Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1907-08-21

In 1872 the traveller, Burckhardt.
discovered the ancient city OF Petra.
which for thousand years was
completely lost TO the civilized world
and, except to the wandering Bedou-
ms, its very site was unknown. The
lack Of modern knowledge of this
once famous city grew out of the
fact that the site of the city was
amid a desolate and blasted country.
infested by savage tribes. eager 10
pluck the unwary traveller. Until
the arrival of Burckhardt there is
no record of any white man having
penetrated into the city of Petra
This city Is known as the "exca-
waited city" because its inhabitants
lived in natural clefts or I'm excava-
tons made in the solid rock. We
learn from the Scripture that Petra
was the capitol OF Elom. a division
of tho country of Idumea. Several
thousand years before Christ Petra
was great commercial city. and to
it's marts came the caravans from
the Interior Of Arabia Persia ana
India la'en with all the precious
.commodltiee Of the cast. which IN
turn. were - stributel through Pal
estine EGYPT and Syria and all the
counties bordering on the Mediter-
ranoan. and. 50 is said. that even
Tyre and Sidon looked TO Petra for
their SUPPLE Of purple and dies
We read In the sacred book that
Edom. growing rich and powerful.
became naughty and oxacting. AMI
when Israel asked for "A safe con
duct through her territory she sent
this message TO Israel: Thou shalt
not pass by me. lest come out
against thee with the sword. For
this and othcr imperious words and
acts, Jehovah Jehovah pronounced a
curse against the whole of Idumea
its cities and people Listen to the
awful words For my sword shall
be bathed I'm heaven: behold. n shall
come down on Idumoa and ON the
people of my curse 10 Judgment.
From generation 10 generation IL
shall lie waste; none shah pass
through ID forever and ever But
the cormorant and the bittcrn shall
possess IL: The owl also and the ra-
ven shall dwell i'm g. They shall call
the mobiles thereof 10 the kingdom.
but none shall be there and all her
princes shall be nothing. And uhorns
shall come up I'm her palaces. nettles
and brambles i'm the fortresses there
Of and it shall be a habitation Of
dragons and a court for owls" A
special curse was launched against
Petra: ~ hape sworn by myself.
saith the Lord, that Bomah (anoth-
er name for Petra) shall become
a desolation, reproach, and n
waste, and a curse, and all the cities
10. ] will make thee small among
the heather. and despised among
men. Thy terribleness hath deceived
thee, and the pride OF thy heart
oh thou that dwellest I'm the clefts
Of the rocks that holdest the height
OF the hills; though thou shouldst
make thy nest as high as the eagle.
I will bring thee down from thence
saith the Lord"
The traveller remarks that If the
skeptic could stand as he did and
witness the literal fulnllment Of this
awful decree the blotting out Of
all useful life from that which was
once one of the greatest cities of
the world "his soon would be ir-
rested his cheek turn pale. his lips
would culver. and his heart would
| quake with fear, as the ruined city
cries out to him I'm voice loud and
powerful as that of one risen from
the dead though he would not Dc-
licve Moses and the prophets. lie
believes the handwriting Of Cod him
self ia the desolation and eternal
ruin around him" In 1862 John L.
stephens, AN American traveller. aft-
Ter infinite difficulties, penetrated
This desolate country and made his
way TO the buried city ile thus de-
scribes his entrance to the city
/ "Nothing could be finer than the
immense rocky rampant which m
closes The city Strong. firm and
immovablc as nature herself it
seems 10 deri1e the walls Of cities
and The puny Notifications Of sHlrm
|cUrfusar. frI. ,rIr .,,... o., tt,
city is bg climbing over Jhis wall Of
stone. practicable only in one place,
or by an entrance the most eytrlor-
binary that nature. in her widest
freaks. has ever framed The ioiti-
est portals ever raised by the bands
Of man. the proudest monument OF
architectural skill and daring sink
into insignifoance by the compar-