Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-07-07

numerous priests. AS / stood listening
and breathing the incense waited from
the golden censers, feeling of de-
votion and sense of great unworthi-
ness came over me. | waited until the
worship was ended and then was con-
| Quoted down into n cavern, where III
shown a manager hewn from the solid
| rock. When the silent prayers for
mercy was ended, and which all men.
presume, whether saint or sinner.
must utter when standing there. |
| returned to look once more ON the
crowned priest and gorgeous para
| phernalia of this holy place. l remained
for moment lost In reflection. Less
than an hour before, as I drove from
| the Joppa gate, a crowd OF Jerusalem
beggars. with extended palms, had be-
| sieged me. What would He, the Mas
ter, II here, think of all this mngniil-
| cence: He Who wore q crown OF thorns
Who had no home. and Who told the
people to sell what they had and give
to the poor?
on approaching this Church OF the
| Nativity one Is nstonlshed to find II
| guarded by Turkish soldiers. 1t is n
necessary precaution. Consul Gibson
| informs me that the presence Of
| Turkish soldiers both here and at the
| Church of the Crucihxlon Is absolutely
necessary to keep the rival sects of
Christians from killing each other. The
| Greek church people, who Outnumber
all others, would kill the Catholic
| priests unless restrained. Only n few
years ago a tumult occurred. In which
several were slain in the church. What
a commentary on the religion Of Lowell
| Resuming our road to Hebron We
| pass along the very road over which
| Joseph took the Mother and the Holy
Child in his flight to Egypt. Bleak,
treeless mountains are on either side,
| and the only verdure seen until we are
near Hebron is that of olive or fig
trees scattered here and there on small
| terraces or along the dry beds of the
| mountain torrents.
Passing the Pools of Solomon, OF
which there are three, each about 100
yards square, which are fed from
springs and constructed in a mountain
gorge, one should stop and inspect the
splendid masonry. which. though near
ly 5000 years old, is in perfect preserva-
ton.
The scene changes MS we approach
Hebron. The sides Of the mountains
are terraced everywhere with stone
walls and cultivated. The vine. the
olive and the fig are growing every
| where and olive orchards are pointed
| out that were planted by the Cruz
| saders. The town of Hebron Is well
built; the stone houses have look OF
great antiquity. The mountains rise
| on either side from very narrow
|
which flows a clear mountain stream,
| and turning off to the left We see the
mosque erected over the cave of Mac
phelah.
In every age the pious Jew has looked
| with reverence, through period of
over $500 years, to the spot where re-
| pose the ashes of Abraham, his great
patriarch. Here his wife was first en-
tombed and to this spot Joseph and
Jacob. who were embalmed In Egypt.
| were brought by the children of Israel
when they returned from bondage.
! was met at the entrance of the
village by cavalry escort of Turks,
who were accompanied by Mahomet
Nimat Allah. a venerable Moslem, who
| is author OF mosque accounts. and who
| babe me welcome. His authority over
the populace at Hebron is supreme,
and his presence necessity when the
mosque is entered. AT this spot the
fanatacism OF the Moslem knows no
limit. To him, Abraham and Isaac
and Jacob are names more revered
than ever by the jew, and permission
to enter the mosque can only be given
by the sultan. The sons OF the Prince
OF Wales were admitted to the mosque
some fifteen years ago. The Crown
Prince Of Russia. Lord Northbrook and
General Lew Wallace were the only
Christian men who had ever before
visited the Interior OF the mosque.
took with me my suite, consisting
| OF Consul Wallace and his wife, Mr..
Dwight and Mr.. Jelat, my Interpreter.
General Wallace's wife accompanied
him on his visit, and thus the only two
ladies who have ever entered the
mosque were Americans, and bearing
the same name. The world tourist
sees the exterior Of the mosque, but is
not suffered to enter Its precincts.
The mosque IL entered by a long
corridor. which ascends from the street
TO an open court. The walls ON either
side are OF hewn stone. and the mason
| ry Is Identical with that seen at the
| gate Of Jerusalem, called the Damascus
gate. and at the base Of the tower OF
David. Those who profess to know
say that this wall dates from the time
OF Solomon. Half way up the ma
sonry changes and is OF later date. One
stone in the wall ] measured With my
| cane. was thirty feet long and over four
feet thick. A description OF the
mosque In the compass OF. a letter 10
! impossible. The Jews are not per-
mitted 10 enter its walls. but the rock
on which the mosque Is built and With
/ In which is the cave can be seen near
4 the outer entrance, and this the Jews
who came are permitted 20 kiss, as they
do the walls OF the ancient city once
week at Jerusalem, when they go to
the waiting place TO lament their mis-
I fortunes. Perhaps tenth Of the peo-
| pie In this town are Jews. the rest are
Mohammedans. Great was the surprise
when II was known that an Trade from
the sultan had again permitted the
unlloly feet OF Christians 10 enter this
| sacred place. The mosque officials
fastened slippers over our shoes. that