The Oskaloosa herald., 1906-11-29
in THE HOLY LANDS.
Miss Lee Tells of Jerusalem, Beth
lahem and Palestine.

4
EIDE an interview with Miss Rosa Lee
who arrived in the city on the It'll
inst, and is making a short visit
with her uncle, DR.. J. w. Morgan, anc
| wife. Miss Lee has just returned
from Jerusalem, Palestine, where she
has been teaching in a school for the
last three years.
During the vacations she made trips
over Palestine, visiting the Dead Sea
the river Jordan and the Sea of Cali
lee. At the Jordan river she saw
about one thousand Russian pilgrims
baptizing in the river, at the reputed
place where John the Baptist was
baptized.
She also visited Egypt and spent
much time going up the Nile, viewing
the old ruins at Luxor, Karnak and at
the First Cataract, where the English
government built the wonderful stone
dam across the Nile to accumulate
an immense reservoir of water to ir.
rigate more of the land for the Egypt
ians to increase their farm products,
While in Egypt she studied the char
acter of the Arabs, and contrasted
them with their neighbors in Pales.
tine, two of the oldest countries we
have any satisfactory history of, and
where we find so much Oh the buried
history of the past. The people of
Palestine are beginning to look for a
better way, and they seek all the i'm
provements available for them; and
yet the changes there are slow.
he City of Jerusalem.
In and around Jerusalem she was
constantly thrown in contact and
mingled with the Mohammedans,J Jews,
Roman Catholics, Armenian Greek
Catholics ana Syrian church. The
last four classes worship IN the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre,in their
respective chapels. But no Jew is al
lowed to enter this church, or even
pass along the street in front of the
church. The hatred and bitter feel
ing of those who worship in the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, against
the Jews, is such that his life would
be in danger if one attempted to go
near this church. They are con-
stantly upbraiding the Jews for cru.
cifying Christ Turkish soldiers stand
guard in this church during service,
and at the close these soldiers give a
signal by striking their swords on the
floor, and the people pass out between
them. The duty of these soldiers is
to keep peace in the church, as some
times disturbance occurs between the
members of different creeds. In this
great and hne church, each creed has
its own separate chapel or apartment,
where they hold their service ac-
cordlng to their belief. The Church
of the Holy SepGiGhFe is built ever
the tomb on the reputed spot where
Christ was buried, and from where
He arose. This spot is held very sa-
cred, and the stone over the grave or
sepulchre is kissed by nearly all the
worshippers every day as they leave
the church.
At Bethlehem.
At the Church of the Nativity in
Bethlehem, which is about five miles
from Jerusalem, the same creeds
worship, in their respective chapels,
but are more arrayed against each
other than at the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre. During all special feasts,
the soldiers, who are Mohammedans,
have to stand between enraged par
ties, to prevent a fight or blood from
being shed. Service begins at day
light in this church, on Sunday, and
lasts till near noon. The Church of
the Nativity stands over the alleged
or reputed spot where Christ was
born, and is a very fine and magnifi-
cent building.
Jereusalem has about seventy-fve
thousand people, and over fifty tnou-
sand are Jews, and as many Jews
are going there to die and be buried
in the Holy City, the Jewish popula:
ton is growing more rapidly than
any other class. There are no tele-
phones in Palestine and but few tele-
graphs. The city of Jerusalem with
its 1900 people has no newspaper Of
any description. Fruit of various
kinds grow plentiful. Melons, grapes,
oranges and figs are fine. Wheat and
some other grains are grown from
which their bread is made by the
hand, but the bran is not taken out,
and all is ground very fine and baked
in a large clay oven.
Miss Lees home is in Knoxville,
Tennessee, and she is on her way
west to spend the winter, and stopped
her for brief visit. She hopes to
return to Jerusalem next year.
uERDIcT EOR CRIPpIE