Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1837-07-13
BETHLEHEM AND JERUSALEM
From "Incidents Of trauel in Egypt, a
ra6ia, SC. By an American.


BETHLEHEM.-About half an hour
from Hebron, we came to valley sup
posed TO be the Vale of EshcoI, where
the spies sent out by Moses, found the
grapes so heavy. that to carry one bunch,
It was necessary to suspend it on pole.
On the right, we passed d ruin wall, BY
some called the Cave Of Macphelah, or
sePnlchre of the patriarchs: but which
the Jews at Hebron, had called the House
OF braham.
We were on our way to Bethlehem
had hired my mules for Jerusalem, ex-
pecting merely to stop at Bethleh EN-,
and push on to Jerusalem that night
The road between these oldest of cities,
was simply mule path over rocky
mountains, descending occasionally into
rich valleys. We had already, on this
our first journey in the Holy Land, found
that the character given of il in the Bi.
bic is true at this day and that the Land
OF Promise is not like the land of Egypt,
watered by the dews of heaven, but by
coPious and abundant rains. Indeed, the
rain was falling in torrents; our clothes
were already dripping wet, but we did
not mind it. for we were too full OF
thanktulness. that continued sunshine
and clear and unclouded skies had been
our portion, when we most needed them
in the desert.
The heavy fall Of rain made the track
slippery and precarious; and it was foul
hours before we reached the celebrated
reservoirs known to modern traveller:
under the name of Pools of Solomon.
These large, strong. noble structures, il
a land where every work of art has been
hurried to destruction, remain now al.
most as perfect as when they were built
There are 3 Of them, about $50, 600, and
| 660 feet in length. and $50 i'm breadth,
aud OF different attitudes, the water from
the first running into the second, and
from the second into the third Atabout
hundred yards distance is the spring
which supplies the reservoirs, as the
monks say, the sealed fountain referre
te in Canticles iv., AZ. The water from
these reservoirs is conveyed to Jerusalen
by small acqueduct, a round eaEther
| pipe abont ten inches in diameter, which
follows all sinuosties Of the ground, be
ing sometimes above the surface ant
sometimes under. 1t is easily broken
and while was in Jerusalem an acct
dent happened which entirely cut of
J the water from their pools.
| There is every reason to believe thai
those pools have existed from the date
assigned to them; and that this was The
site OF one of King Solomon's houses o.
! pleasure where he made himself "gar.
dehs, and orchards, and pools of water
The rain here ceased for a few nome mt:
and enabled me to view them at nv lei
sure; and as walked along the bank. Oh
stood on the margin, or descended tn,
steps to the waters edge, it seemed al
most the wild suggestion Of a dream, t.
imagine that the wisest Of men had look
ed into the same pool, had strolled alonl
the same bank, and stood on the very
same steps. 1t was like annihilating al
the intervals Of time and space. Solo
mon and all his glory are departed, ant
little could even his wisdom have fore
seen that, long after he should be laid il
the dust, and his kingdom had passed in
to the hands Of strangers, traveller from
a land he never dreamed of would b.
looking upon his works, and murmurin;
to himself the words Of the preacher
Vanity of vanities, all is vanity"
A little to the right Of the pools, to
wards the region Of the Dead Sea, is
very large grotto, supported by great pill
lars OF the national rock, perfectly dry
without Petrilaction or stalactites; it
perfect labyrinth within; and, as i
many of the ancient catacombs, ma
might easily lose himself forever in II
wiDdings. it lies in the mountainou
wilderness OF Enoehd; and ie apDpoee