Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-09
THE THREE IERICHOs.
Exploring the Ruins Made by the Blast
OF Joshuais Ram Horns.
From ne Ven YORK Sun.

HAIFA, Sept 2.-Tbe signs of progress
TO which have alluded in former letters
as being manifest in Judea are NOT con-
fined to Jatfa and Jerusalem. The con-
templated carriage road TO Jericho viii be
an immense boon to the crowds Of pilgrims
who flock annually 10 the Jordan the
first evidence OF activity in this direction
was ~ the Khan ell Ahmah Here are the
ruins O; an old building. Fragments OF
walls and broken arches remain, and
deep well Indicates that in former days
twas inhabited probably as halfway
house of entertainment. Whether TINS
be so or not, / was glad to sac large
force OF stone masons and builders ac-
lively en 5aged. under the superintendence
OF European. iu erecting handsome
khan or rest house. which, considering
thar there ls NOS at present single
habitat.0n between Jerusalem and
Jericho. with the exception OF Bethany,
distant only miles from the former city,
j. much needed.
This place has always had an evil re-
putati0n Tor thieves since the days when
the Good Samaritan performed his charit-
able offices 90 the p.undered and beaten
wayiarer. Indeed, IL is AT this very place
that The spot is shown to the creduiOuS
pilgrim where the incident in the parable
Is said 70 have occurred. and the guide
books sOlemnly warn the tourist. that he
must be careful 10 be provided with an
escort, because an English traveller, Sir
Frederick HEM 6er, was attacked mere
by BedOuins. stripped. wounded, and left
Tor dead in 1921 This is imputing stagna-
ton TO the Turkish government with
vengeance. II moves slowly, IL Is true,
but the state Of security has improved
somewhat in 6j years. Six years ago |
rode alone with friend from Jericho to
Jerusalem with no Thought of danger.
The BedOuns find II to their interest 20
keep up the traditions OF the guide
books, and travellers continue to pay
Bedouin sheiks bl .tail which they
might with perfect confidence keep in
their pockets. ] consider tue road from
Jerusalem 90 Jericho in the present day
as safe as Broadway, at all events in the
day time.
1t might not be safe to venture along it
quite alone at night, but the same might
be said OF roads IN other far more civilized
countries. Nevertheless, the road in
places is so wild and desOlate that it may
well appal the Imagination Of the tiInid
traveller, notably so where it enters the
Wady kelt, deep narrow gorge. fanked
~ iAtNAB AhNA1 NAAhNs nhnEh t1A4lbbu WIN
caYerns, above which rise white chalk
hills, presenting a tangled network of
narrow waterWorn torrent beds with
kniie-like ridges between. Hundreds Of
feet below the path PUSHES mountain
torrent, which is none other than the
traditional brook Cherith. Here. if we
leave the regular track, and make up our
minds to follow dizzy path cut out OF
the precipit0us cliff. which winds back
up the gorge, soon disappearing in the
depth Of its gloomy recesses, we plunge
into one Of the widest and
werdest scenes that the ingenuity of
nature has conceived in any country, so
fantastic are the crags and 80 labyrinthine
the g0rges. The only trave ers who ever
thus diyerge from the beaten route are
Russian pilgrims, whose devotional
instincts lead them to pay their homage
TO every accessible shrine, and to the
eredit Of the Greek Church it must be
said that il has contrived TO perch shrines
on spots which nature only intended for
eagles.
One Of the most notable Of these Is the
monastery which commentaries the
cave, 20 which the path we are now fol-
lowing VIII lead us, IN which Elijah is
said 20 have been fed by the ravens. The
monastery is literally hung on TO the face
Of the precipice, and cansists OF a series
or cells, and a bail supported on vaults
through which lies the entrance. A few
Greek monks live, like birds perched on
the edge OF g nest 10 this singular abode,
% which q chapel piunacied on a rock is
dating, il we may judge from
the character Of the masonry. from about
the twelfth century. Perhaps the little
side chapel, with r0ck-cut chambers, and
the vault containing ancient bones, to
which corridor covered with trescOes
representing the Last Judgment leads, Is
the oldest part Of these buildings, which
were apparently constructed at three
different epOchs, as two LAYERS Of
frescOes cover the wall, while the
newest Is in its turn covered by the
piers supporting the ribs OF the roof
Numerous caves, now inaccessible, are
visible In the face Of the cliff, which for a
distance of about thirty yards is covered
with frescoes now almost entirely de-
faced. In front OF one OF the cells is a
heavy iron bar, from which no doubt, IN
former days ladder depended, the only
means Of access when these caves, now
almost deserted, contained quite a pop
ulati0n OF hermlts. This curious-place is
well worth visit, and though lying so
close 10 the tourists route, have not seen
II described IN any guide book.
On reaching the base of the hills where
the Wady kelt debOuches into the Jordan
Valley, we fud ourselves IN the immedl-
ate presence Of four ancient sites. Three
Of these are the sites Of three different
JerichOs, and one Is the site of Gilgal. II
ls certain that the Jewish, the Roman,
and the Byzantine Crusaders Jericho Oc-
cupied three different positions. The first
has been identified with tOlerablo GER
tainty as having existed where mounds
Of hubble mark it, site, near the spring
called In old times the Fountain OF Elijah,
and known now as the Ain es Sultan. This
was the Jericho OF Joshua. and these
mounds Of rubble may contain the debris
OF the Identical walls which fell 70 the
sound Of his trumpet. We pitched our
tents at the beautiful and cOpiOus spring
which must have supplied the old town
with water, so a. 20 have an opportunity
ofeNamining the neighbOrhood at our
leisure. The spring comes out beneath
TIE mound on the east, and has on the
west wall OF small masonry in hard ce-
ment. ln this wall there is a small semi
circular niche, probably intended 20 hold
q statue OF the genius OF tho spring. The
reservoir from which the water pushes
forth 10 about 2OK40 feet, and. though
shallow, forms delightful bath. with
temperature slightly tepid. The high
tumuli behind had been excayated by Sir
Charles Warren, and ! examined the
traces OF mis- cuttings. The mounds are
formed for the most part OF "a light yellow
clay, which, on being touched, crumbles
into an impalpahle powder. Ia some cases
no strata could Boz diseerned iu the CLAY.
IN others layers Of brick, stone and mortar