The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1906-04-06
JoURNEYING TO JERUSALEM.
Impressive Ceremonies Observed by
Christians and Hebrews.

Impressive Ceremonies Observed by
Christians and Hebrews.
1t is in Jerusalem that the Easter cele-
bration of the Christian world attains its
apotheosis. The strange, old holy city is
surrounded with native Christian tribes,
among whom the ages of faith still prevail.
They believe 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 fastness of Asia Minor, and from
Italy and Spain and Egypt, and even from
far away Siberia
In addition, Jerusalem is the second
hottest city in the world to the Moslem;
and, seeing that pilgrimage thither comes
next to one to Mecca, and that there is
hope of excitement and financial gain
among the throngs, many Mokammedans
gather in Jerusalem at the same time
And still further to mix the races, this is
Passover week, and the Jews of Palestine
90 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 forty thousand pop
ulation, is built on three hundred acres of
ground. Probably not village of five
hundred people in America occupies so
small space.
The Greek patriarch of Jerusalem h-J
charge of the ceremonies, and the soldiers
Of the Sultan are there to preserve order
among the jealous Christian 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
10 study this seething mass of humanity
during Holy Week. Built by Emperor
Constantine seventeen hundred years ago,
the people believe that this vast edi6ce of
yellow stone covers the very spot on Cal
vary where the Saviour died. Entering
the great square yestibule one sees a slab
Of rose colored marble resting on supports
Ii is said to be the stone on which the body
of Jesus was laid to be prepared for burial
Around it the pilgrims kneel and weep and
pray all day.
There is an Armenian peasant in his
sheepskin coat and beside him a well garbed
man from Italy. There is Syrian woman
with her child and beside her 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 measure 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, marble structure, thirty
feet high In It's wall is recess, 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 kiss
ins these things and praying and creeping
around the sepulchre on their knees
All the week the pilgrims are busy seek
Ing out the holy spots of the city. They
toll painfully up the Via Dolorosa to Cal
vary, stopping TO pray and :ell their beads
At each Of the seven stations.
Cooking as well as praying is going on
in the open air, aud, at all times, trading
Shrewd Oriental yenders line the streets,
aud the rugs Of Bokhara unroll themselves
beside the laees of Smyrna and the dates
Of Arabia and thousand quaint and char
aeteristic bits Of Eastern handiwork, which
in the shops OF the Oeeident would be costly
trihes-
One Of the eeremonials is the washing
Of feet, in imitation Of the act of Jesus at
the Last Supper The vast rotunda of the
Church Of the Holy Sepulehre is crowded
for the ceremonial The Greek patriarch
Of jerusalem, always stately and imposing
figure, with the comehness of the Greek
race set off by his splendid vestments, re-
moves one by one his silken robes, crusted
thick with gems aud gold thread He
takes off the magnificent jewelled miter,
the great chain of gold wound around his
neck, the great cross Of blazing diamonds,
six inches long. At last he stands forth
clad in a simple white robe, in imitation of
the poverty of Jesus.
lie pours water from gold pitcher into
a gold basin, and goes from one to another
Of the twelve priests who represent the
disciples, and who have been busily getting
off their shoes meanwhile He washes
foot of each, drying it with towel, and
kissingit The last of all represents Peter,
and, as Peter did, he objects to the Mas
ter's degradation in washing his feet. He
refuses to allow the rite, stands up and
gesticulates violently, The patriarch brings
the Testament and shows him the passage
describing the original ceremony and finally
Peter submits amid the applause of the
audience.