The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-11-08
ONE OF THE ANCIENT CITIES

ONE OF THE ANCIENT CITIES.
 New York S.aphic-l
 Hebron, the Kirjath Arba of the patri- archs, the El-Khulil of the Arabs, is as old as the world. Popular tradition ascribes its foundation to Adam and dis tinguishes 1t as the place where his re- mains lie buried. Be this as it may, it seems to have been built some years pre- vious to Tanis, one of the most ancient cities of lower Egypt and rivals the an- tiquity of Damascus, so that in historic interest and associations of certain Hebron. Its chief interest, however, at- taches to the fact that here occurred many important events connected with the lives of the patriarchs. Sarah died here, and in the twenty-third chapter of Genesis is noted at length the negotia- tions which Abraham had with Ephron, the prince of the country, for the acqui- sition of the cave of Macpelah and the adjoining fields for a buryiny place i, and after this Abraham buried Sarah, his wife, in the cave of the field of Mac pelah, before Mamre the same is Heb ron in the land of Canaan" Here, also, were buried Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Jacobs funeral, as we read in the Old Testament, was an imposing affair. After the body had been embalmed in Egypt a very great company of charioss and horsemen, all the servants of Pha- raoh, the elders of his house and all the elders of the land of Egypt, and all the house of Joseph and his brethren and his fathers house, accompanied the re- mains to the cave of Macpelah, where they were emtombed. No living persons were left in Goshen save the women and the little children who kept guard over the focks and herds. When the funeral cavalcade came to the threshing floor of Atad, beyond Jordan, ceTemonies were instituted which lasted seven days, 90 impressive in their nature that the CanaAnite. remarked that it vas Ca grievous mourning" This celebrated cave of MAcpelah is still at Hebron, and as the mosque, or Harem, within which it lies is in itseH one of the most inter- esting monuments of the primitive his toy of Palestine the structure e . whole is by far the most remarkable object in the whole city. The enclosure which surrounds the crypts and the mosque is splendid in in simplicity and produces . vivid impression, although it is impossi- ble to gain near view of it on account of Mussulmanish fanaticism which posi- ti.ely forbids anything like satisfactory inspection of the same, it being fact that since the expulsion of the christians from Palestine only four Europeans have been able to pepetrase the sacred pre- cincts- These are a renegade named Ally Bey, the prince of Gaul. aad his suite in IS63 the Marquis of Butte in 1866, and an architect in the service of Turkey, M. Perrotti. In spite of the most press ing demands sf the French government M. Renan has not as yet been able to gain permission to examine this, to him, exceedingly interesting monument. M. Plerrotti's experience may be thus briefly described: On the 7sth of August, iS,o, M. Piezrotti formed one of a party who were being led through the parts of the structure open so tounst:, when the guides having their attention purposely called away he vas able to ges through the horizontal door which closes the passage to the cave and to descend into it some sseps. Before he vas svestaken and roughly elected he vas able to make out on the walls of the chambezs in the grotto many sarcophagi of white stone, which were undoubtedly those of the patriafchs.
 The exterior form of the mosque and its architecture indicafe In original use as a christian church. Its plan is that of a paralleloeram extending down into the valley, 200 teet in length, IS feel vide, the walls of which are from 50 to to feet in height. At the four corneTs of the mosque are square towe1 transfonnod into minare&s, two cf which have been partially demolished by earthquakes. The walls are cooseTucfed of gig1.tic sscnes at the base vith channels and carvings adnirabay ezecused, and are much superior ss shose of the ramparss of Jezusalem- Great care vas evidently taken in the choice of matezials. The jointing, e peEfoct e h the mcaane.ts of the bsa Greciaa epoch. seem ts hsve been elected oaly hy the proioeged rshhing sf the ssnaes agains each etker. V. Sa1Aey thinks that this coosnuction daaes ko'a the period q Solomon. vhile oGhex savanss atfEibuse t to that of HeEod the Great This question, % important h h coanectioa vifh the hisspsy q