviour of our people, and 
 the Prince who should sit on the throne of David, to 
 restore the former splendor of our nation — is dead ! 
 With Him, alas ! have perished all our hopes ! When 
 He bowed his bleeding head on the cross, the necks of 
 weeping Judah bent once more to the dust, to receive 
 the yoke of Rome, from which they believed He would 
 have delivered them. With Him has been quenched the 
 rising light of the sun of the Messias, who we hoped 
 and believed He was ! But we hope no more ! The 
 daughters of Israel may now sit in the dust and cover 
 themselves with veils of woe ; for He in whom they 
 trusted is dead ! Confounded and dismayed, his follow- 
 ers wander in the fields, or hide themselves from the 
 multitude who seek their lives, also. Alas ! I cannot 
 refrain from weeping bitter, bitter tears. How hath 
 the Lord covered the daughters of Zion with a cloud in 
 his anger, and cast down from heaven unto earth the 
 beauty of Israel. " All they that that pass by, as saith 
 the Prophet, will clap their hands at us, whc trusted 
 in Him and wag their heads at the daughters of Jerusa- 
 lem . Is this the man — the mighty Pro[)het whom men 
 called the Son of the Highest, the Messias of God— the 
 of David — ^the excellency of wisdom and the joy 
 
340 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID: 
 
 of the earth ? The punishment of thine iniquity is ao 
 eomplished, 0 Daughter of Zion !" 
 
 Thus do I weep, and thus do I complain ; for verily 
 fear and a snare are come upon us — desolation and de- 
 struction, 0 my father ! We know not which way tc 
 turn. He in whom we trusted has proved as one of vs 
 weak and impotent, and has suffered death without 
 power to save himself. He that saved others could not 
 escape the death of the Roman cross ! While I write, I 
 hear the priest Abner, in the court below, mocking my 
 uncle Amos in a loud voice : 
 
 " Your Messias is dead ! A famous great prophet, 
 surely, you Nazarenes have chosen — ^born in a manger, 
 and crucified as a thief ! Said I not that he who could 
 speak against the Temple and the priesthood was of 
 Beelzebub 
 
 Rabbi Amos makes no reply ! Shame and despair 
 seal his lips ! Thus our enemies triumph over us, and 
 we answer only with confusion of face. Even the dis- 
 ciples are outlawed, and a reward is offered by Caiaphas 
 for their arrest ; and all those who, two days ago, were 
 so full of hope, and proud to sit at the feet of Jesus, or 
 to follow Him whithersoever He went, now fear to con- 
 fess that they have ever known or seen Him. It is only 
 the high rank, as a priest, of my uncle Amos, which 
 protects him or his household from arrest ! 
 
 But, my dear father, to whom I have ever confided all 
 my feelings and thoughts, shall we pronounce Jesus an 
 impostor ? Oh, can He whose very countenance was 
 stamped with celestial dignity, whose lips dispensed 
 truths such as the wisest philosophers and holiest pro- 
 phets hav« loved to study and teach — whose whole life 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLT CITY. 
 
 343 
 
 has heen blameless, and who has lived only to do good — 
 can He be, nnust He be pronounced a deceiver ? "When 
 I recall the sick He has cured, the indigent He has 
 relieved, the mourners He has comforted, the ignorance 
 He has enlightened, the dead He has up-raised, the 
 Bublime truths He ha« taught, his love of God, his re- 
 epect for the worship of the Temple, the perfect morality 
 of his daily life, the sincerity of all He said, and the 
 aniversal sympathy which seemed to fill his bosom for 
 all who were in sorrow — I cannot, oh, I oannot bring 
 my pen to write the word " impostor," in association 
 with his name. But what shall I substitute ? Alas I I 
 feel desolate and miserable, like those who, confiding all 
 their heart's treasures to another's keeping, whom they 
 believed good and true, find that he was unworthy of 
 confidence and betrays their trust. Jesus asserted that 
 He came on earth to establish a kingdom, and sit on the 
 throne of David — and that all nations would, through 
 Him, receive their laws from Jerusalem. Where, now, 
 is his power ? Where his throne ? Where his laws ? 
 His power is ended in death ! His throne is the Romaij 
 cross, placed between thieves ; and the Roman lawSj oi 
 rather power, which He was to destroy, have condemned 
 himself to death! 
 
 This unexpected, this ujilooked-for, startling result, 
 has stupefied me ! — and not only me, but all who have 
 oeen so led by fascination as to trust in Him. Even 
 John, the beloved disciple, I hear now pacing the flooi 
 of the adjoining room, sobbing as if his noble heart would 
 burst . Mary, my cousin's sweet voice, I catch, from 
 time to time, trying to soothe him, although slie is 
 stricken like us all, to the very earth ; for bhe trusted 
 
342 THE PBINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVlii 
 
 in Jesus, if possible, with more faith than I did ; and 
 henco her dismay at his death, at the sudden termina* 
 tion of all her hopes in Him, and of his restoration of 
 Israel, is in proportion. We have wept to-night in each 
 other's arms, till we have no more tears to shed ; and I 
 have left her to take my pen and pour out my griefs to 
 you. The unhappy John I hear despairingly answoi 
 her : 
 
 " Do not try to comfort me, Mary ! There is nc ground 
 for hope more ! He is dead — dead ! All is losi ! We 
 who trusted in Him have only to fly, if we would save 
 our wretched lives, into Gralilee, and return once more 
 to our nets ! The sun which shone so dazzlingly has 
 proved a phantom-light, and gone out in darkness. He 
 whom I could not but love, I see that I loved too well, 
 since He proves not what I believed Him to be. Oh, 
 how could He be so like the Son of God, and yet not be ? 
 Yet I loved and adored Him as if He were the very Son 
 of the Highest ! But I have seen Him die as a man — 1 
 have gazed on his lifeless body ! I have beheld the deep 
 wound made into his very heart by the Roman spear ! I 
 east myself upon Him, when He was taken down from 
 the cross, and implored Him, by his love for me, to give 
 some sign that He was not holden by death ! I placed 
 my trembling hands over his heart. It was still, still — 
 nnotionless as stone, like any other dead man's ! The flesh 
 of his corpse was cold and clammy ! He was dead — 
 dtad! With Him die all our hopes — the hopes of 
 Israel !" 
 
 " He may live again," said Mary, softly and hesita- 
 tmgly, as if she herself had no such hope. " He raised 
 Lazarus, thou dost remember !" 
 
OtC THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITl. 
 
 •J43 
 
 * Yes> foi Jesus was living to do it !" answered John, 
 stopping in his walk ; but how can the dead raise the 
 dead ? No, He will never move, speak, nor breathe 
 again." 
 
 ThuS; dear father, are we left to mourn with shame 
 at. our delusion, and with utterly wrecked hopes. I can- 
 didly acknowledge that I have been too hasty to confess 
 Jesus as Messias of G-od ; but, oh, what could I do but 
 believe in one who seemed so like an angel from hea- 
 ven — a celestial Prince ! There is a dreadful and deep 
 mystery in it all. To the last we believed He would 
 tree himself, and escape death ! Alas, for our sins Grod 
 has suffered this great disappointment to come upon 
 us all. 
 
 I try to seek some consolation in recalling all that He 
 was, good and holy ; but this retrospect only darkens 
 the cloud of the present ; for I irresistibly argue : How 
 could He, who was so good, prove so great a deceiver ? 
 / live and breathe, while He, who taught me that He 
 had life in himself, and who I believed could raise me 
 fiom the dead, if I died. He is himself now dead and 
 laid in the tomb ; and yet I live ! He, over whom we 
 fondly believed Death could have no power, since the 
 doors of sepulchres opened at his voice, and let forth 
 their re-living tenants, has been conquered by Death, 
 and proved himself only the mortal son of Joseph and of 
 the widowed Mary. She is inconsolable ! Her distress 
 is heart-rending to witness. Not only has she lost hoi 
 only son, about whom all her maternal sympathies were 
 entwined, as the vine encircles the lofty palm, but shu 
 seems humiliated in the very ashes of shame, that He 
 has died, leaving thousands who trusted to his word 
 
344 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 fugitives for his name's sake, and disappointed in all 
 they expected from Him. Even now I hear her heavy 
 Bighs, from the couch where she lies broken-hearted in 
 my aunt's chamber, to which John led her after the exe- 
 cution of Jesus, at his request. She asks to be left alone, 
 and I forget my own sorrows when I think upon hers, 
 which are greater than she can bear ; for, all at once hei 
 son has been hurled from the position in which He drew 
 all eyes up after Him, and has died an igi ominicus 
 death, leaving behind Him the stigma of an * npostor's 
 fame. This pierces her heart more keenly thau3 that ehe 
 has been made childless. " Oh," I heard her say to 
 Rabbi Amos, when she came into the house, oh, could 
 He have deceived me thus — He whom I beli*^ved to be 
 the soul of truth ? Alas ! my son — my son — better hadst 
 thou remained in thy humble shop, leading a iowly and 
 useful life, than, for the temporary popularity of a Pro- 
 phet's name, have held out hopes and promises to thy 
 followers, that thou couldst never realize, and meet with 
 such a death ! This has made my heart ble^^d, indeed ! 
 My gray hairs will go down to the grave \^ith shame, 
 that I am the mother of Him who has misled Israel I 
 Yet I hoped great things of Him, more th^^ n of all the 
 sons of men !" 
 
 But I will not dwell on this universal sorrow — sorrow 
 mingled with mortification — for the pride of all has been 
 humbled to the dust. I will give you a description, dear 
 father, of what occurred after the airest ; f r I wish you 
 to be acquainted with every particular respecting Him, 
 that you may see how perfectly He sustained the lofty 
 character v/hich drew all men after Him, to the last- 
 standing before his judges like a man suhlii*^^ Kh*^ 
 
OR THBEE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 345 
 
 consciousness of innocence, and commanding even the 
 involuntary respect and admiration of his foes. Oh, how 
 could He have been a deceiver ? Yet He is dead, and 
 in that He is dead^ has He not failed in all the glorious 
 things which He promised concerning himself. " His 
 death,'* says his disciple Peter, who was here to-night, 
 to ask John what should now be done by them, 
 death buries forever all our hopes." 
 
 But I will not further delay the account of his trial 
 and condemnation, for you will be earnest to know how 
 such a man could be condemned to a malefactor's death 
 In my last letter I spoke of his arrest, through the trai- 
 torous part enacted by Judas. Led by his captors, bound 
 by the wrists with a cord. He was taken from the dark 
 groves of Olivet, wherein He had been found at prayer, 
 and conducted with great noise into the city by Caesar'^ 
 gate. It is near this archway that Rabbi Amos lives 
 It was the third hour of the night, and I had just gone 
 to my room, which overlooked the street of the kings, 
 when I wdj startled by the suddenly-heard outcries of 
 fierce men breaking the night's stillness. Then I heard 
 the quick challenges of Roman sentinels, the galloping 
 of several horsemen, and a confused tumult, the cries in 
 the meanwhile increasing. But I will copy for you m} 
 cousin Mary's account of it to Martha, of Bethany, just 
 written by her, instead of adding any more to my own. 
 
 " I went out upon the basilica, which overlooked the 
 Btreet," says Mary in her letter, and beheld a multi- 
 tude advancing with torches flashing ; and soon they 
 came opposite the house, at least two hundred men m 
 number, half clad and savage looking, with flashmg eyes 
 and scowling looks. Here and there among them wh- 
 
346 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID. 
 
 a Le\ite, urging them on, and I also beheld Abner, the 
 priest, firing their passions by loud oratory and eager 
 gesticulations. Behind rode five Roman horsemen, with 
 levelled spears, guarding a young man, v^ho walked in 
 front of their horses' heads. It was Jesus ! His looks 
 were dishevelled, his beard torn, his face marred, an^J 
 his garments rent. He was pale and suffering, yt t 
 walked with a firm step. I burst into tears, and so did 
 Adina, who had come out to see what was passing. He 
 looked up and said, touchingly, ' Mourn not for me.' 
 
 He would have said more, but the priest smote Him 
 rudely upon the mouth ; and the crowd, following his 
 example, would have done Him further insult, but for 
 the Roman soldiers, who turned their spears every way 
 to guard Him from violence ; for they had rescued Him 
 from the terrible rage of the Jews by their centurion's 
 orders, and were commanded to bring Him safely before 
 Pilate. So, thus guarded and escorted by the men who 
 thirsted for his blood, He was led onward to the Preto- 
 rium, where the Roman Procurator resided. Grradually 
 the whole multitude, horsemen, Jews, priests, torch- 
 bearers, and unresisting captive, disappeared in the dis- 
 tance, when silence, a dread and unearthly silence, sue- 
 ceeded. I turned and looked in Adina's face. She was 
 leaning, colorless as marble, against one of the colunms 
 of the basilica. 
 
 " ' "WTiat can all this mean ?' she said, with emotion, 
 ' Can it be possible He has suffered himself to be taken — 
 He who could destroy or make alive with a word ? What 
 means this dreadful scene we have just witnessed 9' 
 
 " I could not answer. It was inexplicable, incompre- 
 hensible to me. All I knew was what my eyes just 
 
THREE TEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 beheld, that Jesus, our Prophet, our Kmg, our Messias, 
 an wh<>m all our hopes and the joy of Israel rested, waa 
 jragged a prisoner through the streets, helpless and with- 
 out a helper I trembled with, I knew not what, un- 
 crown forebodings. Suddenly Adina cried : 
 
 " ' He cannot be harmed ! He cannot die! He is a 
 /lighiy Prophet, and has power that will strike his ene- 
 iuies dead ! Let us not fear. He has yielded himself 
 only the more terribly to defeat and destroy his foes. 
 We will not fear what Pilate or the priests will do! 
 They cannot harm the anointed Shiloh of the Lord ! ' 
 
 ''While we were yet talking, dearest Martha, a dark 
 figure passed stealthily along beneath the basilica, and 
 seemed to court the shadows of the house. At this mo- 
 ment my father. Rabbi Amos, opened the outer gate 
 with a torch in his hand, to follow, at our request, the 
 crowd of people, and see what should befall Jesus. The 
 light glared full upon the tall, spare form of Peter, the 
 Galilee fisherman. His dark, stern features wore an 
 expression of earnest anxiety. 
 
 " * Is it thou, Peter?' exclaimed my father. ' What is 
 all this ? Who has ordered the arrest of Jesus ? What 
 has He done V 
 
 *' ' That hateful and envious man, Caiaphas, seeks tu 
 destroy Him, and has bribed, with large lures of gold, 
 the baser Jews to do this thing. Come with me. Rabbi, 
 and let us die with Him ! ' and the Galilean pressed 
 eagerly forward at a pace with which my father could 
 not keep up. 
 
 *'And this as an hour ago, and yet no news has 
 oome from the Pretorium ; but, from time to time a 
 dreadful shout from the hill, on which the palace of 
 
348 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVUV 
 
 Caiaphas stands, breaks upon my ears ; and the glare of 
 unseen torches illumines the atmosphere high above the 
 towers of the palace. It is a fearful night of agony and 
 suspense Adina, in her painful uncertainty, but for 
 my entreaties, would go forth alone towards the Preto- 
 rium, to hear and know all. I can keep myself calm 
 only by writing to you. Adina has also commenced a 
 letter to her father, recording these sad things, but she 
 drops her pen to start to the balcony at every sound 
 When will this fearful night end ? What will the mor- 
 row reveal ? Adina is confident nothing can befall the 
 holy Prophet, for He who could raise your brother La- 
 zarus from the dead cannot fear death. Besides, has 
 He not promised that He has come from God, to be 
 king of Israel? If He enter the Pretorium a bound 
 captive to-night, it will be to sit upon the Roman throne 
 within it to-morrow, with Pilate in chains at his feet 
 I write this, to send to you by Elec at dawn, that you 
 and Lazarus may hasten to come into the city to us. 
 
 " It is an hour since I wrote the last line. The inter- 
 val has been one of agony. Rumors have reached us 
 that the priests insist on Pilate's passing sentence of 
 death on the Prophet. The cries ' Crucify him ! crucify 
 him V have distinctly reached our ears. John is now 
 here. About half an hour after Jesus passed he reached 
 our house nearly destitute of apparel, his clothing hav- 
 ing been torn off from him by the Jews, in their efforts 
 to make him prisoner also. He is calm and confiding 
 saying that his beloved Master can never be injured by 
 them; and that He will, ere many hours, deliver him- 
 self from his foes, and proclaim himself king of Israel 
 with power such as man never had befcre ! Mav the 
 
OK, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 349 
 
 Gf-od of Jacob defend Him ! John has just gone up to 
 the Temple to get news, in disguise of a priest, wearing 
 my father's robes. I tremble lest he be discovered, and 
 taken ; for the Jews are as bitter against the followers 
 as against their Master. 
 
 *^ I have just seen a messenger, passing in great 
 haste along the street ; and his horse falling, cast him 
 almost upon our threshold. It was the page of iSlmilius, 
 the noble Roman knight, who is betrothed to my cou« 
 sin Adina. She hastened to his aid. He was but stun- 
 ned, and soon was able to say, that he bore a message 
 from Lucia Metella, the fair and youthful bride of 
 Pilate, urging him to have nothing to do \vith the Pro- 
 phet, but give Him his liberty ; for she had just awak- 
 ed from an impressive dream in which she saw Him 
 sitting on the Throne of the Universe, crowned with 
 the stars of heaven, the earth a footstool beneath his 
 feet, and all nations assembled, and doing Him homage, 
 while the gods and goddesses of high Olympus cast their 
 glittering crowns and sceptres at his feet, hailing Him 
 God! 
 
 " Such was the account given by the page to Adina , 
 when, remounting his horse, he continued rapidly on his 
 way towards the Pretorium. This report of the page 
 has filled our hearts with joy and hope inexpressible 
 Confident that Jesus is the Son of Grod, we will not fea 
 what man can do unto Him. 
 
 " It is now three hours past midnight, and the dawn 
 is chilly and cold, so that I cannot Ibnger hold my pen. 
 1 shall send this as soon as the city gates are opened 
 Come at once to our comfort ; for this is no tim^ for tli3 
 friends of Jesus to be out of Jerusalem. 
 
 / 
 
350 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 My father has returned. It is day. He says noth- 
 ing can save Jesus but his own divine power. The 
 Jews are in number many thousands, and cry for his 
 lood. Pilate has but a cohort of soldiers, and fears to 
 Qse force, lest the exasperated people break into open 
 revolt, and take the city from his hands, which they 
 can with ease do if they will unite. ' He trembles,' said 
 tiiy father, ' between fear to condemn the innocent, and 
 dread of the vengeance of the Jews, if he let Him go. 
 Nothing can save the Prophet but his own mighty mira- 
 cle-working power. He who has saved others, will sure- 
 ly save himself.' 
 
 " While my father was speaking, a man rushed 
 into our presence ! He was low in stature, broad-chested, 
 with a stiff, reddish beard, narrow eyes, and sharp, un- 
 pleasant visage. His attire was ragged and mean, as 
 was his whole aspect. He grasped in his right hand a 
 small bag, which rung with coin, as his shaking hand 
 held it. He trembled all over, and seizing my father by 
 the arm with the quick, nervous grasp of a lunatic, cried 
 hoarsely : 
 
 " ' Will He let them ! will He ! will He V 
 ' Will He what, Iscariot ? Of whom do you speak ? 
 Art thou crazed ? Thou shouldst well be, after thy deed 
 to-night.' 
 
 " ^ Will He let them kill Him ? Will He die ? wiU 
 He die ? Think you He will escape ? He can if He 
 will ! Cords, to Him, are ropes of sand !' 
 
 * No, no — He is bound hand and foot,' answered my 
 father, sadly. ' He makes no defence ! I fear Ho will 
 let them do as they will with Him. He makes no effort 
 
 save his life.' 
 
Oa THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 351 
 
 At this, Judas, for it was that wicked man beat his 
 knitted forehead, in a frenzied manner, with the bag oi 
 silver, and, with a look of horrible despair, rushed forth, 
 orymg as he went : 
 
 " ' I will save Him ! The priests shall have their 
 money again. He shall not die ! If I had believed He 
 9<rould not do some miracle to escape them, I never would 
 have sold Him. I hoped to get their money, and trusted, 
 if they bound Him, for Him to escape by his own power. 
 I did not dream that He would not exert it to save him* 
 self. I will save thee, innocent man of Grod, for I, not 
 thou, alone am guilty ! Oh, if I had suspected this— 
 but He shall not die !' 
 
 " With these ravings he disappeared towards the 
 Pretorium, leaving us all amazed at what we had 
 heard. 
 
 " * Yes,' said my father, ' I see it now. Judas hoped 
 to secure the money and cheat the chief priests, trusting 
 to the Prophet's divine power to get away out of their 
 hands. See the force of conscience ! He is now beside 
 hin^self with horror and remorse ; for he well knows that 
 Ele whom he has betrayed is a man of Grod, without sin 
 or guile !' 
 
 The sun is up. The fate of Jesus is sealed ! The 
 Procurator has signed the sentence of death, and Ho is to 
 be crucified to-day. But, with Judas, I believe that He 
 oannot die, and that He will signalize the hour by some 
 wonderful miracle of personal deliverance. Thus, trem- 
 blingly, we hope and wait." 
 
 Here terminates, my dear father, what my cousin has 
 written to Martha and Lazarus, and as it is very 
 ••'inute, please to receive it as if written by myself; 
 
352 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 for, during the night I was too greatly unnerved to 
 write with the composure she has done. But now, that 
 all is over — now, that Jesus lies dead in the tomb and 
 forever at rest — I have been able sorrowfully to resume 
 my pen. 
 
 In my next I will give you an account of his trial, as 
 it was related to me by my uncle Amos and by John 
 one of whom was present to the last. This evening 1 
 am going to see the sepulchre where they have laid 
 him ; for, though He has in his death so sorely crushed 
 all our hopes in Him and proved that He was not what 
 we believed Him to be, yet my heart and affections 
 hover about his memory, and irresistibly draw my foot- 
 steps towards his last resting-place. Though we are 
 deceived, I cannot reprove his memory. Oh, no ! I 
 cannot — but I dare not trust myself to say all that I 
 feel. I only wish I could forget Him for evermore, as 
 I regret that I have ever tried to convince you that He 
 was the Shiloh of the Prophets. Yet never man spake 
 like this man, my dear father ! and if Shiloh in truth 
 come, can He do greater works than He has done ? In 
 all things He was the Son of God, but in his death I 
 This event dashes all our hopes and our faith in Him at! 
 the Christ ! 
 
 Your sorrowing but loving daughter, 
 
OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOI.Y CITY. 
 
 358 
 
 LETTER XXXI. 
 
 Dbascst Father : 
 
 I Lave only terminated my last letter to take up 
 pen for the beginning of another ; for I find relief only 
 in writing to you, from the deep affliction which has 
 struck me to the earth. If anything can add to my morti- 
 fication at the death of the Nazarene, Jesus, it is that I 
 rhall ha\e endeavored so earnestly to make youhelieYe in 
 Him also. Forgive me, my dear father ; your wisdom, 
 your knowledge of the Prophets, your judgment, were 
 far above my own. But who could have believed that 
 He was less than He claimed to be — the very Son and 
 Messias of Grod. Oh ! I shall never have confidence in 
 a human being again ; and the more lovely, the more 
 holy, the more heavenly the character of any one, the 
 wiser and purer their teachings, the more distrustful 
 shall I be of them. In the grave with Jesus is buried, 
 henceforth and forever, all trust in human virtue — even 
 when accompanied by amazing miracles. I perceive that 
 a man may teach divine truths, nay, wear upon his linea- 
 ments the very impress of an angel, may heal the sick 
 by a touch, walk the sea, raise the dead, and cast out 
 devils, and yet prove in the end a deceiver. Alas for 
 human truth I Alas for poor Israel ! which has tbi\s 
 been blinded t They have beheld their idolized Shiloh 
 
304 THE PRINCB OF THE HOUSE OF DAVU> 
 
 nailed to a Gentile crosS; without power in himself tr 
 prevent this ignominy. 
 
 But I will turn from these painful thoughts, and, as I 
 promised in my last, will give you an aocount ol 
 what passed at his trial, as you will be desirous oi 
 knowing on what accusation his condemnation was 
 founded. 
 
 It is now the morning following his crucifixion, and 
 I am calmer than I was yesterday, and will be able to 
 write with more coherency. Twenty-four hours have 
 passed since He was nailed to the cross. His followers 
 have been since his arrest hunted like wild beasts ol 
 the wilderness. Annas has hired and filled with wine 
 fierce Roman soldiers, and sent them everywhere to 
 seize the fugitive Nazarenes. John was especially 
 sought out, and the emissaries of Annas came at mid- 
 night, last night, to the hous to take him ; but we 
 assisted him in making his escape, by means of the 
 subterranean passage that leads from the dwelling oJ 
 Rabbi Amos to the catacombs beneath the Temple. 
 Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus, accompanied 
 him, and they got safely out of the city, and are now 
 at Bethany with Martha — whence they will go to John's 
 new home, near Genesaret. Even Lazarus, whom 
 Jesus raised, has been made prisoner, but was released 
 by the influence of -Smilius, the Roman knight, 
 who has conducted him hither, where he now remains 
 in safety ; and iEmilius has also placed a guard 
 abcut our house, for fear of further Jewish violence 
 I, therefore, can write to you undisturbed. ^Emilius 
 is the only one who has any ccnfidence left, since 
 Jesus died, in his promises. He asserts that Jesus 
 
OEL, THREE rEARS IN IBE HOLT CITY 
 
 356 
 
 plainly foretold his death, and also, that if He died^ 
 •He would rise again ! Peter, also, recollects Jesus* 
 saying this word ; but uncle Amos has no confidence, 
 and says : 
 
 " It is easy for any man to foretell that he will die, and 
 quite as easy for him to add that he will rise again ! But 
 let us see Jesus rise again, and we will believe in Him 
 indeed !" 
 
 But iEmilius, though only recently a convert from 
 the Paganism of Rome, is firm in his faith, that He will ^ 
 rise again to life ; and, instead of giving up all, as we 
 do, he says that he should not be amazed to be sudden- 
 ly told by the soldiers, whom he left to guard his tomb, 
 that He had burst forth alive from the dead ! The 
 confidence of iEmilius has almost inspired me with 
 hope again ! But, dear father, I saw his cleaved side, 
 the torrent of blood and water flow forth from the crim- 
 son wound, and saw his lifeless head hang down upon 
 his breast. If He had not been pierced through, I might 
 have hoped that He could yet revive ! But that He 
 was pierced removes all hope that He can be restored. 
 He did not swoon, and thus appear like one dead, or 
 we might trust to his restoration ; but He was slain, 
 and I saw Him lie a mangled corpse at the foot oi 
 the cross, bleeding from five wounds, one of which 
 was through and through his heart. I should rejoice 
 to have the faith of dear ^Emilius ; but I answer him 
 fliat I have hitherto believed too well, and that when 
 Jesus expired, all faith in my bosom expired with Him. 
 
 But I have forgotten that I am to narrate to you, 
 dear father, the particulars of his accusation, trial, and 
 noudemnation. As I was not present in the Pretorium^ 
 
35b 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 [ am indebted, for the further details which I shall give, 
 in part to John and in part to Rabbi Amos, who were 
 both there a portion of the night ; Peter, and other dijb-^ 
 oiples, as well as ^milius, have also given me additional 
 facts. These I will give, at the risk of repetition, as 
 they are fuller than my former account, for some c* 
 them heard and saw what John did not. 
 
 " As soon as the mob of Jews, who had Jesus under 
 arrest, and which I saw pass the house, reached the 
 abode of Rabbi Annas, he asked them whom they 
 had in custody ? and when they answered that it 
 was the ' great Nazarene Prophet,' he said, with great 
 
 joy: 
 
 " ' Bring him into the lower court, that I may see 
 him. By the rod of Aaron ! I would have him do some 
 notable miracle for me.' 
 
 " And thus speaking, the white-headed old man has- 
 tened, as I have said, down to the court, which, on 
 reaching, he found thronged with the infuriated multi- 
 tude, mingled with the Roman soldiers. It was with 
 difficulty he made a passage to where Jesus stood, both 
 imprisoned and defended by a glittering lattice of Roman 
 spears. After regarding Him attentively, he said, with 
 curiosity, yet with sarcasm : 
 
 " ' Art thou, then, the King of the Jews ? Hast thou 
 come to reign on the throne of David ? Show me a sign 
 from Heaven, and I will acknowledge thee, 0 Nazarene !' 
 
 " But Jesus stood calm and dignified, making no an* 
 *>wer. Annas then angrily plucked Him by the beard, 
 and a messenger at the same moment arrived, to say to 
 him that Caiaphas, the High Priest, who had married the 
 beautifu. and haughty Miriam, the daughter of Annas. 
 
OR. rHREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 357 
 
 deniandod to have Jesus brought before him. Upon this 
 he said, in a loud voice : 
 
 " ' Lead him to the palace ! Caijiphas, my son-in 
 law, would see the man who would destroy the Temple, 
 and rebuild it in three days.' 
 
 " There now arose a dreadful shout from the priests 
 and people, who, rushing upon Jesus, cried ' Crucify 
 Him !' and attempted to grasp his person, as they guard- 
 ed Him along the streets ; but in protecting Him, as 
 they had been commanded to do, the Romans wounded 
 several of the Jews. Hereupon there was a great cry 
 of sedition, and shouts of — 
 
 " * Down with the Roman eagles ! Down with the 
 barbarians ! Death to the Gentiles !' 
 
 " These cries were followed up by a fearful rush ot 
 the mass of men upon the handful of guards. They 
 were forced back, their spears broken like straws, or 
 turned aside, and Jesus successfully wrested from their 
 power. But in the height of the battle, iEmilius, who 
 had heard the tumult from the castle, appeared with a 
 portion of the legion, of which he was Prefect, and in- 
 fcjtantly charging the people, who lied before the breasts 
 of his horses, rescued the Prophet, but not without the 
 sacrifice of the life of one of the foremost of the mob. 
 
 " ' Rabbi,' said iEmilius to the Prophet, with com- 
 passionate respect, ' I know thou hast power from Grod 
 to disperse, as chaff, this rabble of fiends ! Speak, and 
 let them perish at thy divine command !' 
 
 " ' Nay, my son ! I am come into the world for this 
 hour,' answered Jesus. ' This, also, is a part of my 
 mission from my Father. It becomes me to endure al; 
 things, even death ' 
 
358 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVtD 
 
 " ^ You cannot die, my Lord !' said ^milius, warmly 
 ' Did I not see thee raise Lazarus from the tomb ?' 
 
 " To aie I came into this world; but not for mjself. 
 I lay down my life and I can take it again. These men 
 could have no power over me, except my Father did 
 grant it to them : and what my Father willeth I will 
 also. Seek not, my son, to deliver me. This day waa 
 seen by Esaias, who wrote of me. I must fulfill the 
 Prophets ! There remains only that I be delivered to 
 judgment and to death !' 
 
 These words passed between them beneath the por- 
 tico, as ^milius was loosing the sharp cords from the 
 bleeding wrists of the youthful Prophet. 
 
 ' To Caiaphas ! to Caiaphas !' now cried the multitude, 
 who had been for a moment awed by the bold charge of 
 the Roman horse, but now grew bolder, as some men 
 removed the dead and wounded out of sight. ' To the 
 palace with the blasphemer ! for he who calls himself 
 Grod is, by our law, to be punished with death. To the 
 High Priest with him !' 
 
 " ' I can rescue you, Great Prophet I' said ^Emilius, 
 resolutely. ' Give me the word, and you are mounted 
 on my horse, and safe in the castle of David.' 
 
 * The High Priest has sent for me. He must be 
 obeyed,' answered Jesus ; and iEmilius, surprised at his 
 refusal to escape, reluctantly escorted Him to the palace. 
 The windows already glared with torches, and the superb 
 Hall of Aaron, within the palace, was alight with a hun 
 dred flambeaux. The Romans entered, guarding their 
 prisoner, and followed by a tumultuous throng, which 
 each momsnt fearfully increased in numbers. Caiaphaw 
 was already upon his throne, although it was long pasi 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 359 
 
 the houi of midnight — an unwonted time for him to sit 
 in the council chamber ; but his desire to have Jesus 
 brought before him, of whose arrest in Olivet he had been 
 an hour before apprised by one of his emissaries, led him 
 to hold an extraordinary court. A score of the elders 
 and chief priests were standing about him, their dark^ 
 eager faces earnestly watching the entrance, to get a 
 look at the approaching Prophet. Among the most eagei 
 of all these was Caiaphas himself, who regarded the elo- 
 quent Nazarene as his rival in the eyes of the whole 
 people, and had, therefore, long thirsted for his destruc- 
 tion. As Jesus serenely entered, led by the sorrowful 
 iEmilius, Caiaphas bent his tall, gaunt form forward^ 
 thrust his neck and huge head in advance, and with 
 keen eyes, and sharp, scrutinizing glances, surveyed Him 
 whom he jealously looked upon as his foe : 
 
 " The multitude pressing in, soon filled all the vast 
 hall, and even crowded upon the rostrum, upon which 
 were seated the scribes, elders, and many of the princi- 
 pal priests. The Roman soldiers, with clanging steel, 
 marched in, and arrayed themselves on either side of 
 the High Priest's throne, leaving Jesus standing alone 
 before its footstool. The scene must have been stri- 
 king, and full of painful interest to the most unconcerned 
 present. The arched ceiling of the chamber, supported 
 by seventy columns of porphyry, represented the deep 
 blue heavens, studded with glittering constellations in 
 starry gold. The walls were of jasper, superblv colored, 
 with precious stones inlaid, representing every variety 
 of fruit and flower, in all their native tints and varied 
 forms of grace and beauty. The hundred flambeaus 
 reflected a thousand times from the polish^ surfaces of 
 
360 
 
 THE PRINCE O? THE HOUSE OF DAVID- 
 
 the columns, shed a magnificent light over all. The 
 gorgeous robes of the High Priest, his dazzling tiara 
 and priceless breast-plate, refracted the radiant beams 
 with indescribable prismatic splendor ! The steel spear 
 heads and polished cuirasses of the Roman guard, catch 
 ing the light upon points and bosses, gleamed like flames 
 of fire ; while the golden crest of the helmet of iEmiliu 
 shone amid all this glory like a lesser sun. 
 
 " Contrasting with this brilliancy, surged, and heaved 
 and moved below the dark masses of the people, in their 
 gray and brown caps and cloaks, for the night was cold, 
 and they wore their winter garments ; and all this wild 
 ocean of human forms gleamed with ten thousand eyes, 
 flashing like the phosphorescent stars that glitter on the 
 surface of the up-heaving sea, when the shadow of the 
 storm-cloud hangs above it, and the winds are about to 
 be unbound, to lash it into fury. So seemed this terri- 
 ble sea of human heads — Jesus the centre of their looks 
 and of their hate ! the Pharos at whose feet these foam- 
 ing billows of passion broke with terrific power. He 
 alone, of all that countless host. He alone was calm — 
 serene — fearless ! Caiaphas gazed upon Him, as He 
 stood before his footstool, betraying in his glance admi- 
 ration mingled with resentment. The scribes and priests 
 also curiously gazed, and talked together with looks of 
 unusual interest. Caiaphas now waved his hand, with 
 a gesture for silence, and addressed Jesus : 
 
 " ' So, then,' he spoke, with haughty irony, * thou art 
 Jesus, the far-famed Gralilean Prophet ! Men say thou 
 canst raise the dead ! We would fain behold a miracle. 
 Thinkest thou if we put thee to death presently, thou 
 canst raise thyself?' 
 
 ' Jesus,' saith Rabbi Amos, who just then entered. 
 
OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CllY 3t)l 
 
 and stood near Him, an i saw all, ^ Jesus remained un- 
 moved. His bearing was marked by a certain divine 
 dignity, while an expression of holy resignation sat upon 
 his features. He looked like Peace, incarnate in the 
 form of man ! A soft influence seemed to flow from his 
 presence, producing a universal but momentary emotion 
 of sympathy. Caiaphas perceived it, and cried, in his 
 harsh, stern voice : 
 
 " ' You have brought this man before me, men of Je- 
 rusalem ; of what do you accuse him ? Let those who 
 have accusations come forward and make them. He is 
 a Jew, and shall have justice by our laws.' 
 
 " ' Ye Jews have no power to try a man for his life, 
 most noble Caiaphas,' said ^milius. ' The lives of all 
 your nation are in the hand of Caesar, and of his tribu- 
 flals. You can put no man to death.' 
 
 This demand of an accusation of Jesus by the peoplej 
 here called for by Caiaphas, was afterwards made with 
 more aathority by Pilate ; and this declaration of ^Emi- 
 lius, which was spoken to save Jesus, was subsequently 
 repeated by the Jews, before the Roman Governor, in 
 order to secure his crucifixion ! 
 
 " iEmilius had spoken in hopes that if Jesus could be 
 brought before Pilate, the Procurator, He might be by 
 him released, for he knew Pilate had no envy or feeling 
 against the Prophet. 
 
 " * Thou sayest well, noble Roman,' answered Caia- 
 phas ; * but for crimes of blasphemy against the Temple, 
 we are permitted by Caesar to judge our people by the 
 laws of Moses. And this man, if rumor comes nigh the 
 truth, has been guilty of blasphemy. Bat we will hear 
 the witnesses ' 
 
362 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVD). 
 
 " Hereupon several of the chief priests and scribo.s, 
 who had been^ going in and out among the crowd, brought 
 forward certain men, whose very aspect showed them to 
 be of the baser sort. One of these men testified that he 
 bad heard Jesus say that He would destroy the Temple, 
 and could again in three days rebuild it more magnifi* 
 cently than it was in the days of Solomon the Mighty. 
 
 Upon this testimony all the priests shouted ' Bias* 
 phemer!' and called fDr Jesus to be stoned to death; 
 and the passionate Abijah, the most virulent of the 
 scribes, cast his iron ink-horn violently at Him, but one 
 of the soldiers turned it aside with his lance ; at which 
 there was a deep murmur against the Romans, which 
 Caiaphas with difficulty silenced. 
 
 " A second witness was now produced by Abijah, who 
 testified that Jesus had taught, in Samaria, that men 
 would soon no longer w^orship in the Temple, but that 
 the whole earth would be a temple for Jews and Gren- 
 tiles. 
 
 This was no sooner heard than some of the men 
 gnashed at Jesus with their teeth, and, but for the ges- 
 tures and loud voice of the High Priest, they would 
 have made an attempt to get Him into their power. The 
 noise of their rage, so great was the madness of the 
 people, is described as having been like the roaring of 
 w^ild beasts of the wilderness, rushing to the banquet oi 
 a fresh battle-field. 
 
 A third witness^ a man who had been notorious foi 
 his crimes, now came up. He carried on his wrist a 
 sock, with steel gaffs upon the spurs, as if he had just 
 been brought up from the cock-pit to bear testimony , 
 for such were the sort of fellows suborned by the priests. 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 363 
 
 fie testified that Jesus said, that the day would soon 
 come when not one stone should be left upon another of 
 the Temple ; that He had called it ' a den of thieves, 
 the priests * blind guides ' and ' deceivers the scribe? 
 * foxes,' and the Pharisees ' hypocrites !' 
 
 " But the fourth and fifth witnesses contradicted each 
 other ; neither did the testimony of two others agree . 
 for one asserted that he heard Him call himself ' the Son 
 of God,' but was Ciontradicted by the other, who asserted 
 that it was only ' the Son of Man ;' and, in another in. 
 stance, one said he heard Him say that He and God 
 were One, while the other testified that what He said 
 was, that God was greater than He. Neither did other 
 witnesses agree together. 
 
 " Such opposite testimony perplexed and irritated 
 Caiaphas, and confounded the chief priests and scribes. 
 The High Priest now began to perceive that Jesus would 
 have to be released, for want of testimony against Him. 
 All the while the prisoner had remained standing before 
 him, bound, with his hands tied across his body, his 
 countenance mild but heroic, exhibiting ' the firmness 
 and composure of innocence,' as iEmilius described his 
 whole bearing to be. 
 
 " ' What ! Galilean and blasphemer of God and his 
 Temple ! answerest thou nothing ?' cried the High 
 Priest ; * hearest thou not what these witness against 
 thee ?' 
 
 " But Jesus remained silent. Caiaphas was about to 
 break the silence by some fierce words, when a voice 
 was overheard the other side of the columns, on the left 
 of the throne, where was a fireplace, in which was 
 burning a large fire, about which stood many persons 
 
;i64 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DA71D. 
 
 Rabbi Araos at once recognized, in the violent speaker, 
 Peter, who had come in with him and John ; the lattei 
 of whom, in the disguise of a priest, stood not far frona 
 Jesus, gazing tenderly upon Him, and listening with the 
 most painful interest to all that they testified againsJ* 
 llim,; but Peter stood farther off, by the fire, yet not 
 less eagerly attending to all that passed. 
 
 * Thou art one of the Nazarene's followers !' cried 
 the voice of a maid, who brought wood to feed the fire. 
 ^ Thou needest not to deny it. I am of Gralilee, and 
 knew thee when thou wert a fisherman. Seize him, for 
 he is one of them.' 
 
 ' Woman, I swear by the altar and ark of God, and 
 by the sacred Tables, I know not the fellow ! I never 
 saw Galilee !' 
 
 " ' Thy speech betrayeth thee, now thou hast spoken,' 
 cried the woman ; * thou art a Galilean, and thy name 
 is Simon Bar-Jona. I know thee well ; and how, three 
 years ago, you and your brother Andrew left your nets 
 to follow this Nazarene !' 
 
 " ' May the thunders of Horeb and the curse of Jelio 
 vah follow me, if what thou sayest be true, woman 
 Thou mistakest me for some other man. I swear to 
 you, by the head of my father, men and brethren, that 1 
 never saw his face before ! I know not the man !' '' 
 
 " As he spoke," said John, " he cast his angry iuok^ 
 towards the place where Jesus stood. He caught his 
 Master's eyes bent upon him, with a tender and reprov- 
 ing gaze, so full of sorrowing compassion, mingled with 
 forgiveness, that I saw Peter start as if smitten with 
 lightning. He then pressed his two hands to his face, 
 and uttering a cry of anguish and despair, that made 
 
OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOL!t CITY S65 
 
 thcj High Priest look, and which went to every heart, he 
 rushed out by the open door, into the darkness, and dis- 
 appeared. As he did so, the cock which was held tied 
 upon the wrist of the third witness, crowed twice, in a 
 oud tone ! I then remembered the words of Jesus to 
 Peter, spoken but twelve hours before: * This night, 
 even before the cock crow the first watch of the morn- 
 ing, thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me!' 
 Upon this," added John, my confidence in my Mastei 
 came back, full and strong, and I felt that He would 
 not, could not be harmed ; for He foreknew all things 
 that could happen to Him, and would yet escape 
 death." 
 
 "At length, after great excitement and dissension 
 among the elders, chief priests and scribes, Caiaphas 
 placed Jesus before their great council, at their demand. 
 Their hall adjoined his own. Here they, as well a? 
 Caiaphas, questioned Him closely, and said — 
 
 ' Art thou the Christ the Son of the Blessed ? I 
 adjure thee, by the living Grod, telJ us plainly !' 
 
 Jesus then elevated his princely form, and bending 
 his eyes upon the face of the High Priest, with a look sc 
 brightly celestial that Caiaphas involuntarily dropped his 
 eyelids to the ground, answered, and said : 
 
 " * If I tell thee, 0 Prieste, ye will not believe I If I 
 prove it to you from the prophets, and by my works, 
 ye will not listen ! If I say that I am Christ, ye will 
 not then acknowledge me, nor let me go free ! I have 
 spoken openly to the world, in the Temple and in the 
 synagogue. I have coiicealed nothing. Ask them which 
 heard me, what T have said. Nevertheless, I say unto 
 you what I have before taught, that I am the Christ, the 
 
366 TAB PKINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID. 
 
 Son of the Blessed ; and hereafter ye shall behold me sit- 
 ting on the right hand of the power of Grod, and coming 
 in the clouds of heaven.' 
 
 " ^ Art thou the Son of Grod ?' cried several ol the 
 priests at once, while Caiaphas held up his hands in 
 horror. 
 
 " * Ye have said that which I am,' answered the Pro- 
 phet, without changing, except to a sublimer look, the 
 expression of his countenance, which," says John, "seem- 
 ed to shine, as he had seen it in the Mount, when He 
 was transfigured before him. 
 
 " ' Men of Israel and Judah, ye hear his words !' cried 
 the High Priest, rending down the blue lace from his 
 ephod. ' Hear ye his blasphemy ?' 
 
 " ' Said I not, son of Aaron, that you would neithei 
 believe me nor let me go, if I told you who I am ?' said 
 Jesus, firmly. * I tell you the truth, and ye call it bias, 
 phemy !' 
 
 " ^ AnswercL^t thou the High Priest so !' cried Abner^ 
 furiously, ' the chief officer of the Temple !' striking Him 
 with the palm of his hand across the mouth. 
 
 " Jesus calmly answered, * If I have spoken evil, beai 
 witness of the evil, and judge me by our law ; but il 
 well, why smitest thou me ?' 
 
 " ^ Ye have heard the blasphemy,' said Caiaphas, 
 extending his hands towards the people. * What think 
 ye ? Need we any further witness than his own mouth ?' 
 
 " * He is guilty of death !' cried Abner, in a hoarse 
 voice, his eyes, red with being up a]l the night, glar- 
 ing like a leopard's ; and advancing to where Jesus 
 stood, bound and bleeding, he spat in his face thrice. 
 
 * This was followed by a loud outx3ry for his doatb 
 
OK THEEE YEARS m THE HOLY CITY 
 
 367 
 
 and several vile fellows also spat upon Him, and pniled 
 Him by the beard, while for some minutes it seemed to be 
 the only thought of all, who were any ways near his 
 person, to do Him some ignominy ; and, but for the pro- 
 tection of x^lmilius and his soldiers, they would have 
 torn Him in pieces. 
 
 " ^ Is this Jewish justice ?' cried ^Emilius, indignantly, 
 to Caiaphas. ' Do you condemn and kill a man without 
 witness ? Stand back, for Romans are not used to 
 see men condemned without law. Back, fellows — oi 
 your blood will flow sooner than his for which you 
 thirst !' 
 
 " At this determined attitude they gave back for a 
 moment, and left Jesus standing in the midst, sad but 
 serene. 
 
 " John ran to Him, and wiped the blood and unclean- 
 ness from his lips, and cheeks, and beard, and gave Him 
 water, which the woman who had recognized Peter, com* 
 passionately brought in a ewer. 
 
 " ' Master, use thy power and escape from them ! 
 whispered John. 
 
 ^ Nay — tempt me not, beloved,' He answered. ' My 
 power is not for my deliverance, but for that of the world. 
 For you I can do mighty works ; but for myself I do 
 nothing. I came not to save my life, but to lay it down 
 Mine hour is at hand !' 
 
 " * Let not a handful of Romans frighten you, men o 
 Jerusalem !' cried Abner. ' There is not a legion in all 
 the city. Here we are masters, if we will it ! To the 
 rescue ! Let me hear the Lion of Judah roar in his might, 
 and the Eagle of Rome will shriek and fly away. To 
 the rescue I' 
 
3(5H THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVO) 
 
 ' Huld ! men and brethren !' cried Caiaphas, who 
 had judgment enough to see that the first blow would 
 be the beginning of a revolution, that would brins; 
 down upon the city the Roman army quartered in Syria, 
 and end in the destruction of the nation. ' Hold, mad 
 men !' 
 
 " But his voice was drowned amid the roar of tht 
 human tempest, -^milius and his men were borne away 
 on the crest of the surge, and so pressed by the bodies of 
 the Jews that they could not make use of their weapons 
 In the wild confusion, Jesus was carried, by fierce hands, 
 to the opposite end of the council-chamber ; while Caia- 
 phas strove to appease the wrath of iEmilius, who in 
 sisted that the fate of Jesus should be left with Pilate, 
 the Procurator. After brief consultation with the chief- 
 priests, elders, and scribes, Caiaphas consented ; though 
 knowing that Pilate, being a pagan, would not heed a 
 charge of blasphemy, he resolved with the rest, that 
 nothing should be said of that before him, but that He 
 should be accused to him of sedition, and of setting up 
 a kingdom in opposition to the universal empire oi 
 Ca3sar. 
 
 " When iEmilius, aided by the authority of Caiaphas, 
 at length came where Jesus had been dragged, they 
 found Him standing blindfolded among a crowd of the 
 basest fellows of Jerusalem, who were diverting them- 
 selves by slapping his cheeks, and asking Him to tell, 
 by his divine knowledge of all things, who did it ? They 
 would also hold money before his blinded eyes, and asl< 
 Him to name its value or inscription ; and when He 
 still kept silence, they struck Him, beat Him with theit 
 hands, and cruelly smote Him with their staves to make 
 Him respond who did it. 
 
OK THBEE YEARS IN THE HOI T CITY 
 
 369 
 
 " * We will let thee go, Nazarene,' said one, * If thon 
 mil tell how many hairs I have in my beard !' 
 
 " ' Nay, let him divine !' cried another, ' what I gave 
 for my Passover-lamb, in the market, and the name oi 
 the Samaritan of whom I bought it !' 
 
 " ' Out with your lambs, Kish !' shouted a third fellow 
 thrusting himself forward, ' let me hear him prophecy 1 
 It is rare, a prophet, in these dull times. What. Grali 
 lean, silent and sullen ! I will make thee speak !' and 
 he let a blow of his staff fall upon the head of JesuSj 
 which would have struck Him to the earth, but for 
 the voice of Caiaphas, which had arrested, in part, ite 
 force. 
 
 " ' Men of Israel !' he cried aloud, ^ that this pestilent 
 Nazarene is a blasphemer, we have heard with our ears ; 
 and, by our law, he ought to die, because he hath made 
 himself the Son of God ! But Caesar hath taken the 
 power of life and death out of our hands ! We Jews 
 can put no man to death, but the Romans only. Thai 
 he hath spoken against Csesar, and is a seditionist, cap 
 be proved. Let us take him before Pilate with this ac- 
 cusation ; and if he be found guilty of death, as he will 
 be, unless the Procurator wink at a usurper's rising up 
 in his government, which he will not dare to do, we 
 shall have the Nazarene hanged on a Roman cross, ere 
 che sun reaches the mark of noon on the dial ol the 
 Temple.' 
 
 " This speech pleased the people, and having re-oound 
 Jesus more securely, they cried, all with one voice : * Tc 
 Pilate : to the Pretorium !' " 
 
 The multitude then poured out of the elates of the 
 palaoe, like a foaming and chafing river, which hath over 
 24 
 
370 r£IB PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVlt> 
 
 flowed its banks, and with terrible cries which wo hi?ard. 
 startling the dawn, even in our house, took the direc- 
 tion towards the Pretorium. Of the thousands of Jews 
 from the country, who crowd Jerusalem like a bee 
 hive at this holy season, few could have reposed un- 
 disturbed that night, and vast numbers of them were 
 present at that scene ; the noise of the tramp of that 
 multitude shook the very foundations of Mount Zion, 
 while the murmur of voices was like the sound of many 
 waters 
 
 It was with difficulty that iEmilius could protect 
 the Prophet in safety up the hill, and to the entrance 
 of the Pretorium, which he entered with his prisoner, 
 just as the sun gilded the loftiest pinnacles of the 
 Temple, and the tmmpets of the Levites sounded to 
 prayers. 
 
 In another letter, dear father, I will continue the 
 account of his trial, the remembrance of which, while 1 
 now write of it, almost rekindles again all my love, faith, 
 devotion, and confidence in Him ; for who but a man, 
 God-sustained, could have borne so meekly all this pain, 
 insult, ignominy, and shame ? 
 
 Adima. 
 
 LETTER XXXII. 
 
 Mv Dear Father: 
 
 This is the evening of the Great Day of the Feast, 
 and the second day since the ignominious execution oJ 
 Him whom we aU believed to have been a Prophet sent 
 
OK THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITT. 
 
 371 
 
 from God — nay, more than a prophet, the Chiist, tlie 
 Son of the Blessed ! Yet He still 'ies dead in the tomb, 
 and his splendid prophecies of his future glory, as King 
 0^ Israel, have perished with Him. Alas ! that one so 
 good, and noble, and wise, should have been a deceiver J 
 Henceforth I have no faith in goodness. I have wept 
 till I can weep no more. 
 
 I will now resume my narrative of his trial; ftr I 
 would, by showing you how like a true prophet He bore 
 himself, even before his judges, in some degree excuse 
 myself to you, for being carried away by Him, and ac- 
 cepting Him for all that He professed to be — the very 
 Messias of Jehovah. 
 
 It is now the close of the High Day of the Feast. 
 The slanting rays of the setting sun linger yet upon the 
 gilded lances that terminate the lesser pinnacles of the 
 Holy House of the Lord. The smoke of incense curls 
 lazily up the sky from its unseen altar, and the deep 
 voices of the choir of Levites, increased by those of the 
 tens of thousands of Judah, who crowd all the courts of 
 the Temple, fall upon my ears like muffled thunder. I 
 never heard anything so solemn. Above the Temple 
 has hung, since the crucifixion yesterday, the cloud ol 
 the smoke of the sacrifices, and it immovably depends 
 over all the city like a pall. The sun does not pene- 
 trate it, though its light falls u])on the earth outside oi 
 flie city ; but all Jerusalem remains in shadow ; and, 
 shooting over the cloud, the setting sunbeams, catch- 
 ing the lofty pinnacles, make the gloom beneath only 
 seem the more sombre. This cloud is a fearful sight, 
 and all men have been watching it, and talking of 
 it, and wondering. It seems to be in the form f>< 
 
S7'2 THE JfEINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVH* 
 
 black, gigantic wings, spreading a league broad ovei 
 Jerusalom. 
 
 There it now hangs, visible from my window ! but 
 we are in some sort used to its dreadful presence, and 
 cease to fear ; but we are lost in wonder ! This morn- 
 ing when a high wind arose, blowing from the great 
 sea eastward, every one expected and hoped to see the 
 cloud sail away before it in the direction of the desert. 
 But the only eftect the wind produced was to agitate 
 its whole surface in tumultuous billows, while the 
 mass still retained its position above the city. The 
 shadow it casts is supernatural and fearful like thf 
 dread obscurity which marks an eclipse of the sun. 
 
 And this reminds me, my dear father, to mention 
 what in the multiplicity of subjects that rush to my pen 
 for expression, I have omitted to state to you ; and what 
 is unaccountable, unless men have, in very truth, cruci- 
 fied, in Jesus, the very Son of Grod. At the time of his 
 death the sun disappeared from the mid heavens, and 
 darkness, like that of night, followed over all the earth, 
 so that the stars became visible ; and the hills on which 
 Jerusalem stands shook as if an earthquake had moved 
 them, and many houses were thrown down ; and where 
 the dead are buried, outside of the city, the earth and 
 rocks were rent ; tombs broken up, and many bodies ol 
 the dead were heaved to the surface, and exposed to a!! 
 eyes ! These bodies have lain all to-day, for the Jews 
 dare not touch them to re-bury them, for fear of beuig 
 defiled. All this is fearful and unaccountable. It is 
 known^ too, that as Jesus expired the vail of the Temple 
 was rent in twain and exposed the Holy of Holies to 
 every common gaze 1 What will be the end of these 
 
OR. THUEE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY :^,73 
 
 things is known only to the Grod of Al/raham. Never 
 was so fearful a Passover before. Men's faces arc pale, 
 and all look as though some dread calamity had befallen 
 the nation. Can the death of Jesus be the cause of all 
 those things ? If so, He was the Son of God, and men 
 have done unto Him whatsoever they listed. If He 
 DC the Blessed Christ, whom Caiaphas and the prlesta 
 (lave had crucified, the retribution of God's vengeance 
 upon our city and nation is but just begun. But if He 
 were the Christ, why did He not save himself. 
 
 My last letter, my dear father, closed with the teimi- 
 nation of the examination of Jesus before Caiaphas, the 
 High Priest, who, not being able to convict Him of any 
 thing save alleged blasphemy, and not having the power 
 in his hands to condemn Him to death on this charge, 
 resolved, in order unfailingly to secure his execution, to 
 charge Him before Pilate, the procurator, of sedition and 
 treason against Caesar. But for the fact that the Ro- 
 mans had taken the power of death from the Jewish 
 nation, Jesus would have been stoned to death for blas- 
 phemy, by order of Caiaphas and the great Sanhedrim ; 
 but a more ignominious death, as a revolutionist and 
 ?isurper of Caesar's crown, was in reserve for Him, at 
 the hands of the Roman law. 
 
 Guarded by ^milius, who was his true friend to the 
 last, and followed by the envious Caiaphas, the fierce 
 Abner, the captains of the Temple, Scribes, Pharisees, 
 Sadducees, Herodians, and a mixed rabble o^ the Jews, 
 artisans, peasants, robbers, beggars, and all the off- 
 scourings of the nation that pour into the city at the 
 Passover season. He was led to the house of Pilate. 
 
 The Praetorian gates were shut by the Roman guarda. 
 
374 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 as the tumultuous crowd advanced, for Pilate believed 
 the Jews were in insurrection, and was prepared to de- 
 fend his palace ; for so few are the troops with him in 
 the city, that he has for some weeks held only the name 
 of power, rather than the reality. But when ^Emilius 
 explained to the captain of the guard that the Jews de- 
 sired to accuse Jesus, the Nazarene, of sedition, before 
 the Procurator, he was admitted, with the chief men of 
 the city, into the outer court of Antiochus ; but none 
 passed beyond the statue of Caesar, lest they should de- 
 file themselves ; and, at their call, Pilate came forth to 
 them. When he saw the vast concourse of people with 
 Caiaphas and the chief priests, and many rich Saddu- 
 cees, with the leading men of Jerusalem in the advance, 
 and Jesus bound, and disfigured by the insults He had 
 undergone, and jJJmilius and his few soldiers enclosing 
 Him with their protecting spears, and heard the loud 
 voices of the multitude, as of wolves baying for the 
 blood of a defenceless lamb, he stood with amazement 
 for a few moments, surveying the scene. 
 
 " What means this, ^Emilius ?" he demanded of the 
 young Prefect. Who is this captive ?" 
 
 It is Jesus, called the Christ, my lord ; the Prophet 
 of Galilee The Jews desire his death, accusing Him 
 of blaspheming their God ; and " 
 
 " But I have no concern with their religion, or the 
 worship of their God. Let them judge him after the' ' 
 own way," said Pilate, indifferently, and with an indG- 
 lent air. 
 
 But, most noble Roman," said Caiaphas, advancing 
 to the portico on which the Procurator stood, by our 
 'aw hp should suffer death ; and thou knowest th(/ugh 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CIPY, 
 
 375 
 
 Wo can condemn, as we now have done this Galilean, 
 we have no power to execute sentence of death." 
 
 " This is well said ; but would you have me put one 
 of your nation to death for blaspheming your Grod ? So 
 far as that is concerned, 0 priest," added Pilate, smiling 
 oonteinptuously, " we Romans blaspheme Piim daily— 
 for we worship him not. and will have naught to do with 
 your faith Let the man go ! I see no cause of death 
 in him !" 
 
 He then spoke to iEmilius, and desired him to lead 
 Jesus to the spot where he stood. Pilate then regarded 
 Him with mingled pity and interest. After surveying 
 Him a moment, he turned to one of his officers, and said 
 aside : " A form divine, and fit for Apollo, or any of the 
 greater gods ! His bearing is like a hero ! Mehercule ' 
 The chisel of Praxiteles, nor of Phidias, ne'er traced the 
 outlines of limbs and neck like these. He is the very 
 incarnation of human symmetry and dignity." 
 
 The courtiers nodded assent to these cool criticisms of 
 the indolent and voluptuous Italian. Jesus, in the mean- 
 while, stood motionless before his judge, his eyes down- 
 cast, and full of a holy sadness, and his lips compressed 
 with immovable patience. Pilate now turned to Him 
 >ud said : 
 
 " Thou art, then, that Jesus of whom men talk so 
 widely. I have had curiosity to see thee ; and thanks 
 Caiaphas, to thee, for this privilege. Men say, 0 Jesus, 
 that thou art wiser than ordinary men ; that thou canst 
 do works of necromancy, and art skilled in the subtle 
 mysteries of astrology. I would question thee upon 
 these things. Wilt thou read my destiny for me in the 
 stars 9 If thou answerest well I will befriend thee* and 
 
376 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 deliver thee from thy countrymen, who seem to howl foi 
 fchy blood." 
 
 " My lord !" cried Caiaphas, furiously, " thou must 
 not let this man go ! He is a deceiver, and traitor to 
 Caesar. I charge him and formally accuse him, before 
 hy tribunal, of making himself king f»f Judea !" 
 
 To this the whole multitude assented, iij one deep 
 voice of rage and fierce denunciation, that shook the 
 very walls of the Pre tori um. 
 
 " What sayest thou ?" demanded Pilate ; " art thou 
 a king ? Methinks if thou wert such, these Jews have 
 little need to fear thee." And the Roman cast a careless 
 glance over the mean and torn apparel, and half-naked 
 limbs of the Prophet. 
 
 Before Jesus could reply, which He seemed abuut to 
 do, for his lips parted as if to speak, there was heard a 
 sudden commotion in the lower part of the court of 
 Grabbatha, (for thus the outer court of the Pretoriuni^ 
 where they were, is called by the Jews,) and a loud, 
 hoarse voice was heard crying : 
 
 " Make way — give back ! He is innocent." 
 
 All eyes turned in the direction of the archway, when 
 a man was seen forcing his path towards the door cf the 
 J adgment Hall, in front of which Pilate was standing, 
 with Jesus a step or two below him. 
 
 " What means this madman ?" cried the Procurator 
 
 Some of you arrest him !" 
 
 " 1 am not mad — He is innocent ! I have betrayed 
 the irmocent blood !" cried Iscariot, for it was he, leap- 
 ing into the space in front of the portico. Caiaphas, I 
 have sought thee and the chief priests everywhere !" he 
 f^xclaimed, on seeing: the Hisfh Priest Take back thy 
 
OR, THREE 'ilBARS LN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 377 
 
 mc;ney, and let this holy Prophet of God go free! 1 
 swear to yoa, by the altar, He is innocent ! and if th©u 
 harm Him, thou wilt be accursed with the vengeance of 
 iehovah ! Take back thy silver, for he is innocent !" 
 
 " "What is that to us ? See thou to that," answered 
 Abner, the priest, haughtily ; for Caiaphas and the 
 priests were too nmch surprised at this open exposure of 
 the bribery of Judas, to speak ; while the eyes of the 
 former, falling under the withering glance of the Roman 
 Procurator, betrayed his guilt. 
 
 " Wilt thou not release Him if I give thee back the 
 pieces ?" cried Judas, in accents of despair, taking 
 Caiaphas by the mantle, and then kneeling to him implo- 
 ringly. 
 
 But Caiaphas angrily shook him off ; Abner and the 
 chief priests also spurned him from them, as he ap- 
 preached them ! At last, in a frenzied manner, he threw 
 himself at the knees of Jesus, and cried, in the most 
 thrilling accents : 
 
 " Oh, Master ! Master ! thou hast the power ! Release 
 thyself!" 
 
 No, Judas," answered the Prophet, shaking his 
 head, and gazing down compassionately upon his be- 
 trayer, without one look of resentment at his having 
 betrayed Him, " mine hour is come ! I may not escape, 
 For this hour I came into the world." 
 
 " I believed, surely, thou wouldst not suffer thyself to 
 be arrested, when they should find thee in Olivet, my 
 Master, or I would never have taken their money. It is 
 my avarice that hath slain thee ! Oh Grod ! Oh God 1 
 I see now it is too late !" Thus crying in a voice of do. 
 «pair, he rose and rushed, with his face hid in his cloak. 
 
37b THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID : 
 
 forth from the presence of all, the ciowd of men giving 
 back hastily as he advanced through their midst towards 
 the outer gate. 
 
 This extraordinary interruption produced a startling 
 effect upon all present ; and a few moments elapsed be- 
 fore Pilate could resume his examination of Jesus, which 
 he did by entering the Judgment Hall and taking hi^ 
 seat on his throne. He then repeated his question, but 
 with more deference than before : " Art thou a king, 
 then ?" 
 
 " Thou sayest that which I am — a king^'' He answer- 
 ed, with a dignity truly regal in its bearing ; for all tha 
 time, bound and marred as he was by the hands of his 
 enemies, pale with suffering, and with standing a sleep- 
 less and fearful night upon his feet, exposed to cold and 
 to insults, yet He had a kingly air, and there seemed to 
 float about his head a divine glory, as if a sunbeam hed 
 been shining down upon Him ! 
 
 " Thou, thyself, hearest him !" exclaimed Caiaphas, 
 standing upon the threshold of the Judgment Hall of the 
 Grentile governor, which he would not enter for fear of 
 defilement. 
 
 " He hath, also, sought to prevent the people from 
 paying tribute to Caesar !" cried Abner, shouting through 
 an open window ; for he also would not, on account 
 of the holy feast, be profaned by entering a Gentila 
 house. 
 
 " He has everywhere publicly proclaimed that he has 
 been ordained of God to re-establish the kingdom of 
 Judah, and overthrow the power of Caesar in Jerusalem/' 
 added the Grovernor of the Temple, lifting his voice so as 
 to be heard above the voices of the oriests and scribe.*^ 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY OITY. ^^79 
 
 ^'h(i, all speaking together, vehemently accused Hnn ol 
 many other things, which we all knew not to be true. 
 
 Pilate at length obtained comparative silence, and 
 then said to Jesus : 
 
 " Hearest thou these accusations ? Hast thou no an- 
 swer to make ? What defence hast thou. Sir Prophet ? 
 Auswerest thou nothing ? Behold how many things 
 they witness against thee !" 
 
 Pilate spoke as if he had taken a deep interest in 
 Jesus, and would give Him an opportunity of defending 
 himself. 
 
 ''He hath perverted the nation ; a most pestilent and 
 dangerous fellow !" exclaimed Caiaphas. '' He is a 
 blasphemer, above all men !" 
 
 " I have nothing to do with your religion. If he hath 
 blasphemed your gods, take ye him and judge him 
 according to your laws," answered Pilate. 
 
 " Thou knowest, 0 noble Roman, that we have no 
 power to execute to the death — therefore do we accuse 
 him before thee." 
 
 " I am no Jew, priest ! What care I for your domes- 
 tic and religious quarrels. He hath done nothing that 1 
 Ban learn, for which the laws of Imperial Rome, whicn 
 now prevail here, can adjudge him to death. I, there- 
 fore; command his release, as having done nothing wor- 
 thy of capital punishment. ^Emilius, unbind thy pris- 
 oner, and let him go. I find no fault in him, that he 
 should be longer held in bonds." 
 
 Upon this the Jews sent up a cry of unmingled fero- 
 cilj and vindictiveness. Caiaphas, forgetting his fear 
 of defilement, advanced several steps into the Judgment 
 Hall, and shaking his open hands at Pilate, cried : 
 
380 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DATIO: 
 
 " If thou lettest this man go thou art not ("Jaesar's 
 friend. Thou art in league with him. He that sets 
 himself up as a king, in all the wide bounds of CsBsar^s 
 dominions, wars against Csesai, as well at Jerusalem as 
 at Rome. Tf thou release this man, I and my nation 
 will accuse thee to thy master, Tiberius, of favoring this 
 Galilean's sedition. He hath stirred up all Jewry, from 
 Galilee to this place, and yet thou findest no fault with 
 him !" 
 
 When Pilate heard the name of Galilee, he asked if 
 the prisoner were a Galilean. Upon being answered in 
 the affirmative by the excited priest, he said to iEmi- 
 lius : 
 
 " Hold — loose not his bonds just now ! Herod, the 
 Tetrarch of Galilee, last night came up to the Passover 
 feast of the Hebrew God, and is now at the old Macca- 
 bean palace, with his retinue. Conduct your prisoner to 
 him, and let Herod judge his own subjects. Present him 
 with this signet, in token of amity. Tell him I will not 
 interfere with his privileges, and that I desire he would 
 take and judge the man as if he were in his own 
 tetrarchate." 
 
 The chief priests and scribes now shouted with appro- 
 bation at this decision, for they began to fear that Pilate 
 would release Him ; and they knew that the vacillating 
 and reckless Herod would do whatsoever would gain 
 popular applause. 
 
 " If he sends us to Herod with him," said the priest 
 Abner, his doom is sealed — his blood is ours !" The 
 multitude without hailed the reappearance of ^Emilius, 
 and his unresisting captive, from the Judgment Hall, 
 and followed them across the marble pavement of Qab- 
 batha into the street, cryin§^ 
 
OR, THREE FEARS IN THE flOLf CITY. 3^] 
 
 ' To Herod ! to the Tetrarch of Galilee with him!'' 
 But Caiaphas, frowning and^ dissatisfied, remained 
 ^ hind ; and Pilate, glad to get rid of the delicate affair 
 ' condemning an innocent man, in order to gratify the 
 .vy of the Jews, by sending him to his enemy, Herodj 
 iilingly came out, and spoke to the gloomy High 
 'lest ; 
 
 Thou wert something sharp upon me just now, my 
 lord Caiaphas. Thou knowest I can condemn men only 
 for crimes committed against the laws of the Empire. 
 This Jesus has done nothing worthy of death, were he 
 called before a tribunal in the capital of the world itself 
 Caesar his judge." 
 
 ** Noble Grovernor," answered Caiaphas, stopping in 
 bis angry strides up and down the porphyry floor of the 
 outer portico, thou forgettest that I brought him not 
 before thee on this charge of blasphemy alone — ^but f^r 
 sedition ! By the altar of Grod ! this is a crime known 
 to thy law.^, I wot !" 
 
 " True. You charge a young, defenceless, quiet, 
 powerless man, destitute of money, men, or arms, an 
 obscure fisherman or carpenter of Galilee, of setting up 
 a throne and kingdom against that of Tiberius Caesar, 
 the ruler of the earth ! The idea is absurd. It should 
 be treated only with ridicule. So will Herod say, whe 
 he understands the affair/' 
 
 " So will not Caesar say, my lord," answered Caiaphas, 
 with a sneer upon his curled lip ; if you let this man 
 go, (for Herod will m»t, surely, accept your courtesy, 
 and judge him within your jurisdiction,) the Jewish 
 nation will draw up a memorial, accusing you to th** 
 Emperor, of protecting treason. You will be summoned 
 
382 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAflD . 
 
 by the Senate to answer the charge ; and though you 
 should succeed in clearing yourself, you will have lo^t 
 your government, given to another, and for your fait 
 name, you will live, ever after, under Caesar'^* sug- 
 icions !*' 
 
 Here the High Priest, said my uncle Amos, who heard 
 a\l that passed, looked with concentrated maliciousness 
 fnto the eyes of the Italian ruler, who turned pale, and 
 bit his lips with vexation. 
 
 " My lord priest, thou art bent, I see, on this innocent 
 man's death. I am no Jew, to understand how he haj? 
 drawn upon himself thy terrible wrath, and that of thy 
 nation. It must have been something I am incapa- 
 ble of comprehending. I will see what Herod will 
 say, who, being a Jew, is familiar with your customs. 
 But it seems to me, 0 Priest, that the testimony ol 
 the wretched man whom some of you bribed to be- 
 tray his master into your power, should now release 
 him !" 
 
 Pilate now reseated himself upon his throne to give 
 hearing to other complaints. 
 
 After the lapse of half an hour, a youth threw himself 
 from his horse, at the door of the court, and drew near 
 the Procurator. 
 
 "What aileth thee, Alexander?" demanded Pilate 
 on seeing blood on his temples, and that he seemed 
 faint. 
 
 " But a trifle, now, my gocd lord. I was thrown from 
 my horse, who was startled at a burning torch, lyinij 
 on the ground ; and was detained at a hospitable house 
 until I was a] le to remount, which "brings mo hithei 
 late." 
 
OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOI Y CITY. 
 
 383 
 
 And why come at all ? What news sends my 
 fair wife, that she should despatch you from my house 
 In Bethany at this early hour ? No evil tidings, boy 
 
 " None, my lord — save this note." 
 
 The Grreek page then handed his master a small 
 roll of rose-tinted parchment, tied with scarlet thread. 
 He cut the knot with his dagger and reading tho 
 contents became deadly pale. Caiaphas watched him 
 closely, as if he would read, reflected in his eyes, 
 the contents of the note which had so deeply movec^ 
 him. 
 
 " Caiaphas," said the Procurator, this prisoner must 
 be released !" 
 
 " It is either his destruction, proud Roman, or thine /" 
 answered the High Priest, turning and walking haughtily 
 away. 
 
 Pilate looked after him with a troubled air, and then 
 re-entered the Hall of Judgment, and seating himselJ 
 upon his throne again read the parchment. 
 
 Have thou nothing to do with this just man^''^ 
 
 he read, half aloud, "/or / have suffered many things 
 this day in a dream because of him I The very gods 
 «eem to take sides with this extraordinary young pris* 
 oner," he exclaimed, " would to Jove that Herod may 
 have sense enough to release him, and relieve me of 
 Ihift unpleasant business. One might better keep in surv- 
 tection a province of painted and savage Scythians, than 
 these fierce Jews. I should be well rid of my Procura- 
 torship ; but I will not lose it by accusation from them ! 
 I must save both Jesus and myself !" 
 
 AVhile he was yet speaking and musing with himselfj 
 onc<insciously, aloud, so that those who stood ^ibout 
 
»J84 TflE FKINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVU> . 
 
 him, among whom was El Nathan, the brother of the 
 maid Mirza, who dwells in our household, and from 
 whom I received this portion of the narrative, there was 
 heard a great noise of voices, in the direction of the Mac- 
 cabean Palace ; and as it grew nearer and more distinct, 
 Pilate started up, and cried • 
 
 It is as I feared — Herod gives them no satisfaction, 
 md they come again to me ! Oh, that the gods would 
 give me wisdom and nerve for this trying hour, so that 
 I condemn not the innocent, nor bring myself into the 
 power of an accusation to Caesar, from these wicked 
 Jews !" 
 
 At this moment the multitude, increased, it it were 
 possible, in numbers and in vindictiveness, reappeared, 
 pressing Jesus before them. This time He was alone, 
 ^milius having been separated from Him in the palace, 
 and kept by the crowd from rejoining Him. He was 
 iiow unbound, and upon his head was a crown of thorns, 
 piercing the tender temples, till the blood trickled all 
 down his face ; upon his shoulders was clasped an old 
 purple royal robe, once worn by Herod, in his state ol 
 petty king; and his hand held a reed, as a sceptre ; and 
 as He walked along, the bitterest among the priests, as 
 well as the vilest of the common fellows, mockingly bent 
 the knee before Him, crying : 
 
 " Hail ! King Jesus I Hail, Royal Nazarene ! AU 
 hail !" 
 
 Others went before Him, carrying mode standards — 
 while others, acting as heralds, ran, shouting : 
 
 " Make way for the King of the Jews ! Do homage 
 all men, to Csesar! This is the great Tiberius, em- 
 peror of Nazareth ! Behold his glittering crown ! MarV 
 
on, THREE TEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 38o 
 
 .his royal robes, and see his dazzling sceptre! Bend 
 the knee — ^bend the knee, men of Judah, before your 
 king 
 
 When Pilate saw this spectacle, and heard these words^ 
 he trembled, and was heard to say : 
 
 " Either this man or I must perish ! These Jews are 
 />e€ome madmen with rage, and demand a sacrifice 
 ( hie of us must fall !" 
 
 Oh, that I could write all 1 feel ; but I am compeilodj 
 my dear father, to end here. 
 
 Your affectionate child, 
 
 Aj)ina. 
 
 LETTER XXXJll 
 
 M.Y Dear Father : 
 
 In this letter, which I write in the solitude ot my 
 chamber, while all in the house have sought repose, will 
 be continued my account of the trial, if such it can be 
 called, of Jesus. I have already shown you how He 
 was first taken to Annas, and thence dragged before 
 Caiaphasand the Sanhedrim, who, unable to execute upon 
 Him the sentence of death, sent Him to the Procura- 
 tor Pilate, charged with conspiracy ; while he, shrink- 
 ing from condemning a man whom he knew to be in 
 nocent of any crime, and yet fearing to release Him 
 Lost he should be impeached by the Jews to Caesar, 
 sought to shift the responsibility upon Herod, in 
 whose tetrarchy lay Nazareth, where Jesus ordinarily 
 dwelt. 
 
386 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVTD . 
 
 J.ihn, the faithful, and yet trusting disciple whonc 
 Jet^us loved, still kept near his captive Master, and 
 sought to cheer Him by affectionate looks, and, wherf 
 he could do it with safety, by kind acts. More than 
 once he was rudely thrust aside by the fiercer Jews, and 
 once several men seized upon him, and would have 
 doM him violence, as a follower of the Prophet, if Caia- 
 phas, to whom John is remotely related, and who knows 
 him well, had not interposed. Indeed, in was through 
 this protecting influence of the High Priest, that the 
 disciple was allowed to remain near Jesus. And 
 while John was thus doing all that he could to soften 
 the asperity of his friend's treatment, we at home were 
 exerting ourselves to soothe the maternal solicitude of 
 Mary of Nazareth, his noble a-nd heart-broken mother, 
 whom with difhculty we could restrain from rushing to 
 the palace, and casting herself at the feet of the Pro- 
 curator, to implore him to interpose to save her son — 
 her only son — from the hands of his own countrymen ! 
 Thus a twofold scene of anguish, at the palace and iv 
 the house of Rabbi Amos, was passing. Mary, Martha, 
 and Lazarus, were also with us, having come into the 
 city as soon as my cousin Mary's letter reached them ; 
 and, besides, there were with us four or five of the disci- 
 ples, who had come in, one by one, secretly, for fear of 
 being seized by the Jews, and were anxiously waiting 
 here the result, and firmly believing that Jesus would 
 yet tree himself by his divine and miraculous power. At 
 every approach of a footfall at the door, they eagerly 
 cried : It is the Lord !" But, ah, in vain their hopea 
 aiud all our anticipations ! 
 
 Herod, the Tetrarch of Galilee, who occupied the old 
 
OK. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 palace of the Maccabees, which Alexander, the Macedo 
 nian, had built for Seleucus, was breaking his last with 
 fruit and wine, at a table overlooking, by a window, the 
 street of the Grentiles, when the noise of the advancing 
 thousands of the Jews, who were bringing Jesus before 
 him, reached his ear. He started from the tablej and 
 said • 
 
 ^' These people are surely up in insurrection againsi 
 Pilate !" 
 
 " No, great Prince," answereJ the lad Abel, his cup- 
 bearer, who is related to John, and has told me many ol 
 these things ; " they have taken the Nazarene Prophet- 
 Jesus, and are trying him for sedition." 
 
 " This uproar proceeds from no trial, but from a wild 
 mob in motion, and they seem to be approaching," was 
 his answer to him. 
 
 As Herod spoke, he went to the lattice of his basilica, 
 and beheld the head of the multitude, just emerging into 
 the street, from that which descended from the hill of the 
 Pretorium. At first he could not make out of the con- 
 fused mass any individual objects. 
 
 There are spears and Romans in the van — and I 
 see priests and peasants mixed together. I now see the 
 cause of all the tumult — a mere youth, bound and soilede 
 and pale as marble ! What, sirs, this is not the Oreat 
 Prophet, of whose fame I have heard ?" he said, turn- 
 ing to his officers. " What mean they by bringing hin 
 hither ? Yet, Per Baccho ! I am glad to get a sight of 
 him ^" 
 
 The crowd, like the swelling Nile, flowed towards the 
 gates, roaring and chafing like its mighty cataracts, so 
 that there was something fearfully sublime in this dis 
 
liSb THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID. 
 
 play of the power of human passions. ^Emilias, with 
 difficulty, succeeded in getting his prisoner into the piaz- 
 za of the palace, so closely pressed the crowd of Jews 
 around and upon him. At length he stood with Hiin 
 before Herod; in his banquet-hall, at the further end ol 
 which was a dais, or throne, where the Tetrarch sat 
 down, while the Jews filled all the vast room with a LiL 
 !owy sea of eager faces. 
 
 Mosx royal Prince," said iEmilius, kneeling before 
 Ilerod, and presenting the signet, " I am sent by his 
 excellency, Pontius Pilate, the Roman Procurator of 
 .Tudea, to bring before you this person, accused of blas- 
 phemy ! Ignorant of your customs and faith, the 
 Governor desires that you, who are of his nation, would 
 examine Him ; and, moreover, Pilate, learning that 
 He is a Galilean, and a subject of your jurisdiction, 
 courteously declines interfering with your authority." 
 
 When Herod Antipas heard delivered so courteous a 
 message from the Procurator, with whom he had been 
 some time at enmity, he was pleased. 
 
 " Say thou. Sir Knight, to his excellency, the most 
 noble and princely Governor of Judea, that I appreciate 
 his extraordinary civility, and that nothing will give me 
 more pleasure, in return for such distinguished courtesy, 
 than to be considered by him his friend ; and that I 
 legret any occurrence that has hitherto estranged us 
 Convey to him my assurance of the high estimation in 
 which he has ever been held by me." 
 
 iEniilius, upon receiving this answer, arose, and 
 bowed; and then said, with the boldness which charac- 
 lorizes him : 
 
 " Most gracious and royal Tetrarch, I pray you heed 
 
OK. rHREE \^EARS IN mt. HOLY CITY 38?^ 
 
 i)ot the charges of these Jews, touching this prisoner. 
 They have conceived against Him a bitter hatred, 
 without just cause. He has done nothing worthy of 
 death ! Pilate could find nothing whatsoever, in Him 
 deserving of the attention of the dignity of a Romau 
 tribunal." 
 
 " Let thy prisoner fear not," answered Herod, at the 
 same time regarding Jesus attentively, as He stood be- 
 fore him, in the calm majesty of innocence. " I will 
 not take Pilate's prerogative of judgment out of his hand, 
 so handsomely tendered to me. If he hath blasphemed 
 — Mehercule ! the High Priest, and priests of the Temple 
 itself," he added, , laughing, " do that every day of theii 
 lives ; for religion is> at a low ebb among the hypocriti- 
 cal knaves ! I have nothing to do with their charges of 
 blasphemy, or I would have them all stoned to death, 
 without mercy. I will first ^ee some miracles wrought 
 by thy far-famed prisoner, noble ^Emilius, and then send 
 him back to my illustrious friend Pontius, whom his 
 gods prosper in all things." 
 
 Herod then fixing his eyes curiously upon Jesus, who 
 had stood silently before him, seemingly the only un- 
 moved person in the vast concourse, heaving and mur- 
 muring around him, said to the soldiers : 
 
 Unbind him ! By the staff of Jacob ! he hath been 
 roughly handled. Men of Israel, it becomes not such 
 as you to do violence to a man before he is condemned ; 
 and then if it be proved he have done aught deserving 
 chastisejiient, let the law punish him. This man is a 
 Galilean, and 1 am bound to see him have justice, and 
 to protect him from wrong." 
 
 While he was speaking John arranged his mantle 
 
390 
 
 THE PRmCE UP THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 about his form. Herod regarded, with interest and 
 looks of compassion, th« pale and divinely-serene coun- 
 tenance of the prisoner ; and seemed struck with the 
 indescribable majesty of his aspect and bearing, and the 
 purity of soul that beamed from his holy eyes. 
 
 Art thou the Nazarene, Jesus, of whom I have heard 
 so much ?" he asked, in deferential tones. 
 
 " I am He," was the quiet answer of the captive. 
 
 " Then gladly do I meet thee ; for I have long time 
 desired to see thee ; and I would fain behold thee do 
 some miracle. Men say thou canst heal the sick, restore 
 the maimed, and raise the dead ! Does rumor belie thy 
 powers ? What ! art thou silent ? Dost thou not know 
 who it is that speaks to thee ? Come hither, fellow," 
 he called to a Samaritan muleteer, who stood in the 
 crowd, whose oval face and Jewish eyes showed him to 
 be both of Assyrian and Israelitish descent, whose arm 
 had been taken off by a sword, in a contest with Barab- 
 bas and his robbers ; " come hither, and let this prophet 
 prove his power and mission, by restoring thy arm whole, 
 like as the other !" 
 
 The man alertly came forward, and all eyes were di- 
 rected eagerly upon him and upon Jesus ; but he thrust 
 the stump of his arm, by Herod's order, in vain before 
 Jesus. The eye? of the Prophet moved not from their 
 meditative look upon the ground. 
 
 " Art thou mocking us, thou false Christ ?" cried the 
 Tetrarch, angrily ; " wilt thou neither speak nor act ? 
 If thou art not an impostor, do a miracle before us all, 
 and we will believe in thee !" 
 
 Jesus remained motionless, yet preserved a firm and 
 (najestic oonnten ^^nne that made Him look more kingl\ 
 ni'dn Herod. 
 
Oa THREE YEAK8 LN IHE HOL£' UlTW 
 
 391 
 
 He is a deceiver ! He performed his works through 
 Beelzebub, who has no\\ deserted him !" cried the 
 priests. 
 
 " Nazarene," said Herod " I am a Jew, also. If thou 
 wilt prove to me, by a sigr that I will name, that thou 
 art the Christ, I will not cnly become thy follower, but 
 will let thee go free. Your silence is an insult to my 
 power. I warn thee that my patience is not divine — I 
 make no pretensions to superior sanctity. Thou seest 
 yonder marble statue of Judas Maccabeus. Command 
 the sword in its hand to wave thrice above its helmeted 
 head, and I will bend the knee to thee ! Nay — wilt 
 not? I will give thee, then, something easier to do! 
 Seest thou the carved pomegranates in the entablature 
 of the wall ? Bid the one which hangs over this column 
 become ripe, natural fruit, and fall at my feet ! No ?" 
 
 He has no power — ^his friend Beelzebub hath given 
 him up into our hands ! Death to the necromancer !" 
 were the terrible words which now made the hall 
 tremble. 
 
 "He is an accursed blasphemer ! He calls himself 
 the Son of God ! He breaks the Sabbath-day ! He is 
 a foe to our religion ! He would destroy the Temple 
 wafe shouted by Abner, the priests, and the scribes. 
 
 See the whirlwind thou hast raised, 0 Nazarene 
 cried Herod, rising ; "if thou art a Prophet, no harm 
 can they do thee ; and if thou art an impostor, if they 
 kill thee thou deservest thy fate ! I give thee up into 
 their hands ! Save thyiself, if thou he the Christ !" 
 
 Scarcely had Herod spoken these words, relinquishing 
 Jesus into the hands of his foes, than, with a savage cry, 
 as the famished jackals in the desert rush upon theii 
 
392 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID- 
 
 prey, they rushed upon their victim. iErnilius coul/J 
 net protect Him : nay, some of Herod^s soldiers, whom 
 the Jews had half intoxicated with wine, joined them as 
 soon as they saw their master Antipas had cast Him off, 
 and began to scoff and mock Him, and one of their, 
 thrust a helmet on his head, and pulled the visor down 
 over his eyes ! 
 
 " Nay," said Herod, on seeing this, " as he calls him 
 »elf a king, remove the helmet and crown him, and robe 
 him royally, and place a sceptre in his hand ; and, lo ! 
 yonder block will make him a proper throne ! We must 
 show Pilate how we Jews serve men who usurp the 
 power of his master, Caesar !" 
 
 No words could have better pleased the people, save 
 such as would have sentenced Jesus to death. With a 
 glad response, they began to put into execution the hint 
 he had so wickedly given them. One of his men of war 
 brought a cast-ofF robe of purple, which belonged to 
 Herod, and, with loud shouts of laughter, and coarse 
 jests, they robed Him in it, unresisting as the lamb 
 wreathed for the sacrifice. Some one then untwined 
 the creeping thorn, which grew on the outer wall, and 
 twisting it into the shape of a crown, handed it over the 
 heads of the men to Abner, whose hatred against Jesus 
 proceeded from the well-known fact that among the 
 changers of money, whom He drove from the Temple, 
 was a younger brother, who was making, by his busi- 
 ness, great gains for the avaricious priest, who, therefore, 
 never forgave this act of the Prophet. 
 
 When Abner saw the crown, he smiled with malicious 
 gratification, and nodded approvingly to the man, said . 
 This is what we needed ! Nothing could have done 
 
OR THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 393 
 
 better and with his two hands he placed it upon the 
 head of Jesns, pressing, cruelly, the sharp thorns mfo 
 his temples, till the blood trickled from a dozen wounds 
 Tesus made no complaint, but the pain forced large 
 bright tears from his eyes, which rolled down his cheeks 
 and fell along the purple robe like glittering pearls. 
 
 " Here is also a sceptre for our king!" exclaimerl the 
 Samaritan with one arm, using the one to reach a piece 
 of reed, from which a Passover lamb had been slung, to 
 those who were arraying Jesus. This was thrust into 
 the Prophet's grasp, and He held it patiently. His sub- 
 mission, his silence, his endurance of pain, his constant 
 dignity, and the majestic submission which He seemed to 
 manifest to all their insults and tortures, brought tears 
 into the eyes of iEmilius ; and John, unable to benefit 
 his dear Master, kneeling at his feet, bathed them with 
 his flowing tears, nor stirred from Him though men tram- 
 pled upon him and smote him ; but he desired to suffei 
 with his Master, and, as he said to me, would gladly 
 have borne in his stead all his indignities. Even Herod 
 stood amazed at such God-like forbearance, and said to 
 his chief captain : 
 
 " If this man is not the Son of Grod, he is worthy to 
 be deified. Such sublime patience is more than human 
 — it is divine ! You Romans, iEmilius, would make a 
 hero of such a man, and when he died, worship him as 
 a god !" 
 
 ^* Then, mighty prince, why suffer Him to be thus 
 entreated ?" asked iEmilius. 
 
 " It is his own choice. I have entreated him fairly ! 
 I asked of him but one of those miracles men say he 
 w-orks, as proof of his Messiahship, and he works me 
 
394 
 
 TflK PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DA^IP 
 
 none — shows me no sign ! The inference is that he cem 
 do none, and, therefore, is an impostor. Else, why not 
 prove to me his pretensions by working a miracle ?" 
 
 " Most royal prince," said Abner, aloud, " thou now 
 beholdest the * King of the Jews,' crowned, robed, and 
 sceptred !" and he pointed to Jesus. 
 
 " Hail ! most puissant and potent sovereign of Gral 
 ice ! Hail ! King of Fishermen cried Herod, mocking 
 him, and seemingly greatly amused at the jest. " If 
 thou wilt tell me in what part of cloud-land thy capital 
 lies, 1 and my court will pay thee a visit. Doubtless, 
 thou hast a brave army of Galilee fishermen, and a 
 mighty fleet of fishing boats ! Hail ! powerful king ! 
 What, fellows, men-at-arms, and all ye gapers ! bend ye 
 not the knee before this royal personage ? Do homage 
 to your king !" 
 
 Upon this many who were around Him kneeled, and 
 some, mockingly, even prostrated themselves before the 
 Prophet; but He stood so very like a monarch, that 
 others, who were about to mock Him, refrained ; while 
 Herod turned away, with a troubled look, saying, ab- 
 ruptly : 
 
 " Take him back to the Procurator 
 
 Once more the vast multitude were in motion, and 
 with cries and insults, escorted Jesus from the presence 
 of Herod, back to the Pretorium, as I have already sta- 
 ted in my previous letter. 
 
 When Pilate beheld their return in this manner, and 
 understood how that Herod declined exercising his priv- 
 ilege in the matter, he was greatly vexed. When, once 
 more, Jesus stood before him, arrayed as I have de- 
 scribed, in the gorgeous robe and crown, Pilate, turning 
 •toward** ^aiaphas and the priests, said, angfrily : 
 
fjR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY OITY 39d 
 
 more will ye have ? Why bring this man 
 again before me ? Ye say he perverteth the people. 
 Behold, I have examined him before you, and have found 
 no fault in him. You proved nothing by your witnesses, 
 touching those things whereof ye accuse him. I then 
 sent you with him to Herod, and Jo ! the Tetrarch of 
 Galilee, one of your own nation, finds naught in him 
 worthy of death! Doubtless he has said something 
 about not paying tribute, and deserves for this a light 
 punishment, but not death. I will chastise him, charge 
 him that he be more cautious, and let him go." 
 
 " If thou let this man go, thou art an enemy to Tibe 
 rius," answered Caiaphas ; ^' seest thou what a commo* 
 tion he has raised in the city ? If he is released there 
 will be a revolution, and Caesar will come and take 
 away our place and nation. Is it better that all men in 
 Judea should perish than one man ? It is expedient 
 that he die for the people. Nothing less than his death 
 will now save our nation !" 
 
 " In the name of Olympian Jove, 0 Nazarene, whal 
 hast thou done! to incense these Jews ? If thou art their 
 king prove it to them or to me," demanded Pilate, 
 greatly troubled. 
 
 " My kingdom is not of the earth," answered Jesus 
 * If my kingdom were an earthly one, then would my 
 servant? fight, that I should not be delifered to the 
 Jews ; but my kingdom is not of this world." 
 
 " Then thou confessest thyself a king !" exclaimed 
 Pilate, with surprise. 
 
 " Thou sayest that which I am — a King. To this end 
 was I born, and for this cause came I into the woiid. 
 that I should bear witness to the truth." 
 
396 THE PKINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 " Truth ! What is truth asked the Roman ; but, 
 without waiting for JcsUkS to reply, and seeing that the 
 Jews outside of the hall were becoming more and more 
 impatient, he hurriedly went out to them and said : 
 
 " I find in the prisoner no fault at all. But ye Have 
 a custom, that I should at the Passover pardon a crimi'^ 
 nal out of prison, as an act of clemency, in honor of the 
 day. Will ye, therefore, that I pardon and release unto 
 you this ' King of the Jews' ?" 
 
 No sooner had Pilate made this proposal, than they all 
 with one voice, and furious gestures, cried : 
 
 " No ! no ! not this man ! We will not have him re- 
 leased. We will have the vilest malefactor thy prison 
 holds, rather than he !" 
 
 Whom shall I then release unto you ?" demanded 
 Pilate, in a tone of disappointment. 
 
 " Barabbas ! Barabbas !" was echoed and re-echoed 
 by ten thousand voides. 
 
 This Barabbas, dear father, is the same fierce bandit 
 of whom I have spoken in one of my earlier letters, two 
 years ago, who was then captured by ^milius, but sub- 
 sequently escaped. He has recently been a second time 
 taken captive, while heading a sedition in the city, and 
 lies now under condemnation of death, and was that day 
 to have been crucified, with two of his lieutenants. But, 
 at the loud demand of the people, Pilate was now forced 
 to send to the officer of the wards to let him go free, and 
 it was but a short time before he was escorted from his 
 cell to the front of the Pretorium, in great pomp, and 
 became presently one of the most active in hostility t<] 
 Jesus. 
 
 Pilate, therefore, finding that the Jews would be con 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 397 
 
 tent with nothing less than the blood of Jesus, returned, 
 sorrowfully, into the Judgment HalJ, where he had left 
 Him seated upon the lower step of his throne ; for the 
 stricken Prophet could no longer stand for weariness, and 
 fot the heavy treatment He had undergone. 
 
 The residue of my narrative of the condemna;tion antl 
 crucifixion, 1 will give in the morning, dear father. 
 
 Your loving daughter, 
 
 Adjna 
 
 LETTER XXXIV. 
 
 My Dearest Father : 
 
 I now resume the narrative of the condemnation, or 
 rather sentence, of Jesus, after He had been brought a 
 second time before Pilate The Procurator, finding that 
 the Jews would have the Prophet's life, and that, if he 
 resisted further, he himself would be reported to Caesar, 
 as protecting a revolutionist and usurper, vacillated, and 
 jshowed an indecision that became not a Roman Gover- 
 nor. His sense of justice revolted at sacrificing, to the 
 hatred of the priests and people, an innocent man, 
 against whom no accusation had been proven ; and he 
 feared for his own name and fame, should Tiberius, who 
 is always jealous of his Oriental Governors, believe their 
 statement of the case. 
 
 Jesus, as I stated in my last, had, from very weak 
 aess, sunk upon the steps of the throne of the Hall of 
 Judgment. John knelt by Him, bathing the wounds in 
 his temples, from off which he had boldly taken thf 
 
398 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVm- 
 
 crown of thorns. When Pilate, after giving the order to 
 release the robber chief Bar abbas, came again where 
 Jesus was, he stopped, and regarded Him attentively, 
 and with an expression of sorrow and admiration. The 
 youthful beauty, the dignity, even in his humiliation, 
 the patience, and air of innocence that enveloped Ilin:, 
 leeply impressed him. At length he spoke : 
 
 " If thou be indeed a god, 0 heroic young man, as thy 
 oatience would seem to prove thee to be, thou needest 
 not to fear these bloodhounds, that bay so fiercely for 
 thy blood. If thou art an impostor and a seditionist, 
 thou verily meritest death. I regard thee but as a 
 youthful enthusiast, and would let thee go free — but I 
 cannot protect thee. My soldiers are reduced, by send- 
 ing them to garrison Jericho and G aza, to less than three 
 hundred men ; and of these enraged Jews there are half 
 a million in the city. It is only by moral force, and 
 show of power, that I keep them in subjection. If 1 
 release thee, not only thou, but also all my troops, wilt 
 be massacred, for we are but a handful in their grasp. 
 Tell me truly, art thou a son of the divine Jupiter ?" 
 
 When Jesus, instead of replying, remained silent, the 
 Procurator said, sternly : 
 
 " What, speaketh thou not unto me ? Knowest thou 
 not that I have power to crucify thee as a malefac- 
 tor^ and power, if I choose to meet the risk, to release 
 thee?'' 
 
 Jesus looked up, and calmly said : 
 
 " Thou couldst have no power against me except it 
 were given thee from abc ve. Therefore, he that delivered 
 me into thy hand hath the greater sin !" 
 
 And as Jesus said these words in an impressive tone 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 39S 
 
 He glanced fixedly at Caiaphas, who was looking in at 
 the door, as if designating the High Priest. Upon this 
 Pilate pressed his hands against his forehead, and paced 
 several times, to and fro, before the Judgment-seat, as 
 if greatly troubled. Caiaphas, seeing his irresolution, 
 cried, harshly : 
 
 " If thou lettest this self-styled king go, 0 Governor, 
 thou art not Caesar's friend ! Our whole nation charges 
 him, before you, with setting himself up to be our king 
 over us, when Tiberius is the only king to whom 
 we can owe allegiance. Release the usurper, :f thou 
 darost, and I would not give two brass mites for thy 
 head !" 
 
 Pilate's brow grew dark. He took Jesus by the hand, 
 and leading Him to the portal, pointed to Him, and said 
 aloud : 
 
 Behold your king ! What will you that I should dn 
 with him ! Looks he like a man to be feared ?" 
 ^' We have no king but Caesar !" 
 " Crucify him !" 
 
 " To the Cross with the false prophet !" 
 
 " Death to the usurper ! Long live Caesar I Long 
 live Tiberius ! Death to the Nazarene ! To the Cross ! 
 to the Cross with him ! Let him be crucified !" 
 
 These were the various cries from ten thousand throats, 
 that responded to the Procurator's address. Impressed, 
 as he has since said, with the innocence of Jesus, and re- 
 membering the warning message sent him by his yr»ung 
 and beautiful wife, who held great influence over him, 
 ne trembled with indecision. 
 
 " Why will you compel me to crucify an innocent man T 
 What evil halh he done ?" 
 
400 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 Crucify him ! Crucify him !" was the deafening 
 response. 
 
 " I will chastise him and let him go !" 
 
 " At your peril, release him, 0 Roman !" exclaimed 
 Caiaphas, in a menacing tone. " Either he or you must 
 die this day for the people. Blood must flow to appease 
 this tempest !" 
 
 The tumult was now appalling. The voice? of the 
 chief priests and people kept up a ceaseless uproar, calling 
 for his crucifixion ; while in vain Pilate appealed to their 
 humanity and justice. They drowned his voice with their 
 own ; and his gesticulations for silence only increased the 
 roar of the human whirlwind. 
 
 When the Procurator saw that he could prevail nothing, 
 but that rather the tumult increased, he called for water, 
 which was brought to him in a basin, by his page ; and 
 in the presence of the whole multitude, he washed his 
 hands, saying : 
 
 " I am innocent of the blood of this just person. See 
 ye to it, 0 Jews, ye and your High Priest !" 
 
 " His blood be upon us, and on our children," an- 
 swered Caiaphas ; and all the people re-echoed his 
 language. 
 
 Ay 1 on us and on our children res^" ihe guilt of his 
 blood !" 
 
 " Be it so," answered the Procurator, with a dark 
 brow, and face pale as the dead. " Take ye him and 
 crucify him, and may the God he worships judge you 
 nut me, for this day's deeds." 
 
 Pilate then turned away from them, and said to Jesu^, 
 who stood unmoved with the same heroic and celestial 
 serenity which He had manifested throughout the storrn 
 raging about Him : 
 
OR. THREE YEaRB IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 401 
 
 " Thou art, I feel, an innocent man ; but thou sees! 
 that I cannot save thee ! I know thou wilt forgive me, 
 and that death can have no terrors for one of fortitude 
 like thine!" 
 
 Jesus made him no answer ; and Pilate, turning from 
 Him, with a sad countenance, walked slowly away, and 
 left the Judgment Hall. As he did so, one of his captains 
 said to him : 
 
 Shall I scourge him, my lord, according to the Roman 
 law, which commands all who are sentenced to die to be 
 scourged ?" 
 
 " Do as the law commands," answered the weak* 
 minded Roman. 
 
 His disappearance was the signal for a general rush 
 towards Jesus, chiefly by the rabble, who, indifferent 
 about Grentile defilement, crossed the threshold into the 
 hall, which the chief priests had refrained from doing. 
 These base fellows seized Jesus, and, aided by the men- 
 at-arms, dragged Him forth into the outer or common 
 hall. Here they stripped Him, and, by order of the 
 chief captain, a soldier scourged Him with forty stripes, 
 save one. They then re-arrayed his lacerated and bleed- 
 ing form in the torn, kingly robe, which John had re- 
 moved when he had taken off his crown of thorns ; but 
 now they replaced both the crown and the robe, auid 
 once more went through the mockery of homage, kneel- 
 ing and hailing Him, " King of the Jews." 
 
 All this Jesus still bore with Grodlike majesty. Not a 
 murmur escaped his lips ; not a glance of resentment 
 kindled the holy depths of his eyes, which, from time to 
 time, were uplifted to heaven, as if He sought for hei} 
 and strength from thence. 
 26 
 
^02 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DaVTD: 
 
 Not only iEmilius, but John, was now separated from 
 Him ; but my uncle, the Rabbi, stood near, in order to 
 see what would follow ; and to use his influence, if pos- 
 sible, to induce the chief priests to abandon the idea ot 
 killing Ilim. 
 
 G-ood Rabbi," said Jesus to him, " let them do with 
 me what they list ! My Father hath given me into theii 
 hands. I die, but not for myself ; I can keep or yield 
 up my life, as I will." 
 
 Oh, then, dear Master !" cried my uncle, " why not 
 save thyself ? "Why shouldst thou suffer all this, and 
 death also, if thou hast the power over thy life ?" 
 
 " If I die not, then were ye all dead ! The Scripture 
 must be fulfilled, which spoke of me : * He was led like 
 a lamb to the slaughter.' " 
 
 Here Rabbi Amos could speak no more to Him, for 
 the crowd dragged Him off out of the court of G-abba- 
 tha, and so down the steep street, in the direction of the 
 gate of the kings, that leads out to Calvary, the public 
 place of execution, where the Romans, since they have 
 been masters of Jerusalem, have executed criminals by 
 their cruel mode of crucifying. At the gate, a Roman 
 Centurion took Him into custody under arms, and escorted 
 Him, followed by the vast multitude. 
 
 Rabbi Amos accompanied the multitude, keeping as 
 nigh to Jesus as the Roman soldiers, who marched on 
 each side of Him, would let him. On the way, as they 
 crossed the open space where once stood the palace and 
 statue of Antiochus Seleucus, the eyes of the Rabbi 
 were attracted by the cries and pointed fingers of many 
 of the people, to the body of a man lying dead at the 
 foot of a withered fig-tree. Upon drawing nearer, he 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 403 
 
 recognized the features of the man Judas, who had sa 
 basely betrayed his Master ! The spectacle which he 
 exhibited was revolting, and horrid to look upon ! About 
 his neck was wound a fragment of his girdle, the 
 other half being still secured to a limb of the tree, show- 
 ing how he had met his fate. The cord had broken by 
 his weight, and being a fleshy man, he had, most dread* 
 tu\ to relate, in the fall burst asunder, and the hungry 
 dogs that infest the suburbs, were feeding upon his bowels. 
 With cries of horror, several of the mob drove them away ; 
 but the Roman Centurion, whom Pilate had ordered to 
 crucify Jesus for the Jews, directed four of his soldiers 
 to convey the hideous corpse from sight, and see that it 
 was either burned or buried. 
 
 " If," said Rabbi Amos to John, who now rejoined 
 him, if the accusers of Jesus are to be punished like 
 this man, this will be a fearful day for the men of Jeru- 
 salem. Judas, the betrayer, dies before his victim dies, 
 and by his own hand. This looks like Divine retribu- 
 tion, and, as if Jesus were, in truth, the favored Prophet 
 :>f the Highest." 
 
 By this time, the people, who were dragging Jesus to 
 death were got well beyond the gate, when a cross of 
 heavy cypress was obtained by the Centurion, from a 
 yard near the lodge, wherein stood several newly-made 
 crosses, awaiting whatsoever victims Roman justice 
 might, from day to day, condemn to death. Two others 
 were also brought out, and laid upon the shoulders of 
 two men, the lieutenants of Barabbas. who were also 
 that day to be crucified. The released Barabbas was 
 himself present, and in order to please the people, the 
 most active in laying the cross upon the back of the 
 already faint and droopmj? Jesus. 
 
404 '^B PEINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 By the time the great crowd had passed the gate, it 
 was known throughout all Jerusalenri, that Pilate had 
 given orders for the crucifixion of the Nazarene Prophet ; 
 and, with one mind, all who had known Him, and be- 
 lieved in Him, or loved Him, left their houses, to go out 
 alter Him, tc witness his crucifixion ; for, I forgot tc 
 ea}, that Caiaphas had promised, if Jesus were delivered 
 up that his followers should not be molested. There- 
 fore, every person went out of the gate towards Calvary. 
 Mary, his mother, my cousin Mary, Martha and her 
 pister, Lazarus, John, and Peter, and Thomas, and seme 
 women, relatives from Galilee, and many others also 
 went. When we had got without the walls, we seemed 
 to leave a deserted city behind us. As far as the 
 eye could embrace, there was a countless multitude 
 moving along the vast space, between the Gate of the 
 Kings and the Place of Calvary. Jesus was borne in 
 front, where we could now and then catch the gleam ol 
 a Roman spear. We hastened to get near Him, and, 
 with difficulty, made our way to the head of the throng ; 
 both foes and friends giving back, when they saw his 
 weeping mother among us. 
 
 At the approach to Calvary we found that, from 
 some cause, the course of the mighty current of hu- 
 man beings was checked. We soon learned the rea- 
 son. Jesus had sunk to the ground, under the weight 
 of the wooden beams on which He was to die, and 
 fainted 
 
 " He is dead !" was the cry of those about Him ; 
 but, as we drew near. He was just reviving, some one 
 having offered wine to his lips, and poured water 
 upon his brow. He stood up, looking mildly around, 
 when mf^.etins: his mother's ofaze, He said, touchingly : 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 405 
 
 "Weep not, my mother! Kemember what I have 
 often told thee of this hour, and believe 1 The sword 
 pierces through thy soul, but it is held in my Father's 
 hand. Mine hour is come." 
 
 Thus speaking, He smiled upon his mother, and upon 
 as, with a certain look of divine peace illuminating his 
 countenance. 
 
 Barabbas, the robber-chief, who had, in some degree, 
 taken the lead of the mob, now, with the aid of three 
 men, raised the cross again to the shoulders of Jesus, 
 and the soldiers ordered Him to move on. But the ' 
 young victim sank at once beneath the insupportable 
 load. Upon this they were at a loss what to do ; for it 
 is ignominious for Jew or Gentile to aid in bearing h 
 malefactor's cross, and not a Roman would touch it , 
 while the Jews would not for fear of defilement, which 
 would compel them to be set apart afterward for many 
 days' purification. Barabbas again raised Jesus to hia 
 feet, and began to scourge Him, to make Him drag the 
 heavy beams up the steep of Calvary. But He had no 
 strength to advance three steps with it, though He made 
 the effort to obey his tyrannous executioners. At this 
 crisis they discerned a Syro-Phoenician merchant, Simon 
 of Gyrene, a venerable man, well known to all in Jeru- 
 salem, and father of the two young men, Rufus and 
 Alexander, who were followers of Jesus, having sold the 
 last year all they had in order to become his disciples, 
 and sit at his feet and listen to his divine teachings 
 Their father was, for this or some other reason, particu* 
 larly obnoxious to Abner, and, on seeing him, he pointed 
 him out to the Centurion, " as one of the Nazarenes,'' 
 and suggested that he should be compelled to bear the 
 cross after him. 
 
4U6 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DIVID: 
 
 The Cyrenian merchant was at once dragged from h\5 
 mule, and led to the place where the cross lay, believing 
 he was about to be himself executed. But when he be- 
 held Jesus standing, pale and bleeding, by the fallen 
 cross, and knew what was required of him, he burst iuto 
 tears, and kneeling at his feet, said : 
 
 " If they compel me to do this, Lord, think not that 1 
 aid thy death ! I know that thou art a Prophet come 
 from Grod ! If thou diest to-day, Jerusalem will have 
 more precious blood to answer for than the blood of all 
 her prophets." 
 
 " We brought thee here not to prate, old man, bul 
 to work. Thou art strong-bodied. Up with this 
 end of the cross, and go on after him !" cried the chie^ 
 priests. 
 
 Simon, who is a |)owerful man, though three-score 
 years of age, raised the extremity of the beam, and Jesus 
 essayed to move under the weight of the other ; but He 
 tailed. 
 
 " Let me bear it alone, Master," answered the stout 
 Simon ; I am the stronger. Thou hast enough to bear 
 the weight of thy own sorrow. If it be a shame to bear 
 a cross after thee, I glory in my shame, as would my 
 two sons, were they here this day." 
 
 Thus speaking, in a courageous and bold voice, and 
 looking as brave as if he would as gladly be nailed to the 
 cro^s for his Master, as carry it after Him, (for Simon 
 had long believed in Him, as well as his sons,) he lifted 
 the cross and bore it on his shoulders after Jesus, who, 
 weaR from loss of blood and sleep, and weary unto deatht 
 had to lean for support against one arm of the instru 
 ment of death 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. W 
 
 Ah, my dear father, what a place was this, across 
 which we moved ! Skulls lay scattered beneath our 
 footsteps, and everywhere human bones bleached in the 
 air ; and we trode in heaps of ashes, where the Romans 
 had burned the bodies of many of those whom they cm 
 cified. 
 
 At length we reached this place of death, on wh'n I 
 five crosses were already standing. Upon one of then 5 
 a criminal still hung, just alive, who had been nailed to 
 it the noon before. He called feebly for water, but some 
 derided, and all passed him unheeded. The^e was an 
 empty space in the midst of this Golgotha, and here the 
 Centurion stopped, and ordered the crosses to be set in 
 the rock, where deep holes had been already cut. The 
 crosses carried by the thieves were now thrown down by 
 them ; by one with an execration, by the other with a 
 sigh, as h*e anticipated the anguish he was to suffer 
 upon it. 
 
 The larger cross of the three was that for Jesus. It 
 was taken by three soldiers from the back of the old 
 Cyrenian merchant, and cast heavily upon the earth. It 
 was now that a crisis approached, of the most painful 
 interest. The Centurion ordered his soldiers to clear a 
 circle about the place where the crosses were to be plant 
 «d^ with their spears. The Jews, who had crowded near 
 in eager thirst for their victim's blood, gave back slowly 
 and reluctantly, before the sharp points of the Romaii 
 lances, pushed against their breasts ; for the Centurioi. 
 had with him full three-score men-at-armsj besides h 
 part of Herod's guard So great was the desire of the 
 Jews to get near, that helpless females could not Ue 
 otherwise than crowded away from the immediate scene 
 
408 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVIO- 
 
 John, however, held his place close by his Master. He 
 relates that Jesus continued to evince the same sublime 
 composure, when the Centurion commanded the cruci* 
 fiers to advance and nail the malefactors to their crosses. 
 The robber-lieutenant, Ishmerai, who was an Edomite, 
 upon seeing the man approach with the basket contain- 
 ing the spikes and hammers, scowled fiercely upon himj 
 and looked defiance. He was instantly seized by four 
 savage-looking Parthian soldiers, of the Roman guard 
 and stripped, and thrown upon his back upon the cross. 
 His struggles, for he was an athletic man, were so vio 
 lent, that it took six persons to keep him held down 
 upon the arms of the cross, and hia palms spread open, 
 to receive the entering nail ; which one of the crucifiers, 
 with naked and brawny arms, pressing one knee upon 
 the wrist, drove in through the flesh and wood, by three 
 quick and powerful blows, with his short, heavy-headed 
 hammer. Ishmerai gnashed his teeth as the nail enter- 
 ed the quivering flesh. The other hand, in like manner, 
 was fastened, with diflSculty, to the other arm of the 
 wood ; and then, both feet being lapped together, a long, 
 sharp spear-nail was driven through both into the tim- 
 ber — while a shriek, mingled with curses, bore testimony 
 \o the agony suffered by the wretched man. 
 
 Thus secured, he was left, bleeding and writhing, by 
 the six crucifiers ; for there are four to bind the victim^ 
 one to hold the spikes, and the sixth to drive them home 
 with his hammer ; and from the glance I caught of their 
 half-naked and blood-stained figures, they were worthy 
 to hold the dreadful office which made all men shun 
 them as if they were leprous. 
 
 They now approached Omri, the other robber, who 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 409 
 
 was a young man, with a mild look, and a face whose 
 noble lineaments did not betray his profession. He was 
 the son of a wealthy citizen in Jericho, and had, by 
 riotous living, spent his patrimony, and joined Barabbas. 
 lie had heard Jesus preach in the wilderness of Jordan, 
 and had once asked Him, with deep interest, many 
 things touching the doctrines He taught. John, who 
 had seen him talking with Jesus, a few months before, at 
 Bethabara, now recognized him, and saw him regard the 
 Prophet with reverential looks ; and more than once 
 heard the latter speak kind words to him, as they went 
 to the place of crucifixion. 
 
 When the crucifiers, with their cords, baskets, nails 
 and iron hammer, drew near him, he said : 
 
 I will not compel you to thirw me down, I can die 
 as I have lived, without fear ! As I have broken the 
 laws, I am ready to suffer the penalty of the laws." 
 
 Thus speaking, he stretched himself upon his cross, 
 and extending his palms along the transverse beam, he 
 suffered them to nail him to the wood, uttering not a 
 moan. He glanced towards Jesus at the same time, 
 with an expression of courage, as if he sought to show 
 Him that the pain could be borne by a brave man. 
 And, perhaps, indeed, Jesus looked as if He needed an 
 heroic example before Him to show Him how to die with- 
 out shrinking, for his cheek was like the marble of Pa* 
 cos in its whiteness, and rie seemed ready to drop to the 
 earth from weakness. His youth— his almost Divine 
 beauty, which not even his tangled hair, and torn beard, 
 and blood-streaked countenance, could wholly hide — the 
 air of celestial innocence that beamed from his eyes, 
 drew upon Him many glances of sympathy, even frora 
 
410 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 Bome of his foes. The Centurion, who was a tall man. 
 with a grizzly beard, and with the hardy exterior of an 
 old Roman warrior, looked upon Him with a sad gaze^ 
 and said : 
 
 " I do not see what men hate thee for, for thou seem* 
 est more to be a man of love ; but I must do my duty> 
 and I hope thou wilt forgive me what 1 do. A soldier^^ 
 honor is to obey." 
 
 Jesus smiled forgiveness upon him so sweetly, that 
 the stern Roman's eyes filled with tears, and he placed 
 his gauntleted hand to his face to conceal his emotion, 
 as he said : 
 
 *^ Pilate would not do this crime, were there anothei 
 legion or two with him. It is the fewness of his men- 
 at-arms that compels him to sacrifice thee, to please 
 these howling Jews." 
 
 This was spoken in a low tone to Jesus, who made no 
 reply ; for, at this moment, the crucifiers drew nigh, to 
 prepare Him, by stripping, for the cross lying at his feet 
 
 But, my dear father, I can go on no longer now with 
 my sad narrative. I am weary weeping at the recollec- 
 tions it calls before me, and at our present affliction. In 
 niy next I will complete my account of the unhappy 
 crucifixion of the Prophet of Nazareth, and with Him, 
 the crucifixion and death of all our hopes in Him as 
 MoBsias of God I 
 
 Your affectionate daughter, 
 
OE. THREE rBARS IN THE HOLY CTT? 
 
 411 
 
 LETTER XXXV. 
 Jerusalem — Tktrd Morning after the Crucifixion* 
 
 My Dear Father : 
 
 It is new dawn, and I have arisen early, as I shall 
 leave the city to-day, with my uncle, Rabbi Amos, and 
 the whole family, in order to go to Bethany, to escape 
 the Jews, who, notwithstanding the pledge given by 
 Caiaphas, are diligently seeking the arrest of all in Jeru- 
 salem who were the followers of the slain Prophet. As 
 an hour or two will elapse before all is ready for our safe 
 departure, I will occupy the interval in completing my 
 sorrowful narrative of the crucifixion of Jesus, especially 
 as Rabbi Amos, finding I have been so careful, hereto- 
 fore, in recording all things concerning Him, desires me 
 not to omit any particulars ; as my account may here- 
 after be convenient to refer to, and, perhaps, if necessary, 
 be laid before Caesar, in defence of such as may be seni 
 to Rome on charges of sedition. T feel that my poor 
 letters, dear father, are only valuable to you, and those 
 I love ; but, if they can aid in explaining anytliing for 
 the exculpation of the poor Nazarenes, who arc now so 
 despised and vigilantly hunted, they are at tho service 
 even of the mighty Tiberius himself. Their only merit 
 is accuracy of detail and truthfulness, so far as cirounv 
 stances have enabled me to ascertain the truth. 
 
412 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAV3D 
 
 As I resume my pen by the faint light of the dawn^ 
 to continue the particulars of the crucifixion of the un- 
 happy son of Mary, who, widowed and childless, still 
 remains with us, mourning over her dead son, my heart 
 involuntarily shrinks from the painful subject, and bleeds 
 afresh. But there is a fascination associated with all 
 that concerns Him, even now that He is dead, and has 
 proved himself as weak a mortal as other men, which 
 arges me to write of Him, and which fills my thoughts 
 only with Him. 
 
 I have just alluded to his grief-smitten mother. Alas ! 
 there is no consolation for her. Her loss is not like that 
 of other mothers. Her son has not only been taken from 
 her by death, but has died ignominiously on a Roman 
 cross, executed between two vile malefactors, as if He 
 himself were the greatest criminal of the three ; and not 
 c>nly this, but executed as a false prophet — as a deceiver 
 of Israel — with a thousand glittering promises of Judea's 
 future glory through Him, on his lips ; which now, as 
 his death proves, were vain promises, and that He made 
 them for the temporary fame of drawing all men after 
 Him. She thus mourns, not as other mothers, and le- 
 fuses to be comforted. 
 
 Yet her love for her son — that deathless maternal love, 
 which seems immortal in its nature, is not buried with 
 Him. She, with dearest Mary and Martha, have just 
 gone out, secretly, before the Jews are astir, to pay the 
 last duties to his dead body, ere we all depart for an 
 asylum in Bethany. They have taken spices, myrrh, 
 and aloes, and sweet herbs, for the purpose of enbalming 
 the body ; for his mother hopes to get permission of Pi- 
 late to remove it some time to Bethlehem, to be laid in 
 
OR THREE YEARS IN THE HOLf CITT. 413 
 
 the tomb of his fathers. Until they return from this sad 
 mission of love, I will continue my subject — the cruci- 
 fixion * 
 
 When the Centurion, to whom was committed, by 
 PilatB; the charge of conducting the crucifixion of Jesus, 
 gave orders to bind Him also to the cross, which lay 
 upon the ground, like an altar awaiting its victim, the 
 four Parthian soldiers, his brutal crucifiers, laid hold 
 upon Him, and began to strip Him of his garments, for 
 his enemies had put again on Him his own clothes, 
 when they led Him out of the hall of Pilate. He wore 
 a n^antle, woven without seam by Mary and Martha, 
 and which had been a present to Him by the sisters, as 
 a token of their gratitude, for raising from the dead their 
 brother Lazarus. 
 
 When I saw them remove this robe, which was a 
 visible attestation of his former power over death, I 
 could not believe that He could be himself killed, but 
 would yet break away, by some mighty miracle, from 
 his foes, and scattering them like dust before the wind, 
 proclaim himself, with power, the very Son of God ! 
 But when I perceived that He stood, calmly and sor- 
 sowfully, letting them do what they would, I lost all 
 hope, and turned away weeping. His mother, supported 
 by John, could no longer gaze upon her son, and wa 
 borne afar off, crying thrillingly : 
 
 " Oh let me not hear the crashing of the nails into 
 his feet and hands ! My son — my son ! Oh, that thou 
 wouldest now prove to thy mother that thou art a true 
 Prophet !" 
 
 " What means this wailing ?" cried the fierce Abner : 
 / whc is this woman 
 
414 
 
 THE PBmCE OP THE flOUSE OP DAVUl: 
 
 The mother of Jesus," I answered indignantly 
 ' The mother of the blasphemer. Let her bo ac- 
 cursed he cried, in a savage tone ; thou seest, 
 woman, what is the end of bringing up an impostor, to 
 blaspheme Jehovah and the Temple. Thy hopes and 
 his, 0 wretched woman, have this day miserably perish- 
 ed ! So die all false Christs and false prophets ! Thou 
 Beest, if he were the Christ, he would not stand there, 
 and be crucified, like a common malefactor !" 
 
 Mary buried her face in her hands, and wept on my 
 shoulder. I could not look towards the place where 
 Tesus stood. I dreaded to hear the first blow upon the 
 dreadful nails, and as she stopped her ears, I would have 
 closed mine* also, but that my hands supported her. I 
 could hear the awful preparations — the rattling of the 
 hard cord, as they bound Him to the cross, and the low, 
 eager voices of the four busy Parthians ; and then the 
 ringing of the spikes ; and then a silence like that of the 
 grave ! Suddenly a blow of a hammer broke the mo- 
 ment of suspense ! A shriek burst from the soul of the 
 mother, that echoed far and wide among the tombs of 
 Golgotha! 
 
 I could see — ^hear no more ! 
 
 John having left the stricken mother with me, he and 
 Lazarus had gone back to where they were unrobing the 
 Prophet, in order to bind Him to the wood. They caught 
 the eyes of their Master, said Lazarus, who gazed upon 
 them calmly and affectionately. They said they had 
 never before beheld Him appear so majestic and great < 
 He looked, as the Centurion afterwards said, " Like a 
 god surrendering himself to death, for the safety of his 
 universe 
 
OR. THREE YIHARB IN THE HOLY CITY. 415 
 
 •* Nothing but the ferocious madness of the chief 
 piiests and Jews," added John, " could have prevented 
 them from being awed by the majesty of his presence. 
 And, besides, there sat upon his brow heroic courage, 
 with a certain divine humility and resignation. Not 
 the rough hands of the barbaric soldiers, not the indig. 
 aity of being stripped before the eyes of thousands, not 
 the sight of his cross, nor of the thieves, nailed and wri^ 
 thing on theirs, moved Him to depart, by look or bearing, 
 from that celestial dignity which, through all, had nevei 
 ieft Him. 
 
 " He made no resistance," continued John, who told 
 me what follows, when bound upon the cross, but re- 
 signed himself, passively, into the hands of his execn • 
 doners, like a lamb receiving its death, ' Father,' 
 said, raising his holy eyes to heaven, ' forgive them, for 
 they know not what they do.' But his heroic soul could 
 not prevent the natural emotions of humanity at pain. 
 The piercing nails, rending his tender flesh, made it 
 quiver, and caused Him to turn deadly pallid, while a 
 deep sigh escaped his breast as He heard his mother's 
 shriek. Unlike the robber, He did not resist ; unlike the 
 second. He did not steel himself to indifference ; but He 
 met his fate like a man who fears not death, yet does not 
 brave it ! 
 
 " Grreat drops of sweat, when they nailed his feet to 
 the wood, stood upon his forehead," added John, who 
 remained near, to see his Master die, and to comfort and 
 strengthen Him ; and when the four men raised Him 
 and the cross together from the earth, and let the end 
 drop into a hole a foot deep, the shock, bringing his 
 whole weight upon the nails in his hands, tore and iac^ 
 
416 
 
 fHE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 
 
 rated them, nearly dislocating the shoulders at the same 
 time, while every sinew and muscle of his arms and 
 chest was drawn out like cords, to sustain this unwonted 
 weight upon them. The first thief fainted from pain, at 
 the shock caused by the setting of his own cross ; and 
 tne second, cool and defiant as he had been, uttered a loud 
 outcry of agony. But Jesus made no moan, though the 
 unearthly pallor of his countenance showed how inex- 
 pressible was his torture." 
 
 Ah, my dear father, I would draw a veil over this 
 scene — for it is too — too painful for me to dwell upon 
 To the last, John believed his Master would not die — 
 that He could not suffer ! But when He saw how that 
 pain and anguish seized heavily upon Him, and how 
 that He suffered like other men, without power to pre- 
 vent it, he greatly wondered, and began to believe that 
 all the miracles that he had seen Him perform must have 
 been illusions. He could not reconcile the calmness and 
 dignity, the heroic composure and air of innocence, with 
 which He came to the cross, with imposture ; yet his 
 death would, assuredly, seal as imposture all his previous 
 career. 
 
 The three crosses, that of Jesus in the midst, as the 
 place of chief dishonor, being raised into the air, and 
 fixed in the sockets of the rock, the Centurion command- 
 sd the adjacent place to be cleared, and that the male- 
 factors be left to die. Oh, what a fearful death for Je- 
 gus ! for Him whom we knew so well, and whom vro 
 still loved, although He had deceived us. There, thought 
 vve, He may linger two or three days, dying slowly, as 
 Bome have done, and exposed to the fierce su^i by day 
 and the chilly winds of night, while above thera hover. 
 
OH, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY OlTl. 
 
 417 
 
 on steady wings^, the savage birds of prey, impatient foi 
 thdir feast. With his mother we all now drew as neai 
 the cross as we were permitted to come. Jesus the:: 
 turned his head towards his mother, and looking down 
 with the profoundest tenderness and love upon her, com- 
 mitted her to the filial care of the weeping John, who 
 stood supporting her. 
 
 Much of the residue of the account I have from John> 
 who remained at the last close to the cross, while we 
 retired and stood afar off, with his weeping mother, 
 Mary of Bethany, Martha, Lazarus, and Mary, the mother 
 of Salome, and other women, our friends from Gralilee, 
 who also had hope in Jesus. There we waited, in ex- 
 pectation of seeing Him do some mighty miracle from tho 
 cross, and descend unharmed, showing to the world 
 thereby, his title to be the Messias of Grod. 
 
 The Centurion having placed a guard about the crosses, 
 to keep the friends of the crucified from attempting their 
 rescue, stood watching them. The soldiers, who had 
 nailed Jesus to the tree, began now to divide, with noisy 
 oaths, his garments among themselves, as well as those 
 of the two thievbS, these being, by the Roman law, the 
 fee of the executioner. This division being made, after 
 some time, but not without high talking, and drawing of 
 their long Syrian knifes upon each other, they were at 
 loss what to do with the large mantle, without seam, 
 which the sisters of Lazarus had woven for the friend ol 
 their once dead brother. A group of the Roman guard 
 being seated near, astride upon the four arms of a fallen 
 cross, playing at dice, suggested that the Parthians should 
 decide by lot whose it should be. This the latter con- 
 c;e.nteAi to and +akin2f the dice-box in their blocdy hands. 
 
418 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAYTD 
 
 i^ach of them threw thrice. The highest number fell to 
 
 the most ferocious of the four fellows, who, taking the 
 mantle, wrapped it about his huge form, and, pacing up 
 and down before the people, said, in a loud voice, that 
 he himself was a great magician, and asked, in his bro- 
 ken, barbarous tongue, some of the Jews if they would 
 like to have him prophecy and foretell their fortunes. 
 At this they began to cry out upon him, and stone him, 
 as a blasphemer — and but for the interposition of the 
 Centurion, a tumult would have been made. The soldier 
 then proposed to sell the cloak, which John joyfully 
 purchased of him at a great price, by means of the 
 jewels of several of the women, who gladly took rings 
 from their ears, and bracelets from their arms, I giving 
 dear father, the emerald which you bought for me at 
 Cairo. But I could not see the robe, which Jesus had 
 worn thus desecrated ; for still, oh, yes, still we loved 
 Him, even in his death! The mother of Jesus received 
 the robe with deep emotions of gratitude to us all. But 
 now, my dear father, how shall I describe the scenes and 
 events that followed ? 
 
 After Jesus had hung about an hour upon the cross, 
 .SImilius came from Pilate, and bore the inscription, 
 which it is usual to place above the heads of malefac- 
 tors; showing their name, and the crime for which they 
 are crucified. Above the head of Ishmerai was written 
 in Syriac : 
 
 " TSHMERAI, THE EdOMITE, 
 
 " A Robber." 
 
 Above that of Ormi was inscribed, also, on a leaf oi 
 parchment, in the same tongue, his name, and the nature 
 
OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITI 419 
 
 of his crime, which was that of robbery and blood-nhed. 
 ding in a sedition in the city. 
 
 Above the head of Jesus, by means of a small lad- 
 der, was placed this inscription, in Greek, Latin, and 
 Hebrew : 
 
 " This is Jesus, 
 The King of the Jews." 
 
 Wlien the wicked Abner read this, he turned angrily 
 to the Centurion, and to iEmilius, who stood sadly near 
 the cross : 
 
 " Write not, 0 Roman, that he is ' King of the Jews,' 
 but that he said that he was King of the Jews !" 
 
 I ha VP placed above him what Pilate has ordered to 
 be written," answered the Centurion. 
 
 Abner upon this mounted a mule, and hastened into 
 the city to the Procurator, and laid his complaint before 
 him. 
 
 " What I have written, I have written, sir priest," we 
 have heard that the Procurator coldly answered. 
 
 But you, then, have crucified this man for being our 
 king, which we deny !" retorted Abner. 
 
 *' I will take his word, before that of all the Jews in 
 CsDsar's empire," answered Pilate, angrily. " He said 
 he was a king ; and if ever a king stood before a hnmafl 
 tribunal, I have had a true and very king before me to- 
 day^ — and I have signed the warrant for his execution. 
 But his blood be on your heads ! for I was compelled tc 
 do this deed or lose my Procuratorship : for else you 
 would have had me before Caesar as a traitor. Leave 
 my presence, Jew ! Have I not, against my own con- 
 victions of justice and humanity, consented to gratifv 
 
420 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 
 
 your thirst fjr this innocent person's bli)od ? What more 
 do you demand ? Is he not hanged ? If you approach 
 my presence more on this subject, by the gods of Rome 
 I will crucify you, and ten score morel I will pile a 
 tecatomb to his manes !" 
 
 Abner left his presence abashed, and returned to the 
 place of crucifixion. The Jews, in the meanwhiloj 
 mociced Jesus, and wagged their heads at Him, and re- 
 minded Him of his former miracles and prophecies. 
 
 " Thou that raisedst Lazarus, save thyself from death 
 said a Pharisee. 
 
 " If thou art the Son of God, prove it by coming down 
 from the cross !" cried the leader of the Sadducees, Eli. 
 
 Thou, who saidst if a man kept thy sayings, he 
 should never see death — let us see if thou canst avoid 
 death thyself!" said Iddo, the chief of the Essenes. 
 
 " He saved others — ^himself he cannot save !" mocked 
 Ezekias, one of the chief priests. 
 
 iEmilius, finding it impossible to save the Prophet 
 from crucifixion, had come out to guard Him from the 
 usual insults of the rabble, while He was dying. He 
 nad now lost faith in Jesus as a Jewish Prophet, but 
 ne loved Him still, as a man, and pitied Him for his 
 sufferings. He talked with Him, and earnestly prayed 
 Him, as He hung, if He were indeed a gody to show his 
 power ! Jesus at first made no reply ; but He shortly 
 said, in a faint voice — 
 
 1 THIRST." 
 
 The generous knight ran and filled a sponge with the 
 preparation of sour wine and hyssop, usually given to 
 malefactors, after they have suffered awhile, in order to 
 Btupify them, and render them insensible to their suf- 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CIIT. 
 
 421 
 
 forings. While iEmilius was affixing a sponge, dipped 
 in this vessel of vinegar, upon a reed, split at the end tc 
 hold it firmly, Ishmerai, who all the while, as he hung, 
 had uttered execrations upon his crucifierfe, and upoL 
 Pilate, called, howling fiercely, to Jesus : 
 
 " If thou be the Son of Grod, save thyself and us ! 11 
 thou didst raise a man once from the dead, thou canst 
 surely keep us from dying ! Thou art a vile wretch if 
 thou hast power as a prophet, and will not use it for me, 
 when thou seest how heavy I am of body, and how my 
 great weight tortures me, with infernal racking and 
 rending of every joint." 
 
 But Omri, rebuking his fellow, said : 
 
 " Dost thou not fear Grod, seeing thou art in the same 
 condemnation ? We suffer justly for our crimes, and to- 
 day do receive the due reward of our transgressions ; but 
 this young man hath done nothing amiss, save to preach 
 against the wickedness of the priests, and for being holier 
 than they. Lord, I believe that thou art the Son of Grod 1 
 None but the Christ could do the works that thou hast 
 done, or suffer patiently, as thou art doing. Lord, re- 
 member me when thou comest into thy kingdom, for 1 
 know thou wilt go from this, thy cross, to thy throne on 
 high, and there reign for ever and ever. I have listened 
 to thy teaching on the banks of Jordan, and now be> 
 lieve.'' 
 
 Jesus turn 3d his bleeding head towards him, ana, 
 with a smile cf ineffable glory radiating his pale face, 
 said : 
 
 " Verily, I 3ay unto thee, this day shalt thou be with 
 me in Paradise." 
 
 Omri, upon this, looked inexpressibly happv, and 
 
4:22 THE FRINGE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 seemed to rise superior to his sufferings. The othei 
 cursed the Prophet aloud, and gnashed at Him with his 
 teeth, with looks of demoniacal hatred. 
 
 At this moment ^milius came near with his dripping 
 epongo, and presented the reed upwards to the parched 
 lips of the suffering Jesus. When He tasted it He would 
 no'' drink, for He perceived it was the opiate which was 
 usually administered in compassion, to shorten the an- 
 guish of the crucified. 
 
 The robber, Ishmerai, now eagerly cried for the ob- 
 livious sponge, and the Prefect giving the reed to a sol- 
 dier, the latter placed it to the mouth of the robber, 
 whose swollen tongue protruded ! He drank of it with 
 a sort of mad thirst. The other njan, also, gladly as- 
 suaged his burning fever with it, and soon afterwards 
 both of them sunk into insensibility, hanging uncon- 
 scious of their situation, and showing no other signs of 
 life than the heavings of their chests, and, from time to 
 time, the involuntary twitching of the muscles. But 
 Jesus, retaining his senses in all their clearness, suffered 
 all that such a fearful death imposes upon its victim. 
 
 All at once, just as the sixth hour was sounded from 
 the Temple, by the trumpets of the Levites, the cloud 
 which, formed oy the smoke of the numerous sacrifices^ 
 had hung all day above the Temple, was seen to become 
 suddenly of inky blackness, and to advance towards 
 Calvary, spreading and expanding in the most appalling 
 manner, as it approached us ; and in a few minutes, not 
 only all Jerusalem, but Calvary, the Valley of Kedron, 
 the Mount of Olives, and all the country, were involved 
 in its fearful darkness. The sun, which had before been 
 shining with noonday brilliancy, becamr black as sack • 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY, 
 
 42£ 
 
 filoth of hair, and a dreadful, unearthly, indescribable 
 night overshadowed the world ! Out of the centre of 
 the cloud, above the crosses, shot forth angry lightnings 
 in every direction. But there was no thunder atter^ding 
 It— only a dead, sepulchral, suffocating silence ! 
 
 Of the thousands who had been gazing upon the cru- 
 cifixion, every one was now fallen prostrate upon the 
 '3arth in terror ! Jerusalem was blotted out from our 
 view ; only an angry spot of fire-red light, as it were the 
 terrible eye of G-od itself, was visible above the Temple, 
 over the place of the Holy of Holies. The crosses were 
 no longer visible, save by the fearful shine of the light- 
 nings, flashing fiercely from the dread and silent cloud. 
 The form of Jesus, amid the universal gloom, shone as 
 if divinely transfigured, and a soft halo of celestial light 
 encircled his brow like a crown of glory ; while the dark 
 bodies of the two robbers could scarcely be discerned, 
 save by the faint radiance emanating from his own. 
 
 The darkness continuing, many of the multitude at 
 length ceased their moans, the beating of their breasts, 
 and rending of their garments, and arose to their feet, 
 but moved not ; for none could stir from his place, for 
 the midnight depth of the gloom ! Men talked to each 
 other in whispers ! An undefinable drea^l was upon 
 each mind ; for the sudden overspreading of the dark 
 aess was as unaccountable as it was frightful. Mary, 
 his mother, and Lazarus exclaimed with awe, both 
 speaking together : 
 
 " This is his power. He has produced this miracle 
 
 **Aiid we shall behold Him next descend from the 
 cross/' cried Rabbi Amos. " Let us all take courage ; 
 and let what dismays his enemies fill us with joyful ex 
 peotation." 
 
424 
 
 THE PRINCE OT^ THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 Three hours — three long and awful hours, +his i^aper 
 natural light continued ; and all that while the vast 
 multitude remained fixed, and moaning, waiting they 
 knew not what ! At length the cloud parted above the 
 cross, with a loud peal of thunder, while a shower of 
 terrible lightnings fell, like lances of fire, all around the 
 form of Jesus, which immediately lost its halo and it^ 
 translucent radiance. His face, at the same time, be 
 came expressive of the most intense sorrow of soul, and 
 He seemed, to all eyes, to be the central point of this 
 fierce wrath of the heavens. 
 
 A hundred voices exclaimed, with horror : 
 
 " See ! he is deserted, and punished by the Almighty 
 
 We ourselves were amazed and appalled. Our rising 
 hopes were blasted by the livid lightnings, which seemed 
 to blast Him ! Heaven, as well as man^ seemed to wai 
 against Him! His mother gave utterance to a gioan 
 of agony, and sank upon the ground, satisfied that hei 
 son was truly accursed of Grod. At this moment, as if 
 to confirm all our fears. He cried, in the Hebrew tongue 
 with a loud voice, that, in the deep silence, reached the 
 ears even of the Roman guard on the citadel : 
 
 "Eloi! Eloi! My Grod, my Grod, why hast Thou 
 forsaken me ?" 
 
 Upon this some, pitying his sufferings, ran to give 
 him wine and hyssop, to aeaden them. 
 
 Nay, let him live — let us see if Elias will save him !" 
 answered Abner. He calleth for Elisha the Prophet 
 
 Suddenly the darkness, which had filled all the air, 
 seemed now to concentrate, and gather about the cross, 
 BO that He, who hanged thereon, became invisible. 
 Prom the midst of it his thrilling voice was Dnce more 
 
OR, IHKEB FEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 42/> 
 
 heard, as clear and strong as it rang over the waters of 
 Galilee, when He preached from a boat to the thousands 
 thronging to the shore : 
 
 "It is Finished ! Father^ into thy hands I commend 
 my spirit /" 
 
 As He uttered these words, a supernatural glory shone 
 around Him, and, with a deep sigh. He bowed his head 
 upon his breast and gave up the ghost ! 
 
 The general exclamation of surprise that followed 
 these clear trumpet- tones, was suddenly checked by a 
 terrible trembling of the earth beneath our feet, so that 
 vast numbers of people were cast down ; the rocks of 
 Calvary were rent, and thrown upwards, while the whole 
 city shook with the convulsive throes of an earthquake. 
 The Temple seemed on fire, and above its pinnacle ap- 
 peared a flaming sword, which seemed to us to cleave 
 the walls to their foundations ; and while we looked, 
 the sword changed into the shape of a cross, of dazzling 
 light, standing high in the air, over the Altar ; and from 
 its golden beams poured rays so bright, that all Jerusa- 
 lem, and the hill country, for a wide extent, became as 
 light as noon-day. The ground still continued to rock, 
 and the sepulchres of the kings, with the tombs of an- 
 cient prophets, were riven by vast chasms, and the greeii 
 earth was strewn with the bones and bodies of the dead. 
 The dark cloud, which had begun to form first with the 
 smoke of tho sacrifices of the Temple, was now dissipa- 
 t>ed by the light of the fiery cross, and the sun reappear- 
 ed. Before it the glorious vision over the Temple gradu- 
 ally faded out and disappeared. The natural order of 
 tilings gradually returned ; and men, smiting their 
 breasts, began to move towards the city, filled with qwb 
 
42d THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID : 
 
 and dread at what they had witnessed. The Centurion* 
 who stood watching these fearful things, said, aloud, to 
 ^milius : 
 
 " This man spake the truth. He was a God !" 
 Truly," responded iEmilius, ^'this was none other 
 than the Son of Grod — the very Christ of the Jewish Pro 
 phets. All things in the air and on the earth sympa- 
 thize with his death, as if the God of nature had ex- 
 pired." 
 
 Sad and weeping, we left the dismal scene, hanging 
 our heads in despondency, having, even while wonder- 
 ing at these mighty events connected with his crucifixion, 
 abandoned, forever, all hope that this was He, who should 
 nave redeemed our nation, and restored the royal splen 
 dor of Judah, and the throne of the house of David . 
 
 T am, my dear father, your loving daughter, 
 
 Adina 
 
 LETTER XXXVI 
 Jerusalem — Third Morning after the Crucifixion, 
 
 My Dearest Father : 
 
 I closed the last letter but to resume, in another, the 
 gad narrative which I have been writing to you. It is 
 now half an hour to sunrise, and as the party which 
 went to the sepulchre has not yet returned, I will still 
 continue my painfully interesting subject. The mothei 
 of Jesus, who I thought went with the two Marys and 
 Martha, remained at home, unable to bear the sight of 
 her dead son 
 
OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITT. 427 
 
 On the day on which the wonderful events took place, 
 wlilch I have detailed at large in my last letter, that day 
 which can never, for its signs and wonders, be forgotten 
 in Jerusalem, the chief priests, at the head of whom was 
 Ajinas, met Pilate as h^. was aiding forth from the city, 
 attended by a score of men-at-arms, to survey the deep 
 rents made by the earthquake, and to hear from the 
 mouths of all the people the particulars of the marvels 
 which attended the crucifixion of Jesus. When they 
 came near him, they besought him that he would com- 
 mand his soldiers to take down the bodies, as the next 
 day was a high-day, and that it was contrary to their 
 customs to have criminals executed or left hanging on 
 that day. 
 
 "What think yb?^' demanded Pilate, reining up and 
 soothing his Syrian war-horse, which, startled at the 
 dead bodies that lay near, (for they were crossing the 
 place of the openod tombs,) had for some time tramped 
 and plunged madly : " What think ye, priests 1 Have 
 ye crucified a man or a god ? We think these mighty 
 wonders tell us that he was more than a man! All na 
 ture sympathizes with his death ! The sun veiled his 
 brightness, the heavens clad themselves in mourning, 
 Jove sent forth angry lightnings ; and the earth hersel t 
 heaved and rocked as if sharing the universal woe 
 
 The priests looked troubled, and seemed unable to 
 answer: but Terah, the chief priest of the house of 
 Mariah, answered, and said: 
 
 " My lord, these were wonderful phenomena, but they 
 worAd have happened if this Nazarene had not died! 
 He 5 is a famous astrologer from Arabia, who studies 
 skies, who says that this darkness was caused by 
 
42y THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 an eclipse of the sun ! The dark cloud was but th^ 
 Bmoke cf the sacrifices, while the earthquake was but a 
 natural and usual occurrence !" 
 
 " Stay, sir priest," answered Pilate ; we at Rome, 
 though called barbarians by you polished Jews, have 
 some scholarship in astrology. We know well that ar* 
 eclipse of the sun can take place only when the moon is 
 new ! It is to-day, on this eve of the High Day, at iU 
 full, and will to-night rise nearly opposite the sun ! It 
 was no eclipse, sir priest, and thy Arabian is a fake as- 
 trologer. These events occurred because that divine man, 
 your king, has been executed." 
 
 Why not for the two robbers as well ?" demanded 
 Abner, with an incredulous sneer on his lip. 
 
 Pilate made no reply, and was riding on, when Tereh, 
 in behalf of the chief priests, asked permission of him 
 to have the bodies of the crucified removed from the 
 crosses and buried. 
 
 " They cannot be yet dead, since it is only seven 
 hours since they were nailed to the cross," said Pilate , 
 " I will see for myself." 
 
 Thus speaking, the Roman Procurator spurred on 
 towards the place, followed by his body guard ; now 
 avoiding an open grave ; now leaping one of the 
 freshly opened chasms ; now turning aside from some 
 body cast up by the earthquake. When he came in 
 front of the crosses, he saw that Jesus hung as if dead, 
 while the thieves still breathed, and from time to 
 time heaved groans of anguish, although partly insensi- 
 ble from the effects of the opiate which had been ad- 
 ministered to them. 
 
 " Think you, Romulus, that he has any life in him V 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 429 
 
 asked Pilate, in a subdued tone of voice, gazing sorrow- 
 fully, and with looks of self-reproach, upon the drooping 
 form of his victim. 
 
 " He is dead an hour ago," answered the Centurion 
 lie expired when the earthquake shook the city, and 
 tlie flaming sword was unsheathed in the air above the 
 Temple ! It was a fearful sight, sir, and the more won 
 derful to see it change in the shape of a cross of fire. I 
 fear, sir, we have crucified one of the gods in the shape 
 of a man. 
 
 " It would appear so. Centurion," answered Pilate, 
 shaking his head. " I would it had not been done ! But 
 'tis past ! The Jews desire their bodies to be removed 
 before their great Sabbath. Caesar's orders are that 
 they shall be humored always in all things touching their 
 religion, which do not militate against the Imperia. 
 laws. Let them have their desire. The robbers are not 
 yet dead !" 
 
 " Nearly so. I will break their legs and remove 
 their bodies, your excellency," answered the Centu- 
 rion. 
 
 Pilate then turned his horse and rode slowly and sadly 
 away from the spot. Romulus then gave orders to his 
 woldiers to remove the bodies. One of them with a bat- 
 tle-axe approached the robber Omri, and at two blows 
 broke his knees. With a shudder that shook the cross, 
 he ceased to move. The first blow upon the limbs ol 
 fshmerai, caused him to open his eyes and to growl a half- 
 Intelligible execration ; but at the second stroke his huge 
 tiead fell upon his hairy chest, and muttering a curse 
 upon his executioners, he the next moment hung Ihere 
 dead ! Wher the soldiers came to Jesus they saw thaf 
 He was already dead I 
 
430 THE PRINCE OP im HOUSE OP DAVID: 
 
 Let us not break his legs," said one to the other, 
 it were sacrilege to mar such a manly form." 
 " Yet, we must insure his death ere he can be taken 
 away," responded the othor. " I will pierce him to make 
 6iire !" 
 
 Thus speaking, the soldier directed his spear to the 
 ide of Jesus and cleaved the flesh to his heart. John, 
 who stood near, and saw and heard all, upon seeing this 
 done, bowed his head to the earth in total abandonment 
 of hope ! Until that moment he had believed that 
 Jesus would revive and descend from the cross ; for to 
 the last all our faith in his power to save himself wajj 
 firm, though greatly tried when we saw Him in the 
 hands of the Roman soldiers. Even when we beheld 
 Him nailed to the cross we did not give up hope, for 
 we had all seen Him raise Lazarus dead, and felt tha; 
 He could free himself from the cross alive also ; and, 
 although after the earthquake, we left the hill and re* 
 turned, sorrowing and smiting our breasts, into the 
 city, we often lingered and looked back to where He 
 hung, expecting to see Him descend from it, and pro- 
 claim himself, by such a mighty miracle, the Son oi 
 Grod. John, first having delivered the mother of Jesus 
 to our care, remained with many of the women and 
 others who had loved and followed Him, long watchinp 
 Him, expecting some great event. 
 
 But when the unhappy disciple saw the Roman spear 
 pierce his side, his own heart seemed to be pierced also 
 Hope perished forever ! Jesus was dead — dead^ and 
 thus proved that He was not the Christ of Grod whom 
 He had proclaimed himself to be! Yet his emotions 
 were not of anger, but of sorrow ; for he had greatly 
 luvod Him. 
 
ORs THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITf. 
 
 431 
 
 When he raised his head to gaze upon his crucified 
 Master, he saw flowing from the rent in his feide two 
 fountains together, one of crimson blood, and lo ! the 
 other of crystal water ! He could not believe what he 
 saw, until the soldiers and the Centurion expressed alour^ 
 their wonder at such a marvel. 
 
 ' ' Never was such a man crucified before," exclaimed 
 the Centurion. He is without doubt one of the Im- 
 mortal gods, and therefore have the heavens and earth 
 been moved with amazement at the deed !" 
 
 When John saw that Jesus was indeed quite dead, and 
 all hope of his restoration to life destroyed, he drew near, 
 and asked permission of the Centurion to be allowed to 
 have the body ; for he had promised the mourning mother 
 of the dead son that he would recover it, if possible, for 
 sacred burial. * But the Centurion, though a kind and 
 generous man, answered that he could deliver the body 
 to no man without an order signed by the Procurator's 
 own hand. 
 
 Upon this, John, after getting the promise of the 
 Centurion that the body should not be taken down 
 until his return, ran rapidly towards the city to ask 
 the consent of Pilate. But in the meanwhile, Rabbi 
 Joseph, the counselor of Arimathea, whom, my deal 
 father, you have, many years ago, well known to be 
 a man of probity and honor, and who stands high in 
 favor with Pilate, met the Grovernor as he was skirt- 
 ing the wall of the city with his cohort, and asked 
 him if, after Jesus should be pronounced to be dead, 
 he might take down the body and give it sepulchre. 
 Pilate did not hesitate to give his ready consent to this 
 request, and taking from his purse a small signet en- 
 
432 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVED . 
 
 graved with his cipher, he placed it in the hands of the 
 rich Rabbi. 
 
 " Go and receive the body of this wonderful man," he 
 said. " Methinks thou art one who knew him well. 
 WTiat thinkest thou of him. Rabbi ?" Joseph perceived 
 that Pilate asked the question with deep interest, seem- 
 ingly very greatly troubled in mind, and he answered 
 him boldly : 
 
 I believe that He was a Prophet sent from Grod, your 
 excellency, and that to-day has died on Calvary the most 
 virtuous, the wisest, and the most innocent man in Caesar's 
 empire." 
 
 My conscience echoes your words," answered 
 Pilate, gloomily ; and putting spurs to his horse, he 
 galloped forward in the direction of the Grethsemane 
 Grardens. 
 
 John, therefore did not see Pilate ; but on returning 
 (rom the city, weary and disappointed, he met the ruler. 
 Nicodemus, who, attended by one of his Gribeonite slaves, 
 was hastening into town to purchase spices and linen to 
 wrap the body in, as our manner is to bury. From him 
 John learned with great joy, how that Rabbi Joseph had 
 seen Pilate and obtained from him permission to take 
 down and remove the body. 
 
 When John reached the cross, he found that Joseph, 
 by the aid of Lazarus, Simon Peter, Mary, Martha, and 
 Rabbi Amos, had taken it out of the socket in the rock, 
 v/ith its precious burden, and gently *aid it upon the 
 ground with the body still extended upon it. With 
 r!iany tears and lamentations thej drew forth the copper 
 8j)ikcs from the torn hands and bleeding feet, and with 
 water from a pool near at hand, washed the precious 
 
OR. THREE YEARS UN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 433 
 
 blood away, and wrapped the alabaster limbs in the 
 spices and white linen which Nicodemus preset tlv ar- 
 rived with. 
 
 The bodies of the robbers in the meanwhile were taken 
 OT rather torn down by the soldiers, and cast together into 
 one of the yawning chasms rent by the earthquake, and 
 covered by fragments of stone, which the soldiers, assisted 
 by some of the baser Jews who still lingered about the 
 place, cast down upon them. It was a great favor ob- 
 fcained from Pilate not to have the body of Jesus cast into 
 the pits also. 
 
 In the still, holy twilight of that dread day, the west 
 ail shadowy gold and mellow light, the air asleep, 
 and a sacred silence reigning in heaven and on earth, 
 they bore away from the hill of death the body of the 
 dead Prophet. The shoulders of Nicodemus, of Peter, 
 of Lazarus, and of John, gently sustained the loving 
 weight of Him they once honored above all men, 
 and whom, though proved by his death, as they be- 
 lieved, to have fatally deceived himself as to his Di- 
 vine Mission as the Christ, they still loved for his sor- 
 rows so patiently borne, for his virtues so vividly 
 romembered. 
 
 Slowly the little group wound their way along the 
 rocky surface of Grolgotha, the last to leave that fearful 
 place in the coming darkness. Their measured tread 
 their low whispers, the subdued wail of the women wlio 
 followed the rude bier of branches, the lonely path they 
 trode, all combined to render the spectacle one of touch- 
 ing solemnity. The shades of evening were gathering 
 thick around them. They took secret ways for fear oi 
 the Jews But some that met them turned aside with 
 
434 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID . 
 
 awe when they knew what corpse was borne ah ng ; tot 
 the impression of the appalling scenes of the day had not 
 yet wholly passed away from their minds. At length they 
 reached a gate in the wall of the garden attached to the 
 noble abode of the wealthy Rabbi Joseph, who went be- 
 fr^re, and with a key unlocked it, and admitted them into 
 the secluded enclosure. Here the thickness of the foliage 
 of olive and fig trees created complete darkness ; for by 
 this time the evening star was burning like a lamp in 
 the roseate west. They rested the bier upon the pave- 
 ment beneath the arch, and awaited in silence and dark- 
 ness the appearance of torches which Rabbi Joseph had 
 sent for to his house. The servants bearing them were 
 soon seen advancing, the flickering light from the flam- 
 beaux giving all things visible by it a wild aspect, in 
 keeping with the hour. 
 
 " Follow me," said Joseph, in a low voice, that was full 
 charged with great sorrow, as the servants preceded him 
 with their torches. 
 
 The sad bearers ol the dead body of Jesus raised their 
 sacred burden from the ground, and trode onward, their 
 measured foot-falls echoing among the aisles of the gar • 
 lien. At its farther extremity, where the rock hangs 
 beetling over the valley, and forms at this place the 
 ivall of the garden, was a shallow flight of stone 
 steps leading to a new tomb hewn out of the rock 
 It had been constructed for the Rabbi himself, and had 
 just been completed, and in it no man had ever heav 
 laid. 
 
 The torches flashed brightly upon its massive door, 
 and upon a dark cypress tree, the branches of which 
 ^njoped in majestic gloom around it. It seemed the verv 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 436 
 
 temple and shrine of death, so secluded — so solemn — so 
 funereal was all ! 
 
 The servants, by command of Joseph, rolled back 
 the stone, and exposed the dark vault of the gaping 
 •sepulchre. 
 
 " How is it, most worthy Rabbi," said a Roman Cen- 
 turion, suddenly apprizing them of his presence by his 
 voice, " that you bury thus with honor a man who has 
 proved himself unable to keep the dazzling promises he 
 has allured so many of you with ?" 
 
 All present turned with surprise at seeing not only the 
 Centurion, but half a score of men-at-arms, on whose 
 helmets and cuirasses the torches brightly gleanied, march* 
 ing across the grass towards the spot. 
 
 " What means this intrusion, Roman ?" asked Rabbi 
 Joseph. 
 
 T am sent hither by command of the Procurator,'* 
 answered the Centurion ; the chief Jews have had an 
 interview with him, informing him that the man whom 
 he had crucified had foretold that after three days he 
 would rise again. They, therefore, asked a guard to 
 be given them to place over the sepulchre till the third 
 day, lest his disciples secretly withdraw the body, 
 and report that their master is risen. Pilate, therefore^ 
 has commanded me to keep watch to-night with my 
 men." 
 
 While the Centurion was speaking, several of the 
 priests whom Joseph knew drew near, bearing torches ; 
 and also a company of women, relatives of Joseph 
 and Mary^ who had heard where they were entomb- 
 ing the body, came to see the place wherein He wa^ 
 laid. 
 
436 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 " We bury Him with this deference and respect, Cen- 
 turion," answered Rabbi Joseph, " because we believe 
 Him to have been deceived, not a deceiver. He was 
 gifted by God with vast power, and therefore doubtless 
 believed He could do all things. He was too holy, wise, 
 and good to deceive. He has fallen a victim to his 
 own wishes for the weal of Israel which were impossi- 
 ble by man to be realized. We do this honor to the 
 memory of one whom to know was to love, even though 
 we are disappointed in seeing Him establish the kingdom 
 in Judah." 
 
 The body of Jesus, wrapped in its shroud of spotless 
 linen, and surrounded by the preserving spices of Arabia, 
 was then borne into the tomb, and laid reverently upon 
 the table of stone which Joseph had prepared for his own 
 last resting-place. By the light of the torches all pres- 
 ent took a last look of the body, even the women ol 
 Gralilee also, and ere they closed the tomb, Mary oi 
 Bethany, her sister Martha, and Lazarus, also appeared, 
 to gaze a tearful farewell upon the immovable, calm 
 features of the dead Prophet ; for a Prophet, since the 
 remarkable phenomenon attending his death, we are aU 
 now assured He must have been ; and that we have 
 wholly misunderstood, from their divine depths, many 
 of his sayings and prophecies concerning himself ! Simon 
 Feter was the last to quit the side of the body, by which 
 he knelt as if he would never leave it, shedding all the 
 while great tears of bitter grief. John only, at last, 
 drawing him gently forth, enabled the Centurion and 
 soldiers to close the heavy door of the tomb. Having 
 secured it evenly by revolving it in its sockets, the signets 
 beare* of the Procurator, who had come with the soldieitj. 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 4^/ 
 
 placed a mass of wax, melted by a torch, upon each sid^ 
 Df it over the crevices, and stamped each with the Im- 
 perial signet, which to break is death ! 
 
 The Jews which were present, seeing that the sepul- 
 chre was thus made sure by the sealing of the stone, 
 and by the setting of the vigilant Roman watch of 
 eighteen men, took their departure. Rabbi Joseph 
 Kicodemus, and the rest of the friends of Jesus, then 
 Blowly retired, leaving a sentinel pacing to and fro be- 
 fore the tomb, and others grouped about beneath the 
 trees or on the steps of the sepulchre, playing at theii 
 favorite game of dice, or gazing upon the broad moon, 
 conversing, or singing their native Italian airs ; yet with 
 their arms at hand, ready to spring to their feet at the 
 least alarm or word of alert. The tall, mailed figure ol 
 the Centurion, standing motionless, leaning upon the 
 hilt of his long, straight sword, in a meditative attitude 
 by the tomb, was at length shut out from the view of 
 the retiring disciples, by the angle in the path which 
 turned in the direction of the gate. 
 
 (Something fearful must this instant have happened, 
 for the house has just shaken as if with an earthquake 
 What can be the meaning of these wonders ?) 
 
 Such, my dear father, is the history of the arrest 
 trial, judgment, crucifixion, death, and burial of the 
 mighty Nazarene Prophet. It is now nearly day-break, 
 and I am not weary writing you on so great a subject 
 I have been thus particular, not only to enable you tc 
 see, as if you had been present at all that passed, but 
 at the request of my uncle. Rabbi Amos, and also to 
 give vent to my own fullness of emotion. It was due 
 to myself who have believed in Hiin so firmly, to show 
 
438 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 
 
 fchat, although He was crucified and is dead, the exira- 
 ordinary events which accompanied his crucifixion at- 
 tested that He was more than a man, if not the true 
 Messias ; and that, therefore, there is excuse not only 
 for me, for being his disciple, but for all others 'vho foU 
 lowed Him. You can also perceive, my d(5ar father, 
 from the honorable manner in which He was buried by 
 the eminent counsellor. Rabbi Joseph, of Arimathea, 
 that He was deemed by him innocent of any crime wor- 
 thy of such a death ; and that he believed Him to havt> 
 been deceived, rather than a deceiver. 
 
 It is this view of his character, combined with his 
 patience, his dignity, his forbearance, his air of divine 
 innocence on his trial, which makes us all still think 
 and talk of Him with tenderness and tears. All that 
 remains to us of Him is his body, and to this we havo 
 paid the homage of our reverential affection. 
 
 This morning Mary and Martha, with others, have 
 gone to visit his tomb in Joseph's garden, (as I have 
 already said,) for the purpose of enbalming it ; and on 
 ^heir return we are to go to Bethany for a few days, 
 until the violent hostility of the Jews to his followers 
 subsides. The Procurator is daily looking for four legions 
 of Roman soldiers from Syria, as a reinforcement, when 
 he will be able to protect us, and maintain completely 
 the supremacy of the Roman power. Oh, that these 
 forces had been here on the day of the crucifixion, for 
 then, says Rabbi Amos, Pilate, conscious of military 
 strength, would have acted freely, and saved Jesus fronj 
 the hands of his foes. 
 
 1 hear now the voices of Mary and Martha, in the 
 court of the street, returning from the tomb. Thev are 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 489 
 
 pitched to a wild note of joy ! What can mean the com- 
 motion — the exclamations — the running and shouting 
 all through the corridors and court ? I must close, and 
 Qj to learn what new terror or wonder has occurred. 
 
 In haste, your affectionate daughter, 
 
 Adina. 
 
 LETTER XXXVIl. 
 
 Jerusalem^ First Bay of the Week 
 
 Father, my Dear Father : 
 
 How shall I make known to you, in words, the mar 
 vellous, joyous, happy, happy, and most wonderful news 
 which I have to tell ? My heart beats, my hand trem- 
 bles with rapture, while a sense of profound awe im- 
 presses all my soul. Jesus is alive ! Jesus has risen 
 FROM THE DEAD ! Jesus has proved himself to be the 
 Son of God ! 
 
 Oh, now we know that Jesus is, indeed, the Messias 
 who should come! Oh, that I could have doubted! 
 A.las ! that 1 should have written to you such words of 
 li^belief and of doubt, and have thought Him in mv 
 heart a deceiver! But I have seen Him! seen Him 
 dear father, and He has forgiven fne ! None of us un 
 derstood his words, which He spake to us before his 
 crucifixion, concerning his death, and hence all our con- 
 sternation and despair. But now we clearly perceive 
 the meaning of all, and are amazed at our dullness and 
 disbelief His death, to our benighted apprehensions 
 ffcemed the seal to a life of falsehood !- -proof that He 
 
440 
 
 THE PRINCK OP THE HOUSE OP DAVIT; 
 
 was a false prophet, rather than of his being the Son ol 
 Grod, now clearly proven by his resurrection from the 
 dead ! 
 
 I can scarcely hold my pen for joy and wonder, or col- 
 lect my thoughts, for very amazement, at what has trans- 
 pired. But I will try and calm my emotions, in order, 
 my dear father, to make known to you the mighty eventn 
 which have come to pass to-day. 
 
 My last letter to you abruptly closed, as I was inter* 
 rupted by loud exclamations of gladness, and great con- 
 fusion of running and calling, in the courts and corridors 
 below. Upon hearing my name called by Mary, and 
 others, in eager, joy-trembling tones, I hastened to go 
 down. On reaching the staircase I met my cousin as- 
 cending, almost flying. Wonder, love, and happiness 
 inexpressible, beamed from her beautiful countenance. 
 Meeting me, she threw her arms about my neck and 
 essayed to utter something ! But her heart was too full, 
 and bui sting into sobs, she wept convulsively upon my 
 bosom, in an ecstacy of delirious joy. 
 
 Amazed and confounded, not knowing what had hap- 
 pened, I held her to my heart, and tried to soothe her 
 emotion. The voice of Martha now reached my ears 
 from the foot of the stairs, talking rapidly to Rabbi 
 Amos, who answered her with loud exclamations 1 
 
 " What — oh, what hath happened ? Speak, deai 
 Wary !" I asked, unable to wait longer in suspense. 
 
 She raised her head, and through her tears and smiles, 
 at length said, brokenly : 
 
 He— He — is — risen — oh. He is risen from ih$ 
 t(mb r 
 
 Who?^' I cried, half believing, yet doubting. 
 
OE, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 441 
 
 " The Lord ! Our Mighty Master — Jesus — the very 
 Bon of God, the Blessed ! He is alive^ Adina!" 
 
 *' You have seen a vision, or your grief at his death 
 Mary, has shaken your reason," I answered her. 
 
 Upon this she released herself from my arm, and fixing 
 apon me her lai-ge, earnest eyes, said : 
 
 " Adina, be not faithless, but believing. Jesus is 
 risen from the dead. He lives ! I have seen Him — 
 He has spoken to Mary of Bethany, Lazarus' sister, and 
 also to me ! Oh, joy, joy! He is the very Son of the 
 Highest, and we have not been deceived ; but, oh, we 
 have been blind, and deaf, and ignorant, not to have 
 understood that He must die, and rise again the third 
 day ! Come — delay not! I have flown into the city tri 
 tell thee ; and Mary has told Peter and John, whom she 
 met at the door, and who, doubting, as thou hast done, 
 have run to see if these things be so. They will find 
 the sepulchre empty. Haste to go with us !" 
 
 While, overwhelmed with wonder, and trembling witi 
 joy, T was preparing to accompany her, Martha appeared, 
 her face radiant with celestial happiness : 
 
 " You have heard the tidings of great joy, 0 Adina ^ 
 
 " Can they be true, Martha ?" I asked, earnestly. 
 
 " Yes, for I have seen Him walking, heard his voice 
 and touched Him ! You, also, shall see Him, for He 
 •hath sent us to tell his disciples." 
 
 1 wept for joy ! 
 
 At the gateway we met Mary of Bethany, who had 
 been telling John and Peter the news, and had also 
 made it known to Rabbi Amos and Nicodemus. They 
 were all talking sorrowfully together in the court 
 upon the crucifixion, when she burst in upon thero 
 
442 
 
 THE PRLNCB OF THE HOUSE OP DAVJD 
 
 with the cries I had heard — He is risen — He u 
 risen /" 
 
 We threo now hastened together towards the garden ol 
 Joseph, I wishing my feet wings, that I might reach the 
 sepulchre sooner, fearmg that the vision of Jesus would 
 be vanished ere I arrived. As we were going out of the 
 gate, we were met by four or five Roman soldiers, who 
 with aspects stamped with fear, were running past us into 
 the city. 
 
 " What means this flight and terror, men ?" cried tha 
 captain of the gate. You fly as if you were in full re^ 
 treat from an enemy. Speak, Marius, you seem to have 
 your senses !" he demanded of the youngest of the soldiers, 
 an ofl5cer under a Centurion. 
 
 We paused to hear what he said. 
 Per Dian, captain — we have been terrified beyond 
 measure," answered the soldier. My heart beats yet, 
 as if it were an alarum-drum. You see, we were a part 
 of the guard left in charge of the sepulchre of this .few- 
 ish Prophet, crucified three days ago. Before dawn this 
 morning, as I was pacing to and fro before the tomb, 
 and my comrades were reclining about at ease, and 
 while I was idly gazing at the morning-star, fading intc 
 the dawn, there suddenly shone around about us a light, 
 like a descending meteor, accompanied by a rushing, as 
 if of a legion of wings. The men started to their feet in 
 amazement ! On looking about us I saw a dazzling 
 form, in the mid heavens, with broad wings of gold, 
 sparkling with myriads of stars, every eather a star, 
 and clad in raiment white and gleaming as the summer's 
 lightning. This terrible presence, like that of one 
 the Dii Tmmortales, made us fear exceedingly, beyond 
 
Oa THREE TEARS IIN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 443 
 
 ftiiy terror we had before experienced. But when we 
 saw this mighty being descend straight towards the 
 tomb, and beheld the resplendent majesty of his celestial 
 visage, which blinded us, our hearts failed within us. 
 The angel or god, alighted amid a blaze of radiance at 
 the door of the sepulchre ; and as his foot touched the earth 
 it trembled, as if with a great earthquake. The soldiers 
 sshook with terror, and fell to the ground, before his 
 presence, as dead men. I stood, unable to move, frozcD 
 by fear to a statue. He touched the great stone-door 
 with one of his fingers, and it rolled outward at his feet, 
 as if a catapult had struck it, and, like Jove taking his 
 * throne, he sat upon it ! 
 
 " But one thing more," continued the soldier, was 
 wanting to fill my cup of terror to the full. And it fol- 
 lowed. I saw the crucified Prophet rise up from the slab 
 on which he was laid, and stand upon his feet, and walk 
 forth alive, with the tread of some mighty conqueror ! 
 The celestial being, so terrible in his majestic splendor, 
 veiled his face with his wings before his presence, and 
 prostrated himself at his feet, as if in homage to one 
 greater than himself ! 
 
 " I saw no more, but fell insensible with terror, to the 
 aaith. When, at length, I came to myself, the tomb was 
 fi]]ed wi-,h dazzling forms of resplendent beauty ; the 
 air rang with music, such as mortals never before heard ; 
 and 1 fled, pursued by my fears, the rest of the soldiers 
 riding and following me, each man fearing to look back, 
 tut bewildered we lost our way." 
 
 "This is indeed marvellous," answered the captain 
 of the gate ; " I saw the light, and felt the tremor of 
 the earth; but I thought it was a thunderbolt which 
 
444 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 
 
 had struck the ground near Calvary Go, let Die 
 Prefect iEmilius, or Pilate himself, know what has hap- 
 pened." 
 
 The soldiers hurried forward into the city ; while, 
 confirmed now in the certainty that Jesus wajs risen, 
 I hastened, with Martha and Mary, in the direction oi 
 the garden. 
 
 " Thou believest now^ Adina ?" said Mary of Bethany, 
 to me, as we flew along. 
 
 " Yes — only let me behold Him face to face, and 1 
 shall then be willing, at that hour, to meet death. How 
 did the risen Lord look, Mary ?" I asked. 
 
 There was the same benign and holy expression— 
 the same divine majesty, the same loving words, and 
 celestial dignity." 
 
 How and where did you behold Him, Mary ?" I 
 interrogated, as we drew near to the steep path leading 
 to the gate of Joseph's garden. 
 
 When we reached the tomb, with our spices and 
 precious ointments, to embalm the body, we found i1 
 open, and the soldiers, who had guarded it, lying abou^ 
 upon the ground like dead men. Upon the stone sat the 
 archangel, but the resplendent light of his apparel and 
 countenance was so tempered to our eyes, that, although 
 we believed that it was an angel, we were not terrified, 
 for his looks were serene, and the aspect of his face di- 
 vinely beautiful, combined with a terrible and indescri 
 bable majesty. We shook with fear, and stood still 
 anable to move, gazing on him in silent expectation. 
 
 " * Fear not,' he said in a voice that seemed to fill the 
 air about us with undulating music, ^ fear not, daughters 
 of Abraham. I know that ye seek Jesus, which was 
 
oa THREE fEARS IN THE HOLY CITF. 
 
 445 
 
 crucified ! He is not here, but is risen, as He foretold 
 Lo! see the place where the Lord of Life, and Conqueroi 
 of Death, hath lain !' " 
 
 " We then timidly approached, and looked in, and saw 
 the sepulchre empty ; but a soft light filled the whcle 
 place. 
 
 " * Go and tell his disciples, that the Lord is risen,' 
 added the angel ; ' and that he will go before them into 
 Gralilee. There shall they see him not many days 
 hence !' 
 
 " When the angel had thus spoken to us," continued 
 Mary, " we departed quickly from the sepulchre with 
 fear and great joy, and ran to go into the city, to bring 
 his disciples word, according to the command of the 
 angel. But I had not advanced so far as the gate of the 
 garden, being behind the rest, when I beheld Jesus him- 
 self standing in my path. I stopped, between terror and 
 icy. 
 
 " ' All hail ! daughter of Israel,' he said. ^ Be not 
 alraid. I am living, that was dead ! It was needful 
 that I should die, and rise again, that I might raise up 
 from the dead all who die in me, to life immortal. Gro^ 
 Mary, and tell my mother and my brethren, and Peter, 
 and John, and Lazarus, that I am risen, and that I have 
 spoken with you. Behold my wounded hands, that i 
 is I myself ! Be not afraid ! I am the resurrection and 
 the life !' 
 
 I then cast myself at his feet, and worshipped him 
 with awe ; and when I again looked up, he was gone. 
 
 " The others did not see him. We now continued on 
 to the city, as if we had wings ; yet, rapidly as we went, 
 some of the same Roman watch whcm we met coming 
 
446 THB PRTNCE OP THE HOUSE UP DAVTD 
 
 in just now, passed us, in their flight and alarm , for 
 they fled at first in different parties, different ways. But 
 see I we are now at the gate of the garden," added Mary 
 of Bethany, in a low tone of awe. " He must be near 
 
 But we approached the tomb without seeing any maa. 
 having arrived before Peter and John, who had been de. 
 layed sometime at the Jaffa gate — which route they took, 
 as being nighest ; but it was not opened when they 
 reached it, and they were detained. We, therefr^re, 
 found no one at the sepulchre. It was open, and empty. 
 The stone in front, on which the archangel sat, was va- 
 cant. As we drew near, a bright light suddenly shone 
 out from the tomb ; and upon going nigher I beheld two 
 angels, clothed in white robes, and with countenances ol 
 Divine radiance, seated, one at the head, and the other 
 at the foot of the slab of marble, on which the body of 
 Jesus had lain. At the sight of these noble and beau- 
 tiful beings, which we knew were sons of God, come 
 down from heaven, we were affi'ighted. I sank upon 
 the stone which had been rolled away, and remained 
 without power of motion. 
 
 " Be not afraid, daughters of Jerusalem," said one ol 
 the angels, speaking to us in the Hebrew tongue ; " He 
 whom ye seek, liveth — and dieth no more ! He is risen 
 from the tomb, which could not hold him but thrcugh 
 his consent ; for Jesus is Lord of Life, and Victor over 
 Death and Hell, forevermore ! Gro your way, and tell 
 his disciples that He awaits them by the seaside " 
 
 The angels then vanished from our sight ; and at the 
 same moment John and Peter came running, and seeing 
 the stone rolled away, John stooped down, and looked in, 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 447 
 
 and said that He saw the linen clothes in which the 
 body of Jesus had been wrapped, lying folded together, 
 and also the napkin which had been bound about his 
 head. Peter now coming up, breathless with eagerness 
 and haste, n 3 sooner saw the tomb open, than He went 
 Doldly in, and carefully examined all for himself. He then 
 called to John, who also went in, and both were con* 
 vinced that their Lord had indeed risen from the dead , 
 and when we made known to them what the angels had 
 said to us, that Jesus would go before, and meet them 
 in Galilee, they rejoiced greatly, and shortly afterwards 
 departed, to hasten into Gralilee, no longer doubting, but 
 believing. I also returned with them, to convey the 
 news to Mary, the mother of Jesus, who had not left the 
 house, and scarcely her couch, in her great sorrow , since 
 the day of the crucifixion. Mary of Bethany, however, 
 remained, lingering near the tomb, hoping that Jesus 
 aad not yet left the garden, and that she might once 
 more behold Him. 
 
 Seated upon the steps of the tomb, weeping for joy at 
 his resurrtiction, and wishing once more to behold Him, 
 she heard a footstep behind her, and, turning round, saw 
 a man standing near her. It was Jesus himself, and 
 kneeling, she was about to clasp his feet, when He said 
 to her : 
 
 " Touch me not, Mary. I am not yet ascended to my 
 Father. But go and tell Lazarus, and my brethren 
 and my mother, that I ascend, ere many days, unto my 
 Father and your Father, and unto my Grod and yoai 
 God." 
 
 Jesus then vanished out of her sight ; and she came 
 and told all these things to us. and to the disciples ; and 
 
448 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 
 
 v^^e all believed, never more to douLt, that Jesus waa 
 Messias and Christ, the immortal Son of the Blessed 
 Such joy as filled the bosoms of his friends was never 
 before experienced by human beings. Our happinesa 
 and exultation now were in proportion to our depression 
 before his resurrection. 
 
 But what pen can describe, my dear father, the amaze 
 ment and consternation of Caiaphas, and the chief priests, 
 and the rest of his enemies ! The soldiers who had 
 kept guard of the sepulchre had entered the city by dif- 
 ferent ways, and spread the report of the mighty miracle 
 of the resurrection through every principal street in Je- 
 rusalem, as they fled along it. 
 
 Caiaphas hearing the uproar, sprang from his couch 
 to inquire the cause, and on being assured by his ser- 
 vants, that " Jesus had burst his tomb and risen alive 
 from the dead !" he quaked, and became deadly pale 
 But he soon rallied, and sending for two or three of the 
 soldiers, who were describing vividly what they had wit- 
 nessed to a large concourse in the street, he questioned 
 them closely upon the facts. The soldiers' testimony 
 agreed together, and could not be gainsayed. 
 
 When Pilate received the account from the Centurion 
 ol the guard, he said : 
 
 " We have crucified a god, as I believed ! Henceforth 
 I am accursed !" and leaving his Hall of Judgment, he 
 'Fent and shut himself up in his own room, which he has 
 act since left. But men say he neither eats nor sleeps, 
 and that a dread fit of gloom has settled upon his soul. 
 
 Caiaphas and the chief priests, and scribes, in the 
 sueanwhile assembled together in full Sanhedrim, and 
 hearing the testimony of the Centurion, were convinced 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 449 
 
 that the fact could not be concealed of Jesus' resurreo. 
 tion. 
 
 " Who has seen him alive ?" demanded the High- 
 Priest. 
 
 I have seen him, my lord," answered the Centu- 
 rion,-—" I saw his pierced feet and hands as he walked 
 past me ; and the morning breeze blew aside his man- 
 tle and exposed to my eyes the open wound made by the 
 spear of my soldier, Philippus. He was alive, and in 
 full strength of limb !" 
 
 " Thou sawest a vision, Roman," answered Caiaphas 
 
 Come then aside with us, and let us talk with thee." 
 
 In a few minutes afterwards the Centurion left the 
 court of the High Priest's palace, followed by a Gibeon- 
 itish slave, bearing after him a vase of Persian gold. He 
 has told every one since, that he must have seen a spirit, 
 for that the disciples of Jesus came by night and stole 
 away the body of their master, while they sleptj over- 
 come with watching." His soldiers have also been 
 bribed to tell the same tale ! 
 
 Such is the false version that now goes about the city, 
 my dear father ; but there are few that give it credence, 
 even of our enemies. As ^milius, who is filled with 
 great joy at the resurrection of Jesus, to-day very justl) 
 says : 
 
 " If these soldiers slept on guard, they merited death 
 therefor by the military laws of the empire. If, while 
 sleeping, their charge — the dead body of Jesus — was 
 taken away, they deserve death for failing to prevent it. 
 Why then are they not placed under arrest by Pilate's 
 orders, if this story be true ? Because Pilate well knows 
 that it is not true ! He knows, because he has privately 
 29 
 
450 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 examined many of the soldiers, that Jesus did burst his 
 tomb, and that angels rolled away the stone without 
 breaking his seals, which could not have been left un- 
 marred but by a miracle. He knows that Jesus has 
 arisen — for it is believed that he has also beheld liim — 
 at least such is the rumor at the Pretorium. It was 
 the form of Jesus visible before him, doubtless, that 
 drove him in such amazement from his Hall to his se 
 oret chamber ; for it was remarked that he started, 
 turned deadly pale, and essayed to address the invisible 
 space before him, as if he saw a spirit. Therefore his 
 soldiers are not molested — and their exemption from 
 arrest is proof that the body of Jesus was not stolen 
 away while they slept ! Besides, if they were asleep, 
 these soldiers, how could they tell that it was stolen 
 away, and declare the persons who did it ?" 
 
 This is the unanswerable reasoning of the Prefect 
 ifimilius ; and thus you see, dear father, that Caiaphas 
 can gain little by his briberies and diligently circulated 
 falsehood. That Jesus of Nazareth is alive from the 
 dead is true, and if I had not seen Him, the evidence is 
 complete enough to convince me of the fact. 
 
 Besides the facts which I have stated, is the increas- 
 ing testimony of the thousands who, to-day, have gone 
 out of the city to see the sepulchre where He was laid. 
 They say, both enemies of Jesus as well as our friends, 
 that it was impossible for the door to have been opened 
 by any human being, not by Pilate himself, without 
 marring the seals. They also assert that, to remove the 
 stone by night, which would require four men, and to 
 bear forth the body, would have been impossible, if the 
 guard had been present; and if they had been asleeo^ 
 
OR, THREE TEARS IN THE HOLY CUT. 
 
 451 
 
 they must have been awakened with the heavy noise 
 made by rolling the massive door along the hollow pave- 
 ment outside the sepulchre. 
 
 " If," say the common people. " the watch slept, why 
 does not the Procurator put them to death ?" 
 
 This question remains unanswered, and the watch gc 
 alx)ut the streets unharmed ! My dear father, remem- 
 ber no more my unbelief, but with me, believe in Jesus, 
 that He is the Son of God, the Saviour of Israel, the 
 immortal Christ of the Prophets. 
 
 Your affectionate daughter, 
 
 Adina. 
 
 LETTER XXXVIII. 
 
 Bethany^ House of Mary and Martha, 
 one month after the Passover. 
 
 1 DEEPLY regret, my dearest father, the delays which 
 have detained you so long from arriving at Jerusalem, 
 but I trust that, ere many days, the caravan for which 
 you wait will reach Graza, and that you will be enabled 
 to resume your journey to the Holy City. I am now at 
 Bethany, where I have been some time making my 
 home ; for such was the hostility of the Jews, incited by 
 the chief priests, against us, as disciples of Jesus, tliat, 
 by Pilate's command, we were compelled to leave Jeru 
 salem on the day of the resurrection, to remain until 
 their hatred had in some degree subsided ; for he said 
 that the continued presence there of the disciples of 
 Jesus, kept up constant occasion for tumult and inteipo* 
 ^ition (»f the Roman authority. 
 
452 
 
 THE PRINCE OP TBP HOUSE OP DAVIU: 
 
 Uncle Amos has retired for the present to his farm, 
 near Jericho, but will be hare to-morrow to remain with 
 us. Therefore, when you come ne^r to Jerusalem, in* 
 sitead of going directly into the city, turn aside by the 
 road leading past the king's gardens, and go up the 
 brook of Kedron, into the way to Bethany. I pray thai 
 Ood may preserve you in safety, and soon permit me 
 the happiness of once more embracing you, after three 
 long years of separation. 
 
 And what events have transpired, and to which I havo 
 been a witness in these three years ! From the preach- 
 ing of John the Baptizer, and the baptism of Jesus by 
 him, unto the glorious resurrection of the mighty Son 
 of Grod ! Favored, Indeed, have I been to have been a 
 dweller in Judea, during this eventful period, and to 
 have seen and heard these things, which no other age 
 of the world can parallel ! But so far as one could know 
 them, who was not an eye-witness, you, my dear father, 
 have been faithfully informed of them through my let- 
 ters. You have, therefore, before you the same testi- 
 mony I have, and which those possess who have seen 
 and now believe. Once more, my dear father, read care- 
 fully over the whole narrative, from the first letter, and 
 thus, with all the facts fresh in your mind, answer to 
 yourself this inquiry : 
 
 " Is not this man the Son of Grod ? Is not He the 
 srery Christ, the divine and long-looked for Messias ? Id 
 He not that mighty Prophet which should come into the 
 world ? If not, who is He ? Who is He at whose birth 
 the air was filled with angels, and over whose couch 
 hung a celestial star? Before whose infant foet th« 
 three wisest men of the world — Shapha of Egypt, the stio 
 
OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 453 
 
 ol Ham, Beltazar of Assyria, the son of Shem, and Tho- 
 ropha of Gre-oia, the son of Japhet — representing the 
 family of mankind, bowed in adoration and worship, as 
 to God ? Who is He for whom Herod the First slew 
 three hundred and two-score children in Bethlehem, in 
 order to reach his life? Who is He whom John the 
 Baptizer proclaimed the Lamb of God," whose blood 
 was the only fountain for sin ? Who is He at whose 
 baptism the heavens were opened above his head, and 
 the Spirit of God descended upon Him in the form of a 
 dove of light, while the voice of the Lord, like the voice 
 of many thunders, proclaimed from the depths of the 
 cloudless skies, " This is my beloved Son ?" Who is 
 He, my dear father, at whose word the tempest became 
 still ? the billowy waves placid ? the winds hushed ? 
 Who is He that healed the sick and leprous by a word ! 
 who restored a lost arm or leg by a touch ! who by a 
 look re-animated the lifeless limb of the paralytic ! who 
 raised the daughter of Jairus ! healed the Centurion'^ 
 servant ! restored to life the son of the widow of Nain ! 
 cast out a legion of devils from Beor, the Levite ! re- 
 stored the deaf and dumb nephew of the Governor of 
 Syria to hearing and speech ! gave to his disciples also the 
 same power to do miracles ! feeds at one time four thou- 
 sand men, and at another time five thousand, from a few 
 pounds of bread and a few fishes, which a lad could 
 carry in a basket ! whom Moses and Elias came from 
 the regions of the blessed, shining in resplendent glory, 
 l)right from the presence of the Father, to visit and hold 
 communion with I who calls forth from the tomb of cor- 
 mption Lazarus^ to life and health ! who once, while 
 praying, was answered by a voice from Heaven in the 
 
454 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OB DAVID 
 
 hearing of many people, I have glorified My name, and 
 will glorify it again ?" 
 
 Who was He, my father, at whose trial nothing could 
 be found against Him, and who, when delivered to exe- 
 cution by Pilate to save himself and appease the Jews, 
 was publicly declared to be an innocent man, by the act 
 of the Procurator, in calling for water and washing hi& 
 hands, and saying that he was clear of his blood, for he 
 found no fault in Him ? Who was He at whose cruci^ 
 fixion the heavens grew black as sackcloth, the sun 
 withdrew its light, the stars shot from their spheres, the 
 lightnings leaped along the earth, the earth itself quaked, 
 and the dead sprung from their graves ? Who was He 
 who on the third day burst the bars of the tomb ; re- 
 ceived, as He walked forth, the homage of an archangel ; 
 whose servants were a seraph and a cherub ; who ap- 
 peared alive to his mother — to the women of Galilee — 
 to Mary of Bethany, to Martha and Lazarus, and last of 
 all to me ? Who is this wonderful person, my father — 
 who is He but the Christ ? Oh, read, reflect, compare 
 the prophets that speak of Messias, with the life, and 
 words, and deeds of Jesus, and the life of Jesus with the 
 prophets ! There thou wilt see that He has proven him* 
 self the very Christ, by what we, in our ignorance, 
 - looked upon as the seal affixed to an impostor. Isaias 
 prophesied of the Christ whom he saw afar off*, thrit 
 
 He should be a man of sorrow that He should be 
 " despised and rejected of men ;" that He should be 
 brought "as a lamb to the slaughter f'^ that He should 
 be "taken from prison and judgment, and cut off from 
 the land of the living ;" that He should be " numbered 
 with the wicked in his death, and make his grave with 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 455 
 
 the rich'!" How light, how clear, how plain, all these 
 prophecies now are to me, and to us all ! How wonder- 
 fully in their minuteness they have been fulfilled, you 
 already know. 
 
 His resurrection, also, was foretold by himself, but 
 we did not understand his words until now. When He 
 epoke of destroying the Temple and raising it in three 
 days, He spoke of the tabernacle of his body ! Oh, huw 
 many sayings, which, when spoken by his sacred lips, 
 we understood not, now rush upon us in all their mean- 
 ing, proving to u<? that every step of his life was fore- 
 known to Him ; that He went forward to his death 
 aware of all things whatsoever that were going to befall 
 Him! 
 
 But his resurrection was also foretold by the holy 
 David, when he said, " Thou wilt not leave his soul in 
 hell, nor suffer thy Holy One to see corruption and, 
 therefore, my flesh shall rest in hope!" Even his 
 arraignment before Pilate, Caiaphas, and Herod, was 
 foretold by David, when he said : ^' The kings of the 
 earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel to- 
 gether, against the Lord, and against his Anointed ;" 
 yet the Lord saith, Thou art my Son, this day I Lave 
 begotten thee." Also, my dear father, turn to the 
 Psalms (xxii.) of King David, and compare the follow- 
 ing words, which speak of Messias, with what I have 
 described in my previous letters : 
 
 " My God, my Grod ! why hast Thou forsaken me ?" 
 These are prophetic words, put into the mouth of Mes« 
 Bias, when He shall come, and be forsaken of Grod. You 
 will find that in m} letters I have told you that on the 
 cross Ji^sus uttered the.«*5 very words. 
 
456 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 Again, King David makes Messias, a few sentences 
 further on, to say, They shoot out the lip at me ; they 
 shake the head ; they laugh me to scorn. They say, 
 He trusted in the Lord that He would deliver him.' 
 Thou hast brought me into the dust of death." 
 
 All this shows that Messias, if He were to be a king 
 was also to suffer, to be forsaken of Grod, to be brought 
 to death ! and yet we rejected Jesus as soon as He died ' 
 But, my dear father, read the same psalm of the holj 
 king a little further, and you will see these words, which 
 were put by the royal prophet into the lips of his future 
 Messias : 
 
 " The assembly of the wicked have enclosed me. 
 They pierced my hands and my feet. They part my 
 garments among them, and upon my vesture cast lots !" 
 
 Read and compare these acknowledged prophecies of 
 Messias with the accounts in my letters, dear father, 
 and you will not only be convinced that Jesus is the 
 Messias of the prophets, and Christ of God, but you will 
 perceive that his humiliation and sufferings before Pilate 
 and Caiaphas, his agony on the cross, his death and 
 burial, instead, as we ignorantly conceived, of being 
 evidences that He was not the Christ, are proof that He 
 was the veiy Son of the Highest — the Shiloh of Jehovah 
 foretold by the prophets — the Anointed King of Israel. 
 
 Oh, wonderful is all this ! How marvellous these 
 things passing before our eyes ! Yet how have we been 
 blinded — how gross and dark our minds that we could 
 not, until He died, and has arisen again, see in Him all 
 that He was in his sufferings and in his death — the 
 Divine Messias. Now all is dazzlingly clear I The 
 prophets are unveiled to our sight, and we see that these 
 
OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 things must have happened to Him. Yet how quickly 
 was He deserted and faith lost in Him I How his dis- 
 piples denied that they ever knew Him ! and how we all 
 were ashamed that we had ever followed Him ! Oh, 
 our darkness, our blindness, to have seen in the prophe- 
 oies of Messias only the passages which speak of his 
 giory and power, and passed by those which as pos^ 
 tivoly foretold of his humiliation, degradation, and 
 death ! Read the Prophets no longer, my dearest fa- 
 ther, with a veil before your eyes ! See, in all you read 
 Jesus as the end of the Prophets, the goal of all theij 
 far-seeing prophecies, the veritable and sure realization 
 of their prophetic visions. 
 
 But you have said, in one of your late letters to me, 
 that "Elias must first come, ere Messias appear on 
 earth and then you ask me, Where is Elias ? Hath 
 he come ? Who hath seen him ?" 
 
 This question, my dear father, was also put by some 
 of the Jews to Jesus. He replied : 
 
 Elias truly has come, and ye knew him not, and ye 
 have done unto him whatsoever vou list." 
 
 " Who was he ?" demanded several of the scribes and 
 uriests, surprised at hearing this. 
 
 He who came crying in the wilderness before me, 
 and who spake of me, and whom Herod hath slain," He 
 ojiswered. 
 
 " But his name was John, master," said they. '*His 
 spirit and power were those of Elias," answered Jesus. 
 " In Elijah's spirit and power he came, and thus was 
 called the Elias that should come. The reality is the 
 man ! John was the Elias of Malachi the Prophet — ^fo* 
 prophetic eyes see natures independently of names." 
 
458 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE H0U8E OP OAVID 
 
 Thus, my dear father, has Jesus in all particulars 
 proved himself to be the subject of all prophecy — ^the 
 King of Israel. But you will now ask, ^' Is He to re- 
 establish the throne of David, and live forever ?" 
 
 Yes, but not in Jerusalem on earth. Oh, how clear 
 are all things to my apprehension now ! His kingdom, 
 which I once believed to be the land of Judah, is to be 
 in a world beyond the skies, which He has created foi 
 his followers, and to which they are to pass, like Him, 
 tlirough the gates of death. The Jerusalem, in which 
 His Throne is to be placed, is heavenly, and the true Je- 
 rusalem, of which the present one is but the material 
 type — what the body is to the soul of a man. 
 
 Jesus has talked with me since his resurrection, and 
 explained all this to me, and much more that is won- 
 derful and full of joy. It is now four weeks since He 
 arose, and during that time. He has been not only seen 
 by all the disciples, but by hundreds of his followers 
 The seventh day after his resurrection He appeared 
 openly at Nazareth, and on the seashore, to Peter, John, 
 Andrew, James, and other disciples, to his numerous 
 relatives, and many of the chief citizens of his town, all 
 of whom not only recognized Him, but marvelled to be- 
 hold his crucified hands ! The effect of this recognition, 
 which was made by many, who, being up at the Pass^ 
 over, had seen flim crucified, was to bring the whoic 
 population worshipping at his knees. The only change 
 in liis usual appearance, dear father, to the eye, is a 
 transparent paleness, which gives a soft radiance to his 
 whole aspect, and a certain majestic reserve, which awee 
 all who dravfr near to Him ; so that men speak in hie 
 presence in subdued whispers. His mother, happiest of 
 
OB, IHBEE YEARS IN THE HULY CITY 
 
 459 
 
 women now, as she was before the most wretched, ever 
 rits at his feet, and silently enjoys his sacred presence, 
 weldom speaking, and looking up to him, rather as a 
 worshipper, to her Grod, than a mother upon her son. 
 That He is in the flesh in reality, and not a spirit, He 
 has proven to his disciples, by eating with them ; and 
 bi a remarkable way to an incredulous disciple, called 
 Thomas, who, not believing that Jesus was risen in his 
 rea' body from the dead, was told by the Divine Lord 
 to place his fingers into his hands, and his hand into his 
 side ; which Thomas, convinced, with awe refused to do ; 
 but, falling at his feet in amazement and adoration, wor* 
 shipped Him as God. 
 
 It would take much time, my dear father, to record 
 the numerous instances in which the risen Lord has 
 been seen and spoken with, by persons who knew Him 
 befoie his crucifixion ; so that there is no fact so fully 
 established in the minds of many thousands in Judah, 
 as the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. 
 
 And if fuller proof is wanted, it is to be had, as Abram, 
 the learned Pnarisee, has been forced to confess to Rabbi 
 Amos, in the conduct of his disciples, after their Master's 
 crucifixion. For they began their defection by denying 
 Him, and deserting Him ; flying in all directions, and 
 studiously concealing the fact of their former connection 
 with Him. They were not only moved by fear to thi? 
 concealment, but by shame, being sorely mortified al 
 having been led away by Him : for they were honest, 
 plain^ sensible men. without fanaticism or fanciful vaga- 
 ries. They had become the followers of Jesus, because 
 they saw in Him that moral purity and truth, which 
 formed the elements ot theii own characters These 
 
460 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 plain, homely men — these poor fishermen, and hamble 
 countrymen, deeply felt how their false position, among 
 judicious folks, would now make them appear, and so 
 thoy hastened to bury their disgrace and disappcintment 
 in the seclusion of the fishing hamlets of Galilee; and 
 doubtless desired never more to hear spoken Into theil 
 ears the name of their crucified Master. 
 
 But what do we behold, within a week after the resur 
 rection is made known, through the length and breadth 
 of Judah ? Those men who had hidden in dismay, from 
 the face of day, came boldly forth, and once more were 
 with their Lord, forgiven by Him, and received by Him 
 again into his holy confidence. They went with Him 
 wherever He went, even to Jerusalem, from which they 
 had but a few days before fled. They walked every- 
 where with animated steps, and elevated faces, like men 
 no longer serving a defeated monarch, but like men whose 
 Master was Lord of heaven and of earth ! 
 
 To-day they are with Him in the gardens of David; 
 at Bethlehem, where He is holding daily a solemn coun- 
 cil with the eleven, unfolding to them the future glory 
 of his kingdom, and opening their understandings to the 
 clear apprehension of all which the prophets have writ- 
 ten concerning him. John, who is a member ot tliig 
 divine council, says that the power of Jesus, the extent 
 and majesty of his kingdom, the infinite results cf hie 
 death and resurrection, are not to be conceived of by 
 those who have not listened to these sublime revelations 
 of his own lips. 
 
 " He hath shown us," said John, how that his true 
 office as Son of Grod, and Son of Man, is to be a media- 
 tor between both ; that by his death He hath reconciled 
 
OB, THllEB YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 
 
 461 
 
 the race of Adam to his Father, having become our Laml 
 of sacrifice for the whole world. He showed us that He 
 himself was the High Priest, and his own precious body 
 the victim, which He himself offered up to appease the 
 wrath of Jehovah against transgressions, and how that 
 the Cross was the veritable Altar of this great world'? 
 sacrifice, and its Temple the whole earth and heavens! 
 He showed us how that all the lambs which have bled 
 eince Adam's day, typified himself, the one only true 
 and efficient Lamb, which God ultimately looked to, to 
 be sacrificed for sins ! 
 
 How wonderful, dear father, is all this ! He farther 
 teaches his disciples, that He will shortly ascend fiom 
 the earth, to enter upon his celestial reign ; and that 
 his subjects there are to be all who love Him and keep 
 his commandments. It is to be a kingdom of holiness, 
 and none will enter there but the pure in heart. He 
 says further, that as we do now confess our sins over the 
 blood of the victim we sacrifice for ourselves in the Tem 
 pie, so henceforth, we must look to Him (by faith when 
 we shall see Him no longer), slain a sacrifice for us, and 
 confess our sins to the Father for his blood's sake, which 
 the Father has accepted in the one sacrifice He made on 
 the cross, once for us all. Jesus has moreover taught 
 his disciples that the Grentiles are to share equally with 
 the children of Abraham the benefits of his death and 
 resurrection ; that this good news shall be proclaimed 
 to them by his disciples, and that they will gladly hear it 
 and believe. That the gospel of redemption, no longer 
 by the blood of bulls and of goats, but by his blood, shall 
 in the progress of ages fill the w^hole '^arth ; when every 
 knee shall bow to his name. 
 
462 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 " The foundation of my everlasting kingdom," saith 
 He, truly shall be laid upon earth in the hearts ot 
 men ; but the building is with Grod eternal in the hea- 
 vens. The tomb through which I have passed is its 
 gate, and all who would come after me, and enter in, 
 must follow in my footsteps." 
 
 Thomas then asked his Lord whither He would go, 
 and the way. How He would leave the earth, since He 
 could die no more. 
 
 " Thou shalt see for thyself ere many days pass," an- 
 swered Jesus. " In that I have risen, all whom my 
 Father giveth me shall rise also from the dead ; and 
 those whom I raise up, I will take witn me the way I 
 go ; for where I am they shall evermore be with me 
 also." 
 
 Such dear father, is a brief account of what John has 
 told us, touching the divine teaching of Messias, the Son 
 of God, respecting his kingdom. Yet much is still mys- 
 terious ; but we know enough to be willing to trust our- 
 selves to Him for this life, and for that which is to come. 
 We know that all power is given into his hands, and 
 that He can save all men who believe in and accept 
 Him as the only sacrificed Lamb which the Father hath 
 accepted for the iniquities of men. The sacrifices oj 
 the Temple must henceforth cease ! 
 
 What is remarkable, dear father, notwithstanding the 
 Jews have heard that Jesus walks everywhere through 
 Jewry, yet no efforts are made to lay hands on Him. At 
 his presence, crowds of his enemies fly like the stricken 
 multitude before the advancing sirocco. His presence 
 in Judea is a present dread, like some great evil, to those 
 who fear Him ; but like a celestial blessing to more who 
 
OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLT CITY. 
 
 463 
 
 love Him. Pilate, on the eve of making a journey last 
 week to Bethel, before quitting the city, dispatched cour- 
 iers in advance to ascertain whether Jesus the crucified 
 W8ts on the line of his route !" Caiaphas having occasion 
 to go to Jericho, a few days after the Passover, hearing 
 that Jesus had been seen with his disciples on the road, 
 made a circuit round by Luz and Shiloh, in order not to 
 meet Him. The gates of this city are kept constantly 
 3hut, lest He should enter within the walls : some of the 
 chief priests fearing greatly to behold his face, while 
 others imagine that He is engaged in raising an army, 
 to advance upon and take Jerusalem from the Romans. 
 And doubtless, dear father, were the kingdom of Jesus 
 of this world, He would in a few days lead a countless 
 host against the city, and make himself master of Judea. 
 But his kingdom is above ; and all who dwell in the 
 true Jerusalem, must follow Him thither through sulfer- 
 ings. humiliation, and death • 
 
 I rejoice to see by your last letter, that you may be 
 expected to reach here the week after next. Oh that 
 you were here now, that you might be taken by John 
 to see Jesus ? for from what He says He will not long re 
 main visible among us. Whither He goeth or how Ho 
 goeth away, no man can say. We are filled with eX' 
 pectation of some great event, which will conclude the 
 brilliant and wonderful succession of marvels that at- 
 tend his footsteps and presence on earth. 
 
 Faithfully, your loving daughter, 
 
 Adina.. 
 
464 THE FRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 LETTER XXXIX. 
 
 Bethany, Forty Days after the Rjesurrectw7i 
 
 My Dear Father : 
 
 With emotions that nearly deprive me of the power tc 
 hold my pen, and with trembling fingers that make the 
 words I write almost illegible, I sit down to make known 
 to you the extraordinary event, which will mark thu 
 day in all future time as the most worthy to be noted 
 among men. 
 
 In my last I informed you that Jesus, after his won* 
 derful resurrection, which was declared to all men by 
 infallible proofs, gathered once more his amazed and 
 adoring disciples about Him, and taught them, with more 
 than mortal wisdom and eloquence, the great truths ap- 
 pertaining to his kingdom, which He now appointed them 
 to extend throughout all the world. 
 
 On the fortieth day, my dear father, early in the morn- 
 ing, He left the house of Mary and Lazarus, where He 
 had sat up with us all night (for none of us thought ol 
 sleep within the sound of his heavenly voice), speaking 
 to us of the glories of heaven, and the excellency of 
 heart and purity of life required of all who should en- 
 ter it. 
 
 Lord," said Martha, as He went forth, " whithei 
 est thou ? ' 
 
Oa, THBEE YEARS IN THE HOLY OITY. 
 
 46S 
 
 * Come and see,'' He answered. " Whither I go y« 
 fchall know, and the way ye shall know : for where I am 
 yct shall also be, and all those who believe in me." 
 
 Lord," said Mary, kneeling at his feet, " return at 
 noon, and remain with us during the heat of the day." 
 
 Mary," said Jesus, laying his hand gently upon her 
 forehead, "I am going to my Father's house! There 
 thou shalt one day dwell with me in mansions not made 
 with hands. Follow me now^ and thou shalt know the 
 way thither ! Through temptation I have first trodden 
 it, through suffering, through death, and through resur- 
 rection from the dead. So also must thou and all who 
 love me follow me. To my friends, the gate of the 
 tomb opens into the world of life eternal." 
 
 Thus speaking. He walked slowly onward towards the 
 hill of Bethany, not far from the place where Lazarus 
 was buried. He was followed not only by Mary, Mar- 
 tha, Lazarus, and John, my cousin Mary and myself, 
 each of us expecting, from his words and manner, some 
 new and great event to take place, but by all the disci- 
 ples, who had presently joined him near the cemetery^ 
 at the foot of the hill. There were at least five hundred 
 persons in all, moving on with Him ere He reached the 
 green hillside beyond the village ; for all followed Him, 
 expecting to hear more glorious revelations from his lips, 
 of the life beyond this. 
 
 " He goes to the hill to pray," said one of his disciples, 
 
 " Nay," said Peter, He prays not since his resurrec- 
 tion as before. He has no need of pray sr for himself, 
 who has conquered sin, Satan, death, the grave, and the 
 world I" 
 
 " He goeth to show us some mighty miracle, from the 
 30 
 
4b"6 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID. 
 
 i3xpression of power and majesty in his as^pect,'^ said 
 Thomas to me, gazing upon the Lord with awe ; for each 
 moment as He ascended the hill, his countenance grew 
 more glorious with a certain Grod-like majesty, and shone 
 as the face of Moses descending from Mount Sinai. We 
 all hung back with adoring fear, and alone He proceeded 
 onward, a wide space being left by us between ourselves 
 and Him. Yet there was no terror in the glory whicli 
 surrounded and shined out from Him ; but rather a holy 
 radiance, that seemed to be the very light of holiness 
 and peace. 
 
 " So looked He," said John to us, " when we beheld 
 Him transfigured in the mount with Elias and Moses." 
 
 The hill which is not lofty, was soon surmounted by 
 his sacred feet. He stood upon its apex alone. We kept 
 back near the brow of the hill, fearing to approach Him, 
 for his raiment shone now like the sun, while his coun- 
 tenance was as lightning. We shaded our eyes to be- 
 hold Him. All was now expectation, and a looking foi 
 some mighty event — what, we knew not ! John drew 
 nearest to Him, and upon his knees, with clasped handsj 
 looked towards Him earnestly ; for he knew, as he after* 
 wards told us, what would take place ; Jesus having in- 
 formed him the night before. Joy and yet tears were on 
 his face, as he gazed with blinded eyes, as one gazes on 
 the noonday sun, upon his Divine Master. It was a 
 scene, dear father, impressive beyond expression-. The 
 hill was thronged with an expectant, awe-stricken multi- 
 tude, which knew not whether to remain or fly from the 
 glorious majesty of the presence o'f the Son of God. 
 The blue sky spread out its illimitable concave above 
 the hills with but a single cloud. At the foot of the 
 
r)R, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLT CITY 
 
 467 
 
 eminenne towards the Holy City, slept the gardens of 
 Grethsemane, where Jesus loved to walk, and where He 
 was arrested. Jerusalem, with its towers, pinnacles, 
 palaces, and gorgeous Temple, glittered in the distance ; 
 and Calvary, studdefi with fresh Roman crosses, stood 
 out boldly in view. In the transparent air. The tall oy. 
 presses which grew above the tomb of Joseph, where He 
 had lain, were also visible. Jesus seemed for a moment 
 to survey these scenes of his suffering, of his ignominy 
 and death, with the look of a divine Conqueror. He 
 then turned to his disciples and said : 
 
 " Ye have been with me in my sorrows, and you now 
 shall behold my glory, and the reward which my Father 
 doth give me. To-day I take leave of you, and ascend 
 to my Father and your Father. Remember all things 
 which I have taught you concerning my kingdom. Go 
 forth and teach the glad tidings of salvation to all men, 
 and baptize all nations in the name of the Father, and 
 cf the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; and lo, I am with 
 you alway, even unto the end of the world." 
 
 Thus speaking, in a voice that thrilled every bosom 
 with emotions indescribable. He extended his hands above 
 their heads and blessed them, while we all fell upon our 
 faces to the ground also, to receive his blessing. 
 
 He then lifted up his eyes to the calm blue depths of 
 heaven, and said in the same words He had spoken on 
 ftie night of the Passover, as John had told me. 
 
 " And now, 0 Father, glorify thou me with thine own 
 self With the glory which I had with Thee before the 
 world was I" 
 
 As He spoke, we raised our faces from the ground, to 
 behold Him leaving the earth, rising from the hilltop iwfi) 
 
468 
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OP DA\IP 
 
 the air, with a slow and majestic ascension ; his hands 
 out- spread over us who were beneath, as if shedding 
 down blessings upon us all. The loud burst of surprise 
 which rose from five hundred voices at seeing Him soai 
 away into the atmosphere, was followed by a profound 
 and awful silence, as we watched Him rise and still rise, 
 ascending and still ascending into the upper air, hb 
 whole form growing brighter and brighter, as the dis- 
 tance wddened between his feet and the earth ! 
 
 Upon our knees, in speechless amazement, we followed 
 his ascent with our amazed eyes, not a word being spoken 
 by any soul ; nay hearts might have been heard beating 
 in the intense expectation of the moment ! 
 
 Lo ! in the far-off height of heaven, we beheld sud 
 denly appear a bright cloud, no larger than a man's hand, 
 but each instant it expanded and grew broader and 
 brighter, and, swift as the winged lightning, descended 
 through the firmament downward, until we beheld it 
 evolve itself into a glittering host of angels, which no 
 man could number, countless as the stars of heaven. 
 As these shining legions descended, they parted into two 
 bands, and sweeping along the air, met the ascending 
 Son of God in mid-sky! The rushing of their ten thou- 
 sand times ten thousand wings, was heard as the sound 
 of many waters. Surrounding Jesus, like a shining 
 cloud, they received Him into their midst, and hid Him 
 from our eyes amid the glories of their celestial splendor • 
 
 Now came to our ears the sounds of heavenly song, a 
 gublimer chorus than earth ever heard before. From 
 the squadrons of Seraphim and Cherubim encircling with 
 their linked wings the Son of Grod, came, like the unearth- 
 ly music one hears in the dreams of night, these wordH, 
 
oa THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 4t3^ 
 
 receding, as they mounted upward witl the ConquoroT 
 of Death and Hell : 
 
 ** Lift up your heads, O ye gates ! 
 And be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors ; 
 And the King op Glory shall come in !" 
 
 This chorus seemed to be answered from the inmost 
 heavens, as if an Archangel were standing at its poitalsj 
 keeping watchful guard over the entrance facing the 
 earth. 
 
 Who is the King of Glory V 
 
 The Lord strong and mighty, even the Lord mighty in battle 
 against principalities and powers," 
 
 was chanted back from the ascending escort of Jesus, 
 in the sublimest strains of triumphant joy. 
 
 " Lift up your heads, O ye gates ! and be ye lifted up, ye everlasfc- 
 iug doors, and the King of Glory shall come in." 
 
 Upon this we heard a mighty voice, as it were in 
 heaven, accompanied by the sound of a trumpet, and 
 ten thousand voices about the throne of Jehovah seemed 
 to say : 
 
 " God is coming up with a shout. He rideth upon the heavens I He 
 ascendeth on high ! He hath led captivity captive and received gifts 
 for men. O clap your hands, all ye people of earth, shout his triumph, 
 ye hosts of heaven ! 
 
 Fling wide your gates, O City of God ! Be ye lifted up ye ever- 
 lasting doors, for the King of Glory enters in !" 
 
 Ascending and still ascending, receding and still re- 
 ceding, fainter and fainter, came down to earth the an* 
 gelio choruses, when at length the brightest cloud ol 
 angels faded away into the upper heaven, the Son ol 
 3-od shining in their midst, like a central sun, surround- 
 ed by a luminous halo ; till finally, like a star, they ic* 
 mainod visible a few moments longer, and then the heav- 
 ens received Him out of our sig^ht. 
 
470 THE PRENCE OF THE HOUSE OP DAVID 
 
 While we stood gazing up into the far skies, hoping, ex- 
 peoting, yet doubting if we should ever behold Him 
 again, two bright stars seemed to be descending from the 
 height of heaven tow£^,rds us. In a few seconds we saw 
 that they were angels. Alighting on the place Jefeus had 
 left, they said to the eleven, Why gaze ye up into hea- 
 ven, ye men of Gralilee ? This same Jesus whom ye 
 have seen go into heaven, shall so come in like manner 
 as ye have now seen Him ascend !" Thus speaking, they 
 vanished out of our sight ! 
 
 The above account, my dear father, of the ascent yes- 
 terday into heaven of the Christ, our Blessed Lord Jesus, 
 I wrote the same evening, while all the circumstances 
 were present and vivid to my mind. Oh, what a sub- 
 lime spectacle ! What human language can describe it * 
 But one thing I have presented clearly to you, dear fa- 
 ther, and that is the fact that Jesus has ascended into the 
 heaven of heavens ! Oh, amazing reality ! Overwhelm- 
 mg truth ! What, oh, what is earth ? — ^What is Judea ? 
 What is man ? — that Grod is mindful of him — that He 
 should so have visited him ! And when He has visited 
 us — when His Divine Son, the brightness of the glory 
 of the Father, has descended to earth, and assumed our 
 nature, to reconcile us to G-od, and obtain an eternal life 
 lor us, how has He been received ? Shunned for his 
 voluntary poverty — despised for his hutnble human par- 
 entage — hated for his holiness — tried before tribunals for 
 crimes unknown to him — scourged and spit upon, mock- 
 ed, and buffeted, and crucified with thieves., as if his 
 enemies would render his death as ignominious as it was 
 capable of being made ! 
 
 But behold the issue ! See, when He had paid the 
 
OE. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 471 
 
 debt of death for us, the change in all things ! He awakes 
 to life I He bursts the tomb ! He walks forth from the 
 sepulchre ! Angels are his servants ! After forty day« 
 on earth, unfolding to his disciples the m^rsteries of his 
 gospel and the splendor of his kingdom, He ascends visi- 
 bly to heaven at mid-day from Bethany, in the sight of 
 many hundreds, and is escorted by armies of angels to 
 the right hand of the Majesty on high ! 
 
 Such, my dear father, is the appropriate crowning event 
 of the extraordinary life of Jesus, both Lord and Christ 1 
 His ascent from this earth into the heaven of heavens, 
 not only is proof that He came from Grod, but that Grod is 
 well-pleased with all that He has done in the flesh. If in 
 any one thing He taught, He spoke what was not true, 
 either concerning the Father or concerning himself, He 
 would not have received such a welcome back to the 
 heavenly abodes ! All that Jesus said of himself is there- 
 fore true ! Jehovah attests it ! We must then believe, 
 or we can have no interest in the kingdom which He 
 has gone to prepare for us, and which we can enter 
 only as He has travelled to it, through humiliation, 
 suffering, death, the tomb, resurrection, and also ar' 
 cension ! Thus did He truly say, The way I go ye 
 shall know!" 
 
 His kingdom is, therefore, my dear father, clearly not 
 of this world, as He said to Pilate, the Procurator ; but 
 it is Above. To it He has triumphantly ascended, at- 
 tended by legions of Cherubim and Seraphim, an ascent 
 which David clearly foresaw in vision, when he wrote : 
 
 " Grod has gone up with a shout, He has ascended on 
 Highl" 
 
 Doubt, then, no longer, dearest father ! Jesus, the 
 
472 
 
 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 
 
 son of Mary in his human nature, was the Son of Gtod 
 in his Divine nature ; an incomprehensible and myste- 
 rious union, whereby He has brought together in har- 
 mony the two natures, separated far apart by sin, by 
 sacrificing his own body as a sin-ofFering, to reconcile 
 both in one Immaculate body upon the cross. There i^ 
 now no more condemnation to them who believe in Him 
 and accept Him ; for in his body He took our sins, and 
 with his precious blood, as that of a lamb without blem- 
 ish, cleansed them forever away. 
 
 But I cannot write all 1 would say to you, dearest 
 father. When we meet, which you rejoice me in saying, 
 will be on the first day of the week, at Jerusalem, I 
 will unfold to you all that the divine and glorified Jesus 
 has taught me. Doubt not that He is Messias. Hesi- 
 tate not to accept Him ; for He is the end of Moses, and 
 of the Law, and of the Prophets, the very Shiloh who 
 should come and restore all things, to whom be glory, 
 power, dominion, majesty, and excellency, evermore. 
 Your loving daughter, 
 
 Adtha. 
 
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Messrs. Roberts Brothers'' Publications, 
 
 HISTORY OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL. 
 
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 its delicate grace it could not be. . • . M. Renan is much more than a critic, 
 much more than a historian. He is a creative literary artist. ... It is hardly 
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 IN HIS NAME. 
 
 A Story of the Waldenses, Seven Hundred Years Ago 
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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 
 
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