Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-08

multitude of things more or less valuable,
in our trunks and valises, not one of the
party ever missed a solitary article, and
things accidentally mislaid or forgotten were
brought to us by our faithful attendants.
Having returned to Jerusalem after our
experience of camp life, we visited the Tower
of David. which reaches high among neigh
boring buildings of the Holy City. An
open space stands before this great structure,
which is entered through an archway orna-
mented with pinnacles.
AVERY NARROW ENTRANCE.
Most of what was once the arched space
has been built up, and one goes through a
comparatively small gateway into the build
ing, walking on a cauSeway slightly higher
than the stony street of the space outside.
There are stairs on the outside of the great
tower, which lead up half way to the top.
The remaining stairs are on the inside.
Having gained the top one finds a parapet for
safety, and looks out upon Jerusalem from
point of decided vantage. The history Of
the structure is not perfectly known. What
OF carpentery work there is in it is modern.
Evidences of work by Crusaders are re-
vealed in the masonry, but it may be that
the massive foundation actually represents
in part the period OF the great King. Here,
says tradition, it was that he received the
news of Absalom's death. Taking out his
Bible DR.. Talmage read aloud the story OF
how the handsome Prince stole the hearts OF
the men of Israel, of his rebellion and his
terrible fate. A squad of Turkish soldiers,
the tower being used as an arsenal, sur
rounded the reader as the beautiful nara
sive flowed from his lips. We next visited
the wailing place of the Jews, where we
found about 40 of the faithful wailing,
moaning and mourning because of the de-
struction of the temple and imploring Je-
hovah with impassioned earnestness for its
restoration.
FINAL L EAvE OF JERUSALEM.
At1P. NJ. the same day we left Jerusa-
lem, in all probability never to see it again.
Taking the old road that Christ and His
parents must have taken nearly 1000 years
before, we passed in short time the exten-
sive workshops of the London Society for
the Conversion of the Jews, which is the
most successful, because the most practical,
Christian agency ever at work iE Palestine.
Gibeah, where the prophet Samuel lived and
died, aud Ramah, where he was born, were
soon passed, and we came to Beeroth. This
is the place Of which it is said that there the
child Jesus was missed by His parents on
the occasion of their return trip
from Jerusalem, where they had taken him,
of boys OF His age, the responsibilities of
active membership in the Jewish church.
Hence they returned to Jerusalem seeking
Him, sorrowing, to find Him sitting at the
feet OF the learned men who were accus-
toned to instruct Hebrew boys on the occa-
sion which had taken Him to the sacred
city. Continuing our journey from this
point we travelled four hours longer and
then encamped for the night. We rested on
the identical spot where Jacob, lying with
stones for his pillow, saw in his dreams
ladder set up on the earth, the top OF it
reaching TO heaven, on which the angels of
God assembled and descended.
JACOBS WELL A CISTERN.
Mounts Ebal and Gerizim were next
visited. Jacobs well, which is near Geri-
Elm (''this mountain" as our Lord called
that huge hill), has great stone over its
mouth. The masonry on which Jesus sat as
He talked TO the woman of Samaria, no
longer exists, but the we'll is still in use at
such times as the supply of water is not cut
off by lack OF rain. 1t is more of cistern
than a we'll. For this reason our Lord COM
pared its water with Living water" spring
ing up. A hole has been cut through the
middle of the covering stone large enough
for skin buckets to be put down into the
well through it. The well, which is now 75
feet deep, was much deeper before visit
ors formed the habit of throwing
stones into it, to hear the echo caused
by their striking the bottom. Some
learned people suppose than when Jacob
dug the we'll it was double the depth it is
now, and as it is more than seven feet across
one can form some idea OF what were the
gifts as an engineer that characterized the
astute Jacob, and how rich were the re-
L. IL. = Id HI
great plan. Nablous. the new city, was
Shechem in very ancient times and Samarla
in our Lords time. The chief building in
the town is a mosque, which was once
Christian church. 1t was built by the Cru
saders, but now the crescent triumphs over
the cross. DR.. Talmage was interested to
inspect an ancient manuscript of the Pen
tateuch, and at Nablous we encamped for
the night. LOUIS KLoPscH.