Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-04-23
HOLY PLAeEsIN BETHLEnEsr.
Erom the New York Observer.

Erom the New York Observer.
The site Of Bethlehem is peculiar. II stands
npona hill and is surrounded by other hills of
equal height. Some of these are terraced to
the summit, and being thickly set with the fig
and olive, have charming appearance. In
former times when the science Of cultivation
was better understood, and the people were a.
bile and willing to adorn and enrich the land
this must have been one of the most beautiful
regions in Palestine, and it is pleasant to mark
it as so inviting place for the advent of the
Lord of Life. In ancient times. the whole
country round about this, though rocky, and
apparently barren, as much Of the land Of Ju-
dea appears 10 be, was rendered exceedingly
productive, by means OF terraces, and must
have aboanded in grapes, figs and olives
These, with bread, probably constituted the
principal part of the food of the inhabitants
thcir living is essentially the same at this day.
The village of Bethlehem contains from
twelve to fifteen hundred souls--souis these
people have--and the Christian traveller enters
it's strect-it is mostly on one long street, with
painful reflections, as he thinks Of being in the
city Of David and the native place of the son
of God, while the people are wholly given to
iloatry or sunk ia superstition sc gross and
sensual as to make their views Of the way OF
life BY Jesus Christ as dark and dangerous as
II The light Of the gospel had never broken in
for 4 single moment their minds. A few
wears ago there were several families here who
followed the false prophet Mahomet, but so fire.
quent and so fierce became the difficulties be-
tween them and the Others, who bore the name
of Christian. that the Pasha took very sum-
mary mode Of settling the disputes-he drove
all the NahoBeians cut of the place, and tore
down their houses. Il his was hard, it was
q very efFectual mode OF disposing OF G trou-
blesome subject, and it shows to what depth
OF snbiectIon the Inhabitants of this sacred
country are reduced. Now the Bethehemites
are, all of them, Roman Catholic, Greek and Ar
Jnenian Christians, living in no better harmo-~
II &C feeling with one another than they did
with the Arabs, but they are restrained by the
arm of power from outbreaks which disturb
the peace Of the town.
They have their three converts within the
same outer walls, known By the names of the
several sects, and each claiming the sanctity
that belongs to the possession OF the Holy pla-
vast edifce, supposed to be the church built
by Helena, the celebrated mother Of the En-
peror Constantine, though others say that her
church was destroyed by the Mosens, and the
present temple was erected on the same site.
And this church, it Is held, is built on the spot
where our Lord was born. Under the church
/ entered the chapel in which they showed us
the pretended manager, or rather one made to
represent it, for the original, they say,
carried to Rome, in which the infant Jesus
was laid. a few feet from the manger is an
altar, occupying the spot where the Magi stood
when they offered their gifts of gold, franklin
cense and Inyrrh. Il brilliant star, to repre-
sent the one which stood over the place: :sswhere
The ycung child was" now marks the spot
where it is believed that the Saviour was born.
In my travels in Italy and the East, have
often found that The stables for the cattle are
fitted up with comfortable places for beds, af-
ter the manner Of the bcrths on shipboard, and
in them the men who have the care of the hor-
Ees are accustomed to sleep. If the hotel is
full Of guests, any one would prefer to take a
bed in the stable where he would be protected
from The night air, rather than lie out, and it
was not, therefore, SO unusual aud trying cir
cumstance, as 1t appears at first view, that Jo-
seph and Mary should be compelled TO take re-
fuge for the night in the stable. The same
cause, the registry of all persons who belong
ed originally in Bethlehem and must now re-
sort here 20 be tarsd, OF enrolled for taxation,
might have brought others here on the same
errand, and made the inns inadequate to fur
nish beds And II is not an Unusual practice
even now, in this same country, 10 use one hall
Of the house for stable; and the other for the