Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-12-24
The Holy
Land

"And suddenly there was with the
angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God, and saying Glory to God
in the highest, and on earth peace,
good will toward men,"
This, the first, Christmas greeting
finds echo this week in the hearts or
millions of Christians in all parts of the
world who celebrate the birthday Of
Jesus Christ, the Savior. To each one OF
these Palestine, that portion of Syria in
which is situated Bethlehem, where
Jesus was born; Nazareth, where de
grew to manhood; and Jerusalem, where
He met His death; is Holy Land. 1t
is also the Holy Land to the millions
of Jews who do not accept the faith Of
the followers of the greatest of the
Jews, for Jerusalem is now, as 1t has
been since the day of David, the capitol
and the Holy City of Israel Palestine
is also the Holy Land to the followers
Of Mohammed, for Islam, as well as
Christianity and Jewry, is builded upon
the Mount Moriah, the hill where stood
the Temple of Solomon, where Jesus
taught, from whence Mohammed as
cended into Heaven, and where today
stands the noble dome of the Mosque OF
Omar.
In the world today there are 10000
900 Christians, 1S0,0O0,000 Mohammedans,
and 1000 coo. 900 Jews, making together
one-half of the total population Of the
world and more than a third of the civ
ilized world, who look upon Palestine
as Holy Land. 1t is a tiny bit Of country.
perhaps a hundred and fifty miles long
and fifty or sixty miles wide. Within
this narrow compass is contained a
startling variety of typographical won
ders From the mountain of Lebanon at
the north stretching to the Desert
which girths Mount Sinai at the south.
the country is divided into four narrow
strips Along the coast a ribbon OF green
beauty; then rugged range of brown
hills whose verdure has long since been
stripped away; then the depressed river
valley leading down into the abyssmal
horrors of the Dead Sea; and beyond
that the purple peaks of those noun
tains wherein stood Moses when he was
vouchsafed that one glimpse of the
Promised Land which was to him for
hidden.
It Is difficult for the Twentieth Century
man, be he Jew or Gentle, to realize
| how small was the stage upon which
was enacted those great events which
have shaped religious belief and which
| have moulded political action In all the
Occidental world for nearly two
thousand years 1t is even more difficult
TO realize that Palestine today is the
home of the miserable defendants of
those same people who were there when
II became, by successive drama, the Holy
EsNnd of Israel Christendom, and Islam,
and those people now are engaged in
a struggle for political freedom which
has for the first time united many man
of many faiths in this country of relig-
ious strife.
It is difficult for Christians in Amer
lea, hearing at this glad holiday season
the ever new message announcing the
birth of the Prince Of Peace, to realize
that in the Holy Land 1t is necessary
every hour of every day for Mohamme-
dan soldiers to stand on guard in Chris
tian churches to prevent the rival sects
of the followers of the lowly Jesus from
cutting each others threats, and from
Staying the Jews in their own city.
1t is difficult. in this modern day, to
realize why the physical misery and de-
graduation of the Holy Land should not
be overcome and alleviated by Ine hosts
of Christian pilgrims who annually make