Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-10-04


n most excellent Wow Of the sea, a
small portion of the plain Of sharon 10
the south, the bay OF Acre to the north
east and the farming lands. orchards
vineyards. etc, belonging to lfdifn at
the foot OF Mount Carmel.
Mount Carmel Is noble bluff which
duts boldly out into the sea forty miles
south of Tyre and about twenty miles
west OF Nazareth, II forms the hay
of Acia and Is the most conspicuous
headland upon all this coast OF the
Mediterranean, From an elevation Of
500 feet In height it breaks almost
perpendlcularly down to he waters
edge. leaving only u narrow pathway
around it's base to the coast below. The
chain to which 1t belongs runs on In
n southeasterly direction across the
country forming the southern limit cf
the plain OF Esdraelon and the boun-
dairy between Samarla and Galllcc.
Lifting high its head, covered with
rich verdure. II greets the distant
mariner with a cheerful welcome to
the Holy Land, which it guards and
adorns so wen. Radiant with bcau-
ty wherever seen the "excclleucy Of
Carmel" is still to every Traveller as
much his admiration and his praise as
If old it was to the Inspired bard.
Mount Carmel is particularly noted in
Bible history for the exciting scenes OF
Elijah and the prophets Of Baal Il
Kings is: 1-2lD. The Filshon. where
the prophets OF Baal were slain, Is Il
fordabe stream, fifty or sixty feet
wide, which drains the watars OF Es-
draelon. and empties into the sea at
the northern slope OF Mount Carmel,
about two miles enst of Hnifa. The
highest point of Mount Carmel IS l,sl0
feet above sea level; the point where
the monastery stands has an elevation
of $50 feet The mountain consists Of
limestone with an admixture- of horn
stone. and possesses Il beautiful fora.
The rich vegetation of the mountain
IS due to the proximity of the sen and
the heavy dew. As 1t remniug green,
even in summer 1t forms re-
freshinE exception TO the general
aridity Of Palestine in the hot season.
The original Inhabitants regarded the
mountain as sacred, and at II very
early period It was called the Mount
of God. q Kings, Is: 10, 800. The
beauty OF CnImcl is also cNtolled IN
the Bible. lisa. 90: 2; Song OF Sol, Z:
%, II does not seem to have been thick
ly populated in ancient times. but was
frequently sought as an asylum by
the prosecuted. C. Kings, .; 25; Amos,
Q. 81. on the west side of the noun
tain aic numLrOug natural grottus.
Some of the hermits EIott1a still con-
tain Greek inscriptions. IN the twelfth
century the hlrmitr began to be re
Eurded ae q distinct order, which in
Nrg4FH tu. IL D. ttu
Ill. In 1888 some OF these Carmelltes
removed to Europe. In 1867 the ,nonas-
terry was visited by st. Louis. Since
then the mt $50 have frequently been
iltreated. In 1891 many Of them We're
killed: and the same was the case In
1885, when the church was converted
into fofgue. Afterwards, however,
the monks rcganed their footing
on the mountain In lI1j
the church and monastery We're plum
dered. Whom Napoleon besieged Acre
in 1893. the monastery was used by
the Franks as a hospital After Ma
poleon's retreat the wounded were
murdered by the Turks, and are buried
under q small pyramid outside the
gate of the monastery. In 1921, on the
occasion of the Greek revolt, Abdal-
lah. pHsha OF Acre, caused the church
and monastery to be entirely des-
troyed under the pretext that the
monks might be expected to favor the
enemies OF the Turks. But the pres
ent new buildings were soon after
wards erected At present there are
about twenty monks in the monastery.
The church which forms q part Of the
monastery buildings is built In the
modern Italian style. Below the high
altar, which We were permitted TO see,
is grotto, to which FIVE steps des-
cend. and whore Elijah the Prophet is
said once 10 have dwelt. The suot rs
revered by both Christians and Mos
lens.
Descending to the plain north Of the
mountain. we visited the so-called
School Of the Prophets. consisting Of a
large cavern, partly artificial. in which
the holy family Is said to have re-
posed In returning from Egypt The
walls OF the cavern, which is FAVOR
lite resting place for both Christians
and Moslcms, are covered with names
of pilgrims.
on our way to the colony we visited
the fine German graveyard in which
lie the earthly remains of two of our
Elders from Zion, who died while In the
discharge OF their duties as mission
aries IN Palestine. The monuments. al
most like were erected over their
resting places recently. Each consist
of marble shaft, broken of Mt the
top. resting upon a square pedestal OF
grey sandstone. 4 marble plate con-
tainiug the inscription is incnsed on
the front side OF the PEDESTAL on one
read:
In fond remembrance of John a.
Clark son Of Ezra and Susan Clark,
born February %, 1871, ut Farming
ton, Utah, u. s. A.: died February 8,
1895. at Huifo, Palestine. \ mission
airy of the Church OF Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints
The German inscription on tho other
monument read as follows:
Adolf HnuE. Won Pnyson, Utah, L.
s. A., Seb, 10 Fcbr, 1865, In Stuttgart,
Deutschland. Rest. ,. oct, 1892, in
Halfn. Pnlnstna, Elm Mlssionar der
Kirche JeGu Christi der Heiligen der
le2ten Tage."
The two graves are only sixteen
feet apart. Besides the monuments
each grave is enclosed with q neat
frame of sandstone; and the flowers
and shrubs growing on them show
that some friendly hand ia engaged at
times In hestowing tho necessary at
tention FOR proper preservation.
After our return to the house of
Brother IIllt we held a little meeting,
at which we partook OF the Sacrament
and bore testimony. ! addressed tho
congregation in a manner hitherto
unknown In all my missionary expert
cnce; but l was understood; for tho
Spirit OF God rested upon us, and
caused our hearts to rejoice and our
souls to be drawn together In the love
Of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, There
We're only five Of us present, as SEEDED
Kegcl. one OF the members, did not at
tend. In the afternoon, accompanied