Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1860-08-16
Religious Intelligence.

Enthusiastically the Jew, Christian, and
Mohammedan, Jerusalem is the most sacred
spot on earth. Here cluster the fondcst and
purest remembrances Of our childhood
Here transpircd the most momento,is events
which are recorded in the annals OF sacred or
profsnc history. Here was consummated, by
the voluntary sacrifice of the Son Of God, the
great plan of mans redemption; and here he
shall come again, not as the lowly Nazarenc,
but to take vengeance on his enemies, and to
be admired of his friends, when his feet
shall stand upon the Mount of Olives" Here
dwet that king whose glory and renoWn at
tractcl the Queen Of Sheba, and whose wis
dom and works of art 50 astounded her that
she was forced to exclaim, " tho half of the
greatness Of his wisdom was not told her for
he exceeded the fame that she had heard" 4"
To this goal the depressed and the degraded
Hebrews looked forward when chaIing be-
meath the yoke Of bondage imposed upon
them by that king who knew not Joseph.
And hithcr they came, after long and weary
years of wandering in the desert. The
highest aspiration of the "Grcat Lawgiver"
centred here; and most earnestly did he en-
treat the Lord to let him view this land of
promise, before he was gathered to his faith
crs. Here lived the great king Mclchizcdck
and here, for time, dwclt the friend of
God" ..
Every change that time and man can effect
has been wrought on this devoted city
Literally has the donunciation pronounced
against it been fulfilled and we now see the
abomnation of desolation, spoken by Daniel
the prophet, standing where it ought not. ("
Where the magnificent Temple of Solomon,
erected in honor of the Unutterable," once
stood, now towers the Mohammedan Mosque
of Omar. And from this sacred spot peals
forth the Muzzim's cry, five times during tile
twenty-four hours-at dawn Of day, uooh,
three o'clock, sunset, and two hours after
sunset-to call the faithful to prayers. What
heart-rendng emotions GIL the breast of every
Christian as these words strike upon his ear :
g God is grcat-God is great; Mohammct is
the prophet of God !" This is first pro-
claimed from the minarct of the Temple
enclosure, (thc Harcm es Sharif) and then
repeated by cries from the minarcts in differ.
ent paris Of the city. The cry at dawn of
day is little modified, having this addition !:
Arise from sleep and come to prayers, for
prayer is better than sleep" When this
summons is made--wbich is done by blind
men, chosen for the office, that they may not
look down upon the women on the house
tops, or in the courts below-thc Gevout
Mohammedan, no matter where he is, or un-
der what circumstances es--whether gossipping
with his wives, promcnading on the public
plain and in the fields, or vending goods in
the market--dofs his slippers and tarbusb,
washes his feet, head, face, hands--if they
are in the fields water is omitted; and then,
after spreading a rug, proceeds with his genu-
flexions, uttering at the same time what has
beer proclaimed from the minaret, making
no petitions, expressing no gratitude. They
who are not so devo,it do not inconvenience
themselves to pray Immediately If they are
engaged in either business or pleasure, they
defer their prayers for more convenient sea
son. So they pray before the Muzzim sounds
again, it is Just as acceptable The women
pray with the head covered.
Time has left unchanged the immutable
hills which still stand around about Jerusa-
lem, as in The days Of yore.. The natural
feature of the landscape is unchanged
" Beautiful for situation, the Joy Of the whole
earth is Mount Zion" The modern town
FL khuds, or the Holy, as it is called BY the
Arabs-stands upon the same site as that oc-
cupied by the city when it was besieged by
Titus, but more circumscribed in extent.