Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-02-05
A Sunday in Jerusalem.

.
the Hotel Mediteranfe.
As church time drtw near, the skies
looked more and mre hopeless, and
mother and the other ladies dared not
venture out: but / decided that must
and would go to chtrch. One does
not often have the opportunity of 60
ing to church in Jerusalem, and long
ed to worship on the very hill Of Zion
itself.
/ Lieut.. Warren, well known for his
explorations IN the Holy City (uudel
the auspices Of the English Palestine
Exploration Company, was at that
time just commencing his work there,
and as we had come on from Alexan-
dria in the same steamer, and gone
through the same perils from wind
storms on our journey Zionward, we
were we'll acquainted. Lieut.. Warren,
I say, and a DR.. Scovel, a surgeon just
returning from the superintendent Of
Indian hospitals, offered to escort me.
We decided to 90 outside Of the city,
as the streets inside were disagraeably
slippery and muddy, and we vended
Our way to the Damascus Gate, and
through It's sombre portals to the out
side of the battlemented walls, whose
venerable appearance IS very imposing
= not disappointing as so many things
are in Jerusalem. We encountered at
the gate numerous small puppies, per-
fectly black and filthy from rolling in
the mud !; and these wretched little
creatures would persist in rubbing
against our feet In the New Jtrusa-
lem the scripture tells the dogs shah
be without, but in this earthly city they
abound both without and within-and
always disgusting, but doubly 50 on a
wet day.
We walked around, keeping close
! beneath the walls. to the JafHa Gate.
As we turned the angle Of the wall,
we saw on our right the road to Beth
lehem. At this point in the road one
usually sees lepers ''sitting by the way
side, begging > but to-day, perhaps
owing to the rain, the road was desert,
ed for which | was devoutly thankful
f. the looks, and above all the voices
of these poor wretches are exceedingly
painful to see and hear. The English
Chapel is on Mt. Zion, not far from
the Jaf2 gate; a small pleasant
church ~
The service was very Impressive !;
there in the city so dear to Christ,
where He had preached and died, we
listened - his words how real Hi;
life on earth seemed
Dr.. Bailey, an EngIisbman, preach
cd most excellent sermon, and the
hymns selected were all dear familiar
ones, in which the little congregation
joined most heartily, and we all left
the church feeling indeed thankful for
the privilege of the morning worship.
BY this time it had beautifully clear
ed off, and DR.. Scoyel proposed that
we should walk around the outside of
the city to st. Stephens gate, propo-
sition accepted with alacrity by Lieut.,
Warren and myself; and Oh, what a
delightful walk it was. We passed
over Mt. Zion and around the harem
on Mt. Moriah. Everywhere the path
uas close to the wall. Afar off we
saw the purpIish-blue mountains of
Moab close below US the valley of
Hin, ana opposite US the field where
ira }ition says Judas hanged himself !;
then we looked into the pool of Sloan !;
then across the Brook Kedr0n" to
the village Of Sloan, a collection of
stone huts, with difficulty at first dis
tinguished from the rocky hillside it
self; and then we turned the angle of
Mt. Moriah, and looked into the valley
of Jehosaphat. Every step was re
plete with interest, and we passed
along talking now half iestingly, now
reverentially as best beftted the day
and the place. But [ defy any one
with any sense of the ludicrous, not
to have it called into exercise in Jeru-
salem. or anywhere in Palestine, the
very incongruities and contrasts are so
startling and absurd, at times. As we
turned the corner Of the Harem wall,
beautiful white clouds were flying over
the summit of the green Mount Of Oh
ives then we caught a glimpse of the
Dead Sea, almost beyond the long line
Of the Moabite mountains it was very
beautiful. The tombs are thick in the
VALLEY of Jehosaphat, and crowd away
up the side of Olivet. Here, say. the
Jews, must the true believers rise at
the last day, and if their bodies rest
not here. their souls must make long
and painful journey under ground, till
they reach this place, for in this Valley
only can they be resutrected. [ think
this tradition is not universal among
the Jews, out certainly every year
numbers Of aged Jews come to Jerusa-
LEM to die, that they may be buried in
the valley Of Jehosophat, in sight OF
their hoIy place. ;,
Finally we reached St. Stephens
gate, Just outside of which tradition
affirms that the martyr was stoned,
Here we could see the tomb of the
Virgin Mary, and the walled garden Of
Genehsema, with its ancient Olive
trees. Close by the gate were some
mos,em tombs, with two CT three veiled
women standing silently beside them.
We entered the gate and found our