Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-04-02
The
B I e S IS e a
Fire
JerusaIem's Strangest Easter
Spectacle 30 - - ~
By EVANGELINE BEN-OLIEL

n AANY services are held during
N holy week in Jerusalem by
different sectS. but that OF
the holy fire is the most pe-
culiar of all and attracts the greatest
number of spectators. The Saturday
preceding Easter is the day chosen for
this extraordinary performance The
writer, having lived in Palestine. wit
messed the ceremony several years ago.
To be able to secure seats our party
started for the Church of the Holy
Sepulcher early in the morning
The building was already crowded
with worshipers kneeling or sitting
on the floor of the church in great
masses. Soldiers were to be seen on
all sides, some standing leaning on
their loaded guns and others walking
about trying to keep order. At times
they treated the pilgrims roughly.
We were directed to a gallery half
way up the dome, reserved for spec
tators. Here were American and Eng
lish tourists. some Latin visitors and
a few Turkish officials. who looked on
with satirical amusement. Jews are
not allowed in this building. Below
our gallery was another, occupied by
as we'll as the thousands of pilgrims in
the body of the church held tapers.
As we looked down from our high bal
cony the church seemed to be one dense
mass of human beings jostling each
other in an excited manner in their
endeavor to get as close as possible to
the Chapel of the Sepulcher, where
heaven was to manifest its power. On
1 ~.
! ings for the fire TO issue forth. on the
right hand for the Greeks and on the
! left for the Armenians, Toward these
| openings all arms were eagerly out
I stretched. The pilgrims waited breath
lessly for the fire TO appear SO as to
| light their tapers from it and thus re
ceive the sacred fire first hand. They
| consider that there is special merit
in securing the fire direct from the in
terror of the sepulcher. For the privi-
Iege of standing close TO the apertures
high sums are paid.
All the windows and even the small
balconies round the cupOla were filled.
Murmurs and shouts re-echOed through
the building. We could hardly realize
that we were in n place of worship.
The people before us seemed more like
those preparing for an instruction
than for religious ceremony. The
vast crowd of pilgrims which sur
rounded the chapel was divided by an
open space formed by two circles Of |
soldiers. About noon an excited group |
of Arabs broke through this passage |
and rushed wildly round the sepulcher |
several times. crying to the fire to de- |
Scend from heaven and save them.
For two hours they kept up this per |
Torrance. Group succeeded group in |
this mad race. Some were dressed in
sheepSkinS and others in their ordinary |
plain white shirts. Most of them were
bare armed and barele@ged. y bugle-
man went ahead Of this strange pro-
cession. clapping his hands. to which
they all responded in wild cries in
Arabic the chief words of which seem
ed to be: This is the tomb Of Jesus
Christ, God save the sultan
AT last the bishop of the fire" gave
the signal for the service to begin. \
chant was heard in the distance. Out
of the Greek chapel long procession
of bishops and archbishops dressed in
siIken robes and of priests carrying
lights and embroidered banners was
to be seen slowly marching round the
sepulcher. The solemn chants of the
priests were strangely intermingled
with the loud yells of the excited pill
grims.
The bishop of the fire" now took Off
his cap and inter and entered the
chapel. The great miracle was about
to take place. A bright flame suddenly
appeared inside the sepulcher. The
a. f.,
serted his taper and drew it out alight.
Cries of joy arose on all sides. With
frantic eagerness the pilgrims pressed
closer and closer to light their tapers,
stumbling over each other in their eX-
element. They We're nearly beside
themselves for JOY. From hand to
hand. from taper to taper. the light
was spreading in i marvelOusly rapid
manner till very soon the whole build
ing was one blaze of light.
Thick clouds of fragrant incense gave
a misty appearance 10 the surround
ings. and through this mist thousands
of tiny lights appeared. Shouts Of re-
ioicing continued to resound through
ont the church. The bishop came out
of the chapel Immediately four stout
priests lifted him in triumph and car
ried him TO his own sanctuary
Three wealthy Armenians who had
bought the privilege Of standing close
TO the opening were the first 10 rush
out of the church with ten lighted
lamps. An avenue through the crowd
had been kept clear for them to pass
out quickly and carry these lights 10
their own churches. Mounted horse
men also galloped of with the sacred ]
fire 10 light the lamps in all the Greek
churches round Jerusalem.