The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1883-12-28
PASCAGOULA MISSISSIPPI FRIDAY. DECEMBER %, 1888
Christmas in Bethlehem.
Lizzie P. LevI,. in Demorest'. Monthly.

Lizzie P. Lewis, in Demorest's Monthly.
Christmas was close at hand, and
the picturesque way from Jerusa.
lem to Bethlehem was thronged
With Christian pilgrims. Our party
lett the city In the early morning
BY the Jaffa or Pllgrim's Gate, So
called because OF the hundreds of
pilgrims Of oil ereeds and nation.
alties who enter the holy city every
year through its portals.
We took our way into the Valley
OF Hinnom, which, after a short
distance, turns sharply and steeply
to the epst, and contracting to
narrow detile, joins the Valley OF
kedron or Jehosdpbat, several hun.
dred feet below Its original start.
ing-point.
Toward the south this ravine is
bounded by rocky walls, behind
which rises tho {" Hill of Evil
Counsel Dschebel Deir Abu Tou,
u name which brings to mind that
famous rock in the harbor OF Ira
paui, where Giovanni ai Bondaan,l
his compatriots plotted together
the Sicilian Vespers.
| 1t was here that Pompey, in the
year Is. g. G3, planted his camp to
bcsiege tue Temple, and after three
months desperate struggle stormed
and took ii. Here, too, says Iradi.
tion, Caiaphas aud the rulers OF the
Jews devised plans by which to
ensnare the Son of God.
We crossed the plains of Re
phain, the former home OF those
gigantic inhabitants of Canaan,
who, being driven from their ua.
tive land by Chederlaomer, sought
and found refuge here.
The soil of this plain is chalky,
intermixed with particles of quartz,
the size of peas, which simmer
and sparkle like precious gems in
the sunshine. Legend accounts for
this by saying that the Virgin
Mother passed by Que day when O
countryman was sowing peas, and
asked him TO give her a handful.
Grudging her the peas, aud yet un.
willing to refuse absolutely, he told
her they were not peas but peb.
bles, And such in reality they
proved TO be AS they fell from his
hand
At about three.quarters of an
hour from Jerusalem, on u ridge Of
hills which separate the plain of
Rephaim from the Valley Of Tamir,
rises The castelated monastery OF
Mar Elias, where the Greek Monks
show you depression IN tho rock
as being the impression left by the
body OF tho prophet, When, faint
and weary, the angels Came and
fed him there.
| AS we stood OH the terrace of
this monastery one of the most
wonderful pan0ramas In the world
was spread out before our eyes:
CHANGING back over the way we
had just come, We saw the d0mes,
walls and minarets of the City of
David; northeast rose the Mount
OF Olives, and southwark, soft aud
mellow IN the hazy atmosphere, lay
the birthplace of the sweet singer
of Israel, and Of the Holy Child OF
whom the Psalmist sang. So with
scarcely turn of the head we
could sec those sacred spots so IN.
separately associated with the three
chief doctrines of our Christian
faith: the birth, the resurrection
and the ascension of onr Blessed
Lord.
From the opposite height of San.
tura the Hospice of the Knights of
st. John is distinctly visible, the
first post which the Roman Catho.
lie branch OF this order has occu.
pied in Palestine since the extinc.
tion of those established during
the Orusades.
Some distance away, the eye was
caught by curious truncated cone
rising like an artificial mound
above tue neighboring hills. This
Is Frank Mountain, or Jcbel Furei.
dis, once one Of the most remarka.
Bile fortresses in Judea, and men,
toned by Jeremiah as a beacon
fort' "Set up q sign of firc in
Beth Haccerem." 1t was afterward
fortified by Herod, and called He.
rodium, and when that dreadful
tyraut met his death ut Jericho, bis
body was brought hither for burial.
Shortly before reaching BethIe.
hem we passed the tomb of Rachel,
a simple, square building, sur
mounted by dome, and surround
ed BY many modern Musselmnlc
graves, as may be known by the
piles OF loose stones arranged In
pyramidal form. What hosts of
associations and what touching do
! nestle incidents are called into
life by this burial place "in the
way to Ephrath, which is Bethle-
hemp
The remainder OF our road lay
through lovely evergreen olive gar.
dons until we reached the hill upon
which Bethlehem Is situated, u city
fair aud pleasant to tho eye. The
town owns but one chiet street,
which runs from east to southeast,
and is crossed ard re-crossed In all
directions by short, narrow, crook
ed by-ways, scarcely to be diguifled
! by the appellation Of streets.
/ Who oIo.,a ~ fha hflI frot11 fla