The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1883-09-19
sunday.schOol Lessons.
4 slBBATHM HODERN NAzARETH.

Lee sb-DeNin OF saul ana JOud-
Dec. 3O-Review.
A SABBATH IN HODERN NAZARETH. !
It was Saturday, April g. 1881, when |
we camped at Shunam, on the Plain of |
Esdraelon. Only n little cluster of di- |
lapidated huts show us the site of the !
ancient city. We recall the story of
the "Shunamite woman and of her
little boy who was with his father out
on this plain. and can appreciate how
hot was the heat which then beat down
at MONDAY upon his head. We recall, !
too, how the true, trusting mother, |
with Mount Carmel in sight, went rid
ing over the plain, the western sun
blazing in her face. She must see the
prophet of God, and He rewarded her
faith.
just beyond Shunam, in an unframed
grove of fig trees, we encamped. The
''owner thereof had followed us, and
came boldly forward to protest, but our
"dragoman, with real Oriental justice
(?) ordered him away, and because he
did not start at once gave him some
smart boxes on the ear; and when the
| exiled landowner, driven from his own
orchard, demonstrated from distance
with stones, a "Sallie" of "Faroh"
/ (Our dragOman) drove him into the
village, and we saw him no more. The
dragOman of Palestine is monarch where
he marches.
An hours rest, and then an hours
ride, and we are at the base of the
mountains of Galilee, up which, over
rugged path, we ascend to Nazareth,
and riding through the town find our
tents near the Spring of the Virgin"
Before table dhote' (Which always
greets us at sunset) we went down the
hill from our encampmenU and stood
upon the stone wall from beneath which
I the fountain wells up. The water is
abundant and pure-the only unfailing
supply in this city of four thousand in
habitants. Scores of maidens were
gaelered-t earthen ''water-pots'
! poised on their heads-each waiting her
turn to approach the fountain, from
/ which the Virgin Mary $50 tradition
sayS) used to bear the cool water to her
home. Human nature in both its selfish
and generous spirit was here. One
bright girl, with bronzed but rosy
face, was for long time busy in help
ing the little folks press their way to
the fountain.
At an early hour on Sabbath, and be-
| fore breakfast, Mr. R., our English
| conductor, called me away to- visit the
/ Church of the Annunciatio1- We
/ threaded our way through the marrow
! streets to the other end of the town, and
/ entered IA somewhat stately structure
! this morning alive with the Latin serY-
/ ices which commemorate "Palm Sun
/ day" There were Hundreds of Syrians
| present, and almost withOuh eX-
! ceptiom they were seated on the stone
| floor though there WPre many unoccu-
| pied chairs. They seemed to have y
/ reyerent interest in the service. Pres
emily we passed quietly down beneath
the alhr, and saw the great gray gran
ite pillar which hangSfrOm some sup
port above. The monks say: 1.-THE
infidelstried to hack it down, and broke
away the base, but it hung in mid-sir -
and the rude people. believe it is still
/ upheld by miracle. Past this pIIlar,
which marks the reputed spot where
Gabriel made the anHmciatiOn, (see
Luke j., 26), we proceeded by a dark
passage. up a rude stairway to- the
''Kitchen of Mary 1t is a chamber
in a cave, with fireplace in one cor
ner, and in the opposite corner the
door through which Mary used to 90 to
the founta u. SomeWhere in NaZar-
eth Mary had a home and a kitchen,
but not IN this dismal cave.
Returning to our tents we refreshed
ourselves with q good breakfast, and
then, joining a halt-score Of our party,
attended service at the English Mis-
sion Church of England), and listened
to a genuine Gospel sermon, in good
English, from u young Syrian who had
been educated in England. COmmun-
ion services followed. We all knelt
at the altar and received the precious
emblems. Though of different de.
nominations we were one in spirit
lone Lord, one faith" There was
a deep solemnity attached to the
occasions not in reality more sacred
but in historic association more impress
i've, because we were in Nazareth. In
the afternoon j wandered about il
search Of a spot that would correspond
to Luke iv., 20. / found UWO sharl
, cliffs, each at least fifty feet in depth
and each 1.-THE brow of the hill whereof
, their city was built" They are a
I sharp in descent as the Tarpean Roc
! at Rome, and nearly as deep.
= Having satisfied my mind upon thi
, pOint-over which there has never bee
/! ground for doubtful discussiOn-wit
my fellow-travelers climbed to tn
hill back of Nazareth, and looked ou
, upon the wide expanse of sea, mount
" aims and valleys upon which Jesus ofte
J, lOoked-Carmel and the Mediterranea
!. to the west; the waving gra OF Esdra'
J, Ion, like a yellow sea, far TO the eas
y south and west; and yOnder to the cas-
y toward Jordan, Tabor and GilbO'
u What an eXpansel Surely Jesus use
= to frequent this spot What a visio
+ for the inspiration OF Nature and Of 81
., cred history And now, turning abou
far away to the north the white hom'
e of Safed-the ''city of refuge '-appea
!, "the city set upon an hill, ." and beyoI
!: it kingly Hermon, TO whom the noun
N aims Of Galilee and Naphthah are on
u foothills
% Descending the hill by more dire
81 path we reach, half-way down the slOp
''The Orphanage," founded and 81