The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1873-06-14
The Monks of BethJeh en-.

| Six miles south of Jerus lem lies, on the slope
| OF rugged ridge, the t.wn Of Bethlehem OF
Judea. 1t consists of few narrow streets, along
which straggle some two Hundred houses. The
traveller who leaves the Boly City BY the Jaffa
gate, crosses the Valley of Gihon, and taking the
road over the heights that skirt the Valley of
Rephaim, catches here and there thrc ugh open
ings in the bills, 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 fourteen centuries, the Chu ch
OF the Nativity, whose Basilica and Sacred Grot-
10 now, as in ages long past are in th; joint pos
session of the Greeks, Latins and Arnenians -
Each of these orders of monks occupy tatr. n
monasteries adj jacent to the church--those the
Greek persuasion being under the protecto- ate of
Russia those of the Latin under that of France.
From the broad fiat roof of the monastery of the
Latius 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, the voice of
the shepherd leading his hocks to pasture, and
the tinkling of bells. The dark greeu foliage of
the orange and the fig, tempered by the greyer
tnts Of the olive, spreads, in places, across the
valley until they mingle with the lea YES of the
vines planted in terraces on the broken slopes of
the bills. To the east, are the plains of the Jor-
dan, and the mountains of Gilead, Moab, and
SER. To the north, the bleak and rugged hills
o. sdes rounding and sHfeaaiaq f aF a 9ra6raK a6 jRt9
dsahsea dfErs M bSE s STs y Of Uras
lying in the lap of hills all bare and SCARED, and
not very far off are the Pools of Solomon-three
vast reservoirs built one above another, on the
soping sides of narrow valley, aud tapped, AT
the lowest point, by the aqueduct that supplies
Jerusalem with water.
Descending from the roof of the monastery
and entering the Church of the Nativity, its no.
BILE Basica, with its double lines of Moorish
columns, is perhaps, the most striking architec-
tural feature. Under the high altar is The Grotto
of the Nativity, reached by two shori flights of
steps, one on each side OF the altar. The So
called Grotto is small subterranean ca pei, con-
sructed in the natural cavern of limestone rock,
once used as stable, according to the frequent
custom of the country. The chapel, ,hirty-6ve
feet in length and twelve in breadth, is hung, in
part, with cloth, painted in co.ors and enIblazon-
ed 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
a semi circular recess of about six feet ia dame
ter, faced and paved with rare marbles of various
colors. In the centre Of the pavement of this re-
cess is silver star, which marks, or is supposed
10 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 its aromatic fra
GRANGE. This description, gathered from many
sources, will to elucidate the causes of the
quarrel between the Latin and Greek Monks
which has stained the pavement with human
blood, and brought dishonor upon the Christian
name.
As at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, at
Jerusalem, the joint occupancy OF the Church and
Grotto of the Nativity at Bethlehem, has led to
frequent and bitter controversies, each Of the two
distinct orders of monks being jealous of its priv
ileges even in the most trivial matters. These
guardians Of the sacred ediice have illustrated
on many occasions their Christian q al by the
most unchrstian practices At one time, years
ago, the disappearance of the silver star from the
recess of the Grotto, gave rise to a bitter feud in
which the Latins, by French intervention, ulti-
mately triumphed over the Greeks. More recent
ly, the attempt of the Latins TO repair the paint
ed cloth-worn and blurred with age-with
which the ceiling of the Grotto is covered, ex-
cited the anger of the Greeks, and the trouble
was only settled by the arrival OF Turkish troops.
and alter protracted diplomatic negotiations be-
tween the representatives of France and Russia
respectively at Constantinople The evil spirit
thus engendered has, since then, been continual
ly manifesting itself in petty things. A few
months ago the old cdSuS 6elli broke out afresh.
In spite of the protests of the Greeks the pictur-
ed canvas that had been so long subject of dis
Pute, was removed by the direct orders of the
Sultan, and replaced BY another, freshly painted,
and an exact reproduction Of the orioinaI Then
IoiloWed !uTTner conIGss- The Gree--
an additional lamp into the Grotto the Launs
supplemented the innovation by hanging on the
tyalls an additional piece of silk drapery. This
brought war of words. From words the rival
monks proceeded to blows, and from blows to
disgraceful fight with firearms within the pre-
cincts of the sanctuary. In the melee eleven Of
these precious members of the church militant
were either killed or severely wounded, and the
murderous affray was only brought to a close by
the interposition of Turkish troops. 1t is scam
dal to the age; a scandal to civilization, that in
the land from which we derive our religious faith,
and in the very birthplace of the Saviour, such
unseemly brawls and sanguinary excesses should
be permitted to desecrate the sanctuaries that
the constant resort of pilgrims from every Chris
tian land.-Baltimore Gazette.