Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-03-31
MOTIFS ON THE WAY.
A Ride t0 the Dead Sea, the Jordan
and Jericho.
JERUSALEM, Ee

JERUsALEM, February, 1879.
The night prece ding the day fixed for our
visit to the site Of he buried cities OF the plain
was cold, windy and cloudy, giving indications
OF bad weather ahead; but when l awoke and
went on the house top at daylight on the ap-
pointed morning, the threatened rain and snow
Storm had not come, and the day promised TO be
as calm and peaceful as the unruffied surface OF
the pool in which Bathsheba bathed. lying
almost beneath my feet. l waited until the
ray S OF the sun rising behind the red mountains
OF Moab had kissed the Mount OF Olives. and
tipped with gold the dOmes and minarets OF
Jerusalem, and then went below to make the
final preparations for starting. While at break
fast. passing local cloud wrapped the city in
dense fog, but we knew it could not last. and
so got ready to mount the horses whlcn stood
waiting for us close by the great Tower OF
David, at the Citadel. just inside the Jaffa Gate.
ARAB sTEEDs WORTHY OF THE NAME.
Whether specially favored through the efforts
OF our dragOman, or whether it was because we
were ahead OF the rush Of travellers for the
season, and thus found the animals fresh. lean
not answer; but We had no reason to find fault
with our mount. That our horses were pure
blood Arab steeds l VIII not pretend; but
they were first rate examples OF a good Syrian
strain, and from their build and carriage evil
IDENTIFY had enough OF the fire OF the desert In
them to place them far above the common
hacks OF which travellers in Palestine complain
advance was amply justified in the days ex-
perieDce. They galOped off, OF their own &C
cord, and with as much spirit at sunset as they
d1d at sunrise, and this notwithstanding the
fact that neither morsel of food nor drop Of
water had passed their lips In all that time!
Our party consisted of three Americans, Ber-
naId He1lpern, a Magyar, dragoman,-one OF
the very best OF his guild in the Holy Land;
Chessen Amouri, Turk, master of the provi-
SIGN and baggage pack; and YuSef Eben Schech
Mahmoud Araka Ahou Mahomet Abu Eshey, a
VI a mi q Orf
the good old times this last long named gentle
man would have ranked as Prince of Pales-
tine, but now he Is simply sort OF Bedaween
for a stipulated sum In hand paid, had con-
tracted to protect US on our way from the other
ROBBERS OF his tribe. AS we saw none of his
of two or three together engaged in the peace
ful occupation Of watching herds OF sheep, goats
and CamelS, we afterwards came to the cOncu-
sion that there had been no consideration for
the money disbursed. We did not begrudge it
at the time, however. Mounted on q nearly
pure blood SOrrel Arab horse, dressed in full
moving BedaWeen costume, armed with fear
fully crooked Turkish scimeter, Damascus
dagger, rusty old fashioned American revol-
yer, and double barrel muZZle-l loading English
snot gun, slung across his back, he looked de-
cidedly picturesque and added considerably to
the pictorial effect and dignity OF our little car
avan when under way.
shortly after we filed out OF the gate the fog
as we wound our way down the valleys of Ced-
ron and JehOSaphat, past the Garden of Geth-
semane. and round the southern spur OF Mount
Oliyet, the really massive ard imposing walls
and towers Of the city, thus dimly seen through
tne lndlst1nct and magnify1ng medium OF the
rising mist, seemed even more impressive and
lmpregnable than ever before. The effect was
heightened also by the pale arches OF rainbow
which alternately spanned the valley and then
faded away to return and go again, accordingly
as the sun came out or became oDscured
ORR ROAD TO THE DEAD SEA.
Our course lay along the olive covered slopes
to the eastward Of the city. and between the
Old village OF Bethany and that Of Bethphage.
from which, it is said, Christ walked over to the
former place to raise Lazarus from the dead
Bethany or the present day Is a collection o
miserable IL ud houses. with here and there one
OF the better class built OF stone, pleasantly
situated among fields CT olive and almond trees,
-tDe latter In Iull blossom when we passed by
It's most conspicuous object is ruined tower
OF some size and undoubted antiquity, the pre-
else history or Which, however, is not known.
The Teputed site OF the house CT Simon the
leper, and also that OF Martha and Mary, are
pointed out in the village, bat unfortunately,
as is almost Away the case with places located
with much particularly In the Holy Lana,
there is only vague and somewhat c0ntradlc-
tory tradition for authority as TO their location.
Bethphage, a still smaller town than Bethany
stands on the summit CT a little hill to the
southeast about two miles distant by the rough
foot-path connecting the two places. Its situ-
alton is bleak and exposed, and the country
lInmeuiaIeiy ABOUT seems unusually dry and
sterile.
THE TOMB OF LAZARUS.
At Bethany we turned aside to visit the grave
Which is pointed out as the scene Of the MIRA
Gle. The tomb, Or, as the Bible calls it, the
''cave," lies On hillside on the northwestern
side OF the village, under a Turkish mosque,
winding stairway of some thirty steps,-the
passage to 1t being hewn out OF the solid rock.
Ihe tomD1tself is chamber some ten by twelve
feet In size and nine or ten feet high. In the
face Of tradition it would perhaps be rash to
say that this cannot be the ScripturaI tomb OF
Lazarus. But If 1t is, it certainly is not In It's
original condition. The walls are built up of
squared blocks of stone, carefully UP Of squared
blocks OF stone. carefully laid, and the ceiling
is well l-formed arch OF the same MATERIAL
the work, should Judge, of the Romans, or,
perhaps still more likely, Of the Crusaders. who
held the country at later day
ON plateau about half mile from Bethany
a HAT stone some three feet in length and ffteen
lncnes % VIDE IS pointed out as one upon which
CHRIST rested When coming up from Jericho. 1t
is hence called the 'StOne OF Rest" and Is kissed
by all deyout pilgrims passing over the road
a nttie farther On the socaled Apostles
Spring. Is reached. This small but never fall
Ing stream OF pure water was once doubtless
enclosed In handsome stone building. of which
only the ruins OF one wall and a rather fine arch
now remain. This spring Is accepted By both
the Roman and Greek churches as one at which
Tie Apostles drank In their walks over this road
and IL is naturally therefore place OF much
country.
THE WILDERNESS OF JUDEl
Beyond the Apostles Spring lies the Wilder.
ness Of Judea in which John the BapJi st
preached, feeding meanwhile on locusts and
wild honey. 1t stretches from that point to the
valley OF the Jordan and Is a land or desoIatiOn
throughout. In passing through il we saw no
signs or animal lfe save here and there a bird
and occasionally little dust-colored chamelaon
lizard. The only vegetables are little dry cOar
grass, low bush, which seems to be a sort Of
cross between tie thistle and small thorn tree
or the middle American states and what
II not identically the same, look very nearly
AKIN 10 the sage brush and grease wood
or the great American desert The r0ck
Is OF sou limestone foundation, tiue In texture
ana creamy white in color, the glare OF which
rejecting back the bright hot rays of the sun.
was extremely painful to the eye We rode
mus over barren hills and through parched
Valleys until little before noon, when we
llnaiy ascenGed the summit OF the dividing
rage and looked down into the valley beyond.
Hsloe IRON all associations and traditions, the
view afforded here Is one OF exceeding beauty
ana interest. Below to the right lies the
Dead sea, green and lovely In the distance;
III mont, stretching away TO the north, runs the
horizontal valley OF the Jordan; opposite rises
Lhe led mountains OF the Land Of Moab, yelled
py d wonderfully delicate transparent haze OF
nIue, Which heightened rather than hid tie
cnainis lent by distance. To the left OF these
STANDS Mount NebO with the high peak OF Pis-
gan; While far In the north towers majestic
Moant Hermon, nearly 10000 feet above the