Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1900-04-10
N PALESTINE.
MANY Interesting Places, Spoken Of ia
the Bible, Visited-Pleasant and
Unpleasant Experiences 10 the HOLY
Land-Letter Number 81.


Land-Letter Number 81.
Correspondence of the Richmond Palladium:
On BOARD NEW ENGLAND.
March 10, 1900.
At Nablous, again we mounted
horses at Z a. M, breakfasting half
hour earlier, and our first place of
special interest was Samaria. the
ancient capital of Ahab and Jezebt-l-
As we entered this place the children
threw stones and spit at US as a
token of their dislike for Christians.
We have seen more to memorlalize
Herod the Great than any other per
son. At Jerusalem, Jericho, Tiberias
and here at Samaria are striking EVIL
dences of his extensive works. We
saw the remains of so-called Ahab 5
Palace, but Herod had more to do
with it than Ahab. And, besides, we
rode more than half mile past rows
of stone columns, sixteen feet in
height and twenty inches in diameter,
that once contributed to the magniti
cence of this city. Some of them are
partially buried by the accumulation
of earth about them. Some are
broken off and lie upon the ground
or help in the formation of a wall.
Somewhere, | forget just where, we
saw a section of such column, with
iron bolts in the ends, and had evil
IDENTIFY been appropriated as
a roller. The Church of st. John
is here, and it is claimed that
it is built on the site where John the
no
headed, and buried. We started
down to see the reputed tomb, but as
it was dark, dreary place, and the
crowd was great, and we had already
visited numbers of tombs we lost in
terest, and went no further than into
the entrance of 1t.
At the fountain where we lunched,
the wash women got into a fight, or
two of them did. and spite was taken
by tramping the clothes that were
being washed underfoot and thus
putting dirt on them.
In the afternoon we stopped at
Dothan where Joseph was put in to
the pit by his brothers. The day be
fore we were in the rich pastures of
Shechan, where he sought his broth
ers, and was informed by a stranger
that they had gone to Dothan. 1t is
very apparent as to why they should
have gone on UP these fertile valleys
seeking pastures for their f1ocks. To
90 over the ground gives a vivid re
we'll, for the pit of Joseph is filled
with water, is steam grist mill.
How they ever got a steam engine
down here is mystery to me. Its
fuel for fire is roots At the we'll
there gathered about us a number of
natives-men. Our manager mount
ed the wall of the well and spoke to
us the following: Watch your things;
these men standing among you are
robbers.
Going on we soon came to an i'm
mense olive orchard-the largest in
all Palestine. Its trees are of gigan-
tic size anu are hundreds of years
old. We rode through it and in fact
we often rode directly through wheat
fields. 1t seems to be common Gus
tom bare to ride right yer crops il
ft IS more c0ncenie6t to 10 90. 1nSS
it is right custom doubt much.
When we arrived at our camp at
Jenin we were informed that our
baggage and provision train had
been attacked by robbers and Some
of our men were severely wounded.
From subsequent testimony we be
lieve it resulted from trespass, and a
whole village turned against our ma
tive carriers and they got the worst
of it. Our dragomen lodged COZ n
plant with the local shiek, and he
r. -, hx,, ,1xr
for protecting their crops from tres
pass.
The next day, travelling from Jenin
at the usual time, we came to Jezriel,
the chief residence of Ahab and Jeze
bel. 1t is said there are 500 inhabi-
tants now, but they inhabit filthy
pig pens, for they are little better 1t
is upon prominent hill top and a
little to the east is Gideon S fountain
where that general by the test of
drinking water selected his three
hundred faithful warriors. AS we
stood here and looked over the Plain
of Esdraelon, it was a scene so beau
tiful as never to be forgotten. 1t
was a patchwork of natures colors,
with seams as even and straight as
ever good housewife made. 1t was
as extended as the eye could reach
Wonder to our right IN plain view is
Gilboa where Saul and Jonathan fell
In front is Little Hermon and be-
You'd and above it in the distance is
beautiful snow-covered Hermon gHs-
tening in the sunlight. 1t is enough
to stir the poetic sentiments of a
psalmist. No more is it a wonder to
me that there is poetry in the Boil
of this land. 1t touches the emotions
and excites poetic sentiment, even in
the mind of one without ability to
give it outward expression. l am
thankful to have been permitted to
view this and other beautiful scene
in the Holy Land. Descending t he
bill we are supposed tie have crossed
the site of Naboth's Vineyard and
across the plain we came to ShuneIn. |
where Elijah restored the widow s |
SON. But Elijah would have an uh- |
inviting place here now. 1t is enough |
to say, by way of description, that in |
getting out of the village our horse s
buried their legs in rotten dung heaps. |
ELLwooD O. ELLIS |