Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-10-13
A Visit to Nazareth and Jerusalem
PLAINS OF IERICo, on THE BORDERS /
or THE DEAD SEA, Feb. l., 80.

| We were all stirring in good season the mex
morning, and while the mules were packing, af
| ter our breakfast we went to visit what is call
ed the dwelling place of Mary, and the plact
where the angel appeared to her. A Latin
chapel is built over the spots, which we were
shown with the usual definite relation of cir
cunstances. They are excavations i'm the rock
as is also the workshop of Joseph. little dis
tance off, which is also shown, and over which
formerly stood another chapel | feel that
shall care little about settling whether these
traditions are true or false, even for my OWL
mind. The impressions | receive, and which
are deeper and stronger even than | anticipa.
ted, come to me through the thoughts of be-
inS in the same land, of breathing the same air
of looking upon the same hills and treading
among the same flowers, where He walked who
lived as man never lived before, and taught
as one having authority whose presence sane.
titled all nature here and whose revelation and
gospel shall sanctify all humanity hereafter
In these converts, where the mode of life seems
to me so different from what Jesus would die,
tate-in these chapelS, with their gaudy deco
rations and trappings, to me so different from
what He must approve of who condemned out
ward show, and required only the simple wor-
ship of the heart i'm purity and holiness of pur-
pose, feel trammelled confined and must
confess disturbed but in the free air, on the
mountain and hill side in the valley and plain,
the temples where he loved most to teach,
feel His presence and listen to His words, as
| never felt and heard before So | came out
of the stone walled convent and away from
the flower decked affairs of the chapels. out of
Mary's lonely abode and Josaph's rude work
shop, and looked around on the stony hills
which surround and enclose the little grey vii
lage of Nazareth, thinking how often His feet
must have climbed their steep sides remcm-
bering how once his enemies. ungrateful towns
people, led him TO the brow of one of them. in
tending to cast him down headong. and how
:. He, passing through the midst Of them, went
his way" | strove to impress the whole land
scape upon my memory, and then joining our
cayalcade which was waiting for Us, we started
on our way TO Jcnin, the end of our second
days journey
The going ont of Nazareth was nearly as
rough and rugged and difficult as the coming
in had been. For some distance the path form
ed just al this season the bed of swift torrent,
down which We had 10 pick cautiously our way.
After some time, however, We came out upon
the broad plain of Esdraelon, famous as the
great battle field of the Israelites. On our
left were the mountains OF Gilead farther on.
and more TO the east, the bow[>haped. pretty
mountain of Tabor, said to be the scene OF
ChriSts TRANSPORTATION, rose full into view. and
still farther on, south and east. Gilboa' smount
could be seen Through openings of the range
we could occasionally get views of the snow
covered top of Mount Hermon while on cur
-. IL. = -. -
tern extremity OF Mount Carmel. Manv 4
victory has been lost and won, on and in tile
vicinity Of this plain, but none came TO my
mind with such elearness as that in which Saul,
the unhappy king of Israel, with bis sous. was
defeated and slain before the victorious host OF
the PhilistiueS. / remembered his interview
with the witch of EndoT. and how, with
determined bat hopeless heart, nc had gone
out to meet his foe and how David'S heart had
mourned over his fate, and that of Jonathan,
his faithful, deeply loved friend when news OF
the disastrous battle was brought 10 him We
lunched that day under a hedge of the rrickay
pear cactus. which Is veTv common in thScoun-
try, and grows from eight 10 twelve feet high.
with trunk and leaves in proportion Ii * much
used for hedges and fences. being entirely i'm
lsepetEabie through its losg sharp thorRs for
man or beast
Oar route continued through pleasant scenes
and we voted this DAYS ride decidedly agreea-
ble, Tie mad was not yerv difficult. the wca-
ther perfect, and We were quite ready 10 grant,
in favor OF the Syrian atmosphere, althat had
ever been claimed for Il Beautiful wild iow-
ers hFoSSonaed in profuSicn wherever the ground
had not been prepared fer the noEc useful
grain, aud fnanv times we exclaimed surely,
- Solomon in all his glory was not a-rayezl IKE
one of these We met several times small
groups of Wild looking Arabs. bad peeT4e, :
oGr maIcteers called them, but they neither
: moleSted Is or made rs afraid At about
) P n we reached c1r destination, and enter
ed the rather suspicious hooking village Of Je-
min This was the ancient cirv OF Jczreel the
capital Of the IsraelitiSh kingdom. where wick
ell AlEab had his palace. where the more wick
el JcZebcI persuaded him 10 evil, and where
for The punishment. after meeting violent
death, she was thrown from The Ea1I> 10 be
eaten hy the do-> Ii was near this place, ar
50, that, long before, Saul gathered his army
together previous TO his last fatal bastfe. and
there are ruins which prove that even in later
times il was place of some consequence bat
now, Ike nearly .li the towns in Syria, II bears
the mark q the curse put upon il.
We lodged in mud hoaSe, consisting OF
three rude rooms without any furniture. One
was for T and myself, q low mud bank
serving g. 2 bed /: tie next oae for Elias 10
carry on his cooking operations and the third
furnished cur dlBiRg room, sBd afterwards, Is
usual, the bedroom. u ihe three geatleIaen-
CANNOT say the plaee was 81 eli inviting. bus
fatigue and good hGlaor together wilI seasoa
many bad dish 50 BE ase > good dinner
which Elas g2ve us- net Only thankfully hal
Iner-iIy, aEal beiook oQrSeiEes 10 reSl, having
a guard OF Arabs a. each door, which our
dragousza had procured IN the toRn, n0t deem
il exactly prplleat TO be wt-oaE aR add. tional
force anlplg people IN bad odx throughout
the eoGntry- Once olly Were Ee disturbed