The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1867-05-15
The Holy Land In 1867.
A correspondent Of the Chicago Jour;
nal, writing from Palestine, saYs: Z

A correspondent Of the Chicago Jour:
nal, writing from Palestine, says: 2
There is, perhaps, no country upon
the earth about which more has been
written than Palestine. And few visit it
without being disappointed in regard to
many things. II is certainly pleasing to
realize that you are in the same city
where David and Solomon reignsd-to
know that you walk the same streets and
stand upon the same mountains once hal.
lowed by the footsteps Of Christ. Along
the banks Of the Jordan and over the
plains Of Sharon have wandered, re-
membering that I was treading upon
ground which was intimately connected
with human history during a period of
almost three thousand years. But while
strange emotions connected with the past
came stealing over me, could but feel
disappointed at the desolation, barren.
ness and drearipess Of the whole country.
have not seen wagon road in Pales.
tine. Even the stones aud timber for
building the houses Of Jerusalem must
be brought in the city upon the backs Of
camels and donkeys /; and the roads over
which Abraham, David, Christ and the
Apostles once travelled are but paths
winding over rocks ard around the base
Of sterile mountains. In fact, this whole
land, said to have been once SO beautiful,
is now but rocky, barren waste. l
think / have seen more good land in one
square mile in Iowa or Illinois than in
all Palestine.
Much Of the country is occupied by
the Bedouin Arabs, and for the privilege
Of visiting the river Jordan and Dead
Sea, their Sheik requires $3.50 from each
person. For this amount he sends a
guard of Arabs with you. The Bedouins
would be noble race were II not for
their inborn disposition to steal, lie, rob
aud murder. / slept on a house.top
among them at Jericho, and while l
slep. with three to guard me, others out.
side amused themselves by cutting each
others throats, and three were reported
left dead on the field. Upon the whole
think l should not like the Bedouins for
neighbors, and think their presence in q
community would not be very agreeable.
But little of Jerusalem remains as il
was in the days Of Christ. A portion Of
the vail on the side next 10 the Mount
Of Olive is doubtless the same that exist
ed in His time, as is also a part Of the
tower Of David near the Jaffa gate. The
The stones in these old walls are many pt
them of wonderful size. measured one
which is twenty-four feet long and al
most four feet in thickness. The ma.
chincry by which these immense blocks
were raised to their places in the wall is
among the things Of the past in the bis.
tory Of the Holy City. Whenever a
stone is dressed more on its edges than
in the centre the workmanship is known
to be antique, and this is one of the
marks to which attention Is called when
the old walls are shown If / remem-
Der correctly, the stones in the great Geo,
trail depot at Chicago are dressed in the
same manner. 1t is quite easy to walk
entirely around the outside of the walls
of Jerusalem in three quarters of an
hour, aud the present population is said
to be only $4,000. While looking at the
city as it now stands, with its narrow
streets filled with dogs, Arabs and filth,
it is hard to realize that it was once the
home of more than one million human
beings, and the proud metropolis Of a
mighty nation. While looking out of
the window at the Mosque of Omar,
where tho Turks bear rule, can but
ask myself the question, is IL possible
that on that spot stood the Temple of
Solomon2 Is il there that David held
his cOurt2 The pages of history an
swer, Yes. That spot is Mount Moriah.
Upon that ground stood that Temple
whose glory filled the whole earth.