The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-01-17
THE WHEELING DAILY FRIDAY MORNING JANUARY 1879

Bethlehem as we approach II is rattle
beautiful city Of 1900 inhabitants. TIL
houses are OF stone and have flat roofs, bu
the charm Is greatly impaired in traven
ing It's steep, narrow streets. We stop 70
lunch at the Latin Convent. The Who'll
hill country around, that Is wherever the
can get at the soil among the rocks, Is Il
the highest state OF cultivation. Olive
and fig orchards and vineyards abound
The people are noted for their industry
especially In olive wood and pearl cary
ings. Here arc many holy places, held Il
common by all sects Of Christians. TIL,
most notable places are the Church Of thu
Nativity, the Chapel or Grotto OF the Ma
iylty, which Is twenty feet before the iloo
OF the church, and Is q vast cave In thu
rock thirty.three by eleven feet, and Is en-
cased In italian marble. The descent Is b.
circular stair case. On one side OF The
recess a silver star marks the birth place o.
the Saviour, around which eighteen silver
lamps are constantly burning, six belong
Ing to each Of the Greek, the Latin and the
Armenian churches. Around the grottC
Is the inscription,
"Hlc de vITIue Maria Jesus Christus natus Ost"
Near by are three plain affairs, which each
oil the three sects use on occasions OF their
various festivities and decorate according
to their peculiar tastes. Near this, In
another recess styled the Chapel OF the
Manager, Is where the wooden Manager, OF
proesepium, which Is now shown In the
Church OF Santa Maria Maggiore at Rome,
was found. Close by Is the Altar Of the
Alagi, marking the spot where the Magi
presented their gifts and alterations. In
close proximity to the grOtto Is the Chapel
OF St. Joseph, whittier he retired at The
moment OF the nativity, and where the
angel appeared 10 him, directing his flight
into Egypt; also tho Altar OF the limo.
cents, beneath which the twenty thou.
sand children, victims Of Herods cruel
massacre were buried. Then we are shown
the Tomb OF Eusebius. There are many
more places rendered sacred by faith and
superstition In and around Bethlehem
which we had not time to visit. We only
visited the Milk Grotto, the traditional
scene OF the seclusion OF the Virgin
prior TO the flight into Egypt.
It said that q drop OF the Virgins milk
having fallen on the floor, turned the
whole cavern white, and that even to this
day the cavern has the property Of In.
creasing the milk Of women who visit in
their need. 7
There can be no doubt OF many things
connected with this place. No doubt
here Jesus was born. Near this place
Benjamin was born, and Rachel died.
Here Ruth and Naomi returned from
Moab; and Boaz lived, who married Ruth,
who thus became the mother OF Judah's
Kings and from whom sprang the Re-
deemerot the World according TO the flesh.
Here David and Joab, and Abishai, and
Asahel, and Amasa were born. Here Da-
vid was anointed King OF Israel by the
Prophet Samuel. Surely it Is a HOLY
ground. But it is even now disgraced BY
the most bitter turmoil and bloodshed by
the different sects ofso.called Christians on
some OF their great festival occasions; and
1t has become necessary for the Turkish
powers to place q telegraph line from
Bethlehem to Jerusalem, to summon the
soldiers to quell these terrible outbreaks,
Leaving Bethlehem we rapidly descend
toward the Jordan, first crossing the fields
OF Boaz, where Ruth cleaned among the
reapers, and the Fields" where the shep.
herds kept watch OF their hocks by night,
when 10! the Heavens were filled with
the Angelic hosts, who sang Glory to God
in the highest, on earth peace, good will
towards men. Passing this field we
ascend hill from which we get the last
view oil Bethlehem, and by rapid descents
over most Trotched pathways We descend
into the Valley of Kidron, and reach our
encampment near the Convent OF Mar
Sabas, and while the dinner is being pre-
pared We hasten forward to enter the
Convent, where as yet no woman's foot
has been permitted TO enter.
The Convent was built by Mar Sabas, a
monk OF great sanctity, who is said here to
have lived in cave with a lion, who pro-
vided him with food for many years, when
the saint, becomingtired OF hiscompanion,
bid him begone. He lived in the fifth
century. He was born in Cappadocia,
A. D. 439, and, died A. D. $50. After dis.
missing the lion he gathered around him
great numbers. and the Patriarch OF
Jerusalem gave him liberty to here found
a Monastery or Convent.
1t is perfectly indiscribRhle. It is built
in a wild, deep gorge in the mountains,
and is so constructed that the cells or
rooms are o succession OF rocky cayerns.
often several hundred feet above each
other. The building Is kind OF an amphi-
theatre at the head Of the glen. To give
room fora small yard in which Is the saints
tomb an immense wall OF great height is
built from the bottomof the rocky gorge,
from the gate to the yard is a descent OF
seventy-six steps. But why try to describe
what can't be told so as that any one ex-
cept he that has seen it can understand it.
SuttiGlt to say that We visited the cave OF
the Sion and many ofthe cells. The guide
book says truly It is a series pf precipices
and walls of natural rock and artificial
battlement. You look down at buildings
and court yards and labyrinth passages,
and then up at curious holes in the walls,
with hedges in front, which are the cells
and dwelling places Of monks, you see
men walking on these lodges OF rock and
turning into these holes in the walls, YOU
look 9n, q itllegarden hanging, as 1t seems
In tho air, 0ontRining.a single Palm tree
looking wonderfully down inlo the chasm
where are more buildings and chapels and
cupolas. None but the initiated could
ever find their way through these laby.
rinths and when once between these
strong walls, WOO to him who forces his
way out. f~
Thereare here about seventy monks. 1t
has often been the scene Of fierce strug.
giles. It's great wealth has formed a tempt
ingplace TO Persian horles, who plundered
Il IN l6l4and often afterwards; once STAY.
ing the monks by throwing them over the
high walls Of rock into the deep glen be-
lows The chapel Of st. Nicholas Is the
name OF one OF the caves, where behind a
screen NAV be senn the aku1lIsoF savorol