Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1903-04-11

1t is in Jerusalem that the Easter
celebration of the Christian world at
tains its apotheosis. The strange, old
holy city is surrounded with native
Christian tribes. among whom the
ages of faith still prevail. They be-
lieve absolutely that their feet are
treading the sepulchre of Christ, that
their kisses fall upon the very marble
which held his form, and that their
prayers are breathed upon the earth
which supported His cross. So they
come from desert and mountain fast
ness of Asia Minor, and from Italy and
Spain and Egypt, and even from far
away Siberia.
In addition, Jerusalem is the second
holiest city in the world to the Mos.
lem; and, seeing that a pilgrimage
thither comes next to one to Mecca,
and that there is hope of excitement
and financial gain among the throngs,
many Mohammedans gather in Jeru-
salem at the same time. And still
further to mix the races, this is Pass
over week, and the Jews of Palestine
go up to Jerusalem to celebrate it,
just as they did that week when the
%stupendous Passover sacrifice of the
Christian world was offered.
Jerusalem, with its 10000 popula-
ton, is built on 300 acres of ground.
Probably not a town of 5000 people in
America occupies so small a space.
Walking its streets one a often
touch the walls on either side. Into
this narrow space are crowded pill
grims from twenty different nations
Syrian and Kept, Armenian and Arab;
from the valley of the Nile, from the
wilds of Abyssinia, from the plains of
Arabia, they come to drop a tear upon
the tomb of Christ, while here and
there, perhaps, a stray American tour
list looks on with curious eyes.
The Greek patriarch of Jerusalem
has charge of the ceremonies, and the
soldiers of the sultan are there to pre-
serve order among the Jealous Chris
tian sects, who have sometimes fallen
afoul of each other upon the very
steps Of the sacred tomb.
The Church of the Sepulchre is the
place to study this seething mass of
humanity during Holy week. Built by
Emperor Constantine LOO years ago,
the people believe that this vast edi-
fee of yellow stone covers the very
spot on Calvary where the Savior died.
Entering the great square vestibule
one sees a slab of rose colered marble
resting on supports. It is said to be
the stone on which the body of Jes&s
was laid to be prepared for burial.
Around 1t the pilgrims kneel and weep
and pray AL day.
There is an Armenian peasant In
his %sheepskin coat and beside him a
well CARRIED man from Italy. There is
a Syrian woman with her child and
beside her a Russian pilgrim from the
borders of Siberia. Some lay their
rosaries upon the stone that the beads
may be blessed. Some burn cakes OF
incense upon it. Some bring webs OF
linen and a and cut pieces the
size of the stone, which they rub over
the sacred surface. These are to be
their winding sheets, that they may
rest softly in their last beds. In the
center of the great rotunda is the
sepulchre itself, a marble structure
thirty feet high. In its wall is a re
cess, made by two slabs of marble, the
very receptacle, it is said, in which
the body was laid. And here all the
week long the people are kissing these
things and praying and creepin,
around the %sepulchre on their knees
ALI the week the nilprims are ms