The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-06-10
Goes Down to Jericho,
Jarncalem March @ 1909

Jerusalem, March 8, 1903.
At last on my journey have reach
ed the Holy City. 1t is certainly the
dirtiest, dustiest, tilthiest place l ever
saw. Beggars, some lame, some de-.
formed, and many blind, are begging
on every corner, and especially at the
doors of the churches, mosques, and
and in the Jews waillng place. The
city outside the walls is new, mod
ern and tolerably clean, but when
YOU enter the gate you find all filth
and dirt, rags and beggars.
By carriage | visited Bethlehem,
where you find the church of the Ma
tivity built over the birthplace of
| Christ. Three sects have churches
under this roof and soldiers are sta.
toned there all the time to keep them
from fighting. This little village has
several shops and small factories
where souvenirs of mother of pearl
and olive wood are manufactured to
De sold to tourists, and the work is
very good considering the looks of
the wOrkmen. Caravans of camels
and the patient donkey with his
heavy load are ever present.
The mosque of Omar, which was
built in the 5th century by .Constan-
| ii e, on the site of the temple of Sol
O.. ON and afterwards the. temple of
H rod (lhese temples have all but a
| few foundation stones been destrOyed)
were located on the summit of
Mount Moriah and in the center under
tho dome is the rock upon which
Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac.
The rock is still here about 80 feet in
diameter surface measure. Under
these temples and now under the
mosque Of Omar is Solomon's stables
where thousands of arches support
the buildings, and the court above
these stables is hewn out of the rock
and arched up for strength.
On the way to Bethlehem is passed
many sights of interest, one of which
is Rachel's tomb. The Jews Wailing
Place is of great interest. AS 1 visit
ed it OH Friday hundreds of Jews
were there wailing for the downfall
of the Temple and praying for its
restoration and the return of the Jews
to this city (but l would advise all
Jews lii America to stay there.) The
Mount of Olives, the pools and quar-
ries of Solomon, the Hill of Zion and
and Garden of Gethsemane are of
great interest, but would advise my
friends who have great respect for
Bible history and reverence for the
holy place to stay at home rather than
visit Jerusalem. When one looks at
the rocky, barren soil, the poverty and
distress, the half clad wonderer and
the poor, over-worked camel and dom
key, he is bound to say Moses was a
poor Judge of country to pick on
such a place as this for a promised
land.
am stopping at a French monas-
terry outside the Jaffa gate. 1t is very
clean and they are very kind. The
bed is fairly good but the floors are
stone, the walls stone, the ceiling
stone, no fires anywhere; in fact no
one here ever has fire. There is no.
thing to burn. You are fed on bread :,
well cooked, honey and horse meat
(well done,) goats milk and black
coffee, but when you tramp through
the city (no streets are wide enough
to admit of carriage) or ride donkey
around the country you can eat with
good relish what is set before you
and ask no questions. | would not
advise young people to come here to
spend their honeymoon. You would
tire of it soon.
left the ship at Joppa, or Jafla as
it is now called. This city is older
than NOah's flood and the country
around raises the finest oranges,
lemons, dates and olives | ever saw,
but after you cross the mountains of
Judea aud get up here it is cold and
but little more than desert In
company with DR.. Cotter, of Califor-
MIA, | spent one day visiting the leper
Iquarters and hospital. AT the Ger
man Leper Hospital there are 81 pa
tients, many with their hands and
feet gone, some blind, some minus ears
and noses, and some confined to their
beds. / took photographs of most of
them and have nice collection of
pictures of this ancient and dreaded
disease. This hospital can only he
entered by order of the German con-
sui. This was obtained through Mr..
Clark, the American vice-consul who
furnished us with guide and car
riage. After we got through there We
took dOnkeys and visited the leper
settlement outside the city walls.
Here we saw over 80 of the worst
wretches on earth living in mud and
stone houses with dust floors, no win
dows, in dirt and filth, almost starry
ing. They could go TO the hospital
but their religion (Mohammedan)
teaches them that if ALA desires them
to suffer they must do it and not COM
plain.
On Saturday at noon took car