The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-07-31

William Jennings Bryan.
dred years old, but the tower of David
is believed to be a part Of the wall
erected by the great Hebrew king.
once within tho city one is sur
rounded on every hand by places that
stir the tendcreSt memories. Even
the uncertainty as to the identiffca-
ton Of many of the sites made sacred
by the life, the suffering and the
death Of Christ-even the rivalry be-
tween the various ScctS cannot pre-
vent q feeling Of reverence. Here He
whose name is borne by increasing
millions, was condemned without
cause, crowned with thorns and at
last crucificd, sealing With His blood
the testimony of His life.
Early in the fourth century Helena,
mother of Constantine, set out to
identify the spots most Intimately as
ISOLATED with the S~aviour's life. She
! selected the place where she be-
/ IieVcd Christ WAS Crucifed and buried,
and her son erected the Church of
the Holy SepulchCr to mark the To-
cality. For fifteen centuries her des~
ignation was accepted as the correct
one, and the Roman Catholics, the
Greek Catholics and the Armenians,
who divide the space in the church be-
tween them, have kept joint, though
not always harmonious watch over
the various affairs and chapels.
a few years ago the correctness OF
the location of Cavalry was disputed
and a hill over the Grotto of Jere!nl-
all was fixed upon by the d~lSScnterS
as the place of the crucifixion, aud a
tomb near by as the Sepulcher. Since
that time the traveller has been shown
both places and furnished with the
arguments in support of the claims OF
each. 1t is cOntcnded that the church
of the Holy Sepulchcr, though within
the present walls, stands upon land
which was outside of the original
walls. while the new location is out
side of the walls as they are at pros
ent. Possibly future excavations may
settle the question by determining the
exact location of the wall in the time
of Christ; but what matter? The two
places are not far apart, and the whole
vicinity has been haIloWed by His
presence.
Pilates judgment hall, the Via Dol
orosa and the Eccc Homo arch are
marked by the erection of a Catholic
convent and school for girls, where
one finds a cleanliness in striking con-
trast to the streets outside. The pools
of Gihon. of Sloan, of Bethesda aud
Of I1ezekiah are all given a local habi-
tatiOn; the place where Judas hanged
himself is pointed out. as we'll as the
cave in which jeremiah wrote his
1T CIld1IItCI N1lCIc liz
Last supper was observed is also fiXed
upon, and the tOmbs of Rachel, Absa-
iOm and of David. / do not know how
much credence should be given to the
testimony adduced in behalf of these
different sites, but we are sure of the
identity of a few places. Mount Zion,
upon which David built his palace. is
known; Mount Akra can be located
and about Mount Moriah there can be
10 mistake. The great bare rock that
crowns the last named eminence is q
land mark that has not been and cam
not be easily removed. 1t is now COW
cred by a mosque, but was once the
sacriticial stone of the Hebrews. Sol
onions temple was built on Mount
MOriah, and some of its foundation
and Subterranean chambers can
still be seen. In a street that leads
by these foundation walls is the Jews
Wailing place, where for many CEN
turtles, deVout Hebrews gathered from
every country, have met on each Fri
day afternoon to bemoan the fate of
Jerusalem and to petition for the res
toration of the kingdom. One sees no
more pathetic sight in a trip around
the world than this assemblage OF
men and women, some gray haired, |
some in middle life. and many mere
children, chanting their laments and
caressing the stones which the hand
OF Solomon laid when he was buildin.
the temple, which marked the summit
of Jewish political power.
bethlehem is also identified, and
whether or not the Church of the Ma
tlV1ty, erected by the mother of Con-
.Stantine, covers the spot where Christ
was born, one can look upon the hills
round about the city and recall that
1t was here that the message, peace
on earth, good will to men" came to
the shepherds who kept their focks
by night.
In tho ca Hon nP !
BROOK kedrOn, one can tread the soil
pressed by the Masters feet in the
hours of His loneliness and agony.
The garden is now walled in and
carefully kept, and its old, gnarled and
knotted olive trees shade the pansics
which grow there in profusion. Beth
page still stands and also Bethany.
where Mary and Martha and Lazarus
ilNeu, ana, most conspicuous OF all.
the Mount of Olives, the place of the
ascension. From its summit the best
view of Jerusalem is Obtained; from
that point, also. the eye can sweep
the nils of both Judea and Samarla.
ana to the east look upon the waters
of the Dead Sea, $500 feet below.
Nowhere else can one walk amid
scenes so familiar to the civilized
world as are those of Judea. Sur
rounded by Paganism and idolatry, a
little band began here the establish
ment of a mOnotheistic religion and,
Notwithstanding backsfidings. short
comings and wanderings from the
faith, the spiritual side of life was
never entirely forgotten; great
prophets Numbered their warnings
from these hills; great singers poured
forth their hymns of penitence, praise
and thanksgiving; here a wonderful
literature was developed and a MS
tory written which was stranger than
%lction; and here, in the fullness OF
time, came. One who was commlS-
stoned to substitute the law OF love