The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1904-02-11
Holy Land, Canaan orPaleStine
In 81 LETTERS. LETTER NO. II.
written for the Brandon News by Virgil
MOAB AND PRISON OF JOHN BAPTIST.


Moab is the name of the son of Lots
eldest daughter, the eldest brother of
benjamin., the father of the Ammonites
(Gen, Io:37), also of the nation descend
ed from him. Zoar was the cradle of the
family, or race, of Lot. From this
locality the brother tribes went out.
Ammon, who seems to have been of a
rowing turn of mind, went to the north
settled and PEACEFUL remained near the
the Jordan and overlooking the whole of
country, known as Pearea-the land
beyond; a vast track of high table
land lying at least 1000 feet above the
vallay of the Dead Sea, and extending
eastward to the great desert which stretch
ing away to the Euphrates This portion
of Syria. from south of the Dead Sea to
Mount Hermon, usually referred to in
Jewish history as the land Moab,
Gilead and Bashan, was first permanently
settled by the Moabites and Ammontes
the descendants of Lots two sons Moab
and BENJAMIN.. 1t was one of the first
Ncountries conquered by the Isralites, and
on account of its rich paSturage given
to Reuben, Cad and the half tribe of Ma
nasseth as their inheritance because "they
Mad much cattle" Deut. 3-Io-)
In the eighth century B. c. this country
was invaded by the ASsyrians, and these
tribes were carried away captive into
AsSyria. And from that period down to
our time the land was SUCCESSFULLY
occupied by the AssyrianS, Greeks and
Romans, the remains of whose wealth
and power may still be seen in the mag
niflcent ruins found scattered above this
part of Palestine. No district of equal ex-
tent on .the face of the earth can furnish
such remarkable remains of ancient races.
After the fall of the Roman Empire the
wild sons of lShmael from the Arabian
Desert overran this country and are now
in possession of it. They have no perma-
nent settlement, don't have king, have
not submitted to Turkish rule, lived a
nomadic life, dwelling in tents and roam
ing from place to place-the most indepen-
dent people on earth. The men pride
themselves on being warriors, and are
generally seen mounted on splendid Arab
mares, never on horse. The women do all
the hard work and are regarded as slaves.
The principle occupation of these tribes is
plumber, their religion, Mohammedan
with the simple creed, Love Allah, kill
your neighbor and pray with the face
toward Mecca five times day. 1t has
not been long since travellers could not
enter this "No mans land" as it has been
called. In the spring of 1874 DR.. James
Strong, De Hass and their party under
the American flag, with firman from
the Sultan. and letter from the Pasha of
the Belka,by paying liberal tribute, made
the first visit to that disputed territory.
DeHass says ''No portion of the United
States is richer than this high plateau.
containing several thousand square miles
of well watered fertile land, covered with
flocks and herds, and black with Bedonian
tents.
The soil is rich limestone loan capable
Of supporting an immense population and
of growing almost anything, reminding
one very much of the rich rolling praries
of the western states. The central portion
of this region is known among the natives
as Belka, and from its lofty mountains
affords grand panorama of the Land
of Promise, "from Dan to Beersheba,"
and ''from Jordan to the uttermost sea-"
with Jerusalem, ''the city of God," as the
central figure, probably suggested to
Isaiah his imagery of the Land of Beuiah,