The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-05-06
JgnrSALEN, palestine.
March &. 1882

Would that | had the time and power
10 describe the numerous thoughts which
crowd upon ale in Jerusalem No city in
the world has such sacred and interesting
history. Here, in this City of David.
p<ses, warrior. philosopher, historian, a. well
~ sleyoaf pilgrim, viii find food for reher-
sioa Here each in his Faspectiyc vocation
eauseIaplafcs the events IT past ages And
il Is 10 be hoped the vagarics of the once
chosen people Of God will prove a wise and
sanitary icsvsa in avoiding the dangcrs
which often threaten to blight the ehopss Of
tha~e who strive to attain that heavenly
Jerusalem IT which the one on earth, II
Old, Was only figure.
In order e. make the average reader fully
understand the difference between ancient
and modern Jerusalem, history Of both
should be gwen But the magnitude pg
such an enterprise i not within the scope
Of newpaEcr letter Hence. will ven
tare to give soIae account oRly of the con
difion IN which Jerusalem Of the present
day is found by tke tourist. Ia entering
this city feeling of disappointment comes
over the traveller in seeing it - much leSs
than the imagination had pictured One
, surprised TO find how little remains Of
the ancient city The present walls were
built in the sixteenth century; only few
coarsss Of stone in them belonged to the
ancient walh Its building are all new, ex-
eeps that here and there foundation course
indicates an older period. The Jerusalem Of
to-day Is built upon heap Of buried cities,
becanse this gorgeous city Of solomon stood
no fewer than twenty seven sieges from va
rious nations. In digging for the faunda-
tions Of new buildings the woTkmen some
times dig through series Of buildings one
above another. showing that one city has
literally been built upon the ruins Of auoth-
er The present site of the city does not
cover an area of more than two hundred
and nine acres, and Is divided into different
quarsers-the Christian, Armenian and
Mahomedan. The whole population is
about 10000.
Jerusalem stands on a bald mountain
ridge, surrounded by limestone hills that
are glaringly white IL Is enclosed by walls
averaging about thirty-five feet in height.
Around the walls are thirty-four towers,
and in the walls are seven gates, FIVE open
and two closed The principal open gates
are the Jaffa and Damascus. The houses
are built of solid white limestone which is
so general on all the hills surrounding the
city The roofs are perfectly fiat, and are
also made of stone The streets as rule
are no more than from To 10 feet wide.
All cities in the East have narrow streets,
but it remains for Jerusalem to show the
filthiest and dirtiest have yet seen. Dead
dogs aud eats deeaying are common sights.
The pedestrian must be very careful to
avoid all the human ordure and unspeaka-
bic quantities of animals dung spread
around everywhere Moreover, these crook
ed, narrow streets are paved with the rough
est and hardest kind of slippery cobble
stones, so that walking to avoid all nui-
sances, becomes an extremely difficult
science. This is not all. The stencil of
the various CARRIAGES is the most trying of
evils Add to all these affections the
trouble of getting out of the way of the
numerous camels and donkeys loaded with
immense packages, and you wall certainly say
that walking in the streets of Jerusalem is
not conducive to pleasure nor health.
Jerusalem stands on four hills, once sep
arated by deep valleys which are now par
TALLY filed by the rubbish of successive
distinctions of the city, Zion, the most
celebrated of these, was the old citadel of
the Jebusites and '.the city of David.
Mount Moriah was the site of the ancient
Temple, by the Mosqse Of Omar Mount
Akra is the highest point of the city The
pilgrim from strange land standing on the
summit of these hills is filed with emotion
when he thinks that kings and prophets
and holy men looked on these scenes, and
the feet of the Son of God trod the very
ground on which he walks He thinks of
the time when these hills trembled by the
earthquakes power, and calls it holy ground.
But alas the ''abomination of desolation
is everywhere visible. 1t is sad to think