The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1909-02-11
NICHOLS PARTY VIEW SACRED
AND HISTORIC SCENES
I'M JERUSALEM.
HOUSE OF MARY AND MARTHA.
At the Mount of Oives-Pool of Beth
esda-cavern OF Agony-Grotto of
ST. James.

he FOLLOWING leltef WFltlen Dy
Editor Nichols, who is now travelling
in Holy Land, will be found very
interesting.
Our stay in Jerusalem was a busy
time. There were so many places of
interest to be seen. Naturally we
kurned our steps toward the Mount
of Olives, as it is SO intimately con-
kected with the life of the blessed
Master, especially the latter part. 1t
was in full view Of the temple, and
from its side He could easily look
down upon the city whose people had
so wantonly rejected Him. 1t was
on this historic eminence that the
memorable words were uttered:
80 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which
killest the prophets and stonest them
which are sent unto thee; how often
would l have gathered thy children
together even as a hen doth gather
her brood under her wings and We
would not"
1t was from this mountain that He
made His triumphal entry into Jeru-
salem seated on an ass, when branch
es of trees and even garments were
Strewn in the way by those who look
ed for a temporal kingdom to be es-
tablished. 1t was on the slope of this
eminence that the Garden of Geth-
semane is situated and so many 9th
er places of interest are to be found.
On top of the mount is a church
with a tower from which he had a
: peculiarly fine view Of the surround
ing country. About were several OBJ
Meets of interest. AS the Roman Cagl-
cred spots about Bethany, the Greeks
think they must have something to
lisa large stone most sacredly guarded
by an iron railing and reverently
pointed out as the spot of the as
cension, but if we are to accept the
Bible we read in Luke that:
HE led them out as far as Beth
any and lifted up His hands and bles-
sed them. And it came to pass while
He blessed them, He was parted from
them and carried up into heaven
Notwithstanding all this the Greek
Catholics ask people to regard the
spot as that of the ascension. There
is a little church with an apartment
devoted to the Lords Prayer and
about the walls that wonderful petit
tom is found in32 different languages
The sides of the mountain abound
with trees, the olive being the most
frequent, while the fig and carob are
somewhat numerous, and a few april
cot, terebinth and hawthorn growth
are to be seen. On the way up the
y mountain one comes to a large stone
near which the martyr Stephen is
said to have met his death. Not
far away is the church of the Tomb
of the Virgin where, accC ding to le
gend, she was inferred by the apos
ties and lay till her assumption. A
church was erected there as early as
the fifth century, but WAS several
times destroyed. The one there now
is in a good state of preservation and
belongs mainly to the Greeks, though
the Romans Catholics are somewhat
interested in it, also. Here is the
reputed Grotto Of the Agony, and the
main part Of the church is under
ground. 1t takes IL handsome marbl
steps to descend to the inner part
of the buflding, which is supposed on
four noble marble columns Two side
ohapels contain affairs, one to Joa.
chin and one to Anne, parents of the
Virgin. Here, too, the devOut be-
levers show the sarcophagus of the
Virgin in a small, square chapel and
in this are alters, one of the Armen-
ians and the other of the Greeks.
Here, also, is a prayer recess once
used by the Moslems, who claimed
a right to come and pray there, and
it is related that long ago Omar him
self offered up petitions to the Deity.
Before leaving let US enter the
Grotto or Cavern of the Agony and
imagine ourselves on the spot where
the Sinless One sweat, as it were,
the great drops Of blood that event
full night which witnessed the pre-
lude to the death on the cross which
meant the redmeption of the world.
1t is about 30 by 81 feet and II high,
and it is a grotto out of solid rock.
On places there is whitewash and on
the walls are traces Of oldtimes fres-
Goes put on by pious HANDS centuries
ago. Tie Franciscans now own the
cavern, and in it are three affairs and
q number of broad stone benches
about the walls. In the middle ages
this was looked upon as the place
where Jesus was taken captive, but