The Cecil Whig., 1874-12-19
NO. 1880.

Almost literally embowered in olive trees,
its size and structure could not be fully
appreciated. l was surprised to find it's
streets more commodious, and its houses
better built than those of Jerusalem. 1t
has about 5000 inhabitants, 500 of whom
are Christians. There is here a prosperous
Protestan mission. The Samaritans are
greatly reduced, the latest statistics allow
ing them not more than $50. | saw their
little synagogue-their two noted manu-
script pentateuchs, the one a thousand, and
the other three thousand years old Put
ting the oldest at thousand, and the latest
at IA few hundred, and we have likely the
correct estimate. They are both elegantly
engrossed, and are too valuable to be kept
in old pine boxes, and under the careless
hand of not over scrupulous young man.
I The bazaars of the place are well stocked,
and there is altogether busy air about the
town. Just below the town, toward the
mouth Of the valley, is the point where
Gerizim and Ebal come closest together.
! There cannot be the least doubt but all the
| physical conditions of the blessings and
curses (Deut. XII, 90, 30; xvii, 1-13; Josh.
viii, 30-35) were here found. We did not
test them; but our dragoman, a thoroughly
reliable gentleman, had tested them over
and over again.
The road from Nablous to Samaria was,
for the first hour, along rushing streams
and through groves Of olive, pomegranate,
! fig and ounce trees. The blossom of the
pomegranate is rich scarlet color, and
holds on to the tree often long after the
fruit is quite large. You may pluck from
the same tree good sized fruit and the
fresh, exquisite blossom. Two hours
brought us in full view of Samaria, the
broken towers of the old church of St.
John rising from the hill on which the
modern village Of Sebastieh stands. The
site Of the ancient city, the capital of Israel,
(the kingdom of the Ten Tribes, was well
chosen-a hill or mountain, not so remark
ably high as distinct, separated on all sides
and rising in successive tiers-a situation
favorable both for defense and embelish-
ment. The principal ruin is the church of
st. John, enough of which is left to show
its proportions and architectural order. 1t
is most probably of the crusader period.
Immediately on leaving Samaria there is
a long hill TO be crossed. On the northern
slope of this hill we sat beneath dense fig
trees and lunched, meanwhile feasting the
vision on the lovely plain of Ramah. l re-
call no short bit of scenery which affects
me more pleasantly than that l enjoyed
along and through this little valley. The
harvesters were busy through it's whole ex-
tent counted fifty-the men reaping,
the women gathering the sheaves and bear
ing them away on their heads, the camels
and asses freighted with these gathered
sheaves and moving slowly to the villages
perched on the hills, the cattle, goats and
sheep turned upon the new and tender
stubble, tended by beys and girls, all in
their variegated costumes, with sunny faces,
formed picture l cannot soon forget. 1t
was not hard to realize like scene on the
equally narrow and fertile valley of Bethle-
hem, rendered far more memorable by the
sacred epic of Boaz and Ruth. This plain
of Ramah merges into that of Dothan,
valley broader, longer and richer than that
of Ramah. The golden grain was stand
ing thick upon its surface, ready for the
thrust of the sickle. The natural scene,
Ino Il WIT IN ,ft
ton as the historic associations which the
name of Dothan suggested. We stopped
by the well where the herdsmen with their
fiocks were gathered, much as Joseph found
his brethren after his toilsome search. l
could SO easily imagine the youths rejoic-
ing, in his innocent confidence, as he ap-
preached his long sought brothers, little
thinking of the envy which was even then
undoing him. One and ahalf miles away
the great caravan-road for Damascus and
Gilead, to Egypt, crosses the ridge and
strikes the plain. Turning their eyes
thither, the brethren saw the Midianitish
spice merchants debouching upon the plain,
and soon the sale of the lad was accom-
plshed, and he was carried away into
Egypt. "And the patriarchs, moved with
envy, sold Joseph into Egypt; but God
was with him." The next two or three
hours ride, a half, hour of which was
through one of the most extensive olive
orchards in Palestine, brought us to the
town of Jenin, which occupies command
ing site at the north entrance to the Plain
of Esdraelo lon.- Methodist.