Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-14
IN AND ABOUT JERUSALEM.


Tho Picturesqueness of the Holy City
Street Scenes-Site OF the Temple.
Nearly every one makes the journey from
Jaha on horseback, though few use tine Ole
fashioned vehicles without springs, Of the
same type that Assyrians employed thirty
centuries ago The city is entered by the
Jaffa gates. The walls are very well pre-
served, being only 500 years old. No city of
the Orient retains more of the picturesque
ness Of the past Doubtless this is in part due
to the fact that all the buildings are con
structed of stones 1t being located on the
crest of two mountains-Moriah and Zion
but little timber is found, and to transport it
TO the city would be costly. The streets do
not need macadamizing; they are trenches in
the solid rock. The houses being of the same
material and substantially built it is impos-
sible to destroy the town by fire, and 80
family after family, and generation after
generation, inhabit undisturbed the dwellings
Of their ancestors The houses include Us
part Of the roof, q small and circular dome,
around which is built lev walk. where
every ono loiters during the twilight and
eorly eve.
What seems strange is the small space TO
which the city is confined. In reading
J1ephus, where he states that 600 people
inhabited Jerusalem during the siege Of
Titus, one marvels where they could have
slowed themselves. The present walls follow
the lines Of those then destroyed and yet the
IS 900 inhabitants now living seem TO fill all
the inclosed space. It is true that little
ground is occupied by gardens, and there is
not In the city an avenue 50 wide ms Pine
street No sidewalks, no sewers, no public
squares exist You must walk in the middle
Of the dirty lanes, fighting your way among
camels, donkeys and dogs. For, as in Con
stantinople, and in fact all Turkish cities,
dogs are the scavengers Old Jerusalem up
10 the time Of David was built on the summit
and sides OF Mount Zion Solomon erected
the temple on Mount Moriah and around il
gradually built another town In time the
declivity between the two hills was filed, 50
that now the road from the tower OF David 20
the temple grounds is level.
The periphery Of the walls exclude many
points Of interest still located, a. the garden
Of Gethsenlane, occupied Is monastery.
The grounds are covered with olive tres,
one OF which : said 70 be coevA with the
crucifixion Gcfhsemane Is perhaps 30 yards
from the east wall. and Immediately below in
the valley Of the Keiron is the tomb of Alb
salom The top OF Mount Olive. which shad-
ows GethsemAne, IS q mile from the city
walls The name Is well applied, for olive
rees abound on it, sides, and the Jerusalem
olive d celebrated throughout Syria for its
sse and succuiens favor. On the ute Of SOD
omoas sempae, Omar who conqueret The city
IN III seventeenth century, has erected .
mosque or Turkish church This bUiliing %
ths oidass exsting example Of Arabic, o.
what wa subsequently, termed Saraccnsc
architecture 1t must have been the model
for Tie Christian edihce On Mount Calvary;
and. IN fact, al the churche- and synaSogus
b ths city pnrtake Of the hight material the
intricate web az the windows. With their n1ul-
titude of ANAL ori6ces. and the g2aiy coloEs
ut characsrrise The Or,enfals, both IN their
buildings and costumes Cor. San
Francisco Chrunic3e