Arkansas intelligencer., 1848-12-16


green. But tine city the g.ory--alofI on the
steep. lis long lines or wall clearly defining ii
/ the sight, aud every mineral and cupou, and al
most every stone marked out by brilliant sunshine
! against the deep blue sky. In tho spaces uubuiii
on wiIhrn Ihe walls. are tufts of verdure and
| expresses spring here and there from some con-
vent garden. The green lawns on the Mosque OF
! Omar. are spread out small before the eye. with
their groups Of tiny. gay moving people. II il is
now so glorious place to the eye. what must il
/ have been IN the days of is pride Iel in that
day. when evCry looked for tho cxuliing bless
/ ing Peace be within Thy walls. and prosperity
within Thy palaces - there came instead the Ia
mentalion over the Jerusalem that killed the pro-
! pheis and sloned the messengers of jehovah, ana
whose house must be therefore left desolae.
| The disciples, looking hence upon the strength
of the walls the masSiveness Of the Temple build
Ings, then springing 4S0 feet from the bed OF the
brook below, ahj the depth and ruIgedncss Of tho
raviDes surrounding the city tiree sides. mi ghl
well ask when those things should be, ami how
| they should be accomplished. On the fourth side
the north, where there Is no T1vIne. the Roman
! army was eucamped. We could now see that ris-
ing ground. once covered with Roman tents but
to-day with corn liaI!s and olive grounds. The
| Romans cncampod one legion on the Mount of
Olives; but Il could not do auy harm TO the city (;
and the only point Of allack--!he north sIde-wus
guarded by "A moat aud three walls. The siege
for fear. and al least one furnished woman ate her
own child and at last the city was taken and
nearly destroyed; and of the Temple. not one
stone was left upon auoIher. Now we were in
the miist Of these scenes to-day! We stood where
the doom was pronounced, below rs was the camp
Of the single legion ! have mentioned; opposite
was the humbied city, with the site OF the temple
courts; and over 10 the north was tho camp Of
the enemy. Here was the whole scene OF that
- great trIbula;On, such as was not known from
the beginning Of the world
From the summit OF OIvct. we went down to
the scene Of that other tri5aIaljOn-th7t anguish
Of mind which had mover been surpassed from the
beginning of The world. when Jesus had spoken
these words (ls words Of cheer after the las,
supper,) 8 he forth" we are told. " with his
disciples over the brook Cejron. where wUs gar
dcn." This garden was entered to-day from The
other direction, and left it by crossing the bed OF
the brook. 1t Is dreary place now, very unlike
what it must have been when Jesus oflmes re-
sorted thjlhcr with his disciples" It is Il spot OF
ground Il slope above the brook. enclosed with
fences of loose stones. and occupied by eight
tremcly old olive ;recs-,hc oldest, | should think,
that in our travels. ! do not mean that
they could have been growing in the days of Christ.
That is supposed TO be Imposs bic | could never
learn what IS the greatest age known - be attain
od by the olive tree. The roots Of these were
supported by little terraces OF stones, that neither
trees For soil might b. washed down the slope by
the " inter torrents. But liille remains OF those
once, Gne frees but hollow trunks and few stray
Cling branches. It is with the minis eye that
must see the filing mp OF Tins garden enclosure,
when Jesus - otItImes. resoried iItner'-Ils or
chird of fig. pomegranate and olive trees, and the
grass or Young sDrnging corn unJor foot. From
c'ery part of It the approach OF Judas and hiS
PARTY must have been visible. by ihcIt lanterns
and torches and eapons," cleaning ID the light,
they must have beuu descending the hui from The
city gate. The sleeping disciples may not have
needed the lights and footsteps OF tho multitude
bat step by step as It wound down the steep. and
;hen crossed the brook, and turned up 10 The gar
den. the victim knew that the hOur Of hIs fate
drew on.
Br the way the crowd came down, VIC now as.
cendcd toward the city. lurntH- aside, however, 10
skirt the north wall. instead Of returning home
through the streets. Not 10 mention no" other
things that we saw. We noted muth connected with
the siege the nature Of tue groun1-ia'orahie
for the encameut of an army, and the shallow
mont under the wall, where where the kOmans
brought two great wooden towers on wheels, that
the lnca in the towers migat fight on Il level with
those on the wall md throw missiles into the town.
The scene OF conf CT Is ve-y quiet now. a crop
Of barley ripen,nT under the very walls aud
Arab, with soft. mid countcnance, was h'iIng
his watcr-skius at tie pool. near the damascus
gate. The proud Roman and desPafrlng Jew were
not more unlike each other than lnIs Arab, with
his pathetic face. was unlike them both. As ho
stopped under ,he dim arches OF Ine rock, and hIs
red can came into contrast with the dark gray OF
the s,il water below, and the green OF the daak-
ling weeds over his head, our thoughts were re-
ca He'd to our own day and Il sense OF The beauty
we meek in every nook and corner Of the Holy
Land.
From this ramble. my readers may see some
thing of what it is to take walks IN the neighbor-
hood of Jerusalem.