Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-04-24
The HOLY LAND.
ur vArrra WILLIAMS N oOlvurA arnAr.o

small. The single State OF Missouri 4
nearly six times its size. From Dar
to BeeEheba is but one hundred ane
forty-four miles and the authorized
possession, never, save for brie
space during the golden age OF Solom
on, the actual possession of the Israel
ties, covered over 5000 square miles
The region OF the gospels could be put
in the Hudson river valley from al
bany to New York, or almost within
the fertile belt Of Missouri corn lane
bounded by the Missouri and Mis-
sissippi rivers, the Wabash railwa,
and the Columbia branch. Upor
any well-ordered map Of the eartha
surface Palestine is a mere dot, a pen
Gil point will cover all its sacred
places, But in any history OF IN.
worlds civilizations the Land Of Is
rael occupies more space than ans
other land.
The Holy Land is a bols land tC
Moslem, Jew and Christian. A ira
dition, one of the many which cluster
around Jerusalem, locates there the
actual center OF the world on stone
ia the worn flooring Of a Greek Catho
lie sanctuary. The tradition has !
basis of fact. For Palestine is the
center Of the religious world in that
from it has gone out the faiths tC
which the world clings and most ol
all, because upon its hills and through
its valleys walked the Man Christ
Jesus.
In peculiar isolation is Palestine,
The Mediterranean Sea, without a
single natural harbor, lies to its west
ward, full of mystery and storm anC
death. To the south is the great anc
terrible desert Of Israel's wanderingS
To the east is the traekleSs desert Of
Arabia, and to the north a rugged wal
Of mountains which, pierced only BY a
narrow passageway, a Roman centur
IONS band might defend against &
million men.
Thus isolated Palestine, singularly
enough, was yet at the very center Of
the civilizations of the an
cient world. From the days Of Abra
ham and beyond it was the Westland
Of the Eastern peoples toward which
restless tide Of immigration and ad
venture tended. To the PharaOhs Of
the south it was the Midland acres:
which they sent their hosts on errand
OF commerce OF mission OF conquest,
To the armies Of Alexander, and,
later, to the legions Of Rome, it was
the great high bridge on which they
ascended or descended into the rich
basins Of the Nile or Of the Euphra.
tes
The greatest Palestine geographerr
DIR. George Adam Smith, has tittingly
described IL ''aS land lying between
two continents-Asia and Africa; be-
tween two primeyal homes Of man
the Euphrates and the Nile; between
two great centers Of emplre-Western
Asia and Egypt; between all these,
representing the Eastern and the an
cient world, and the Mediterranean,
which is the gateway to the Western
and the modern worldH -
Its mountain strongh.,s,ad1s seldom
anew " .ll'ssyIsourbing tread OF invading
nesss but It's western highway was
Tor centuries the favorite route In war
aud peace between the three cOnti-
nents Of Asia, Africa and Europe
Every great warrior Of the past from
the Macedonian prince TO the Little
Corsiean marched his armies along the
high roads, and here then went about
doing good the Prince Of Peace. This
paradoxical relation Of exclusion and
ready intercommunication made
Palestine the appropriate home Of the
peculiar people who we're at one
time to dwell apart from all nations
and at another time to carry the mes
sage Of life to all the peoples Of the
earth.
The best commentary upon the
Book, born in this land, is the Book
itself Next TO IL in helpful interpre-
tatiOn is the Land. The Bible, which
is for all peoples, comes frUm a land
which touches all lands.
THE PARTY WHICH SAW THE LAND
II was seven-weeks from the first
glimpse the travellers had OF the Holy
Land, in the gray Of February morn
ing, of GAIA, gateleSs since Samson,
until the blue mist OF March sky
shut out from view the snOw-hoOded
Lebanon mountains, There must be
a deep common interest and real con
geniality for any party, large or small,
10 travel eOntentedly together in any
country seven weeks or seven days.
Especially is this true in Oriental
countries where the limited vocabula-
ry Of the people and their stereotyped
replies throw one back upon bis com.
panioDs at every turn. The Egyptians
have an evil spirit which they call
"the dahbeeyah devil, 4" which makes
friends who travel together on the
Nile foes when they leave the river.
Travel is an unmasker.
II takes of the trappings Of con
ventionality and shows the real man
10 all bis unclad seiiishness. Hence.
the Mlssourlans were fortunate 10 be
members Of a party which for unfail-
ing good humor, kindliness, sympathy
and bubbling courtesy could not BE-
They went across country
a cross word. They saw their
baggage made into shapeless masses
by the dOwnpour Of 1.-THE latter rains"
without a cloud upon their brows
And even In the disappearance Of the
lunch beneath the Jordan's waye-On
donkey-back-a baptism not into eter-
nal life-brOught forth many tean Of
laughter.
There we're eight ia the party, Of all
ages, OF i've religious denominations,
Df both sexes and from every section
Df the United States and Chicago. III
lad the distinction Of being the inst
regular class that ever went from an |
American University or for that
matter from any UniverSity-to study |
10 Palestine. AT the bead was the
shekh, alias the professor, who has
written few books and knows many,
IN executive without exertiOn. The
members NAV be thus introduced: