The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-11-12

paved Roman road may be seen, after
more than two thousand years have been
passed, the road over which ''the man
OF sorrows" once passed and pursued his
weary journey, and by the side of which
poor Bartimus sat when the Light of The
World passed before him and dispelled
the darkness forever from his sightIess
eyes. The Jordan Valley at this point is
from ten to fifteen miles wide; the soil
rich las the garden of Lora," and "well
watered' as when Lot chose it for his
inheritance before the overthrow of Sodom
and Gomorrah.
1t is said that no less than six springs,
and one of them sufficient to run a mill.
and the remains of twelve aqueductS for
lrrigating the plains, may still be seen in
this vicinity.
Near Jericho is Gigal, what solemn
thoughts it brings to our minds; here ''the
captain of Lords host" appeared to JOSH
ia, and the twelve memorial stones were
still set up by the children of Israel in
commemoration of their safe passage
of the Jordan. Here they kept the pass
over, and set up the tabernacle for the
first time in the Holy Land or land of
promise. Here the mama ceased, and
the first time they ate of the corn and
fruit of the land they were henceforth to
enjoy as their own. They were now
enjoying fulfllment of Gods long
delayed promise to Abraham and his seed
after him. Here also the children of
Israel born during their wilderness wan
derings were circumcised, proof of this be-
ing the place, some flint knives, probably
used in the operation, have been found,
similar in every respect to those found in
the tomb of Joshua at I'll nnah-Serah.
This site is about five miles from the Jor-
dan, and on the direct road from where the
Hebrews crossed at Jericho.
good writer says Happily, there is no
difficulty in determining the site ofJerlcho
the famous "cityof palm trees" the first
city taken by Joshua in the conquest of
the country. "The fountain of Elisha, "a
magnificent Spiing gushing from beneath
a partly artificial knoll, is undoubtedly
the same whose bitter waters were healed
by the prophet, whose name it bears and
settles the site of Jericho. The remains
of buildings, and the line of cid walls NAV
also be traced, enclosing several artificial
mounds, 1.-The largest having an elevation of
at least one hundred feet. Some of these
mounds are builded of stone, some of sun
dried brick and belong to the Canaan
nitiSh period and made for defense in the
WurShips of their Gods.
The house of ''Rahab the harlot" can
not be found she is called harIot because
many inn keepers of that day was of that
class, though Rahab must have been
better woman, for she married prince in
Jndah, and became che mother of Boaz,
who was the husband of Ruth and hence
of the house of David, through whom
the Messiah came.
Old Jericho is now in complete ruins,
few Gypsy tents may be seen among the
ruins. The Arabs have legend cores
ponding with the captain of Jericho
The Jericho of Christ times and
where Herod the Great died was
about one and half miles south of
there. Nothing remains of this once great
city except reservoir, perhaps the same in
which the wicked Herod cursed Arstobu-
lus to be drowned.
Directly back of Elisha'S fountain and
about six miles west of the river overlook
ing ancient Jericho and the whole Valley
of Jordan, rises one of the highest noun
tains of the Judean range. The tradition
al place of Christ's temptation and fast
forty days in the wilderness, in the face
of which is numbers of grottoeS, the
hidingsplace of prosecuted monks during
religious persecution. How interesting are
all those things.