Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-04-06

CITY OF BETHLEHEM
A VISIT TO THE QUAINT
OLD TOWN OF THE
SCRIPTURES.
THE CRADLE OF CHRISTIANITY
IS THE PASTURE LAND OF
PALESTINE.
THE HOLY LAND AS SEEN BY
CHARLES i. KENT, OF THE
CHICAGO UNIVERSITY.

morning OF Il clear, clOudleSS day tina
we babe goodbye to GIN, stone-buil
Hebron. Every member Of the part!
was evidently glad to leave this OLD
home of the PatliarchS Nesting il
Its narrow valley, it is very fair at
distance, but MOslem fanaticism, which
claims this town as its stronghold. has
shrouded its natural beauties with
gloom that is oppressive. El Isham has
thrown stones not only at Christian
travellers, but at all enterprise, unit
it now enjoys that complete state OF
stagnation peculiar to only purely Mos
lem towns. Even our little Arab horses
drew long signs of relief as they struck
the Jerusalem road, the first deserving
the title of road on which they had
planted foot for many days. Over hills
and along the edges of fertile valleys
this runs, smooth and broad, an object
lesson illustrating what science can con
tribute toward communication in PaleS
tine. One either side, lOW-lying and fan
from impressive, extended the famous
Judean mountains. A New Highlander
would hardly cOncede that they were
jagged peaks and deep valleys of a
granite or volcanic formation are quite
lacking on this soft limestone plateau
Of Central Palestine There is some
thing very peculiar in the scenic effect
of these bare, gray, rounded hills. Few
trees except in the vicinity of towns
break the monOtOny of the landscape
of 81
few fiocks of sheep. almost lost to sight
among the powders. as they searched
for the scattered punches Of grass.
With each flock was Il shepherd. One
young lad was playing on his rude,
rustic pipe, and as we listened to the
plaintiye, quaVern2 strains we realized
that we were still in the Old Testament.
and passing the very rocks among
which Israel's great poet fed his IA
theirs iocllS \ little detour brought
rs to the S0-called Pools of Solomon,
three huge rectangular reservoirs in
which from time immemOrial has been
stored the precious water that gushes
in 4 copiOuS stream from the springs
above. Up a gradual ascent, and By
degrees Bethlehem, the city Of the
Nativity unfo!ded itself to our view.
The two hi!ls-tnited Ike the Siamese
twins, by Il little ridge upon which
the town is situated-giye it Il prOmi-
hence above its fellows, which renders
the effect decidedly imposing. The
most striking feature is the white mass
of the castle-lillc clOiSters Of the Fran
ciScan and Armenian monks. With
their thick walls. broken only by little
windows, they are velitable citadeis
Of defense against the attack alike of
Moslem or the equally inSidiuOs sum
mer heat. About them cluster the low.
fiat-roOfed stone houses of the town.
AS we rode single file through the mar
row streets we felt that we had passed
from the Old to the New Testament.
The memories of the BethlehemitC
King still flourish only in the free air
of the country. In the territory about
early Christian tradition, so facile in
identifying, has pointed out many
scenes of His early life. The only place
which strongly appeals to the traveller
is on the northern edge of the town,
"a rude well, some twenty-five feet deep
with water at the bottom which indi-
Gates the presence of Il spring InaS
much as this is the only living spring
in the town (the water supply being
obtained from cisterns there are good
reasons for recognizing in this the well
of Bethlehem, which is by the gate.
Guided by tradition, on descending
the deep declivity to the east Of the
town, we find ourselves in a deep, mar
row, treeleSS valley which bears the
name Of the Fields of Boaz." Unlike
the terraced, vine-clad hills about the
remainder of the city here We find ::
level space, devoted TO the raising OF
grain. Here the reapers cut the grain
with rude sickleS and the Ruths still
CLEAN. although it is TO be feared that
the character of Roaz has sadly
changed with time. To the west ths
steep path climbs the hill to the tow
above. up which doubtless the fail
Moabitess toiled with her ephah Of bar
lev poised on her head in the sam,
manner as we saw women of Bethlc
hem carrying their burdens. From the
city the purple mountains of Moab
the home OF the heroine of this beauti
ful idyl, appear very near. rising bolI
and abrupt through the mists that art
ever ascending from the valley O
death below. The waters of the DEAD
Sea are too far down in their deer
chasm to be visible even from tn
heights. Beyond Bethlehem the Field
of Boaz-a twenty-five minutes wall
from the city--are the traditional field
of the shepherds. The Identification i
but the fond fancy Of Il credulouS age
but among just such rocks and in jus
such stony valleys sheherds wer
watching their f1ockS eighteen centurie
ago when the greater son Of David
was born.
Even without the tGTSn the wei
kept vineyards and extensive DIV
orchards had testified that the predon
mating element was Christian. In
faces of the Inhabitants cOTOrborate
this. In the fair. ruddy compilations
the girls, who in beauty far surpasse
any we had seen III Palestine, were III
doubtedly traces of the blood of I'd
old crusaders. About their faces, lik
the frame to Il fair picture, were StruIl
masses of coins, copper or silver, a.
cording to the wealth of the owne
Often her entire dOwry is thus eXhibi
ed which must represent a great sa'
ing of time and toilsome investigator
for the prospective Bethlehem lover
Slowly we picked our way along IL
dirty. slippery streets, lined on ea6