The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-10-22
DOWN 1U JERICHO.
A Horseback Ride Across the
Jehosophat Valley. q
A Glimpse at tho Plain Of Jericho, the
Valley OF Jordan and the Dead Sea-
Rev. T. Dewitt TAimsge's Fourth
Sermon ON the Holy Land.

sermons on tno HOLY Lanu WAS preacneu
Sunday, the eloquent divine taking for
his text Luke 4, 80: "a certain man
went down from Jerusalem to Jericho"
Following is the sermon:
1t Is the morning OF December 8, In
Jerusalem, and we take stirrups for the
road along which the wayfarer OF old
fell among thieves who left him
wounded and half dead. Jobs picture
OF the horse in the Orient as having
neck clothed withlthunder, is not true
OF most horses now In Palestine. Their
is no thunder on their neck, though
there is some lightning in their heels.
Poorly fed and numerically whacked
they sometimes retort. To Americans
and English who are accustomed to
guide horses by the bride, these horses
OF the Orient, guided only by foot and
voice, make equestrianism an uncer-
tainty, and the pull on the bride that
you intend for slowing up Of the pace
may be mistaken for hint that you
want TO out-gallop the wind or wheel In
swift circles like the hawk. But they
can climb sleeps and descend precipices
with skilled foot and the one chose
for our journey in Palestine shall have
the praise Of going for weeks without
one stumbling step, amid rocky sleeps
where an ordinary horse would not for
an hour maintain sure-footedness.
There were eighteen Of our party and
twenty-five beasts Of burden carried our
camp equipment. We are led by an
Arab sheik with his black Nubian serv-
ant carrying loaded gun in full sight,
but 1t is the fact that this sheik repre-,
sents the Turkish government which
assures the safety Of the caravan.
We cross the Jehosaphat Valley,
which, II 1t had not been memorable in
history and were only now discovered,
would excite the admiration Of all who
look upon it 1t is like the gorges Of
the Yosemite or the chasms OF the Yell
lowstone Park. The sides OF this Je-
hoshaphat valley are tunneled with
graves land overlooked by Jerusalem
walls-an eternity Of depths overshad-
owed by an eternity Of architecture
Within sight Of Mount Olivet and Geth-
Bemane; and with tho heavens and earth
full OF sunshine, we start out on the
very road mentioned In the text when 1t
says: "a certain man went down from
Jerusalem TO Jericho and fell among
thieves" No road that ever saw was
90 we'll constructed for brigandage--
deep gulleys, sharp turns, caves on eth
or side. There are fifty places on this
road where highwayman might sur
prise and overpower an unarmed pill
grim. His cry for help, his shrek Of
pain, his death-groan would be an
swered only by the echoes. On this road
to-day we met groups Of men who, judg-
ing from their countenanoes, have in
their veins the blood Of many genera
tions Of Rob Roys. Josephus says that
Herod at one time discharged from the
service Of the temple forty thousand men
and that the great part Of them became
robbers. So late as 1920, Sir Frederick
Henniker, an English tourist, was at
tackled on this very road from Jerusa-
lem TO Jericho and shot and almost slain.
There has never been any scarcity OF
bandits along the road we travel to-day.
With the fresh memory OF some recent
violence In their minds, Christ tells the
people OF tho good Samaritan who came
along that way and took care OF poor
fellow that had been set upon by vii
famous Arabs and robbed, and pounded
and cut We encamped for lunch that
noon close by an old stone building,
said to be the tavern whore the scene
spoken Of in the Bible eliminated
Tumbling in the dust and CHASTITY with
wounds the victim Of this highway rob
berry lay In the middle OF the road-a
fact OF which am certain, because the
Bible says the people passed by on
either side. There were twelve thou
sand priests living at Jericho and they
had TO 20 TO Jerusalem 10 offlciate at
the temple. And one OF these ministers
Of religion, / suppose, was on has way to
the temple service, and he Is startled as
he sees this bleeding victim In the mid
dle OF the road. TO-" he says, "here 10
man that has been attacked OF thieves"
why don't you 90 homer" says tho
minister. The man In comatose state
makes no answer or, with q half-daLed
look, puts his wounded hand 70 his
gashed forehead and drawls out:
"What7" WELL" says the minister.
Tmust hurry on 10 my duties at Jeru-
salem. have 10 kill lamb and two
pigeons In sacrifice to-day. I can not
spend any more time with the unfortu-
nate. guess somebody else will take
care Of him. But this Is one OF the
things that can not be helped, anyhow
Resides that my business 10 with souls
and not with bodies Good morningl
When you get we'll enough 10 sit mp /
will be glad TO soc you at the temple"
And tho minister curves his way out to-
ward the overhanging sides Of road and
passes. You hyprocritei One Of the
chief ofices Of religion Is 10 heal
wounds You might have done hero
. kindness that wound have been more
acceptable TO God than all the incense
that will smoke up from your censor for
the next three weeks and you missed
tho chance. Go on your wayl Execrated
by the centuries ..I.,5. o
Soon afterward . Levite came upon
the scene. The Levitos looked after the
music OF the temple and waited upon
the priests and provided the supplies Of
the temple. This Levite passing along
this road where we are to-day, took .
look at the mass Of bruises and lacera-
tions In the middle Of the road. "Myi
myl'' says the Levite, this man 10 aw-
fully hurt and he ought 10 be helped. But
my business is to sing In tho choir at the
l4--f~ 10 nv, not thora " an a xvflI