Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-12-05

OF course the cave of Machpelah is
the principal attraction 10 tourists in
Hebron; and yet nothing could be more
inaccessible than this same cave. Buck
shecsh. that all-con ;ucring power, has
opered the mosque of Omar, the Coen-
aculum and other Biblical places of in-
terest that a'e in the hands of the Mos
lens: but this wonderful cave is forbid
den to the inlidel Frank despite all So
licitations. This is the more to be re-
gretted, inasmuch as it is at once genu-
ne, while GOigotha, the Bethlehem
manger, Gethsemane and the rest are
only approximately or doubtfully
known, and also boasts OF IN antiquity
far out-da'ing the Christian era. In
order to reach the place from this es-
Enlistment we ride along tony lane
through VINEYARDS for two miles, and
then through the narrow, and almost
pitchy dark, streets of Hebron for some
ton of nearly ten thousand inhabitants.
The people are the most bigoted and
intolerant in all Palestine. as their Sc
elusive regard for the cave would indi-
cate. We were repeatedly insulted on
the streets in Arabic. and those Jews
who deigned to confer with us were
cali ddOgs by the populace.
The principal business seemed TO be
the manufacture of rude glass trinkets
and water skins. | inve ted a cent in
glass rings, and got enough to flood
the market in America when got
back.
The cave is covered by a huge
mosque, POO feet long by 1l5 broad.
The foundation stones are some of them
0 feet long, and bear the ancient jew
ish bevels. Two tall minarets make
the mosque the most conspicuous feat
ure of Hebron in distant views of the
town. l shall not attempt to describe
what l think no living Frank has in
Spected, the cave itself way down be-
meath even the basement. This is STU
diouSly guarded even from the indis-
criminate gaze of Moslems. The ac-
counts, published from hcarsay, are
confused and contradictory. Sooner or
tfer MOhammedan tanaticism must
Weld. and then will there be some I'M
ort mt revelations in the way OF dis
covered antiquities? There are monu-
mcnts of display which believe some
honored celebrities have been permitted
to view: but that is exactly the salts
faction enjoyed by every pilgrim, the
privilege of seeing where the caves are
not. These nominal sepulchers were
erected wien the church, then called
It. Abraham, was in the hands of the
Frank. 1t is believed that there are
two caves in reality. as the word mach
pelah means double. and that large
numbers of Israeltes have been here
entOmbed.
The remaining attraction of Hebron
is Ahraham's oak. This curiosity is in
the front yard of our so called convent.
1t is gigantic, rambling tree, twenty
three feet in eirth, and covering an
area of ground ninety feet in diameter
The life has pretty much departed out
of the main body of the tree. only the
ends o. the great branches beng tipped
with foliage. There are a few other
small oaks to be seen, but this is the
only conspicuous reminder of what was
doubtless once forest. picked some
OF the leaves, which are as eininently
small as those of our own oaks arc
large. Doubtless this oak has very
great antiquity, but do not suppose it
is the identical tree beside which Abra-
ham dwelt. Ii the site has been accu-
rately marked it can not be more than
scion of the original tree. The Rus
sans, who have possession. have put a
low wall around the roots and propped
up the venerable wide-spreading boughs.
-PGicstine Cor. Salt Lake Tribune.