The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1881-02-16

Hinnom; but the Valley Of sSlaugh-
ter for they shall bury in Tophettill
there be no place; and the carcasses
of the people shall be meat for the
fowls Of heaven and for the beasts Of
the earth, and none shall fray them
away" Ger. vii, 32.) And yet it is
to-day one Of the most fertile spots
near Jerusalem-the soil being very
rich, and producing fine vegetables.
TONES INNUMERABLE.
In these valleys, gaping out almost
everywhere from rocky faces, is a
continuous succession Of tolnbs.-
There are the Tombs 1.-THE Prophets,
Tombs Of the Kings, Tombs Of the
Judges, Tomb Of the Virgin, Tomb Of
Absalom, Tomb of Jehoshaphat, and
ever so many tombs without any
names. Some ofthese-indeed, most
OF them-are cut in the solid rock,
evidently with great labor and much
skill; those Of theking showing con-
siderable artistic beauty, if there can
be any beauty in a tomb. Many Of
them are Of great extent, and, ur-
ranged in cataconb fashion, afford
almost indestructible resting places
for more prophets and saints than j
have seen recorded in any calendar.
Unquestionably, too, they were once
used as tombs. But they are empty
now: not vestige Of crumbling NOR.
tality is to be seen in any Of them.
Whether kings, prophets or Crusa-
ders, | know not
Their swords are rust, their bones are
dust;
Their souls are with the saints, trust
What commentary on the insig-
nifcance of man! l do not doubt
that in these ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
and imperishable receptacles once
rested the bodies of the greatest
men of antiquity, of prophets, and of
mighty men Of war, and of the giants
who were in those days. But now
they do not contain even u handful
of dust. They are today only a
refuge for bats and foul birds of the
night!
WHEREABOUTS OF ABsALoMs DUST UN-
KNOWN.
The alleged Tomb of Absalom is
certainly not the Tomb of Absalom.
Now, Absalom in his life time had
taken and reared up for himself a
pillar, which is in the Kings dale;
for he said, | have no sou to keep my
name in remembrance: and he called
the pillar after his own name: and it
is called unto this day, Absolom's
place. Ql Samuel, xviii, 17) And
the tomb | saw is not pillar, but q
sort of temple near by, so feet high
by about 20 feet square, with pilas.
tered portico, sort of cupola, and
considerable ornamentation. 1t is
however, hewn from one large stone
or rock, and is not lacking in beauty,
although much dilapidated. But
this is not to be wondered at, when
we are told that neither Moslem nor
Hebrew ever passes it without cast.
ing stone at the dishonorcd pile,
and splitting contemptuously it.
If it really be "Absalom's place." he
has "kept his name in remembrance"
better than he knew when he had it
"rcared up"
WHERE JEnosHAPIGAT WAS LAID.
The Tomb of Jehoshaphat is but a
few steps from that of Absalom, and
is almost entirely under ground
The MoSlems allow the H"h"nws to
have sole ownership of it, and I wag
Informed that the latter have never
permitted it to be opened. They say
that in it are preserved the Laws Of
Moses and similar ancient Jewish
gloriee, not to be seen of man until
the Messiah comes. Perhaps; al
though don't believe it. If such
things we're concealed there, | am
sure some one would have dug them
up long ago. Curiosity, in such case,
would be stronger than millenial
faith or hope.-Ilh. George CoIton's lct-