The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-02
iSCENESNTHEH OLYLAND
DIR. TALMAGE VISITS THE JoRD AN.
JERICHO AND THE DEAD SEA.

December Days in Palessine-De4iEnt-
full Travel on Arabian Horses-The
GOOD sanaritan's Inn-At the Brook
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Out-Ne-
DO and Pisgah-The House Of Fac
chsus-Bv the Dead Seattle Party
Pleasantly Reinforced-Dr. Talmsge
Baptizes a Man n the River Jordan
Grnphic Description Of the Cere-
mony-Wnd Dance Of the Modern
MISUNDERSTANDING and Its Associ-
ations-The Garden of Gethsema ne
kcopyriqaf, 1890 By louis KIopsch, Nei0 York;
NAZARETH, Dec. 1S.-People who visit
Palestine in the spring. when the hillsides
and the valleys are green and the trees coy
cred with luKuriant foliage, have delight
full experiences, no doubt, but from what 1
hear and my own thorough enjoyment Of
my trip, am strongly OF the opinion that
now Is the best time of the year for the
stranger in the Holy Land. As DR.. Tai
mage put it, mature now has her gloves
of" II these clear days Of December one
gets at things with single glance. Hill
and valley are clearly defined, aud brook
and river are seen unobstructed by the
leaves Of bordering trees Ruins, fruitful
fn historic suggestion. stand out in the bare
ness which is the aptest express
sion of their bald antiquity.
In the important matter Of
personal comfort, moreover, it is an i'm
measurable relief to be spared the tor
ments inflicted in the warmer season of the
yesr bv fees, flies, and other creatures,
insectle aud Of larger kind. These, as
many . much-persecuted traveller might
attest. make life almost intolerable in the
hot months We happily escape their in
Elections, and at the same time have a
positive pleasure in the climate. December
in Palestine Is a luxury. The sun shines
Just warm enough 20 be agreeable. and the
wind j. only cool enough to be refreshing
and braciug.
The Trip we made from Jerusalem tossthe
Jordan was as pleasant in realization as a
fairy Gale IS ia contemplation. We left
Jerusalem by the Jaffa Gate, our horses
paving the ground impatisntly, as eager to
begin the Journey. Leaving the visitation
of the Mount Of Olives, the Garden of
Gethsemane, the Valley of Jehoshaphat
and Bethany, the home Of Mary aad Mar
tina ard Lazarus, for more convenient
season. we passed on, making our first stop,
that for lunch, at the Good Samaritan's
fnn. This, more correctly described,
is the old Hathrur Khan. 1t
Is situated about half way between
Jerusalem and Jericho, and is in a ruinous
condition. There is nothing to question the
probability that on the same site on which
it stands was situated the inn 20 which the
neighbOrly Samaritan conveyed the poor
fellow who had fallen among thieves. The
region thereabout is desolate and the way
affords opportunities of ambush con venient
TO the operations of highwaymen. Our
Lord knew the place well, for it was
on the road taken by Galilean trav-
N n nd
There is sufficient of biblical interest in
the spot without giving way to credulity,
and the visitor suffers nothing by quietly
declining to accept as well authenticated
all the stories told him of the various
places he sees. 1t was enough for us to find
in the ruinous khan an opportunity of re-
pose and refresntrent, and to reflect that it
occupies, in all probability, tho site of the
inn existing in the time of our Lord, TO
which he made reference il the beautiful
narrative Of the good Samaritan, and
where he, perhaps, often rested awhile in
his errands Of good will to men.
Remounting we continued our course
visiting next the Brook Cherth. where
Elijah was sustained by the bread and meat
supplied by ravens. AT the present time
large Plumbers of these birds frequent the
steep declivity in the mountain range
through which the stream marks It's course
By nightfall We had reached what is sup
we encamped for the night, and Of which
no trace remains. II not here, certainly
near it, at tue blasts of Hebrew trumpe6s
fell the walls of the doomed CITY, Our
camp Was almost at the foot of what is now
called the Mount of Temptation, on which,
it is Claimed, Christ was tempted of the
devil. The Jericho of the time of our Lord
was near. 1t was a splendid city, of which
many remains exist. The hill above its
site seems to consist largely of the rubbish
of the houses, temples and palaces in which
Herod the Great took pride Fragments of
ancient pottery and glass still reward the
zeal of the searcher.
Our night at Jericho was the first one on
which we camped out The new experience
was pleasant one, disappointing agreeably
the anticipation we had formed of it.
Early the next morning we resumed our
journey. The first point Of interest that
attracted our attention was the peaks
known as Mounts Pisgah and Nebo. There
Is no certainty that the peaks pointed out 10
us under these names are the exact ones on
which respectively MosesN' viewed the land
scape DER" and ended his mortal life. but
the probability is that Pisgah is rightly
identified, because on q clear day all
Palestine is visible to the naked
eve from its summit. We were
next shown the house of Zaccheus, which
is remarkably we'll preserved edifice.
That earnest little man who climbed into q
sycamore tree to see Jesus, because be was
little Of stature, took the best meaus of &C
complishing this purpose. The tree named
grows branches in horizontal direction and
near the ground, thus affording a capita
place OF observation. Dr. Talmage's well
used Bible came into use for the genera
good wbi,s we were stopping at Zaccheus
house, where our reverend leader read tn,
account of the conversion of its OCCUPANT
as related in the gospel.
An hours delightful ride brought us Il
the clear blue waters Of the Dead Sea. :
calm and beautiful expanse, nearly fifty
miles long and about ten miles wide. i
receives the waters of the Jordan at il
northern end, out has no outlet at the
south. We sal down on its shingly beacl
and read its history. Then we bathed ou
hands and faces in its waters, which. a
soon as the moisture dried of, we founC
covered with a white, salty incrustration
The air on its shores was pure and refresh
ing, and we should have liked to Ioite
longer by 1t. DR.. Talmage tried ,
mouthful of the water of the sea, which
he found to be exceedingly disagreeabl
to the taste. The so-called apples of Sodom
we found by actual experience, are moi
nlled with ashes, as says Sunday schoo
fable, but with seeds We collerred man,