Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1873-10-05
THE HOME OF OUR SAVIOUR.

THE HOME OF OUR SAVIOUR,
Syriac priest, Rev. Father Sabungi,
thus described in recent lecture in Chi.
cago the home of Jesus Christ: Nazareth.
the home OF Jesus and Mary, is n small
town of Galilee, with population of
about five thousand, no more, no less
than in the days of Josephus. The
houses are mass of tiny square build.
lngs, devoid OF elegance, within and with
out. The barrenness of the work of man
is there ID exceeding contrast to the rich
ness OF nature. On every side are groups
OF mulberry, fig, almond, orange and
lemon trees; among them luxuriant
vines, and towering high above great
oaks and pines. Nazareth is a spot
where the Christian soul might well with
draw, as did Christ, for rest, for even to
the eye it speaks of absolute happiness.
The ancient fountain whittier Mary was
wont to go to draw water is almost ruined,
but there the women are conspicuous by
their beauty, and in every century their
physical grace and comeliness of feature
have been noted by historians. The
beauty of Mary, the mother of God, is
not a mere idea.
In Judea and Syria, Jews and Chris
tians distrust each other, but in Naza-
reth, the home of Him who caused this
discord, it is almost unknown. Visible
within the horizon of Nazareth are the
holy places of the patriarchal age; the
mountains of Gilboa, Mount Thabor, the
Valley of the Jordan, the plains OF Pc
rea. On the north is seen Cesarea Phil
ippi, extending toward the Gallilee of
the Gentiles, and on the south is the sad
country of Judea, withered under desc
lation and death. II Christianity would
erect to its founder q monument any
where on earth, the site should be the
summit of the city Of Nazareth. Caper-
naum, where Jesus commenced his mis-
sion, is on the lake of Tiberias, an oval
body of water whose flint stone border
gives it the appearance of a miniature
sea. At the extremity Of the plain of
Genesareth there are charming mead
ows. The brook of Ain Tabiga winds
through these, and its sky blue waters,
fringed with shells, are inclosed by bar
rem rocks that seem to have golden
base. To the northward rise the snowy
summit of mount Hermon, forming a
white line in the horizon. The heat on
the lake shore is intense, the depression
is 700 feet below the Mediterranean, and
the temperature torrid as that of the
Dead Sea, whose level is 700 feet below
Tiberias. Beyond the border noun
tains, up the country of Genesareth,
within the village Of Magidol, is the
home of Mary Magdalen. Near by is
the road which Jesus often travelled be-
tween the plain of Genesareth and the
southern extremity of the lake. OF the
five villages which were the amphi.hea-
ter of the labor OF Jesus, only one, Mag
dala, is yet to be seen. Chorazin, Beth
saida and Capernaum have disappeared.
The Jordan, in which Jesus was bap-
tized. is the only river of Palestine, it is
deep and rapid and divides the country.
Its sources are in the mountains of Leb-
anon, and it empties into the Dead Sea.
Its waters are red and turbed, and it was
never navigable on account of the irregu-
hrity of its course. Joshua severed its
waters as did Moses those of the Red
Sea. 1t is the most celebrated river in
Biblical history.