The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-08-07
by WILLIAM JENNINGS RRYaS

stony ground, the rocky TOadWays and
the narrow strips of fertile soil We're
woven into the parable of the SoWcr,
and some acquaintance of his youth,
following tine merchantmen into Egypt
or Mesopotamia, may have been the
original of the prOdigal son.
Rev. Selah Merrill, our consul at Je-
rusalem. has refuted the statement 50
frequently made that the NaZarenes
were held in contempt. He shows
that there is no just foundation for the
aSpersions cast on this section of Cal
| lice. Mr.. Merrill's book, ''Galilee in
the THE OF Christ" is. | may add, a
very useful preparation for a trip
through this part of Palestine.
; Chapels have been erected to mark
the home Of Joseph and Mary, the car
penter shoo and the rock where Christ
met his disciples after the resurrec.
ton but one never feels certain about
the Identification Of places selected
SO long after the death of Christ and
having no. permanent physical marks
A few miles to the east of Nazareth
is 4 village called Cana, which claims
TO be the Cana of GaIilee' where the
first miracle was performed, and q
church has been erected over q we'll
from which, it is argued. the water
was taken that was turned into wine,
but two other villages With similar
names contest the honor with this
Cana.
The Sea of Galilee has a double
claim to distinction. To its natural
beauty. which is unsurpassed. is added
the glory of having furnished the
fishermen who were to become fish
erS of men," Nearly 700 feet below
the level of the ocean and walled in
by high hills, it has character all
it's own, and its shores We're the Ia
miliar haunts of him who by precept
and example taught the nobleness of
: Il..SJ N
length by six or eight in breadth. The
Jordan pours into it the waters Of Her
mon and Lake Mcrom. and carries it
overflow to the Dead Sea. The plan
of GenneSaret includes nearly all the
level land adjacent to it. save the .Ior-
dan valleys above and below, and Is
so prominent n feature of the land
Scape that it's name is sometimes ap-
piled to the sea. The village of Mag
dala home of one of the Marys, is
situated on the edge of this plain, but
is now only q collection of mud "huts,
each one bearing a booth of boughS
upon its flat roof. CThe house top IS
an important part of the house IN the
orient, and furnishes a sleeping place
for the occupants during the warm
summer nights) The village Of Mag
Gala with the land belonging to 1t,
has recently been sold to n syndicate
which proposes to very much improve
it's cultivation.
A
side of the sea. is the city If Tiberias,
the only city still remaining of the ten
or more that 1000 years ago stretched
along the shores. The clty'S name
gives evidence of its Roman. origin,
and it was once so important q place
| that its name was n rival for Galilee
in the designation of the sea. Tiberlas
/ was one of the sacred cltieS OF tne
! Jews. and today the descendants of the
! Hebrew race constitute three-fourths
| 1I.lti ON \ V,
| of which Baron Rotschild is the pat
ron. has several schools here. ana 4
number of the residents devote them
selves entirely to the study of the law.
Near Tiberias are the hot springs spo-
| ken of by Josephus. and their heallng
waters still have a great reputation.
! The bath houses are not kept as they
| would be in Europe or America. but
the mineral properties of the water
make it very inVigoratlng.
! 4 Jewish synagogue has been erect
! ed by the hot springs. and the annual
feast in honor of Rabbi Meyer was Gel
ebrated there during our stay IN IL
herias AS it was the only 1east OF
tha kind we ever attended we found It
exceedingly interesting. The deVout
| Javs were gathered in large numbers,
some coming several days Journey
4 many Of the men wore a long cufl
in front of each ear, a custom Wnlch
we first noticed in JefuSa lem. Ihe
! faoct ie an occasion of rejoicing. and
mere is dancing, music and merrl-
,,,ant A mart of the ceremony Is the
hurnine of garments contributed by
those in attendance, and the right 70 70
light the fire is made matter OF
onctiop We went into the room Whefe
tba Kidding was in progress ana We're
Informed that more than ten dollars
had had = already been offered for. the
Ihonor. The feast has many of the
characteristics of a fair. the vendors
of candies, cakes. drinks. and mer-
| oban3ica plyino their trade, and differ
ent delegations marching with ban
nerS. ,7;,1
There is at Tiberias q splehdldiy
equipped hospital estab abllsheq pY Tn
United Free Church OF ScoIllhu anu