Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-06-09
IN PALESTINE.
THE APPROACH AND ENTRY INTO
JERUSALEM.
Condition Of the City-Visit to IA
chefs Tomb Pools
Gave Of MachpeIah-Etc.
Especial Correspondence of the RECogp.UsIo, !


JERUSALEM, April 8, 1888.
1his morning we enter the hills of Ju
dea. We look back over the plains O
Sharon into the valley of the Aialon
upon the beautiful elevation of Gideon
down the slower Beth-horon," ant
across the boundaries of benjamin ant
Ephriam, over ancient Philistia unto the
sea. We read that in that valley, anc
upon that mountain-side were gathered
the Amorites and Israelites in battle array
and just over yonder against Gideon the
slaughter OF the former began, and through
these ravines and over these hills ran and
rang the triumphant shout of victory.
In that distant plain dwelt the tall sons
OF Anak who troubled Israel" Even
Gath Is there where the revengeful Co
Hath lived, who was "a man of war from
his youth"
There is now good carriage road from
Jafta to Jerusalem and on to Bethlehem,
and which will be completed this summer
to Hebron. Our course, however, is over
bride paths from place to place, taking
the shortest routes to and from scenes of
sacred history.
Klrjathjearim, where the Ark of the
Covenant rested for twenty years after the
catastrophe at Bethshemesh, is an olive
covered eminence. 1t is now filthy town,
whose inhabitants are blunted with ipnor-
ance and superstition. What a history
connected with that acacia Golfer SO Law
ishly overlaid with goldl
Our course leads us near Mizpeh and
Gfibeah of Saul. At the former Samuel
| gathered all Israel together and there
Amounted Saul, the son of Kish, first King
of Israel. Both Mizpeh and Gibeah are
now in ruins. The former is called Neby
Sammil. A neglected mosque and Zen or
twelve houses are all that remains to tell
that the place is one of note. Ramah, the
birthplace and residence of Samuel, the
Judge and prophet of Israel, has long been
disputed. There are several places bear
ing the same name, which has confused
writers as to the real birthplace.
Ain Karin is passed Just before we en-
ter the valley of Elah. 1t is the tradi-
tional birthplace of John the Baptist
! The Philistians and Israelites were in bat
tie array here, and were each intent upon
solving the problem of territorial rights,
but neither seemed to gain ground. In
this valley Of Elah the duel between
David and Goliath took place, and from
here the defeated Philistians fled and were
pursued unto the gates of their own city.
Our ride from Elah to Jerusalem led us
past jobs Well and Convent, and in sight
of the tree from which they say the cross
was taken, and up over the incline that
hides the city from view, in coming from
the west, until nearly at the Jaffa gate.
g From that HILL" said the dragoman,
Eve shall have our first view of the City
of the Great King" My heart beats as
L urge my Arabian pony to lessen the dis
lance from where [ am to where | may
look upon the long-cherished sight, and
see what was once the JOY of the whole
earth" In a moment the elevation is
reached. The city is before me. Here
are "the hills round about Jerusalem"
There is Olivet, and nestled in one of its
ravines is Bethany. These are places of
intense interest.
We spent but three hours here to-day,
| but will return from the Dead Sea and the
! Jordan later, and visited in and about the
/ city. After lunch taken at Hotel Fell, we
| entered the Jaffa Gate, and walked down
David street, passed David's tower, to
| Christian street, where a purchase was
made in true Oriental style. | must here
say that the presence of so many undesira-
bic things in this city largely takes away
the sacredness and reverence had of them
at distance. Your feelings revolt as You
attempt to escape and avoid the filth, the
stencil, and the indicate nastiness that
meets eyes, nose, and feet everywhere on
the streets. OF these, and also of pleasanter
, things l shall write later.
We now hasten toward the Pools of Solo
mon, by the way of Rachel's Tomb. This
burial plat is situated on the road leading
to Bethlehem from Jerusalem, and near
where a small mosque-like building, newly
repaired, covers the tomb, and pains are
evidently taken to do it honor.
Three thousand years ago Jacob laid
his beloved Rachel within this Enclosure.
and set up a pillar here. The Moham-
medan. the Jew and the Christian alike
bow to it in silent honor to this day. Near
Rachels tomb is the stone on which, it is
said, Elijah slept the night after his es-
cape from Jezebel. This stone bears an
impress about 4 mans length, and appears
, 50 saggy-like that superstitio1s mind
+ could easily be led to attribute it as stated.
The pools OF Solomon are still intact,
and with little expense could be made to
appear as they did i'll the days of the wise
King who constructed them. Water
/ trenches and ducts were prepared from
, the hlilsides, in the ravines of which they
are built, to turn the falling waters during
the rainy season into them in case of need
but the principal supply of water was from
large fountain about 300 yards north
west of the upper pool. We descended
! about % feet before we reached the bot
tom Of the chamber. The fountain pours
out a stream about Il inches wide and
four inches in depth during the dry season,
and rushes with great velocity through the
su1terranean aqueducts to the pools A
close examination of these vast reservoirs
shows that they were constructed by skilled
workmen. a part of them was hewn out
of solid rock, then built up with masonry.
/ The coating that faced the entire insdes
/ was made of a cement, which for durability
( is not exceeded IN our times | made a
, comparison Of the clay or cement used,
with that found in ancient temples of Pal
| estine, Syria, and especially Ephesus and
| Corinth, and found it nearly the same, ex-
! cept that when used in the latter a fine
I coat of stucco was spread over it, upon
3 hAiANA 'tiPOepSt tLdl
have not been effaced by the celebrating
clements of time for 1000 years.
The dimensions of the pools are as fol-
lows: For the first, that most to the east,
So feet by 207, and so deep; the second,
423x250 and 80 feet deep; the third, 3SOx
/ 2S6, and % feet deep.
| From here to the southwest corner of
/ the temple area at Jerusalem were laid
/ the pipes that conducted the water in use
IN and about the temple, and all along the
conduit watered the "gardens of Solo
mop." The largest pool would float two
! steamers like the Celtic Of the White Star
/ Line, upon which we crossed the Atlantic.
The water of the three pools would fill a
canal 10 feet wide, 4 feet deep, and above
/ 100000 feet, or 80 miles in length. The
citizens of Bethlehem still get their prin-
ciple water supply from there, and from
open places in the pipes numerous fam
/ lilies along the conduit take their daily
portion, and account its quaf sacred
luxury.
The ride to Hebron and return was
thirty miles, the greater portion of which
was over very rugged Bride path.
Halphul, the city of trembling, is in ruins.
1t lies about four miles north of Hebron.
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