The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-08-29
Written for the REpuDLIcAN.I
The Holy Land Now, and Then.

concerning tile Holy Land, otherwise
known as Canaan and Palestine, tc
which land the Israelites journeyed
after they left Egypt:
where were these people going
They We're going to the Holy Land
How large was 1t? Twelve Thousand
square miles, one-flfth the size OF I'LL
nois, frlghtful country covered
with rocks and desolations. There
never was a land;agent in the city Of
Chicago that would not have blushed
with shame TO have described that
land as flowing with milk and honey
Well, '.frightful country covered
with rocks and desolationsn could not
properly be termed land flowing
with milk and honey" But Mr.. niger
soil Is not yet sixty years old, hence
he was not in existenc at the time the
Hebrews took possession of Canaan,
and he Is not nearly SO well qualified
to describe the Holy Land as 1t was In
the days Of Moses and Joshua, as
Moses and Joshua were. Even IL IL
were true that the Holy Land is now a
"trightful country covered with rocks
and desolations," it does not follow
that that land was always in that con.
dition. Mr.. Ingersoll, however, thinks
that it does follow.
But is the land Of Canaan, or Pales.
tine a 'frightful country covered
with rocks and desolationsr' Let us
see. There is plain in Palestine
called the plain Of Phillstia." Its
average width is fifteen miles, and il
runs sonthward from Jaffa to the
desert of Thur or "land of Palestine,
distance Of about seventy miles.
There is a plain containing more
knV .F for 80,
The Edinburgh Encyclopedia says oil
1.-THE soil is rich brown loan, al.
most with u stone. II is in many parts
level; in others undulating, with
mounds or hillocks. The town oil
Ashdod and GAIA near the sea sre sur
rounded by groves of olives, syca'
mores, and palms. This plain is still
as 1t always was, vast corn-tleld, al
| ocean of wheat, without break OIL
fence, its marvellous fertility has pro-
duced the same succession of crops
year after year for forty centuries,
without artificial add
That single plain OF Philistia is pro
ductive enough to supply all Palestine
with an abundance of food. But that is
not tire only fertile plain of the Holy
Land. There is the plain of Sharon
sit is that broad, rich tract of land
which lies between the mountains oil
tho central part Of the Holy Land and
the Mediterranean" 1t extends from
JafTa, In which nelghborhood it is tel
miles wide, narrows towards the
north, and terminates at Mount Car.
mel, a distance of more than fifty
miles. The plain of Sharon contains
about 500 square miles of territory. II
is crossed by several streams. The
| Edinburg Encyclopedia says that Its
''soil is rich and capable OF producing
| enormous crops"
Then there Is the great plain of Jez.
reel or Esdracion, which extendsacross
the centre Of Palestine, from the Med
iterTanean to the river Jordan. From
the richness and fertility of its soil its
| name, Esdraelon, was derived. Tho
| term means, Gods sowing" "God
has sown." 1t will bear enormous
crops OF grain, and, when not eultivat
ed, enormous crops of thistles. The
plain separates the mountain
ranges of Carmel and Samaria from
| those of Galllee. 1t is about forty-iive
miles long. Its riches is described as
wonderful" and 1t has an ''un6roker
expanse of verdure." This plain alone
| is capable OF supplying all Palestine
/
a population numbering millions.
Besides tho three plains mentioned
there h the great plain of Jericho
which Is twelve or fourteen miles ii
width. 1t is described as vast leve
expanse, covered with the richest soil
now quite neglected = = y recent
experiment proved its capahility Of
producing in abundance all the crop;
for which ii was formerly famous
Again, the Edinburgh Encyclopedia
says, Even in its desolation, Palestln,
is land flowing with milk and honey
| There is no evidence OF its climate
having changed or deterioratad, no.
| any reason to suppose that it wuult
| fail to support as great a population
as ever it did, provided the same meanl
as formerly We're used for its cultiYa
walton. 1t has the same bright SUI
and unclouded sky, as wellas the earl,
and latter rain
There are thousands of Jewish far
| ners in Palestine to-day while thirty
| years ago there were not fifty. The
Turks and Arabs stand in the way ol
Palestine's progress: but the day is no
far distant when they will be con. pell,
e. ~ vacate the premises i'll favor oil
It's lsraeltish inheriturs.
Evidently Mr.. Ingersoll has made q
number Of grave mistakes concerning
the present physical condition oil The
| Holy Land. Doubtless much of the
land is desolate and barren, but ever
| under the wretched rule OF the Turk,
much of the erritory-thousands oil
square miles-llow with milk and hon
ely, and IL the Turk was dispossesset
OF tho territory, many Chicago lane
agents would, If they could, purchase
4. Il,l y
purposes; for millions OF bushels o.
grain could be raised upon them. Ant
| Palestine may become n grand eentra
depot of trade for both Asia and Eu
rope Probably land agents in Chicago
blushed as they rend Ingcrsoll's mis-
! takes concerning the physical charac
ter of the Holy Land.
Many modern works on the Holy
Land are in all our public libraries anC
| in numerous private ones, and the
J student will find in them much inter
esting information concerning its in
haLitmts, industries and soil. All
| testify TO the marvellous productive
ness of the soil.
As Palestine under its present disas-
| trous rule is, in many portions. land
| flowing with milk and honey. 1t must
have beenalmost entirely such n land
In the days of Moses. The men who
lived in Moses day and saw the land,
| described it MS ore flowing with milk
| and honey OF course they were better
qualified to say what it was in their
day han Mr. /. is; Tor he docs not
even describe its present condition
Alright. When the land WAS divided
among the twelve tfihes liz walled
cities fell to the lot of the tribe oil
Judah alone.
lacitus, Justin and Pliuy speak Of
tho great produetiveness OF tile soil OF
| Palestine. Josephus also writes of the
fertility of the soil and the great popu.
| Iation ~ tho country. He saws he col.