New-York tribune., 1890-06-28

d Co.
The author of this book explains in his preface
the purpose he had in view. " II is the object
of the present work" he says TO translate and
thus render available the mass Of interesting in
formation about Palestine which lies buried in the
Arabic texts of the Moslem geographers and trav-
cllers Of the Middle Ages The materials both
printed and manuscript are ample. as VIII DC
seen from the list of authorities set forth in the
introduction. Hardly any attempt. however has
hitherto been made 10 render the contents OF these
Arabic texts available to the English reader. Some
few of the works | quote have. il is true. been
translated. either in whole or IN part, into Latin
French German, but as far as i am aware. no
Orientalist has AS yet undertaken 10 translate.
systematic and bring into comparison and chrono-
logical orGer. all the various accounts given by
the Arab geographers Of the cities. holy places
and districts of Palestine and Syria The re-
suit of the authors labors is. OF course, not
connected or synchronous narrative, but van-
able and carefully arranged collection of medaeva
accounts and descriptions which can be easily COM
pared with modern observations and which illus
trate the changes that have taken place in the
course of centuries. especially in the buildings
ereded in and about the Holy Places.
The region in question conquered by the
Arabs soon after the death of Mahomet and
with tie exception of the short period of occupa-
ton by the Crusaders. Palestine has remained in
Moslem hands ever since. The fact has often been
commented upon as the reverse Of crc1itable to
Christendom, though the critics might have been
puzzled 10 point out upon what practical plan the
Holy Land could have been held by those So
called Christian Powers which have already
shown that the sacred associations of the region
are insufficient to prevent them from flying at
one another's Threats, even upon questions OF
etiquette directly connected with religious cerc-
monialism. The history of Palestine under the
Moslems has been fortunately illustrated bI those
Arab gcoeraphers who, as carly as the ninth
century Of our era had attained pitch of progress
in their science such as European scholars were
not to reach for several hundred years. II is
curious to realize that at this time, or not much
later the Moslems had road and guide books
primitive RaeGckers and Muuays-for the con-
venience of tho pilgrims to Mecca, and il Is still
more interesting to know that these itineraries
have now been proved surprisingly accurate for
the time. The medieval Arab gcographers. indeed,
cannot be said to have been exact in their latitude
and longitude but here their errors were mainly
due to defective means of observation. Nor are
their observations always ineXact. Sometimes
modern scientific exploration has shown that the
medieval writers were correct in their emplace-
ments, tile fact being that between their tlme
and ours tradition and circumstance have changed
the sites ascribed to many places. and so miSed
the travellers of the eighteenth and the early
part of the present century.
In spite of all the care and labor that nave
been lavished upon Palestine exploration, thefe
remain many doubtful sites. and this is eX- |
planned by the violent destruction or the gradual |
decay Of all those monuments which are ncces- |
sary to identification. In the case OF the doubt |
full sites Jerusalem, it is scarcely necessary 10
add that many peculiar circumstances have en- |
,f,,zi1
it is now almost hopeless TO expect will ever he |
cleared away. Mr. lie Strange's contribution to
Palestine lore brings with ii several pregnant |
inferences. In the careless and naive observa- |
tons of the Arab gcographers of the Middle Ages |
it is how strongly even at that time tradition
controlled the contcmporary beliefs concerning the
Holy Places. Time enough indeed, had elapsed |
since the foundation of Christianity for the or
ignal facts to become thoroughly obscurcd; and |
while the hand the process was fastened |
by the misortuncs which scattered and at the |
same time decimatcd the Jews. the ignorance Of |
the Arabs as to all the great part taken BY Rome
in the latter history Of the country, led them 10
adopt the crudcst and most prcposerous eXplana-
tions of all puzzling facts, and these barbarous
theories were handed down in perfect credulity |
and good faith for centuries thereafter.
Not that the growing MP of legends in Palestine |
can be regarded otherwise than as perfectly nat |
ural. Whit really surprises is the comparative
paucity of this kind of growth. Had the people |
who inhabited the country at the time of Christ |
continued there, perhaps there would have been |
even slcndcrer accrctOn of tradition for in |
that case TIC contemporary Jewish scepticism |
would probably have been accepted the true |
explanation of everything. But The long period |
of anarchy. while a;'ordine room for the develop
ment Of imaginative stories. also encouraged the |
introduction 10 their Of the gross crudities in
separable from the infancy of Western civilization
and Arab and Crusader subsequently, did much to
spread these baIbarous legends. In regard 10 !
some of thcm-and Mr.. Lc Strange devotes
very suggestive chapter 70 thcm-it is evident that
their roots extend back into PagaDism. One |
Of the most popular, that of the Seven Secpers
derives new interest from the medieval accounts |
inasmuch as some of these point plainly to
monastc fraudulent exploitation of the legend
More than one traveller succeeded in seeing the |
alleged sleepcrs. and found, suspected them TO |
he not what they represented, namely, en- |
tranced living persons. but mummicd corpses OF |
course the presumption would be as much against |
pretended life as against msreprcsentcd death |
in such a case but modern views reject the whole |
story mythical, and as probably having the |
same kind OF genesis as the Barbarossa legend |
Yet here is evidence That certain monks, for pur |
poses of their own, presumably not honest. did. |
in the Middle Ages, try 10 palm of a collection |
of mummes for living people upon the credulous |
pilgrims of their day.
There was. however good deal of keen scept |
cism even in those Ages of Faith and an anus |
ing illustration of it appears in The case OF
sturdy Moslem in authority, who insisted on he !
ing present when the monks at the Holy Scpul- |
chre went through the ceremony of procuring |
the sacred fire direct from Heaven. He had. he !
declared plainly beer given TO understand that |
this pretence was false; that the monks really |
lighted candle in wholly natural and mundane |
way ana that the thronging pilgrims and faithful |
believers were imposed upon. Unfortunately the |
conclusion of this story is not given in the original
hut enough Is said 10 warrant the inference that |
&ha monks driven into q corner by the nersstencc |