Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1873-07-25
The Holy Land.

~ New York lawyer is travelling in the
Holy Land, aud writes his impressions to
the New York ObScrrer. Here is what he
says of the Sea Of Galilcc and Nazareth
y short ride from Tabor will bring us to
the SEA of Galilee. We see nothing of it
till we come suddenly to a deep basin, and
there, one thousand feet below us, lies the
httle lake like a jewel of crystal. You SEQ
it all at one glance, from its northern to lie
southern limit, and On every side. You
are surprised to see how suall il appears.
IL is thirteen miles long and six broad, aud
yet it looks not more than five miles long,
so clear is the atmosherr. The hills of
Bashan, on the opposite shore, rise abruptly
two thousand feet high, and to the north
the land rises gradually to the foot Of Her
mon.
We descend and encamp on tho beach.
The waters are rs clear as crystal. A wild
gorge on the shore just opposite us marks
the place called GcrXesa, where the demo-
MAC was held. While we were there q
tempest of wind came down on the lake,
and in an hour lashed it into fury. We
could well understand the terror of tho dis
cples in one of these storms at midnight
The only town Of any kind on the shores
to be seen is Tiberias, once q proud city,
now dilapidated residence of Arabs.
North of Tiberias is the site Of MaCdala,
Capcrnaum and Chorazin but no man can
tell where the two last named were situa-
ted. The woe pronounced against these
places which rejected the Lord, is so liter
ally fulfilled, that even their ruins lio hid
den from the gaze of man. 1t is one of tho
saddest pictures in the Holy Land to stand
on the shores Of this beautiful lake, once
teeming with life and commerce, once
blessed with the picture, preaching aud
miracles of our Divine Lord, and to see the
utter desolaton which hovcrs over it. Not
man, not boat, not moving thing to
he seen on it, or on its shores. At sunset
it cleaned like q most beautiful Jewel, set
around by the hills OF Cachan, Hermon and
Tabor, whose tops were tinged with the
soft glow Of golden light but there was
death-hkc stiffness reiguing over the whole
which one could feel, and which was al
most appalling.
Nazareth is one of the prettiest towns in
Palestine j is built OF white stone, and
rises on the side of a high hill which slopes
into II wide and fruitful valley. From the
top Of the side of a high hill which slopes
into wide and fruitful valley. From tho
top of this hin where the Saviour in his
youth must often have wandered, the view
is grand. Here you see the Mediterranean,
Mount Carmel across the plain of Esdrac-
Ion, which is at your feet q; the mountains
Of Gilboa and Tabor, aud scores of places
memorable in Scripture history. If you
choose to be credulous, you may see tho
house Of Mary where she received the won
drous aununciaton of the angel Gabriel
her kitchen and cooking utensils also the
house at Joseph and his workshop, and
even the chair he made and sat in.
1t was enough for me to know that here
the child Jesus lived, that he walked these
streets, roamed over these hills and valleys,
that he here developed his true humanity,
and "incrcaacd IN wisdom and stature aud
favor with God and man."