The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-06
THE JERUSALEM OF TO-DAY.
A VERY INTERESTING LETTER
FROM BISHOP BECKER.


low the Present City-some Re
marketable Changes in 1000 Years.
Points About the Temples Built by
Solomon and Titus.
The following letter from Bishop Beck
er was recently received in this city by
a friend Of the bishops. The bishop left
Savannah for Rome some time ago, and
very lately spent a week or two in Jeru-
salem. His letter is largely about that
city, and is deeply interesting. 1t is as
follows:
As 1 have pretty much gone around
and through Jerusalem, it may fairly be
admitted that the City of David is, as at
present constituted, well known to me.
AS to the old historical city, since from
my childhood I was very early indoctri
mated with the geographical position of
the Lords chosen dwelling. 1t was de-
cidedly a pleasure to have undoubted con-
firmation Of all ones preconceived ideas.
to find Zion, Moriah, the Mount of Olives
and Gethsemane, the brooks, Kedron and
Geheuna, the cremation valley of the son
of Hinnom, where all rubbish and refuse
was perennially burnt, and the walls of
Solomon and David in perfectly certain
preservation, as fixed as the mountains
of Moab, the Dead sea and the river Jor-
dan. one feels deeply in these
days of research and doubt, when
mountains are capable of being questioned,
and when they stand the test of criticism
and the investigating eye of centuries, it
is decidedly pleasant, to find our faith
and tradition mutually helping each 9TH
er, and to see sacred and profane history,
fully agree. The city is a parallelogram
of which the north and south are the
larger sides, although not so originally; it
was very nearly a square, with seven
gates; II never could grow east, west or
south hence 1t never had any attack from
any battle north, and it grew only to the
north, Just about one-half the length of
the original city. This brought Calvary
E, which was certainly. at
the walls. This obviates diff
Guilty. which people make, who think
funnlly enough, that no change takes place
IN 1000 years of war, of pillage, of destruc-
ton. The real city of David must be
twenty TO thirty feet below the present
general dirt. This is fair deduction from
the excavations at the Pool of Bethesda
and almost all others; no part of the
present city was at all probably trodden
upon, by the feet of Jesus Christ. l take
1t, however, to be very different as re-
CARDS the historical and immutabie noun
tains Immediately around Jerusalem They
cannot have changed save by so much
lowered the soil, swept away vegetation
and barred new rocks
Hence the contour of all the country.
although vastly deteriorated and plainly
cursed and rendered barren, is the same
70 an lntents and purposes. The immense
VANS OF the city are still there, but
not a stone of the temple which Solomon
Dullt can be distinctly proved to be in
STU The temple destroyed by Titus is
totally Unknown, and the Mosque of Omar
IS situated on the spot. AS is creditably
&c Of a..
exact for how could the Moslems know.
so long afterward. Not that | doubt the
general truth, but IT is not half as we'll
proven as the site of the crucihxion in
the Garden of Olives. In any case. / know
nothing more frightfully touching thar
70 see our most sacred places under the
power of the Turks. and TO look at the
place OF the last supper and the coming of
the Holy Ghost at Pentacost now exclus-
lvely as also the Mount of Ascension in
the hands of these miserable people whilst
The people of God are barely tolerated 10
weep outside the walls, on payment of a
large sum yearly, to bemoan their city
taken from them. their temple destroyed
their religion overthrow, their country
IN possession of an alien. II is the fulfil
ment OF an awful malediction which they
invoked upon themselves: His blood be
upon us and upon our children" and the
curse is evident l said holy mass at
Calvary and the Sepulcher. We visited
the grotto at Bethlehem, and the various
historical shrines Here not even bare
faced unbelief dares to make difficulties
We went to Eel Karin. where St John our
Lords forerunner, was born and where
the visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
TO her holy cousin took place and the
Magnificent was first intoned and the
lovely Benedictus came from the lips of
Zachary, stricken dumb erstWhile, for his
unbelief All these and a thousand more
made great impression on me- and / can
hardly regret my trip, although it has
certainly been one of many trials, diff.
culties and dangers. c. b. is scarcely a
student but he is wonderfully perse-
vering man, and is as tough as a hickory
limb, and ne expects me to be cicerOna
and dragoman and an indefatigable
worker, and l am not. At my age, nobody
can defy fatigue; nor do l pretend to all
science; nor have | much curiosity. c.
b. and NJ, F., by the way, a very nice,
bright boy, went to Jerico and the Dead
sea. think they. are satisfied not to
swallow all Palestine raw. They come
back very much fatigued, but are all
right now. As to the various and varied
emotions one feels on these sacred pre-
cincts, I would say, they are of a hal
lowed nature, which permits of no IN
yelling. one has sentiments which be
long to the Holy of Holes, and words are
preposterous, only thoughts can supply
deficiency of language, therefore, we must
pretermit what is inexplicable.
Sufficient it is TO say that
needs and feels for his friends, living
and dead. We remain until Easter Sun
day morning after mass. Then we leave
Cd. VI for Jaffa, and probably may get
to Rome before May. Not a word of news
here not a journal, no printing press. no
politics. no anything but old views in
, Jerusalem. 1t was happiness for me to
find DR.. Turney, whom l had ordained for
Wilmington, Del, and subse-
crlently gave to Mt. St Mary's
college. here engaged in the study
Of archaeology. Many a sight which
might have escaped me, many treasure
which l could not have known was called
to my attention by him. 1t is astonishing
how much the Americans have done
wheresoeVer they go, in fact, though usu-
ally too apt to talk loudly and boastingly
of what they do. they must be acknow-
lodged as the most active, energetic in
domitable of people under the sun I
should not wonder if they buy up this
place. turn out these people, and turn the
country into museum. Compliments TO
all