Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1848-12-08
From Sears Pictorial Family Magazine.
TRAVELS IN THE HOLY LAND.--SO. 4.
BY HARRIET MARTlNFeu.


We made anexcursion from Jerusalem. to tho
Jordan and the Dead sea; goingby way Of Beth
any and Jericho, and returning by the convent
Of ST. Saba. There is al this day, so much dan.
ger Of falling among thieves, in going down from
Jerusalem TO Jericho, that travellers join parties
when they can, and unite their guards into
corps Of armed men. Our own party Of four,
Joined the ten with whom we had travelled in
the desert: and four strangers-European gen.
tlemen-requesled permission to ride with u.s.
Thus we were eighteen: and the dragemen,
cooks, horsekeepers, and mule-driyers, who took
charge Of our tents and baggage, and ten armed
guards, swelled our number TO that OF caravan
which no robbers were likely 10 attack. Indeed
we scarcely saw any body the whoeway. The
dangerous part Of the road appeared deserted,
and The plain Of Jericho, once studded with
towns, and filled with fertility, lay before us al
most as lifeless as the basin of the Dead sea.
We left Jerusalem by 81. Stephens gae,-my
three friends, myself aud our servants and bag
gage, and met the rest Of the travelling party al
the bridge, IN the valley Of Jehoshaphal, at 8 A.
NJ. We proceeded by the came, road to Belha.
nv, which winds up the side of Oliyet, and cross.
es its ridge to the east. As soon as we had pass
ed the ridge, Bethany came IN view, lying on the
eastern slope Of the mount of Olives, and, as we
all know, "fltssn iurlongs' distance from Jrru-
salem. Ii is now village inhabited by about
twenty families; a very poor place; but looking
less sQuald lhan might be expected, from its
houses being built, as everywhere in thatc tcountry,
Of stone-s0uare, substantial, and large, compa-
rod with cottages in England. lis position on
the side of the hill is very fine, seen from below.
Before descending The hill, however, we alight-
ed from our horses to visit an old tomb, which
is called the tomb Of Lazarus. No enlghled
traveller believes this 10 be reslIy the place where
Lazarus was buried: but to see any ancient tomb
on that spot, was an opportunity not TO be miss
ed and we gladly wsnldownthe dark rock. hcwn
steps, to the little chamber, where some corpse
had once bsen laid. have often wished that
the old painters had enjoyed such opportunities;
and then we should have had representations Of
Lazarus coming forth from chambers in the rock,
and not rising from such grave as is dug in
European churchysrds. The limestone rocks
of Judea, are full Of holes and caverns; aud we
know from the Scriptures how sbundanlIy these
were used by the old inhabitants, as dwellings
for themselves and their cattle, as shelter 10 lha
wayfarer, refuge TO the fugitive, hiding-piace
for robbers, and placN Of deposite for the dead.
Where cavern was found with holes or recess
es in its sides, lils labor, would make il an
extensive place of burial. By squaring the en-
trance, and giving some regularity TO the arch Of
the roof, handsome vestihule was obIalned;
and then the recesses were hewn into form for
the reception Of bodies Sometimes those re-
cesses had pits; sometimes inches in their walls,
So that each recess would contain several bodies:
and sometimes they were small, so as TO contain
only one each. Sometimes the veslbule OPEN
ed out into passages, which had recesses on each
hand; so that large company OF the dead might
lie hidden in the heart Of The mountain. The
whole was secured from wild beasts and other
intrusion, by u stone door fitted 10 the entrance,
or large block rolled against it. Those who
have seen these Eastern tombs can never again
be puzzled, as was in my childhood when rea-
ding of ''ihc chambers Of the grave" and Of the
dead calling TO one anothcrin the house OF death,
and of The stone being away Iromthe mouth
of The sopulchre. Many child wonders, as
did, how the way was made clear for Lazarus to
come forth, merely by the removal of IL stone:
but, once having STOOD looking At The door OF u
sepuchre. how vivid becomes the picture Of Je'
sus standing there, and calling to Lazarus with
"a loud voice." to come forth! How enc hears
that voice echoing through the chambers Of The
appearing from the steps Of the vault, or the
shadow Of the recess
In the tomb which we explored at Bethany
the vaults went down considerable way, into
the rock. One fight of deep, narrow steps led
usintO small vaulled chamber; andtwo or three
or more steps, narrower still, into the loves
tomb, which had Iittle more than room for one
body. The monks, when taken as guides show
in the village, what they call the house of Mar.
tha and Mary, and thai of Simon the Leper: bu
we did not inquire for these, having no wish tC
mix up anything fabulous, with our observations
of place so interesting as Bethany.
We looked back upon the village again anC
again, as we descended into the valley; and i
was painful to lose sight of the place where Je
sus was wont to 60 TO solace himself with the
friendship of Lazarus and his sisters and res
from the conflicts which beset him in the grea
city over yonder ridge. But we are now on the
road from Jerusalem to Jericho, and about tc
pass among the Businesses Of the thieves, who
seem to have infested this region in all times
After riding along the valley, sometimes on thu
one hill and sometimes on the other, for three o.
four miles, we left behind US the scanty tllagC
spread along the bottom of the valley, and be
gan 10 ascend 10 the hollow way which is consid
cred the most dangerous spot Of all. Here 81
Frederick Henniker was stripped and left 70
dead, by robbers in 1920. His servants he
and hid themselves on the first alarm. Whe
they returned, he was lying naked and bleedin
in the sultry road. They put him on horse
and carried him 10 Jericho, where he found sue
cor. Perhaps he was thinking of the parabl
OF the Samaritan when this accident befel him
was thinking of it most Of the way.
Another story was presently after full in m
mnd;-a beautiful catholic legend which wa
told me by a German friend in America, when
little dreamed OF ever travelling over this spo
Our road now gradually assembled the high ridg
from which we were soon to overlook the plai
of Jericho. The track was so stony and diff