The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1883-06-21
A UNIQUE CHRISTIAN coMMUN-


Ia the current number of Black
wood an interesting description il
given of singular German com
manity, who have established them
selves near Haifa, under Noun. Car,
mel and elsewhere in Palestine, anC
who hold that the world is to be con
verified to Christ, and the advent Of
the Messiah to be brought near, moi
by preaching Christianity, but by
living Christian lives. Some three
hundred of this sect are engaged in
cultivating olives at Haifa, dealing
largely with Nazareth, aud living
| devout lives 10 clean and comfort
able village Mr.. Hoffman, their
founder, was a Lutheran clergy man
and educator OF influence, and at
one time a member of the Diet at
Frank fort. For some years he con
Quoted q journal in which he elaboH
ated his peculiar views. The spir>
itual temple, he maintained, had first
to be built, and the kingdom Great
ed, before the Lord could come to
reign. In consequence of this teach
ing he was expelled from the church.
He was followed by large number
of those who shared his opinions,
and they were thenceforth known as
the Temple Society IN 1867 it
was determined to establish the
headquarters of the society 10 Pales>
tine. about four>fifths of its members
who now numbered over five thod>
sand persons, remaining, however,
10 Europe and in the United States,
'to bear witness for the new and
higher life which they were strug
Cling to realize The Turkish gov
ernment did it's utmost to Illustrate
the attempt to found the colony. 1t
refused to sell government land, ex-
eept at exhobitant prices, and it was
not until otter twelve years that they
obtained satisfactory and legal titles
to the land they now occupy.
By degrees three other colonies
we're formed-one in the immediate
vicinity of Jaffa; another, called
Sharon, about an hour distant from
town; and third in the suburbs OF
Jerusalem, near the Jaffa gate. Mr..
Hoffman now resides with the Jeru~
salem Colony. The united popula'
ton of the four colonies is about one
thousand souls few families are
also settled at Nazareth and Beyrout.
The colony at Haifa, numbering, as
we have said, about three hundred,
consists mostly of Germans, German
Americans, Russians, and a few
Swiss. They possess over seven
hundred acres, of which one hun
dred are laid out in vineyards upon
the slopes of Noun: Carmel They
make excellent olive oil soap, the
export of which toAmeriEe 1syear-
Iy Increasing; they have also a-wind
grist mill, and factory for carving
olive wood. A steam mill is in course
of erection. They have their own
physician, and architect, and an en-
gineer, while the British, American,
and German Vice. Consulates are
all held by members of the colonies.
Their schools are supported by
two>thirds donation from the Ger
man government and one third from
the colonists. Their trim little vii,
lage, running back in two streets
fl ON the sea to the base of Carmel,
with it's double line of shade trees,
its neat little gardens, and its. com
modious houses, contrasts with the
native bazaar, it is said, like some
rare exotic transplanted to a foreign
soil. Of oil the benefits which the
German colony has conferred upon
the native population, the construc-
ton of roads for wheeled vehicles
has exercised the most marked ln-
fluence. Such thing as a cart
was unknown when they first came.
Now they are extensively used BY
the Arabs, and their number is con-
stantly increasing, while between
Acre and Haifa, a distance of ten
miles. omnibuses driven by natives
run every hour, There is a good
hotel, kept by a German, in the
colony. 1t is impossible, says the
writer of the article in Black wood,
to conceive more agreeable climate
during the winter months than Haifa
offers Presbyterian.
The Carmel soap is a fine quality
of white CASTLE soap, and our drug
gist, Mr.. VIM. Root, has been sell
ing it for several years.