The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-02-23

BANIAs (CESAREA PHILIPPI) April 10, 1877.
ain those fields,
Over whose acres walked those blessed feet
Which, eighteen centuries ago, were nailed
For our advantage on the bitter cross"
At last I have fulfilled long cherished
desire to see with mine own eyes and to
tread with mine own feet the most sacred
and the most classical land in the world.
My only regret is that 1 did not visit it
twenty or thirty years earlier. have
been neither favorably nor unfavorably
disappointed found the country and
the people pretty much as expected, but
I trust understand both better than be-
fore. My faith in the Bible has not been
shaken, but confirmed. The Bible is the
best handbook for the Holy Land, and
the Holy Land the best commentary on
the Bible.
approached Palestine from the will
derness and the Philistine city of GAIA,
where the Jewish Hercules exhibited his
strength and his weakness. Two pillars
of granite are still shown which Samson
pulled down, destroying himself and three
thousand Philistines assembled at feast.
The Moslems of the place claim him as
Mohammedan, the Greek Christians as a
Christian l was interested in the old
Greek church and school, and still more
in three Protestant schools which Mr.. w.
Pritchett, pious Englishman, established
in this city with three teachers,-one a
grateful pupil of the late DR.. Calhoun of
Lebanon, and two sisters of Miss Thomp-
sons school at Beirut. This gave me the
first idea of the educational work going on
in Palestine and Syria in the interest of
Evangelical missions. [ then crossed over
fertile plains and rocky hills to Bet il
brim (the ancient Eleutheropolis) and He
bron, the city of Abraham, surrounded by
rich vineyards. I went to the door of the
famous mosque which conceals the remains
of the patriarchs, and had taste of Mos
lem fanaticism in rude attack of der
wish and the curses of the children in the
street, but got complete satisfaction from
the governor, who imprisoned the offender
and sent us military guard. Istood un-
der the venerable oak of Mamre, where
the Father of the Faithful entertained
the angelic visitors. I spent some hours
in Bethlehem, and was shown by kind
Franciscan monk the place where our Sa-
viour was born, the manger in which he
laid, and the study where St. Jerome
translated the Bible. I enjoyed the ex-
tensive view from Neby Samuel over the
battlefield of Gideon and Bethhoron, the
Plain of Sharon, and the cities of Ramleh
and Jaffa.
spent ten days at Jerusalem, visiting
the traditional localities Of the greatest
events which ever occurred or will occur,
and attending the solemnities of the Latin
and the Greek Easter with mingled feel
ings of Joy and sadness. I looked upon
this most sacred and most desecrated city
from Mt. Olivet, where our Saviour as
cended to heaven. I visited the ruins of
Bethany and descended to what is said to
be the tomb of Lazarus. / foated on the
waters of the Dead Sea, in full view of the
mountains of Moab, where Jehovah "kissed
Moses to DEATH" after showing him the
beauties of the Land of Promise. I took
a refreshing bath in the muddy, swift
flowing waters of the Jordan, at the tradi-
tional site of Christ's baptism. 1 spent a
night at Jericho and barely escaped "fall-
ing among robbers" rested on a stony
pillow at Bethel, dreaming the dream of
Jacob and singing
"Nearer, my God, to thee"
I saw the ruins of Shiloh, which once
sheltered the Ark of the Covenant I sat
on Jacobs well, where our Lord, weary
from travelling, offered to poor woman
the water of life which has since quenched
the thirst of innumerable souls. I read
there with some friends the fourth chap
ter of st. John, and thought of the touch
ing allusion to this scene in the "Dies
Ira:"
Quarens me sedisti ldssHs,
Redemisti, crucem passus,
Tantus labor non sit cassus."
[ assembled the ruins of the temple of the
Samaritans on Mt. Gerizim, where the
remnant of 140 members of this mongrel
sect still make their annual sacrifice of
paschal lambs; and 1 saw their ancient
manuscript of the Pentateuch (the origi-
nal as well as the copy. rode over the
lovely fields and hills Of Samaria through
which Jesus passed on his annual visits
to Jerusalem. My eyes feasted on the
Plain of Esdraelon-the battlefield of Is
rae, which was spread out like a green
carpet of waving grain fields. l lunched
at Main, where our Lord raised a widows
only son from death to life. I spent
memorable Sabbath in Nazareth, where
the Saviour of the world lived thirty years
in quiet waiting and preparation for his
work, misunderstood by his own townsmen
and kindred assembled Tabor, the ira
ditional (though not probable) Mount of
the TRANSPORTATION, and the Riji of Pal
estine. I rode on the banks and sailed on
the waters of the Lake of Gennesareth,
which is as beautiful as Swiss lake, with
better climate and greater fertility, but
now fearfully neglected and desolate; only
half dozen poor fsher-hoats Of Tiberias
can be seen, and the very site of the once
populous cities of Capernaum, Bethsaida
and Chorazin are still matters of dispute
among arch@ologists. I had to make my
way througha jungle Of thistles and briars
to the ruins of Tel Hum, where the bro
ken columns of synagogue lie about in
confusion. I camped at Banias, the an
cient Casarea Philippi, where Peter con-
fessed the divinity Of Christ, and Christ
spoke to him those remarkable words -
"Thou art Rock, and upon this Rock