Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-12-02
THE HOLY LAND.


mosphere, the seeming nearness Q
things at distance, the universal desola
ton Of the land, the frequency of oil
ruins and waste places. The character Q
the people ia that Of universal degrade
ton; no public spirit, no patriotism
nothing modern or improved. l might adj
that it il land of universal primitiveness
When you enterP Palestine of the nineteenth
century you enter the Palestine of the OLE
patriarchs, and prophets and apostles. 1t
civilization, manners, customs, scenery an(
general appearance are the same now a
they were two thousand years ago Yot
see the scenes that you read OF in history
The people travel the same roads that th ey
did two thousand years ago, and in tb,
same way, even the same paths that they
did in those ancient times; grind theil
corn and wheat in the very same mills
| They plough, SOW and reap in the very
same way; draw their water in the sam.
old-fashi0ned way and from the same welli
that they did in our Savior's time They
dress very much the same, wear the same
kind Of sandals, so that in travelling in th Al
country you are constantly, and at every
turn and corner coming upon something
thatillustrates the Scriptures. May it not be
that the Providence of God has kept tina,
land unprogressive and unimproved to the
present day in order that in these latter
days Of tho world there might be an argu-
ment for the truth of the Scripture in the
land itself? Palestine is called the fifth
gospel, because from side to side, and
from end to end, 1t is an absolute, uncon
trovertable attestation of the facts recorded
in the Holy Scriptures. Many an infdel,
who has doubted this Bible and rejected it
upon rational grounds, in travelling through
Palestine has found that the Bible is abso.
Lutte fact; that from the very rocks, and
trees, and external appearance of the land,
IT il an exact fulfllment Of the promises Of
Christ two thousand years ago.
We regret the backwardness, and DESC
lation, and degradation of the Holy Land,
but believe that Gods Providence has
kept that land through these long centu
ries in the hands of the most unprogressive
nation on the face of the globe, that in
these latter times of unbelef and skepti.
cism, it, might be an absolute attestation
of the revealed Word Of God; that the
very stones themselves in the ancient
streets of this ancient land might cry out
for the truth and authority of this Holy
Word that is given unto US,
I am often asked If a journey through
the Holy Land is q pleasant and health
highest degree, / never saw man trav-
cling In Palestine but that he was ever on
the qasi uive for enjoyment and recreation
You are off duty there and surrounded
by the most genial companionship. You
are surrounded by the most delightful
scenery on the face of the globe You are
encompassed with the most thrilling asso-
citation !, that stir the heart and quicken the
The mornings and evenings
are delightfully."- exhilarating and refresh
ing, the nights cool and pleasant. l do
not think we ever came across a musquito,
or gnat, or any vigorous thing to trouble
our slumbers at night. You sleep won
derfully sound there. l do not think
should have awakened at night If our tent
had been taken up by an Arab and carried
of, 80 soundly does one sleep after the ex-
posture of the day. am often asked what
we live upon iu Palestine. do not think
ever sat down to a table spread in the
wilderness more bountifully supplied than
that in the land OF Palestine have never
eaten in Paris or Vienna bread more deli
cate or mutton more tender and nice than
that in Damascus and Jerusalem. Eggs
always abundant and fresh, and chickens
exceedingly abundant, tender and nice.
II you are an invalid at home, if l may
Judge from my own experience, you will
come out of the Holy Land fifteen or twenty
pounds heavier than you entered it. Out
side of its sacred associations, it is also a
land exceedin ly grotesque and ludicrous.
Old-time traditions and legends are con-
,tanlly being told you. One of the most
stsid and grave of clergy men carried
through Palestine, and read as much rs his
guide book, Mark Twain's travels through
The Holy Land, because the sacred and
,he ludicrous are so intimately associated
.ogether there. There are constant scenes
and revelations before which you bow with
1,,l nd
,rotesq scenes and incidents constantly
coming before you in great variety and at
which you can not but laugh.
The Christian Church ard the world
,wes more to America than to any other
n d for the explorations in Palestine
only forty years ago the maps of Pales-
me were most incomplete and incorrect
md from them we could not tell the dis
ances from place to place, or what was
'ealy the ex!eraal appearance of the
Very little had been written on
he flowers and animals except In very |
general way, or from what could be learned |
rom the Bible.
Dr. Edward Robinson, of Andover
Theological Seminary, has, explored the
ountry from end to end, and other Amer, a
AN writers have given the external sppesf
lnce of the country, SO that the ETly
Land is known to the world more thgfhgh |
American, Investigation and exploration |
han from any other source. I4Te65 |
very thorough exploration was Gade of
he country west of the Jordan, hd meny |
Kings hitherto unknown were D termined, |
70 that between the sea and thfriver Jor.
Ian almost every feature ofHhe country |
s definitely outlined. An herican COM /
,any in 1870 plored froY Ehe ~ ordan to /
he desert. They determy eA the heights
# Nebo and Pisga and " aSputio. pub Il
ish map, 50 that it onlyNwhhin HAl
hG5ough soeAs ss n ,o Jig
he HOY Lard One youY enar !
rom 6e nOrA, and go ecr9ss !
o Dama4cus, and then down thfoughsthe
ting thu variouF places Of intsrast, and
,ome outSat Jopp< Ahothar way n to go
rom the sSuvh ~ towards the doth and
,ome out at Moutt Sinai ACROSS South
IN Desert. ThSt is the way Or. Park
vent You Leave the canals al Hebron
md make the Journey through Palestine
n horseback nan sy,ng thr saaib
ngybPs uat s and Vs. embae6 on the
tean,er to cross the Mediterranean on the
Tth of March, 1872 On board were pill
trims from all over the world-Mahome-
ians, Turks, Lstins, Greeks and Arabs,
travellers from Africa and jewellers of the
coast of the Mediterranean Sea. They
we're oil going up to Jerusalem to the fes-
ival of Easter. l presume on that one
hip, on that Saturday night, not less than
fifteen or twenty dialects were spoken.
The cabin, decks and gangways were
packed full and there must have been three
II four hundred people on board. There
we're Jews, Christians and Moslems going
ID to Jerusalem, Here would be Mos
EN- Turk. with his bed spread out beneath