Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-07-14
LETTER FROM PALESTINE.
CCHCLUnlNG SEEMS By TOUR
THROUGH THE Hell. LAND.
The Northern Mountains. Valleys
and Towns of Hallowed Mem cries
Through Sacred story.
Special Correspondence of the RECORD UNION. ]


Through Sacred story.
| Special Correspondence of the RECORD UNION. !
BEYRooT Syria, April 80, 1888.
The present letter will be devoted to
few more of the numerous places of inter-
est in the Holy Land visited by your cor
respondent.
Going from Jerusalem our course lay by
! the way of the Pool of Gideon, through
/ Bethel and Shiloh to Shechem. We then
passed the hills of Galilee and the noun
tains Of Gilboa and Tabor, and rested over
the Sabbath in Nazareth. At Bethel
saw a man asleep in the shadow of a
ruined house with a stone for pillow,
reminding of the night Jacob wrestled
there with an angel more than $500 years
ago, and after which he took the stone he
had used as pillow and set it up for a
pillar of commemoration.
Whatever doubts exist about the posi-
tive identity of other sacred places, they
disappear at Jacobs well. This is without
donbt the well where Jesus conversed with
the Woman of Samaria. 1t is rock-hewn
well near Mount Gerizim, and was in
former times the only deep water fountain
in the vicinity. 1t is rs feet deep and nine
feet in diameter Curious travellers have
thrown stones into it, and the natives Lave
not had interest enough in it to clean it
cut, hence no water is found in it to-day
The general destruction that visited nearly
| oil ,,loone - olgo, Ln,a
building which stood over the we'll is in
ruins The same is true of JoSeph's tomb
which is near here.
From the well we passed between Mounts
Gerizim and Ebal -" the mountains of
blessing and Of cursing Nablous,
ancient Shechem. 1t is a very ancient city,
dating back to 1900 B. c., and was appoint
ed as a city of refuge. 1t was here the re-
bellion of the ten tribes against Rehoboam
the successor to the throne of Solomon,
took place. Near here Vespasian built
the city of Flavia Neapolis, the birthplace
of Justin Martyr. The present city con-
tains about $500 people, whose principle
industry is the manufacture of soap, which,
from all appearance of native filthiness, is
all sent away.
l had an interview with a Baptist
missionary by the name of Elkari, who
told me many incidents of his personal OBJ
servation here. He has labored among
the Shechemites for the past nineteen
years, both as missionary and in the edu-
cational work. He told me of the OPEN
ing of the schools of Palestine and Syria
by the American Minister at Constantine
pie. The Turkish Government had closed
all mission schools, except those having a
firman from the Government direct. The
United States Minister made a visit to
Palestine aud Syria and took such an in
terest in the removal of the objections the
Government had filed against the school,
that the protest was removed at once and
the work of educating the people goes on
more permanently than before.
Said Elkari: "The American nation
has more influence over the Sultan than
all other nations combined. The reason is
this: Russia, Germany, England, France,
these have always dealt with the Sultan in
a manner that made HIM feel that they
were planning to secure a portion of his
dominions; but American has not so dealt
with him, and whatever they advise re-
garding questions of general concern is
always treated with the profoundest re-
spect."
Above hundred schools were opened
through our Minister, and thousands of
parents and children that had been made
sad took heart again. 1t will be remem-
bered that the successor of General Lew
Wallace is a Jew; but he is also true
American, and is credit to our nation.
Of the Samaritans there are OILY about
twenty families remaining i'll Ma ious, and
the entire population does not exceed 1876
souls. Mr.. Elkari secured lis all audience
with Yahcob, their high priest, who
showed us the Samaritan Pentatcuch, said
to be 800 years old.
The inhabitants of Shechem arc not all
to be trusted. Our dragoman felt unsafe,
and employed seven Turkish soldiers to
guard our tents the night we can.ned near
the city. In the morning we sas :; wan
dering Arab tied to a tree and under
guard. He had been captured in the at
tempt to rob one of the tents, and was
held to answer before the Court of the
Sheik of Nablous. Imprisonment and
fine is the ordinary method of punishment
for petty ofenses.
The ruins of ancient Samaria would
form an interesting chapter. The Ivory
Palace of Ahab, and later, the Colonnade
Iva AASiOd tA1b HIS dElt)ullHtdteT, were OF
themselves marvels of architecture and
wealth
The valley of Esdraelon, waving with
wheat that began TO show signs of the aD-
preaching harvest, was quite a relief from
the barren hills OF Judea. visited the
sight OF ancient Jezreel and the vineyard
of Naboth, and stood on the elevation
from which the inhabitants saw Jehu
drive furiously" up the valley from the
Jordon. This valley is the battlefield of
''Megiddo." Here, Syrians, Philistines.
Amalekites, NIidianites and Canaanites
fought their great battles. Assvrians.
Greeks, Romans, Turks and later nations
also gathered their armies here and settled
their differences by the terrible arbitra-
ment of the sword. After visit to Shu-
mem and Main We passed near Endor
(where Saul consulted the witch), and
then hastened through rain, that came
down in torrents, to Nazareth Our tents
were wet and the ground so muddy that
the rugs used as flooring soon became
damp so that we were chilled through,
and only became warm by going to bed
Wood Is a scarce article in Palestine and
fires are not made except to cook and bake:
so we had to resort to early bed to keep
from chilling.
The Fountain of the Virgin is
crowded with women with their ancient
waterpots, which are still carried on their
heads as in the days of the virgin who re-
sorted thither. The pots contain from one
to five gallons, and are carried up rugged
sleeps and great distances. The leather
water bottles used in Southern Palestine
are not in general use here, and men are
not seen carrying water.
The Latin Convent occupies the tradi-
tional site of the house of Joseph and
Mary. We were shown two underground
chambers which were said to have been
the home of the holy family. The cav
ems are very low and gloomy Why ira
dition should cite to so undesirable a place
their abode, | cannot answer, unless il be
10 surround it with mystery. In another
pa't OF the city large stone is exhibited
as the carpenters bench where the q car
penters son F" labored; also the dining
table where the Lord and his Apostles
often ate. Recent improvements upon the
] L