The times., 1899-08-20
THE PALESTINE OF TODAY.
DeseFts Transformed Into Gardens
by Jewish CofonistS.
(From the Birmincham - ,

From Ine Birmingham POsr)
Lord Amherst presided at the annual
meeting OF the Palestine Exploration
Fund, at the Royal Institution, on Tues
Gay Commenting upon the report OF the
year proceedings. Mr.. " Morrison. NJ
r., remarked that it was very fortunate
that when they took up the work cf ex-
picrlng Palestine. thirty years ago. they
began at Jerusalem. for the population Of
tnat city was now three times what Il was
then, and the excavation would be a very
costly process But there still remained
All over the country any number OF
mounds with fragments OF rocks. stone
and pottery. showing that they were the
sites of aneients destroyed towns. They
hoped that the public would supply
enough money to enable them 10 90 on
With their Investigations. The work cost
ElU0 month; they had now E100 in
hand, and it would be difficult TO keep
on in the autumn without substantial aid
Sir T. Wilson gave an address on Lis
recent travels in Moab aad Edom, and
said he was sorry to note that the tomb
hunter. who had done such infinite dam
age in Egypt, was abroad in Palestine
Places had been uncovered most unskiIl-
fully by the Arabs. and their contents had
passed into the hands OF private persons.
Another great change that was taking
place was a medieval revival OF a scram-
bic for holy places throughout the coun-
try The number OF monasterieS and sim
liar places that had been built during the
last twenty years was extraordinary
There was hardly any site that was not
occupied by some large monastery or
church. large proportion of these build
tngs were OF the ugliest description, and
those on elevations were little better than
great square redoubts Of bare wall. In
making these changes a great deal OF
damage had been done to the antiquities
not only in Palestine generally. but also
in Jerusalem Another place that had
been damaged was what was supposed TO
be the site OF Capernaum, where the
Franeiseans had covered the Eenains OF
the synagogue and planted mulberry trees
over it.
A great change in the landscape OF the
country was due to the Jewish colonies.
He was not at all prepared for the extra
ordinary change they had effected They
had turned places that he remembered as
absolute waste land. and almost desert,
into the most beautiful gardens and fields
OF wheat and barley (Applause.) One
especial settlement had been most sue
cessful in producing olives. almonds. and
other fruits, and was a good example OF
what could be done when the land was
properly cultivated. Baron Edouard de
RothschiId had certainly set to work on
good lines. Young Jews had been trained
in the best schools of France. and were
now applying their knowledge to the re-
cultivation Of Palestine Whereas in 1870
the Jordan Valley was without cultivation
it was now covered with gardens. and
planted with almonds and olives IL was
no good saying that the Jews were not
good agriculturists. for he had seen them
working with their hearts and souls. TheLS
colonies had reacted 10 a certain extsAs
-,
ton. who were beginning to follow French
methods in eultivating their vineyards and
gardens.
His visit to Moab and Edom was a very
short one. amounting almost to scamper
through the two districts, but he was able
to realize the formation of the country.
1t was due to the fracture of the earth's
crust which formed the Jordan Valley.
In the lowest part they had sandstone
and on that a very high limestone platear
overlooking the Dead Sea Then they had
great tract of country running east. that
was like the downs OF the South OF England
or wolds of Yorkshire, and he believed
that this country was of the richest pos
s;ble description 1t was cut up by deep
ravines. which in the highest part were
rich valleys and then suddenly dropped
down to rocky defiles, like the CANYONS of
America.
He had been very much struck bv the
way in which the physical conditions Of the
country agreed with the descriptions in III,
Bible. He was unprepared 10 find plateau
over 5000 feet high. In the south OF
Edom there was the most dreadful desert
that he had ever travelled over For tw.
days it was as fiat as a table. and COW
cred with loose black fiints. and the effect
under hot sun was most trying. There
was a very curious fight going on in Pal
estine between Russia. as representing
the Russian branch of the Greek Church
and the Greek Church itself. The Russians
had started a great number OF schools
where Russian was taught. and their oh
ject was TO create National Church in
Palestine The Greek Orthodox Church
resisted this very strongly. and one of the
incidents Of the game now being pIaved
vas the hosting by the Greeks last Easter
of the Turkish flag on the eamranile OF
the Church of the Holy SepuIchre. That
was the first time in history when the
Turkish flag had been hoisted on any
building connected with the Church IN
Turkey.