The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-01-09
The Cedars Of Lebanon.


The traveller who ascends tha ancient
mountains Of Lebanon Is overcome with awe
when, having arrived at the lofty plateaax
that crown thems he sees that the heavens
a-estih shut out from his gaze by the green
veil stretched above his head by the broad
nesses OF revolutions that have altered the
face of the world, they have beheld unmov-
ed the terrors Of man in the fearful days
when the waters covered the earth. The
strong men of the early ages Of the world
reposed under their shade, tribes set up
their tents there, and parriarchal families
rested there in their wanderlngs. Az we
approach them we feel as II we we're UNI
worthy to touch them, so great In compar-
ison with our little lives are the associa-
tions.
"These trees are the most celebrated nat
ural monuments in the world" says Lamar
tine, who visited them in 1888. "They have
been alike consecrated by religion, poetry
and history. The Scriptures celebra to them
IN many passages, and they supplied the
images which the poets delighted to use.-
Solomon wished to employ them in the
building of the Temple, no doubt because
of the sacred character of these trees even
at this carly epoch" The Arabs OF all sects
have traditional veneration for these trees.
They attribute to them not only vexetative
force, which enables them to live forever but
also 4 soul which imparts to them the power
to manifest signs OF consciousness and an
understanding similar to the instincts OF an
imals and the intelligence Of man. They
have premonition OF the seasons they
move their huge branches like limbs-stretch
them out and draw them in, raise them to-
ward heaven or bend them towards earrh.-
In the Arab mind they are divine beings in
the form OF trees. They grow nowhere else
but on the table lands OF the Lebanon, TAX
ing root high above the region where all
other great plants cease to thrive.
The number OF these trees dimInishes In
each succeeding age. In 1850, Bellon counted
thirty OF them; in 1900, there were only
twenty -four; in 1850, twenty two; in 100,
sixteen 10 1900, seven. These seven giant
trees are, perhaps, the only living witnesses
to-day Of Biblical times.
The mountains rise the one above the 9TH
er pud present four different zones. Accord
ing to travellers, the soil of the first zone
produces grain crops and is rich in fruit
trees. The second zone is simply belt OF
naked and sterile rocks. The third, in spite
Of its elevation, is covered with evergreens,
and the softness Of its temperature, its gar
dens, its orchards filed with the finest fruits
in all Syria, and the brooks which water 1t,
makes it an earthly paradise. The fourth
zone Is In the clouds, and the perpetual
snow with which it is covered has given the
name Of Leban (whlteI to these mountains.
| 1t is on the summit of the fourth zone that
are still to be seen the cedars Of Scripture.
| "What prayers have assembled from be-
meath these branches ~ exclalms the poet
land where ia there on earth more beau.
tlful temple than this one, SO near to heav-
en- itself? What dais more majestic ant
more beautiful than this last plateau OF the
| Lebanon? What more productive OF ele-
waited thoughts than the cedar, the dome o.
which has sheltered and still shelters Sc
many human generations, each of which
calls upon the name Of God ia ditteren
tongue, but recognizes Him alike in all Eli
works, and worships Him in the manifesto
ton Of His greatness In naturc?"
The trees rise to the height Of from sixt,
to one hundred feet. The largest Of thos
that remain is thirteen feet in diameter, an,
covers circumference OF one hundred ant
twenty feet. The branches, of clear greel
even during the part OF the year when the.
are covered with snow, are fiat, horizontal
and covered with close foliage. For lon
time the cedar was classed as belonging t
the larch family, but is now regarded as
group of the Pinus family.
4 The fruit, as large as that Of the pine,
rounder, more compact and smoother
Wonders of Vegetation.