The Topeka state journal., 1902-03-29
EASTERN EASTER.
Service at Church of the Holy
Sepulchre, Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, March 2s-The Christian
mind naturally turns at the season of
aEster to the places and scenes where
the great tragedy of the birth, crucifix-
ion and resurrection of Christ took
place.
Naturally also one thinks of Jerusalem
in connection with those glorious mem
cries whereon rest the foundations of
Christian faith.
Jerusalem today presents sorry as
pect compared with the hustle and
prosperity of some Oriental cities. For
the most part, its most noted and pop
ulous quarters are heaps of ruins. Its
Easter, or resurrection, has not yet
come.
1t is Easter Eve, and what signs of
life are stirring in the city all seem to
be moving in one direction-toward the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, regarded
by some as the appropriate center of
the worship of Christendom and the
Cathedral Church of Palestine and the
east.
This edif1ce is regarded as the model
of all the circular churches in Europe.
The dome stretches irnpressively
above the great rotunda of the nave,
the sky showing through the opening
in the center as it does in the Pantheon,
light and air having free access.
Beneath the dome are the galleries,
the northern one, belonging TO the
Latin convent, accommodating the
Frankish portion of the audience.
This imposing interior is shortly to
be the scene of remarkable spectacle,
within the vast open space which forms
the pit of the rotunda. beneath the gal
lerieS, which are mostly filled with spec
tators, the vast open space below being
reserved for the great mass of pilgrims
and their festival The enormous con-
course of these faithful devotees. who
have journeyed from many lands to be
present at the great feast, have slept
within the sacred walls over night.
r1f1l1
a strangely complicated appearance.
The chapel building, a queer shaped
edifice of brown marble, with tawdry
looking cupola and ornamentation, is
divided into two sections In the east
ern division is the Stone of the Angel.
It is occupied by Greeks and Arne-
mans. Through a round aperture on
the northern side the holy fire issues
opening in the opposite wall, that for
the ArmenianS.
A little wooden chapel at the western
side accommoda tes the poor Copt wor-
shippers while further yet in that di-
rection is the Syrian chapel wherein
are the assumed tembs of Joseph and
Nicodemus the only tangible. evidence
of the authenticity of the site.
With the crowd of pilgrims waiting
in the center of the sepulchre and the
galleries crowded with spectators, the
scene is one of incessant life and mo-
tion. To maintain order among the
miscellaneous crowd and the equally
diversified mass of persons that has
gathered outside, lines of Turkish SOL
diers are stationed.
The principal work of these troops is
to restrain the fiery little Arabs, who
attempt to rush around the sepulchre
to bring the sacred fire forth.
Sometimes the disturbance ends in a
general participation by the male pill
grims in rough and tumble games.
Finally the crowd becomes excited,
and some one begins to shout. This is
Risen!" Then commences a mad whirl-
ing dance in which nearly all, both in
side and outside the church, seem to
participate.
church, on the cast side of the rotunda,
comes a long procession of priests with
banners, which take the
place of images in their ritual. These
defle around the Holy Sepulchre.
The pilgrims now commence to yell
and chant snatches of the Chant of
Basil and St Chrysostom.
As the presence of the Turks is sup
posed to prevent the descent of the sa-
cred fire, the troops now allow them
selves to be driven out of the church the
mob pretending to exert violence Even |
standard bearers. bishops and priests
flee before its imaginary ire.
At this juncture, the Bishop of Petra, |
the Patriarch or supreme
pontiff of the Greek church. hurries to |
the Chapel of the Sepulchre, and the |
moment of supreme excitation. The |
heads of the N ultitude surge to and fro, |
and their arms lend thmselves to ex- |
traortinary gestures. To the awful up !
roar of this burst of fanaticsim. tie |
Chapel of the Sepulchre presents Il /
strange contrast. In it, the bishop is i
performing a miracle
Suddenly a bright light appears at |
the aperture and a feeling of awe
silences every tongue in that vast con- 1
course. The light burns brightly and |
the descent of God himself, /
upon the Holy Tomb. 1
Tapers are now lighted at the holy |
fire and passed from hand to hand, the /
crowd slowly fling out of the church, |