Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-07-26
MODERN PALESTINE.
A Jew Going to Jerusalem to DE-
An English Duke
In a Yellow Barouehe---Engiish Clergy
man and Old misunderstanding
Biblical Discoveries

on nv way from Jaffa to this place the
other day by contrasting the different sys,
TENS which are resorted to BY the varied
races of foreigners who are invading Pales-
tine. There is the Jew, with curling ear
locks end greasy gaberdine, and wallet
sluDg over his shoulder, trudging painiuiiy
along the dusty road. He has had hard
work to slip into the country at all, and has
only succeeded probably by means OF back
sbeesh and false passport. He has under
gone discomfort and privations innumeraoie
to win the privilege, which, to Judge oy ms
wan and sickly face, is not likely long to De
denied him, of dying in Jerusalem. :.
As he plods on, leaning YEARLY on his
long staff, be Is almost run over by bright
yellow barouche dsshing along the road
with four horses, in style which shows now
rapidly Western civilization is striding into
the Eat. 1t is an English Duke doing
Palestine. He is followed by molly group
OF bis own countrymen and women, mounted
on horses and donkeys, the women Tor the
most part apparently old maids IN straw
hats, green spectacles and yiels, while q
large proportion OF the men are evidently
ps rsons, who wear clerical coats and waist
CO ats and unclerical pith hats and jack
boots. The whole party, consisting of about
thirty persons, white with dust, are preceded
BY an deliberately sttired dragoman, whom
they are about to follow over the country
ike flock of sheep, for they are the last
batch Of the season of Cooks tourists.
But they were not to be compared TOR
picturesqueness or singularity OF appear,
al ce with the cortege which | overlook, and
tie aspect of which, from a distance, Puz'
zIed me excessively. There appeared In
front of me large object Of some sort,
which was being slowly dragged along by
a crowd of people who were evidently not
natives of the country. On reaching it l
found that it was huge bell, weighing
seven or eight tons, most deliberately orna-
mented with scriptural and sacred designs
N bassorelievo, aud which, placed on 9
ruck with low wheels, was being hauled
by about eighty Russian peasants,
more than halt Of whom were women.
Looking on this singular group Of
rugged-featured people with their light
bsir ard Kalmuck countensnces one felt
suddenly transported from the hills Of Pal
estine 10 the steppes of Southern Russia.
The men wore high boots, bsggy trousers
long full-skirted coats, tight at the waist,
and fiat caps, and the women the sombre
md dowdy habihments common 10 the Rus
sian peasant class. They were all yoked
ny the breast with ropes to the truck, tug,
ging it slowly but cheerfully along, and
when stopped and tined 10 stammer out
be lew words of Russian which still re
membered, they greeted my attempts with
loud shouts of laughter, and made explans
ions which my knowledge OF the Ian
guage was too limited to enable me to
comprehend. But my curiosity was des
iped to be satisfied at later period on the
arrival of this precious burden at Jerusslem.
Meantime ! could not but regard with in,
terest the eager devotion OF these poor peo-
pie, and especially ofthe women, who were
thus satisfying religious instinct BY exer-
cising the functions Of draught animals, and
toiling up the road they deemed 80 sacred
to the holy city, which is invested with a
higher sarctity to the adherents of the
Greek rite than to those of any other Chris
ian communion. found sfterward that il
ook them Just a week to drag their bell up
to Jerusalem. many falling i'll by the way
and one dying, and requirements had te
be sent from Jerusalem to assist them.
Had it not been for the various houses
which have been built for the accom- moda
lion of travellers, the mortality would
probably have been greater, but the increase
oftravel along this road has multiplied the
uumber of rest houses, and there are noE
four or FIVE of varions degrees of excellence
to say nothing of Greek and Catholic con
vent, more or less far from the road, tc
which pilgrims can resort. The new hote
which has Just been put up by German
colonist at Ramlsh is among the most con
spicuous Of these Improvements; and here
as the place is one of some archaeological
interest, and thought the enterprise of my
host deserved to be encouraged, | stayed tc
pass the night
In the centuries Immediately subsequent
TO the crusades Ramleh is often mentioned
by the old chroniclers, for it was then, al
cow, q favorite resting place for travellers
and pilgrims on their way between Jatfs
and Jeruralem. Bat it gradually fell int
decay, and 300 years ago when the traveller
Belon was there, he found it almost deserted
scarcely twelve houses being inhabited, anC
The fields mostly untitled. 1t is now one o.
he most 90 ahead places in Palestine, con
tanning a population of at least 5000, ant
"a surrounded by extensive gardens anC
| olive groves above which the lofty towel
erected BY the Sultan BibarS, in the thir
reenth century, conspicuously rears it
grt ceful proportions.
4 u IL ,Ako hnwnuar
in the whole of this section of country lie
about two miles to the right OF the road from
Ramleh to Jerusalem, an hour after lesviDl
the former place, which places it as muct
| out OF the track of tourists as if it was {
DAVIS Journey. 1t is q mound called Tell 9
Gezer at the village OF Abu Shusheh. Thi
village is the property Of Mr.. Bergheim,
Jew banker of Jerusalem, who owns an et
tate here of about 5000 acres, from which
| may say, en- PEASANT, that he derives
very large revenue. Apart from the inveres
of the fact that Jew being so large lande
proprietor in Palestine, Abu Shusheh hs
claims upon our netice which have only re
Gently been discovered, and which to thos
who have been bitten with the enthusiasm
of calculating the ancient topography
Palestine, and identifying its antique siteE
is replete with the highest Importance.
Among those who have devoted them
selves to the study of Palestine geograph
and antiquarian research, the French SAY
ant Monsieur Clermont Ganneau ranks sex
ond to none. One Of the problems whic
has for many years excited the interest an
curiosity of Palestine explorers was th
whereabouts of the ancient city Of Gezsr
We gather from the Biblical record tbs
this was an important town prior to the q
rival and settlement of Israelites in th
country. In the book of Joshua it is classe
among the royal cities of Canaan. L
King, Koran, was defeated by Joshua Will
attempting to relieve Lachish, which wa
besieged BY the Israelites. Later it was II
cluded in the territory of the tribe
Ephraim, and assigned tothe Lertical fan
ily of Kohath. 1t is mentioned sever
times during the wars between David an
| the Pbihsti1es, and during Solomons reg
ore of the Pharaohs made sn expedite