The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-02-26
Gethsemane.

of the Bible, now in course of publication by
Hurd and Houghton. 1t was prepared by an
American writer as an addition to the article on
Gethsemane, subject of most tender and never
ending interest to all Christians.
Gethsemane, which means san olive
press" is found, according to the nara
tive, in the proper place; for Olivet, as
the name imports, was famous for Its
olive trees, still sufficiently numerous
there to justify its being so called, though
little cultivation of any sort appears now
on that mount. The place is called also
ga garden" but we are not by any means
to transfer to that term our ideas of its
meaning. 1t is to be remembered, as
Stanley remarks IS. i. z. p. 1877, first.
ed, that Eastern gafdens are not tiower-'
gardens, not private gardens, but the
orchards, vineyards and fig enclosure"
near the towns. The low wall, covered
with white stucco, which encloses the re-
puted Gethsemane, is comparatively mod
ern. A series of rude pictures utterly
out of place there, where the memory
and the heart are the only prompters re-
quired) are hung up along the face of the
wall, representing different scenes in the
history of Christ's passion, such as the
scourging, the mockery of the soldiers,
the sinking beneath the cross, and the
like. The eight olive trees here though
still verdant and productive, are so de-
cayed as to require to be propped up
with heaps of stones against their trunks
in order to prevent their being blown
down by the wind. Trees of this kind
are proverbially long lived. Schubert,
the celebrated naturalist, decides that
those in Gethsemane are old enough to
have fourished amid race of contempo-
raries that perished centuries ago, (Reise
IN das Morganland, ii. 521.) Stanley
also speaks of them "as the most vener-
able of their race on the face of the
earth. The most affecting of the sa-
cred memorials in or about Jerusalem. "
Is. & p. p. 45O,- first ed
There are two or three indications in
the Gospel history which may guide US
as to the general situation of this ever
memorable spot to which the Saviour re-
paired on the night of his betrayal. 1t
is quite certain that Gethsemane was on
the western slope of Olivet, and near the
base of that n.ountain where it sinks
- sez zshe Kedcon.--
with his disciples beyond the brook Ke-
dron, where was a garden" John 18:
1,) it is implied that he did not 90 far
up the Mount of Olives, but reached the
place which He had in view soon after
crossing the bed of that stream. The
garden it viii be observed, is named in
that passage with reference to the brook,
and not the mountain. This result agrees
also with the presumption from the Sa-
viour's abrupt summons to His disciples
recorded in Matt. 26: 47;-"Arise, let
us be going; see, he is at hand that doth
betray Me-" The best explanation of
this language is, that His watchful eye
at that moment caught sight of Judas
and his accomplices, as they issued from
one of the eastern gates, or turned round
the northern or southern corner of the
walls, in order to descend into the valley.
The nj ght, with the moon then near its
full, and about the beginning of April,
must have been clear, or if exceptionally
dark, the torches John IS: 13) would
have left no doubt as to the object of
such movement at that unreasonable
hour. 1t may be added that in this
neighborhood also are still to be seen
caverns and deserted tombs into which
His pursuers may have thought that He
would endeavor to escape and conceal
Himself, and so came with lights to fol-
low him into these lurking places.
The present enclosure known as Geth-
semane fulfills all these conditions; and
so also, it may be claimed, would any
other similarly situated across the brook,
and along the western decliyity ia front
of Jerusalem. Tischendorf (Reise IN
Orient, i. 312) finds the traditionary 10.
cality Gin perfect harmony with all that
we learn from the Evangelists. Thom.
son Land and Book, ii. 284) thinks il
should be sought "rather in a secluded
vale several hundred yards to the north.
east of the present Gethsemane." Rob
inson alleges no positive reasons against
the common Identification. "Tbe au
thenticity of the sacred garden" says
Williams Holy City, ii. 1879 81 choose
rather to believe than to defend" But
such differences of opinion as these in.
volve an essential agreement. The orig
inal garden may have been more or less
extensive than the present site, or have
stood few hundred rods further to the
north or the south, but far, certainly
from that spot it need not be supposed
to have been. We may sit down there
.I rnnd tho nn,.rn4;,,A &C urLnt tho c.