Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1843-06-24

shaphat.
JtTks-stfect PaTsonage, BaAi"ore May 20, l7i3
Dear Doctor:-I take pleasure 10 saying 10
YOU that brother Dlrbin's promised letter from the
Valley Of Jebosha phat has been duly received. -
You viii doubtless recoioct the postscript to one
Of his letters, which was recently published in
the Advocate IN which he stated his intention
fully 10 redeem his promise made prior to his
departure from this country. ! send you his let
ter for publication, that YOU and the readers oil
tho Advocate ruay participate ia the pleas It's
perusnl afforded me.
Yours ahectionatey, Henry SLIcER.
Valley Of Jehoshapbat, March 7, 1913.
NY Dear Brother Slicer:-IIere | 81, in the
shade of tho Tomb Of Racharas, Mt the foo, OF
Mount Oivet, where 1t descends into the Valley
of Jehoshaphat, directly opposite the eastern wall
of The Temple, and towering high above the
brow Of Noun, Morah. MOUNT MeRIAu.-
What world of heavenly and transporting en- r-
gy does this word awaken IN the bosom Of tho
Jcto the MoSleH. but particularly the Christian.
The Offering up of Isaac, the plague of David for
numbering the people, when the angel Of de-
s,ruction stood here with drawn sword in the
,hreshng floor OF Ornau, Il. Chron. xxi.,) the
travail and in iusry OF tho cxIles returned by per
mission of Cyrus rebuild their temple, the
wonderful miracles of Christ aud his apostles
wrought on that Mount before me- the obstinate
defence Of The Jews, when Titus pressed them
from the Temple to Mount Z,pn the destruction
of the sacred cdiice, the appropriation Of :he ho-
tian worship by the Crusad3rS, and It's return a
gan To the Mosen service, In which it coniin-
ne crowned with the Mosques of Onlr and f.!
Aesa whose beautiful dDmes sill above the slcred
place with admirable hghtness and grace. A
sirolled by The open gatcways, and looked IN,
how earnestly did long 10 enter the sacred en-
closure, nyer IN It's walks and amid its trees; en-
ter even tho mosques, particularly ,ha, Of Omar,
which covers, perhaps, the very spot where Isaac
was offered, and over which the magnificent Ten
pie Of Solomon was built, which no dedicated 10
God by the most eloquent-ani sensible of all
prayers except our Lord's; II Kings viii, 23,
Sci bat the fanntlcaI Mostem forbds the feet
of the Christian dog to tread upon the sacred
soil, and cross the Gasecratcd threshold.
But | must turn tho Valley, from whence
promised you this letter before left home and
which promise you received some what doubtingly
! have wandered up and down it, from the tOmbs
of the Judges, just beyond its head. tn the north
west Of tho city, about one and half miles to
tho well of j b, perhaps the En- Rogel Of Scrip
tute, u quarter Of mile below the south ca
corner of the city. 1t is indeed valley Of the
dead, or rather of tombs, for their contents are
gone; and the sopuIchraI chambers, where they
slept in peace many centuries ago, nov but
gaping cayern5 IN the rock, where rePtIlcs nestle
IT they be single, small sepuIchres or f0cks lie
down, If they be large 5 the tombs of the Judg
cs, Kings, and Prophets, and some in the south
cliff of the GIhon, both under and above the
"Potters' Ffetin | have wandered through
them all md found not Pigment Of their con-
tents The limestone rock in which they
cavated is soft, and has yielded to the elements
and broken away in front ri, and sometimes above
the chatnbcrs. This Is the all over Pates
tine (also at Petra where the rock is soft ga nd
stone y and constantly reminds one of his mortal
i,v,and reduction to dust, and dispersion TO III,
winds OF heaven. What glorious assurance
that the soul is not committed TO the tomb, bu
returns to God who gave IL!
/ have Pool SIIOa
which has a connection with the Pool of the Vir
GIN several hundred yards higher up The frs
is in the mouth of the Tysopeon Valley, JUS
where it enters that Of Jehoshaphat, and tho 9TH
or IS on the west side of Tho latter not NJ
hundred yards from where | date this letter
Tho connection Is by narrow passage Gu
through the point of the hill which slopes dowr
from the south east corner of the Temple. These
fountains now subject TO occasional violent
irregular flows of The waters. which make on,
think Of the Pool of Bethesda, mentioned IN ,h
fifth chapter OF John, whose waters the ange
troubled sat certain season" Our Country
men, DIR. Robinson and Rev. Mr.. Smith. wtne ss
cd one of these singular movements Of the wa
tiers. We not so Fortunate. No one know
whence tho waters come TO these cavernous pool;
but there steady tradition, and general in
preston, that they have q connection with ,h
fountains under the temples area; and perhap
Milton was apprlsed OF this when be wrote,
'Siloa's brook that flowed
Fast by the oracles OF Cod
descended into the pool TO wash, as all goo
pilgrims do, and found coarse, ragged, strappin
Arab woman, washing dirty old quilt, whic
lay floating upon the little shallow volume Of wa
fer. She shrunk away from me from the ar
prosch OF teper. and stood hudded up in a li,tl
chasm IA the rock, looking blankIy upon my pill
grim devotions. The water is sweet and pooc
shall not now undertake 10 describe the tomb
20 you. but perhaps may allow YOU to peep int
my ominum ga,heruD. where l have plaus
them, and notes also But feel oppressed wit
sadness as cast my eye up tho side OF Noun
'Olivet behind me, and look upon the Jewish cen
esry spre aiding the sacred hill side. GOVERN
II with short, thick stones. each of which lies fla
on the ground, and pressed into il little. as
'aey had once stood erect, and had been psostra
'e0 and pressed by some terrible storm. The
nTe striking of II 1noaf &c.