The Arkansas advocate., 1830-07-21
VARIETY. .
From Carnes recollections of Travels in
 the East
THE TOMB OF RACHEL.

the East.
 THE TOMB OF RACHEL.
 <. \ few miles farther on. are the ruins of the village of Rama; fragments of walls, only a few feet high, arc now the only vestiges of the place where the Prophet so beautifully predicted the ynourning of the Innocent. There is spot on the plain, at no great distance from the ruined village, of much higher interest-the tomb of Rachel. Itisone of f the few places where the observer is persuaded that tradition has not erred; as 1t lulflls literally the words of Israel in his last hour, when dwelling on the only indelibIe remembrance that earth seemedtoclaimfrom him. The long ex- ile, the converse with the angels of God. the wealth and greatness which had gathered round him, all yield to the image of the loved and faithful wife: And as for me, Rachel died by me, in the way from Bethlehem, and l buried her there."
 "The spot is as wild and solitary as can well be conceived; no palms or cy- presses give their shelter from the blast; not a single tree spreads its shade where the beautiful mother of Israel rests Yet there is something in this sepulchre in the wilderness, that excites deeper interest than more splendid or reyered ones. The tombs of Zacharias and Absalorn, in the valley of Jehosaphat, or of the Kings in the plain of Jeremiah, l. the traveller looks at with careless in- difference; beside that of Rachel his fancy wanders to the land of the peo- pie of the East,' to the power of beauty thai conid so long make banishment sweet; to the devoted companion of the wanderer, who deemed all troubles light for her sake.
 ssThe Turks have surrounded most of the burial places of the chief charac- ters of the Old Testament, with more pomr and stately observance than this; over that of David and Solomon, on the declivity of Zion, a mosque is erected; the cave too of Machpelah, of Hebron, iscovered by alarge and ancientmosque. and all around, the soil is held inviola- sies. ssiies sEt sse cave is iii the middle of the interior Of the edifce, its dark and deep entrance only is visible; and it is rarely entered even by the steps of the faithful. For more than century, not more than two or three Europeans are known, either by daring or bribery, to have vis- ited it; the last was an Italian Count, a traveller. who, by paying very high, was a!!cwea! by lis guardian to tread the floor of the mosque, and descend into the obscurity of the hallowed cavern; :; this was 90 years since. It is great pity that so memorable a scene should be closed to the curious eye; the bold valley in which the ancient town of Hebron stands, is often visited by the steps of the pilgrim and the traveller. but the penalty of death to every chris. tian who enters within the walls of the mosque, is too dear payment for a gra- tifcation. The cave is said by the Turks to be deep and very spacious, cut cut of the solid rock and that the rest ing places of the celebrated patriarchs stil: exist, and are plainly to be discern ed.
 ts'The tribute paid, however, by tho followers of the Prophet to the burial place of Rachel, i far more sincere and Expressive, than walls ef marble OF gild- cd domes; the desire which the Turks