The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-11-12
Holy Land, Canaan or Palestine
In 81 LETTERS. LETTER NO. 8.
Written for Brandon News, by Virgil }
JERICHO, OR CITY or PALM TREES

Az - HAA ALAAo' LII LA NV W.
Written for Brandon News, by Virgil
JERICHO, OR CITY or PALM TREES.
Jericho, royal city of high antiquity
and of considerable Importance, situated
in plain traversed by the Jordan and
exactly over against where that river was
crossed by lsraelites under Joshua. Its
ancient site was Raselain. In the time
OF Christ further south, where is
found ruins of Aqueducts, Jericho of the
Middle Ages, is modern Eriha.
1t had king, was near Glgal, where
Israel first camped after crossing the Jor-
dan. Its walls were SO strong and broad
that houses were built upon them, (Josh
2:I5) and It's gate was shut at night, as
throughout the east STILL When the child
rem OF Israel crossed the Jordan, Joshua
sent out spies, who went to Jericho,
And Joshua, the son of Nun, sent out of
ohlttlm two men to spy secretly, saving,
go view the land, even Jericho. (Josh. 2:I)
Later, under direction of the God of
Israel, it fell before Joshua and his men
without any loss to Israel.
Paul says 'By faith the walls of Jericho
fell" (1eb. II:3o)
Rahab, the harlot, had concealed the
spies and was saved from the destruction,
which overlook the city by Joshua. In
the division of lands, it was given to
the tribe of Benjamin. Josh. 1920
After this Jericho passes out of sight for
some time. Then we read about it in ii
Samuel 1915. "Wherefore Hanun took
David's servants, and shaved off the one
half of their boards and cut off their gar
ments in the middle, even to their buttocks
and sent them away. When they told it
unto David, he sent to meet them, because
the men were greatly ashamed; and the
king said, tarry at Jericho until your
boards be grown, and then return" ( II
Samuel Io:4-5) In Judges I:fo it is
called the scity of Palm trees" 1t was
rebuilt nine hundred and ten years B. G.
by Hiel, laying the foundation early in
life, but set up the gates later as had been
said by Joshua, when he first destroyed
it five hundred and forty one years before.
"And Joshua adjured them at that time,
saying, cursed be the man before the
Lord, that riseth up and buildetn this city,
Jericho, he shall lay the foundation there
of in his first born, and in his youngest
son shall he set up the gates oft "(JoSh.
626) Near this city the sons of the
prophets sought retirement from the
world.
Elisha ''healed the spring of waters
and over againstit, beyond Jordan, Elijah
went up by whirlWind into heaven y
Gil King 2:II) In the plains of Jericho
Zedekiale fell into the hands of the Chal-
deans, who slew his son before his eyes
and ''bound him with letters of brass, and
carried him to Babylon" Then again
under Zurabbabeed, the children of Jericho
numbered three hundred and forty-five.
There was a fine fountain or spring,
near old Jericho, whose waters had been
made famous by the prayers of Elisha.
Jericho was once more "a city of
palms." when our Lord visited it, such as
Herod the Great and Archelaus had left
it, such He saw it. Here Christ restor-
ed the blind man, and between this city
and Jerusalem, Christ laid the scene of
His story of the good Samaritan. 1t was
destroyed by Vespasianin the year 70 A.
D. Dehass gives an interesting descrip-
ton of this part of Palestine. down to
Jericho" from Jerusalem is trip taken by
almost every traveller visiting Palestine.
The distance is perhaps sixteen miles and
the descent near four thousand feet,
Jericho being about one thousand feet
below the ocean level. The road lies
through the Wilderness of Judae," and
the trip is still full of dangers and from the
roughness of the route and the wild
Arabs everywhere to be seen skulking
about among the rocks, ready to pounce
upon the unprotected Wayfaring man, who
dares to venture into these forbidden
grounds without proper guards
On leaving Jerusalem and going out at
St. Stevens Gate, you cross the Kedron
on stone bridge near the garden of
Gethsemane, where the Savior prayed
and was in agony on the night of the
betrayal; and passing around Olvet,
below the tombs of the prophets, in half
an hour you are at Bethany, once the
humble home of the Son of God in the
hospitable family of Mary, Martha and
Lazarus. From here you descend rapidly
to Craftsmanship fountain of the
Sun"-a fine spring now known as the
"Well of the apostles" issuing from the
eastern'faoe'of rocky ridge, and one ofthe
old land marks between Judah and Benja-
min. Following for two hours the wind
ing stream, flowing from this fountain,
YUu lOllIC u lliC SilC vi lllC
''Inn by the wayside," where the Good
Samaritan left the wounded man, who
had fallen among thieves. The spot is
marked by the remains of an old Khan,
or inn, where you can lunch under
the shadow of a great rock, the only
shelter to be found in this, the most
desolate and dangerous part of the road,
This wild district is 'the going up to
Adammim," and is proverbial for its
bloody deeds. St. Jerome calls it ''the
red or bloody way and deep ravine
through which the road winds is still
known as the Murders Glen" here
Sir Frederick Henniker, a few years since,
was stripped and left for dead by the
roadside; and still later DR.. Leyburn, of
Baltimore, Md, was robbed by the
Bedonians, who to the present in
fest more or less this lonely I'M
cultivated region. We are told that
it was to protect pilgrims going over
the dangerous road that the order of
knight Templar" was first organized,
an office later performed by the Abudis
tribe of Arabs, with whom there had been
a regular treaty, guaranteeing the pro-
lection of Americans passing through this
territory. We are told that no scenery
= 49, :, Jar -, fro ~,