The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1868-08-01
From the Cincinnati Enquircr.J
Interesting Sunday Reading.
Letter From the Holy Land.
HEBRON, March, 1868.
THE TOMB or RACHAEL.

six miles from Jerusalem, and consists
of little square building By the road.
side, with dome upon it. Its isolation
gives it prominence, and we experienced
sense of reverence as we stood there,
because there can hardly be any doubt
but that it is the very place where Rach-
acl was buried. A gemrally received
tradition makes this placeas the one Sin
tho way to Ephrath, which is Bcthle-
hem. and where Jacob set pillar on her
grave. There is something touching in
the life of Rachael, aud something not
little romantic in her marriage with Ja-
cob. When good old Jacob first saw the
maiden he kissed her, and lifted up his
&, dice and wept. There is something
very sentimental about the first meeting
at the we'll We can imagine how Jacob
was impressed, as he Incidentally met
Rachael thcre, aud how, with commend
able gallantry, he watercd her fathers
sheep. but we can scarcely understand
his presumption. Now this impression
made upon Jacob, unlike many others.
was permanent and lasting, for Rachael
was beautiful and well favored. The
courtship. however, was Of long dura-
tion, Notwithstanding the fact that Laban
was very favorably inclined toward his
subsequent son.in.law. With o modesty
not at all Characteristic of the present
time. Jacob offered To serve seven years
faithfully for Rachael because he did not
regard himself alone as an equivalent for
the sacrifice she would make in accept
ing Of him. But those were seven years
Of pleasure, and they seemed unto him
but few days for the love he had to her"
The Bible narrative does not forget to
tell US that he made prompt demand
for his wife when his days were fulfilled.
1t was in the form OF q contract, and
what handsome compliment was paid to
Rachael in the sacrifice that Jacob was
willing to make for her, and 10 the fact
that she was claimed for his own the
very moment he was entitled to her
What love was there manifested, and
how different was the love Of the first
centuries from that Of the ninteenth cen.
tury. How many young men of to-day
would water sheep and perform manual
labor seven years long for Rachael ?
We only know definitely of one, and VIC
fear that in his case both Laban and Ra-
chael would refuse to accept either of his
services or Of himself
HEBRON.
The. Hebron of today is situated near
ly three thousand feet above the level of
the sea, and contains about ten thousand
inhabitants 1t is built on the decliyity
of a beautiful valley aud is externally
one of the most attractive places IN the
Holy Land. BY the natural arrange
ment the houses appear TO the very best
advantage and in the distance Hebron
seems like one of our thriving country
towns 10 the interior of Ohio. The
buildings are generally Of stone, and
there are apparently two divisions of the
city, one being separated from the other
by extensive gardens. The gray walls of
the Haram appear most prominent and
rise like some huge castle above all the
surroundings. This is at the Hebron of
the nineteenth century, after an eventful
history of more than three thousand
years, and this Haram of which we speak
covers the cave OF Machpelah where
sleep Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and
Sarah and Rebekah and Leah. Rachael
should be there too with this goodly COM
pany, Dul her sepulchcr is on the way to
Bethlehem where she died.
There can scarcely be any doubt but
that the Turkish Mosque covers the spot.
and the walls OF the Haram inclose por-
ton, at least, of the field of Ephrah.
which Abraham purchased for four hun
dred shekels of silver, current money,
with the merchant. 1t il held in great
yencration by the Jews and the Mahom-
medaus guard it with the strictest jeal-
ousy. No one outside of the Moslem re-
ligion is permitted to enter there, and
when the Prince of Wales, through a
special fynaan from the Sultan OF Turkey,
gained access some time ago, it was found
necessary to protect his person from the
cnraged multitude by file of soldiers.
DIR. Thompson, in his work, thinks that
there is no room whatever for skepticism.
The buildings are evidently of great an
tiquity. They have been computed at
two hundred feet in length, one hundred
aud sixty feet in breadth and sixty in
height. They are located on the 0eclivi-
ty of the hill on which Hebron is built,
and present an imposing appearance from
the distance. There is no attempt at
architecture, and the masonry seoms to
be of very massive character. A writ
er of the the twelfth century, who gained
admission says that you enter through an
iron gate, and descending into one cave
you then pass through another and finally
reach a third which is the sepulcher of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as well as
those of Sarah, Rebekah and Lea. These
tombs are said to be directly opposite
to each other, and the one where Abra-
ham sleeps, contains the inscription,
8 This ia the sepulcher of our father
Abraham, upon whom be peace" We
walked about this venerable pile, and
looked IN upon the very pavement which
covers the Cavo of Machpelah, but Mos
lem fanaticism would not permit us to in
vestigate any further. We could be but
profoundly impressed as we stood BY the
last resting place of the old patriarchs,
There Abraham buried Sarah, his wife,
and there Isaac and Ishmael buried their
father, who " died in a good old age, an
old man, and full Of years" There Is
aac was gathered unto his people, and
there he was laid away by his sons, Esau
and Jacob, There, too, Jacob was bur-
led, after he had been brought from
/ Eovnt hv HE con Toca,ah With cc ,,.,,ch 10