Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1838-02-14
Extracts from the second edition of Incl
dents Of Trarei in Egypt, ArLia.P etrea
and The Hoiy Land.

Extracts from the second edition of Incl.
dents Of Trarei in Egypt ArJia.P etrea,
and The Holy Land.
Leaving the valley, we turned up to the
right, and, crossing among the mountains.
in two hours came in sigh, of the ruins OF
Sebaste, the ancient Samaria, standing up.
on a singulurly bold and insulated noun.
tain, crowned with ruins. The capital NJ
the ten tribes Of Israel. where Ahab bull
his palaces Of ivory where, in the days OF
Jereboam, her citizens sat in the lap of luxu.
~, saying TO their masters, "come and let
US drink" destroyed by the Assyrians, but
rebuilt and restored TO more than its origi.
nal Splendor by lIerod, now lies in the state
loretold by the prophet Amos "her in
hab'aDis and their posterity are taken a.
way" The ancient Sanaritans arc all
gone. and around the ruins of their palaces
and temples are gathered the miserable huis
of the Arab Fellahs. Climbing up the pre-.
cipitous assent of the hill, we came TO the
ruins of a church, or tower, or something
else, built by our old friend the Lady Helena,
and seen TO great advantage from the valley
below. The Lady Helena. however, did
not put together all this stone and mortar
for the picturesque alone; il was erected
over, and in honor of the prison where
john the Baptist was beheaded, and his
grave. ] knew that this spot was guarded
with jealous care by the Arabs, and tina,
none but Mussclmen were permitted to see
it but this did moi prevent my asking ad-
,,,.,1, d. a,,I ,.,hnp th. t.-n el..Ir eo.t
that zone could enter without a special or.
der from the pocha, Paul rated him soundly
for thinking We could be such fools as %
come without one and handing him our
travelling firman. the sheik kissed the seal.
and, utterly unable to determine for him.
self whether the order was 10 furnish me
with horses, or admit me to mosques, said
he knew he was bound TO obey that seal,
and do whatever the bearer told him, and
hobbled off TO get the key.
Leaving our shoes at the door, in one
corner of the Enclosure, we en,ered a small
mosque with white. washed walls hung with
ostrich eggs, clean mats for the praying
Musselmen, a sort of pulpit, and the usual
recess of the kebla. In the centre Of the
one floor was a hole opening 10 the prison
below, and, descending a flight Of steps, we
came to a prison chamber about eight pa
ces square the door now broken and lean.
ing against The wall, the doors in the sep.
ulchres Of the kings at Jerusalem, was a
slab cut from the solid stone, and turning
on a pivot. tn the opposite side were
three sn all holes, opened to another cham.
Der which was the tomb of the Baptist
! looked in but a was dark the Mussel.
man told me that the body only was there;
that the ~phrophet was bcheaded at the re.
quest ofthe wife ola king, blu, | forget where
he said the head was.
This may be the prison where the great
forerunner of the Lord was beheaded I; at
least M mar can say that it is not ; and
leaving it with the best disposition to be.
lieve, | assembled to the ruined palace Of
Herod, his prosecutor and murderer. Thir.
ty or forty columns were still standing. the
monuments Of the departed greatness of its
former tenant. On one side, towards the
northeast, where arc the ruins of the gate.
there is a double range of ionic columns.
! counted more than sixty, and, from the
fragments | was constantly meeting, il would
seem as { a double colonade had extended
all around.
The palace of Herod stands on a table
Of land, on the very summit of the hill, o.
overlooking every part Of the surrounding
country (; and such were the exceeding soft.
ness and beauty Of the scene, even under
the wildness and waste of the Arab cultiva.
ton, that the city seemed smiling in the
midst of her desolation. All around was a
beautiful valley. watered by running streams,
andcovered by a rich carpet ofgrass.sprink.
led with wild flowers of every hue, and be.
yond, stretched like %an'open book before me,
"A boundary Of fruitful mountains, the vine
and the olive rising in terraces TO their We.
nv SUBMITS: there. day after day, the haugh.
~ Herod had sat in his royal palace, and,
ookinp out upon all these beauties. his heart
had become hardened with prosperity
here, among these still lowering columns.
The proud monarch had made a supper ITO
his lords and high captains, and chief es.
tsies of Galilee )" here the daughter Ollie.
rodias, Herod's brothers. wife, "danccd
before him, and the proud king promised
with an oath. to give her whatever she
should ask, even to the half ofhis kingdom"
And while the feast and dance went on "the
head of John the Bapfis, was brought in a
charger and given to the damsel." And
Herod has gone, and Herodias, Herod's
brothers wife has gone, and " the lords. and
the high captains, and the chief estates O
Galilee" are gone ; but the ruins OF tho pal.
ace in which they Toasted are still here the