The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-05-12

! marian. Here soldiers are constantly on
duty to protect travellers and tourists while
they lunch Every shepherd on the hill
and every donkey and camel driver on the
road has gun strapped on his back. This
shows that robbery is committed in this
community. 1t illustrates the Parable of
the good Samaritan which occurred along
| this road
Our tents are pitched on the site of the
Jericho where Christ healed the blind man.
From here we pass over the beautiful plain
of jericho to the Dead Sea- thence up the
river Jordan to the fording and return by
the site of Ancient Gilsal to the tents, a
total distance of twenty miles.
Throughout this beautiful fertile valley,
which was once covered with humanity,
! villages and cities, not n sign of habitatiOn
is seen. Not even native was seen in
our whole day sjourney. Nothing remains
of Jericho and Ancient Gilgal \ native
mud village, where man and beast abide
under the same shelter on the site of Jeri
cho, is all the population tourist finds in
this valley,
Two miles north of our tents is the site
of Jericho. of the time of Joshua Twenty
feet below the surface are ruins of the city
wall. This is all that remains Elisha 5
fountain flows from near the city wall.
! The water that the prophet sweetened 1900
years ago is still sweet;
On our return to Jerusalem we pass the
brook of Cherith, where Elijah was fed by
the raven over the Mt of Olives, through
the valley of Jehoshaphat, past the tombs
of Absalom, St James and Hezekiah,
the gardens Of the Kings, Potter 5 field,
David tomb and enter through st.
stephens Gate into the city over Mt. Zion.
In the city we visit the Mosque OF Omar,
which covers the site of Solomon : temple,
the church of the Holy Sepulchre, the
Pool of Bethesda, Solomon's quarries, Sol
mon ; stable, etc.
On Friday afternoon we 70 TO the wall
iug place of the Jews \ short explana-
ton may not be out of place here. The
site of solomon temple is surrounded by
the city wall on the South, East and North.
A wall 50 feet high also separates the city
from the temple. Ii requires special
permit to get inside Of this wall. We sin-
ners can only enter the Mosque by putting
extra slippers over our shoes, 50 that the
temple Is not defiled But the poor Jew
can get no permit to get inside of this wall.
He Is too defiled in the sight of the Turk,
Thousands Of Jews are born and die within
q few hundred yards of the sacred rock
upon which Abraham offered Isaac aud
which covered the "Holy of HOLES in
solomon temple, but are never permitted
TO see it. Therefore the Jews 20 to the
wall that separates the temple from the city
and pray and sing, aud shed tears, that
God may hasten the time when the Jews
NAV return TO the rock aud establish
their worship This wall Is really being
kissed away By those deyout worshipers.
Their prayers, however, viii never admit
them within the wall But there are other
PRAYERS and influences that will shortly
drive heathenism from the Holy Rock
and establish in Jerusalem a true worship
Of the true and living God
In Jerusalem is a large German Lutheran
Church Back Of the altar Is the inscrlp
ton. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday
today and forever There is also al
English Protestant Church here, an Eng
lish mission to promote christianity among
the Jews, a Christian Alliance, a Young
Mems Christian Association, Jewish
Christian Association, an American Mis-
sion. an American school and church. Al
around the city are the Christian jews
building beautiful mansions and taking act
iye part in restoring the city These are
the influences and prayers that will accom-
plish great deal.
On Sunday, March 18th, at 1 P. III,
our party held prayer meeting on Cor,
don Calvsry. About fifty of our member.
were present. Selah Merril, American
Consul at Jerusalem, led in prayer. More
than 1870 jews and missionaries took part
in the service.
From Jerusalem fifty Of our members
went ON horseback ON camping tour Il
Beyrout. distance of 250 miles Tn,
balance Of the party went back to Jatfa anc
sailed to Beyrout and met the camping
company at Damascus.
The following is our camping OUTFIT -
One conductor, two dragomen, three assist
ants, four cooks, twelve waters, fourteen
horsemen, forty -four muleteers, twenty
dwelling tents, two boarding tents, TIVE
luncheon tents, two kitchen tents, twenty
nine horses, sixty one mules, ten donkeys
and a number of old Bedouins with ole
rusty guns and spears with handles twenty
feet long to protect US against robbers
For these courtesies the Sultan already col
Iected three times from us for Passports
and | am informed we will be called upon
two times more before We can pass through
Constantiuople In going from Jerusalem
to Beyrout our party passed the following
interesting places :-Mzpeh, which Samue
called Ebenezer; Bethel, where Jacob hac
his dream. and Hanna lived when she wen
to the temple at Shilo to pray; Shllo, wher,
Eli and Samuel we're high priests; here the
Philistines also captured the Ark of the
Covenant; Jacobs well; Joseph tomb
Shechem, once the home of Abraham anC
also Jacob; Samaria, with its extensive
ruins Of Ahab's temple; Ahab 5 palace,
and Herod' 5 amphitheatre; (here Herod
had his court in Gailee in the time o.
Christ Dothau, where Joseph was solo
and where the King of Syria sent his sol
diers to capture the prophet Jezreei wher'
Ahab's summer residence stood, and the
sad story of Naboth's vineyard is vel
known; Shunem, where the Shunemitt
women gave the prophet room on top OF
the WALL Main, where Christ raised th'
widows son; Endor, where Saul sought
council from the witch; the native home Of
..The Son of Man. Cana, where Christ
turned water into wine; the Sea OF Galilee
the site of Bethsaida; the site OF Caper-
mum; Carsarea Phillippi, with its extensive
Il L 1 . h