The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-18
AT THE sAvIoR's BIRTHPLACE.

To my surprise and horror found
seething mass of men and women surg
ing around the place trying to push
each other aside and See-they knew not
what. l was infinitely shocked for ii
seemed to me that these thousands
lacked all reverence for this, the hoH-
est place on earth to a believing Chris
tan. 1 had hoped, burying myself in
-eseflection upon the WOndrOus nativity,
: to pass the night in prayer and medi-
tatiOn. / hardly dared to do more than
peep at the place in which the virgin
had borne the worlds redeemer-but
these people, this mob, appeared to lack
all sense and sentiment; ] wondered
how much they understood, how deeply
they TeVerenced the Savior. l was glad
when the night was past: 1 would have
made my escape at once had it been
possible TO pass through the curious
pushing, iostling crowd. 1 determined
never TO come to Bethlehem when it
was being SO polluted.
The next year (1SSO I again passed
Christmas Eve in Palestine but it was
In the convent near Jerusalem, and
there was deep sentiment and holy rev
erence. Never can l forget the sermon
preached in the chapel by a truly de-
Vout priest of him whom he glorified.
What an inspiration in the very soil
on which the preacher stood What
other subject could he choose but that
of the Christ? How his voice touch ed
every heart as with extended finger "a
said: "A stones throw from here he
was buried. a little further on he was
crucified. Through that city he walked
to his death. Just over the hills he
was taken prisoner after his agony in
the garden, and in that direction
(pOinting toward Bethlehem) he first
saw the light"
IN THE VIRGINS STEPS.
The holy pleasure of visiting Bethle-
hem under proper conditions 1 enjoyed
a short time after my first unpleasant
experience. I followed the path which
leads from Nazareth to that town TO
which Mary and Joseph had come at
that critical time in their career. 1t is a
walk of three days from one town to
Ivthe other, but it is worth FAR more than
fthe fatigue which must be endured to
I feel that one is walking in the very
footsteps of the virgin
Bethleen or Bethlehem is also known
by the Hebrew name of Euthrata.
These words mean the House Of
Bread" and the land" or country
1t was indeed 10 be a House Of
Bread" in a great and spiritual sense
after the birth Of the Savior there. The
Arabs give il another name resembling
the first; for they call ii Ba5t-Lahen or
the House Of Meat" The town itself
dates from most remote antiquity.
Moses speaks of il in the XXAVth
chapter of Genesis in connection with
the birth of Benjamin. which took
place, he tells US, when his parents had
but a little way to come through Eth
rath (Which is the same as Bethlehem),
Rachel dying Immediately afterwards.
When Palestine was conquered by
Joshua Bethlehem like Jerusalem was
inhabited by the idolatrouS Canaanites
and in the division of the conquered
districts II fell to the lot of the tribes
of Juda.
The situation Of Bethlehem is indeed
most beautiful. Built on the crest OF
the mountains of Judea, about two
leagues 10 the south of Jerusalem, its
form is that of & crescent, one end of
which is marked by the Wells of David,
the other by the Grottos of the Nativ-
ity. Between the two horns of the
crescent stretches a fertile valley, the
Wady-el-Karoubeh. The descent of
this valley is very steep and resembles
a circus with low parallel walls, which
keep. the earth from sliding down. and
have the form Of tier on tier of seats.
This valley presents a charming ap-
pearance clothed as it is with an abun-
dant vegetation in which vines. fig
olive and almond trees abound
The view from the too of the ascent
is bounded on the north by the hill of
Mar-Elias and on the west by the
Mountains Of the Desert, where St.
John dwelt: on the east Beit-Sahour
rises from the little hill where Ruth
CLEANED the ears Of grain in the fields
OF Boaz, while beyond can be seen the
several stony hills, called the Wilder
ness. Still further to the east the
rocks of Mount Moab stretch along like
a wall. the base of which is bathed by
the waters of the Dead sea. On the
south Mount Herodion forms a regu-