The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-07-27
IN THE HANDS OF ALIENS
Jerusalem, the Shrine of Christians, Is Held
by MOslems.

by MosIems.

OF France. out since the overthrow OF
the empire and the establishment of a
republic this support has grown weak
er and less effective. The Jews, strange
10 say. are under the protection of the
Austrian and Spanish consuls-repre-
sentatives of the two sovereigns who
are most loyal and jealous in their
support of the pope. The French con-
sui gives his best efforts. no doubt to
secure protection fer the Franciscans
and other religious orders. but the
controlling influence of Palestine is in
Constantinople, and the sultan knows
the atheisticaI tendencies of the
French people and the indifference or
the French government TO the inter
ests OF the church. Jerusalem is the
residence of a governor or mutesarrif
of the first class, who is Immediately
subject to the personal authority of
the sovereign. The present incumbent
has been in Jerusalem but a short
time, and up to January was private
secretary to the sultan. He is assist
ed by an executive council of his own
appointment. which has Jurisdiction
over the entire province, and a mu-
nicipal council, which looks after af-
fairs in the town. In both OF these
councils all of the prominent religious
denominations are supposed to have
repreSenta tives-the orthodox Greeks
Roman Catholics. Jews, Protestants
and Armenisns-and each of these rep
resentatiyes is supposed TO have juris-
dictfon over and immediate control OF
the members of his own faith, for
whom he Is responsible to the governor
and through him to the sultan. They
may be either priests or laymen and
are appointed upon the recommended
ton or application of the patriarch or
bishop, having ecclesiastical authority
in Jerusalem. Thus the government is
semi and every person
who arrives in Jerusalem for either
permanent or temporary stay, is re-
quired to name the religious denomina-
tfon to which he belongs. He is fur
nished with a blank to be filed out
with his name, age. birthplace, ma
tionality and religion, and upon the
records of the municipality he appears
as subject of the representative OF
the religion he processes. If he is in
trouble or commits a crime, he appeals
TO. or is brought before, the representa-
tive of his religion in the council or
the patriarch of his church, who is eX-
pected 10 see that he obeys the laws
and behaves himself. and Furnishes him
if he falls to do so.
The Protestant community is under
the jurisdiction of the bishop of the
stablished church OF England and the
protection of the English and American
consulS; the German Protestants are
under the German consul.
The Armenians have a patriarch, a
monastery. a seminary, a nunnery and
two schools. They OCCUPY an interest
ing section of Mount Zion, including
the house of Caiaphas, the high priest,
before whom Jesus was tried, and their
community, although hot large, is.
next to the Greeks, the wealthiest in
Palestine. They have their share OF
the sacred places. They claim the site
80 . h. -.
James, which is occupied by their
church, next to that of the holy sepul
chre, the largest in the city, and the
, richest in ecclesiastical decorations and
sacred Vestments.
In their little chapel opening off the
court of the house of Caiaphas, they
show the actual stone that was rolled
away from the door of the sepuIchre by
the angel on the morning of the resur-
rection; point out the exact spot upon
which Peter stood when he denied his
Lord, and the roof upon which the
cock roasted when it crowed three
times. The house of Caiaphas is sup
posed to be preserved exactly as it was
at the TING of Christ. and certainly is
one of the oldest edifices In Jerusalem.
: Tx court is not so large as 1 expect
ed TO find it, but it is an admirable
! example of a Saracenic cloiSter and is
painted in Oriental colors. The cell in
| which Christ was confined is small
dungeon built into the wall, and is now
| reached through the chapel Both In
| the house and in the chapel are some
| fine specimens of wood carving and
| gliding. and hanging upon the wall of
/ the latter, near the altar, is one of
| those trick pictures painted upon a
| gridiron of tin which shows the face
/ of the Savior if you look at il from one
direction, the face of St. John if you
] look at ii from another, and that of
| the holy virgin if you stand directly in
! front. There are several tombs of
| Armenian patriarchs in the court yard.
The Copts, the MarOniteS, the Abys-
/ sinfans. the JacObites and several 9TH
| er Oriental sects have monasteries.
churches and schools. and some of
/ them claim possession of sacred soil.
/ They have their share of the pilgrims
| and take care of them in their own
1 hospices. The people of Abyssinia are
I Christians. and several years ago King
| Menelik himself made a sacred pill
/ grimage to Jerusalem.