The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1873-07-03
The Monks OF Bethlehem.

Six miles south of Jerusalem lies, on the
slope of rugged ridge, the town Of Bethlehem
of Judea. It consists Of few narrow streets,
along which straggle some two hundred
houses. The traveller who leaves tho Holy
Holy City by tbe Jata Gate, crosses the
valley at Gihon, and taking the road over
the heights that skirt the Valley of
Rephanaim, catches here and there, through
openings in the hills, glimpses Of the Dead
Sea. On the crest Of rocky eminence, at
the eastern edge of the town, rises, massive
in strength, and hoar with the weight of four
teen centuries, the Church of the Nativity,
whose Basilica and Sacred Grotto now,. as
in ages long past, are in the joint possession
Of the Greeks, Latins and Armenians.
Each of three orders Of monks occupy their
own monasterles adjacent to the church
those of the Greek persuasion being under
the protectorate Of Russia; those of the
Latin under that of France.
FROM the broad fat roof of the monastery
Of the Latins there is grand view Of the
surrounding country in its beauty and its
desolation. From the valley below, with its
green meadows and its orchards Of olive
trees, comes up, as Of old, in the still air of
the early morning. Of the sheperd leading
his Hocks to pasture, and the tinkling Of
bells The dark green foliage Of the orange
and the fig, tempered by the greyer tints Of
the olive, spreads, in places, across the valley
until they mingle with the leaves Of the vines
planted in traces on the broken slopes Of the
hills To the east, are the plains Of the Jor-
dan, and the mountains Of Gilead, Moab,
and Seir To the north, the bleak rugged
hills Of Judea, rounding and softening grad
ually into verdure as they sweep to the west
in the remotest distance. On the south, are
tho gardens Of Urtas, lying in the lap Of
hills all bare and SCARED, and not very far
off arc the Pools Of Solomon-three vast
reservoirs, built one above another, on the
sloping sides sides Of narrow valley, and
tapped, at the lowest point, by the aqueduct
that supplies Jerusalem with water.
Descending from the roofof the monastery,
and entering the Church of the Nativity, its
noble Basilica, with its double lines Of
Moorish columns, tho most striking archi-
tectural feature, under the high alter is
tho Grotto Of the nativity, reached by two
short flights Of steps, one on each side of the
altar. The so-called Grotto is a small sub.
terranian chapel, constructed in the natural
cavern Of limestone rock, once used as a
stable, according to the frequent custom Of
the country. The chapel, thirty five feet iu
length and twelve in breadth, is hung, in
part, with cloth, painted in colors and
emblazened with Latin emblems, and partly
with richly embroidered tapestries. Thirty
two silver lamps, suspended by chains of the
same metal, light up the interior. ;, At one
end Of the sacred Grotto is semi-circular
recess of about six feet in diameter, faced
and paved with rare marbles Of various
colors. In the centre of the pavement Of
this recess is silver star, which marks, OF
is supposed to mark, the identical spot on
which the Saviour was born. On the opposite
side of the chapel is another holy place
| lighted, like the shrine Of the nativity, with
sixteen lamps, and the smoke from golden
censers fills the air with aromatic fragrance
This deception, gathered from many sources
will serve to elucidate the causes of the
quarrel between the Latin and the Greek
Monks, which has stained the pavement
with human blood, and brought dishonol
upon the Christian name.
As at the Church Of the Holy Scpulchre a
Jerusalem, the joint occupancy of the
Church and the Grotto of the Nativity a
Bethlehem, has led to frequent and bittel