Baltimore commercial journal, and Lyford's price-current. [volume] (Baltimore, Md) 1840-1849, 1849-11-17
Correspondence of the Providence Journal.
BETH. EHEM.


village, or small town, now containing about 2OO0
inhabitants, mostly Greek, Armenian, and Catholic
Chrlstlans-sltudtcd some SIX miles to the South
west OF Jerusalem, "a short two hours walk) on the
borders OF the territory anCienty allotted to the tribes
of Judah and Benjamin, and Just the valley of
Rephaim, the Giants Valley, which was often
times the of battles in the early wars of the Is
raelites and Philstnes. The distance of Bethlehem
from Jerusalem is only such, that the text recorded
in Samuel, 20, is perfectly natural and true. Da-
vid says to Jonathan, in Jerusalem, If thy father
all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave
of me- that he might Bethlehem his city; for
there is yearly sacrifice there for all his family"
young and fleet foot like David's would make no.
thing of speeding down the steep crags of Mount
Zion, the brook Gihon, the stony plain
and low hill of Rephaim past the tomb Of Rachel,
and the village OF Ramah, down into the vale of the
shepherds, and up the mountain slope upon which
the city obese, OF Obed, and Of BoaZ stood.
The first mention have of Bethlehem, in the
Old Testament, is in the 35th chapter of Genesis,
where it is recorded with the simplicity Of Scripture
narrative, That Rachel died. and buried in the
way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem" The tomb
Of Rachel, between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, is
still shewn. \ small Mohammedan mosque, or
open oratory, with a dome-rooi, containing rude
sarcophagus cataialgue, stands upon the
spot; and it is worthy of remark, that the Mo-
hammedans Of the East generally, by far, the
most Jealous and reveren preservers and guardians
of spots made sacred by Old Testament events This
tomb of Rachel is equally honored by Mohammedan,
Jew and Christian. The Orcntals call it, in their
unaffected phraseology, 9" The tomb of our mother
RACHEL" and there are many arguments in favor OF
its authenticity
first approached Bethlehem from the East from
the Dead Sea. 1t hot, unclouded day, al
though in mid-winter. The first part of our route
from the convent of Mar Saba, situated among the
mountains iHst above the sea, was threading gloomy
defles of stern, volcanic, dcsolate rocks without a
r,fr
higher cminence, glimpse Of the Dead Sea present.
ing ITSELF shining like dull mirror in the suns rays,
and a cloud of thin illuminated mist going up contIn-
ualy from its bosom, owing to the evaporation OF its
waters. We at last reached a somewhat opener
country, where the mountains grew grcener and the
valleys broader and shalower, and there was some
pasture land. Atlongth, across deep and wide val
ley, far oil, on the very climax OF the rising, noun
famous region towards the North Jerusalem appeared
before us-a striking vision and at this great dis
tance, with It's battlemented walls, its SaIacenc
towers, and mnarets it seemed to possess all the at
tributes of its pristine and Ideal spendor Another
city was soon before the West, the =. littlen
one, of Bethlehem. was then at angle of tri-
angle, the two other angles of which were Bethe-
hem and Jerusalem, the Alpha and the Omega of the
Divine Drama, the beginning ard the end Of the
earthly life of the divine Founder of Christianity.
As slowly approached Bethlehem, over undu-
latng country, looked earnestly at every little green
valley, where the sheep were pasturing for said 10
myself, perhaps here, perhaps there, young David
might have fed his Fathers llocks. Perhaps, sitting
on this bank, on that rock, he might have touched
his harp, which could charm the demon from the hui
man soul and his young voice blended wthits tones,
singing the Praises of God In this shadowy deile,
invncible in faith he might have snote the bear,
and near that ovcrhanging cave, he might have
cued the lamb from out the paw of the lion. The
scenery here, without being large or sublime, had
something in it of still and solemn impressveness.
The nil of Iullh have IN hpiUht
grandeur, and they desolate beyond descrip-
ton. The busy spirit of the old Hebrews longer
moves over them. No longer does the hand of the
husbandman, terracing the mountain, make it
smiling garden and a laughing vineyard. The run
ming brooks which, in the East, cause " the desolate
land to become like Eden," are no longer trained
through the valles There is no lowing of cattle
"upon Thousand hills;' no shoutngs of the vintage
when the red wine press is trodden The reapers of
Boaz SILENT and the barley harvest and the wheat
harvest scanty, and the laborers few" All
around Jerusalem, and all Judea, is solemn land -
sunny and solemn; and silent from the very voidness
of animal life. Even the birds few, but the flow
ers are abundant. In the toughest spots, from out
the ruggedcs rocks the most beautiful crimson and
yellow flowers spring.
In the vicinity OF Bethlehem, however, vegetation
increased, and the number Of olive groves, liz trees
vineyards and gardens still give 1t, in comparison
with the rest of Judca, the title OF Ephratah the
Fruitful Here and there noticed tall, slender tow
set i'll vineyards, for still do i'll Judea lay
out vineyard and build tower"
At length Bethlehem was directly before us-a
wedgeshaped mass OF gray, square stone houses ris
ing above another, the lowest line being term-
mated by the heavy, extensive, and Understanding
walls and towers of the Convent of the Nativity
stood upon the swelling crest OF hill, or spre Of
mountain, either side OF which deep valleys rum
ming east and west. The sloping mountaln-sIdes,
and the ravines either hand OF the city,
sderaby wooded and green. The ancient terracings
preserved upon the declivitieS oil the hills, and
the plough had been at work i'll the bowls OF the val
leys, and the rains and the dews seemed still to fall
kindly, and the to rest more lovingly, upon
this blessed spot. The long valley which runs north
of the hill of Bethlehem was, when looked down
into it, filled with the bright and scented blossoms of
the young harvest, and here, tradition says, the
shepherds were watching their focks when the It'd
ings of Great Joy dropt upon their bewidcred sen
SEES, and the chorus of Peace earth and good will
to was borne rapturously through the midnight
air, making the stars to shine brightly and the
earth to thrill with strange delight. As we crossed
this valley suddenly upon little Syrian |
shepherd boy, shouting after his locks OF sheep and
goats causing the hills to ring with his young, mus
cal voice. HIS dark, animated eyes surveyed we
passed; moment after he darted Off with fleet foot
to reclaim a stray kid. Here, then, was David, |
perhaps the youngest" of some pariarchal Jesse
the town against us, - who kept his fathers |
Sheep" ruddy and OF beautiful countenance."-
W. rode Immediately to the Greek Convent OF the |
Nativity, and was conducted around by the monks |
to see the convent, the imposing old church OF the
Empress Helena, now going into decay; the study |
and tomb of jerome, and, finally, the supposed
of the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ This is
niche in the wall of small subterreanean chamber,
cut out of the solid rock, and lit with perpetually
burning candles. Around this semi-circular niche
is of small silver lamps, and in its centre,
til recently, (Hhen it was stolenD silver star was
fastened, which the monks said occupied the denti-
teal spot over which the star of the MagI stood,
when it rested above Bethlehem. This niche bears
the Latin inscription
60 ilic de virgine Maria Jesu Chrstus natus est"
mass was said; then the manger shown me,
the altar OF the mag and also hand of one OF the