The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1877-12-26
A VISIT TO MODERN BETHLEHEM.

Bethlehem at once struck US as thriving
place, and appeared in favorable contrast to
Hebron, which we had lately left This is
attributed to the fact that its population,
5 900 in number, is almost entirely Christian
"a circumstance pleasing in itself, and also
in its bearing on us, for our approach was
greeted with smiles, and not with scowlS as
in fanatical Hebron. Many bright little
fellows came running up, not to howl at US,
but to hold our horses while We dismounted
at the door of the Latin monastery. We saw
mothers of Bethlehem, too, carrying their in
fants in their arms, just as one, the most
blessed among them, had carried hers, ten
derby, lovingly of old. And sometimes by
their sides there tottered simple little ones,
of two years old and under, the living repre-
sentatives of Rachel's slaughtered iunOcents.
The Latin monks received US with bene-
diction, and put the convent table at our SER
vice. The Church of ST. Mary, round which
the three converts cluster, is one of the old
est Christian churches extant. 1t was built
by Helena, the mother of Constantine, on
the site of an old khan, believed to be the
inn where Joseph and his young wife sought
shelter on their memorable journey. Lovers
of legend trace back the site even to the days
of Jeremiah-thence to Chimham, and thence
to Ruth herself, whose house, they say, was
built on the very spot where her descendant,
Mary, brought forth her divine first, born
Certain it is, that the spot has been revered
for centuries by countless pilgrims, and that
the possession of the church has long been a
matter of serious dispute among the sects
1t is now divided among the Greeks, Latins,
and Armenians, who have each monastery
adjoining the Bssiica.
The interior Of the church, with its long
nave and double aiSles, is very plain: though
it's four rows of marble columns and the lin
gerng mosaics on its walls bespeak former
splendor. We found Turkish guard sta
toned inside to maintain peace 1t is mel
ancholy fact that, not many years ago, the
hostility of the rival sects reached such a
pitch, that knives and pistols were freely
used, life destroyed, and many of the coveted
relics hopelessly ruined in the mad scramble
for the possession of them. So there the
Moslem stands, and smiles, mayhap, as he
sardonically mutters: "See how these Chris
tians hate one another "
We descended to the Holy Crypt, and
here another guard was stationed; for here
the brawl had reached its fercest--here, on
the spot where the angel voices sang, "Peace
on earth, good will to men!" Striving to
forget the presence of the cOwled franciscan
and the bsyoneted Turk, we peered through
the dim, religious light, around the sacred
grotso. We saw in recess the silver star,
supposed to mark the spot where the Virgin
lay, and bearing round it the words so full
of meaning to mankind: "Hic de VSrgine
Maria Jesus CtristNs aatu8 est" We saw
the adjoining chapel of the magi, and the
mapger where the babe was laid.
Aud was it all authentic? Well, the spot
was somewhere hereabout, at least and there
is certain interest in that. The signi6.
canoe, no doubt, lies not in the hic, after ALL
It matters not that we cannot localze with
full assurance the very spot where the Christ
was born. Enough that We can say of this
guilty world of ours, that here the Son of
God became man. That is the true marvel,
that the important fact for US to know. Yet
there is no other spot on earth where it can,
with equal certainty, be said, that here was
born the holy child, Jesus. And even the