The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1892-04-07

ton. God spske ~ Moses. The litrar,
Gas once very rich In treasuFes. but ~
rsrest manuscripts have been carried
away. There Tischendori fouaf tae tx
Of the q ,srels which IS Anov I y at
the name Of the Uyrd sos haas
Mr.. Grad learned that White sas lnou sf
uere friendly sni bosp,tsble ,asy accepted
With pleasure the money he offered for hi'
entertainment The convent 10 nov poor
and subsists largely on aims. There ate
only thirteen monks. most OF them naiives
Of the Greciau Isles. and we'll advanced in
years. Their white boards OF upususl
length give them vcoorable sppesr6 20.
Fresh blood is introduced noe aud then
aud when Mr. Grad visi a the monastery
in 1886 two young men hsi inst arrived
having consecrsted themselves to tue life
OF pions isolation. Few buildings In civil'
ixed lands are as o d as some OF the ssruc,,
ures within these wallis The monastery
was founded in the sixth century, and tho
church ,buiIt during that ephoch. 10 stand
log, Its corner stone, ihe inscription says,
was laid 10 the year 527 A. d., be Justin
ian, and bis wife Theodore
Far from the world, this handiul OF
grave men give themselves to the contem'
plstion of the things Of eternity, They
have renounced the pleasures OF life aud
are devoted to their moDss,ir duties
When 9 visitor enters The charoh he is
required to take of his shoes Three sll.
yer lamps are always burning. Ia ssr'
cophsgns Of marble arc the head and QUE
arm Of st. Catherine. The Russian Cbris'
tisns sent the ssrcophasus to receive the
relics OF the saint. A present from the
Empress CstharIne OF Ru-sia IL exhibited
also. II is 9 silver image OF me paironess
Of the monastery, her face and hsuds being
oi enamel.
Behind the church. sheltered from the
sun. are the wells which provide the mon
sstery with fresh and limpid water. Ac
cording to the monks, Moses aided the
OF Jethro to water their flock o,
this fountain.
Mr. Grad climbed to the top OF Sinai. A
rude stairway Of about 5000 steps, made
OF pieces OF rock placed one above aootber
lead to the top. There is also ,nose cir
cuitous route, which some tourists prefer
to the sleeper climb. % the way up he
path is an ancient chapel, consecrated to
the Virgin, which illustrates one OF the
numerous legends OF which the old noun
tain is subject, II is said that in the early
days OF the monastery the monks were
driven out OF the convent by M invasion
of hess. They retreated TO the top OF the
where the Virgin met them
ordered them to return to the convent
and promised b, deliver them ftom sbair
snemies. The monks obe-ed, and nos
aes could be fouod vhen they raentered
The monastery. II is proper to add that
she tieas have returned.
Two more little chapsls are along the
,teep path. They are dedicated to the
prophets Elijah and Elisha In the chap
81 OF Elijih the monks show crevice in
lhe rock, where the prophet 1t is said. re
Iired after the staying Of the priest OF
BAal. On the top OF The mountain are
Greek and Mohammedan cbapels, for the
mountain is an object of veneration to
Chris isns and the following OF Islam.
Mohsmmed visited the mountain, and
rom its summit, it has been said, be was
translated to heaven. On this spot min
lie the traditions Of the Bible aud Koran,
md this barren rock has On important
place in the history Of descendants Of
ssac aud OF 1shmael.