Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1847-10-28


BILE floor which marks, as the friars believe, the
precise spo, where Jesus was born, and the
marble slab which is laid in the place OF the
manser When saw, thfoughou. the country.
how ihe Arabs now use the caves Of the hills
10 bed their goats and cattle, this belief Of the
friars appeared less absurd than it would with
US; bul sill, j, is SO improbable iha. the pre-
else spo, of these transactions (whose impor
lance was not known till aflerward>) should
have been marked and remembered. that tell
lille Interested in them in comparison with The
landscape outside, about whose leading features
there could be no mistake.
From the bottom of the garden, we overlooked
he great valley which expanded 10 the north
east and one enclosure ,here--a green spol
now occupied by olive irees--was pointed ou'
to US as the field where the shepherds were
abiding on the nigh, when Christ was born.--
Behind il, 10 The east. lay range behind range
of hills stretching off to the north and among
these, we knew, lay The Dead Sea, and the
Jordan, where il pours its waters into that he-
less and melancholy lake. As welefiih con.
ven, and village and descended the rocky road,
with terrace vineyards and olive groves on
either hand, we knew thai Joseph and Mary
mus, have come by this way from jerusalem
when summoned 10 the census: and this was
more 10 us than all The sights the friars bad
shown us In their zeal and Kindness. We
looked in al the tomb Of Rachel, and The con-
ven, of Elias but our eyes and thoughts were
ben. tow ards jerusalem. remember, however,
that here | first saw the waters OF the Dead
Sea, lying blue in liule gap between the
hills.
AS soon as had mounted my ass before the
conven, of Elias, saw from our ridge some
buildings on The rising ground which now
show ed itself before US, | was not Immediately
certain what they were; but the news soon
spread among us That rising ground was
Zion, and those buildings belonged 10 Jerusalem
though they stood outside the wall. lmmedi-
a,ely after, The walled city itself came lnso
view, living along the hills. Mos, OF The pa:ly
were disappointed was no'--pariiy because
I knew that we were approaching j, from the
least favorable side. and partly because my ex-
pecta,ions had much under rated the size and
granduer of ,he cily. Wha, we now saw was
a line of white walls on hill side, with some
square buildings and small white domes rising
within. -.
walked the res, of the way. On our righ'
we're hills, the summit Of one of which was
Aceldama, bought by the priests with the mon
ev which the wrelched Judas returned 10 them
when he found too lars what he had done IL
his attempt TO force his Lord TO assert his claim
10 temporal sovereignty. On our left was The
plain of Rephaim. When We arrived a, the
brow OF high ground we were on, we were ia
Ken by surprise by the grandeur Of the scene
Zion now appeared worthy Of her name, and o
her place in the hymns of David and IN history
We were now overlooking The valley OF Gihon
more commonly known by the name OF Hin
nom. From its deplh, and lis precipi'ous rock
on our side, should call i, ravine. This deel
dell contains the Lower Pool, now dry are
the aqueduct from Solomon's Pools is seer
crossing it obliquely. Its opposite side is II
on, rising very steeply, still ,erraced Tor iliiag
in some parts, and crowned by the city wall
To the right, and sweeping away from the ra
vine of Gihon, is the deep and grand valley Q
Jehoshaphat, clustered with rocks relieved b.
trees, and leading the eye round TO the slop
of Olivet, which, howevar is best seen iron
the other side Of the city. The black dome Q
the tomb of David was the next object; an
after that, The mos, conspicuous roof in the Gil.
The great dome OF the Mosque Of Omar, whc
occupies the site Of Solomon's Temple.
/ By this time there was silence among US.
walked behind our cavalcadc, as il slowly as
cended the beautiful rocky way, glad OF the 81
lence permitted by each TO all !; for i was nc
possible a, the moment, nor will II ever be pos
sible, TO speak of the Impressions of that hon'
We entered by the Jaffa gate. and every ech
of our horses fee, in the narrow, stony, Plctu'
esque streets, told upon our hearts as we sal
TO ourselves that we were taking up our rest
Jerusalem. Magazine.
/ March of Education.
No, great while ago, the school cor,mltie