Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1901-10-10
Valley Of
JOrdan...


Especial letter.
The worlds most historic valley is
that through which the rive- Jordan
winds its tortuous course. From its
narrow defile where the headwaters
of the river gush in a thousand bub-
bling rills from among the stones OF
the cave of Pan, through marshy plains
to its wide stretches of land around
the Dead sea, it is replete with names
familiar to every one who has read
history, either sacred or profane.
On the mountains, whose shadows
fall over the valley, Moses received the
law from God and centuries later
Christ passed through IT'S highways
and its byways, through its populous
cities and fertile fields, preaching and
teaching the lessons with which all the
civilized world is now familiar. 1t is
the scene of the lifework of the great
est teacher and leader of men that
humanity has ever known. Herein He
was adored and worshiped, scoffed at
and jeered at, tempted and threatened.
In this valley, He cured the sick, raised
bhC dpetd " liit, Piolcuhu thihh
ers of humble fishermen, stilled the
tumultuous waters of the sea with His
footstep and wiped cut the stain of
original sin with the agony of Geth-
semane and the darkness which closed
around the tragedy of Calvary fell
upon the winding Jordan.
Long Before the Coming of Christ.
even before the prophets told of the
future advent of the Messiah, events
which make history were transpiring
along the banks of the Jordan. Wars
ragged cities rose and fell, and gov
ernments were established and shat
tered. The soil was fertile and the re-
gion rich and populous. Phoenecians,
Greeks and Romans came and con-
quered at different times and the hosts
of the Persians and the Syrians spread
1t with waste and desolation. But 1t
always recovered from the attacks of
the invaders and during the life OF
Christ teemed with humanity and
blossomed with fertility.
Now there Is little of the old life in
the valley. A scanty supply of fish
would reward the fisherman who
might cast his net, the fiocks are few
and scattering, the fields are barren
of the lilies and there are but few evil
dences that this was once a garden spot
of the world. The mountains still rise
In their majestic splendor, the Jordan
dashes as of yore over precipices ana
rolls al ole h1u n Gal;
lee often lashes into fury as 1t did
when the Master babe it be quiet and
the Dead sea shimmers in the sunlight,
but the spirit and the life of the val
ley are gone. War, pestilence, earth
quake and time have contributed to
the surrounding scenes of ruin.
The valley of tie Jordan stretches
from north to south in the eastern part
OF Palestine. The river is formed from
the waters of springs
Gushing From the Labanon Mountains
and Mount Hermon For number OF
miles its course is through a wildly
picturesque country. Mountains tower
above either side and the stream
dashes over dizzy precipices AMI
through deep and rocky chasms. It
varies greatly in width and depth. In
some places 1t is not more than fifty
yards wide and from three to seven
feet deep. Its source is about loo
feet above the Mediterranean sea.
but where 1t flows into the Dead
sea 1t is 1916 feet below this
level In a direct line from its
source to its mouth 1t Is 100 feet
miles long, but its course is so wind
Ing that within space of sixty miles
loLg and from four to five miles
broad it traverses at least 200 miles,
and during this time plunges over
twenty-seven formidable rapids. Be-
fore 1t spreads into Lake Meron, now
called Huleh, 1t struggles through a
morass which is thickly overgrown
with papyrus. On leaving this lake
the river is sluggish and turbid, but
is soon purified and becomes a tor
rent rushing between small islands
and rocks thickly set with oleanders
About two miles below Lake Meron
is Jacobs Bridge, where Jacob on his
return from Mesopotamia is said tc
have crossed. 1t was built after the
crusades.
About thirteen miles below thi:
bridge, the stream enters Lake Tt
berias, or Gennesaret, more familiarl,
known as
The Sea of GaIiIee.
About this tiny inland sea which II