Semi-weekly herald., 1909-03-11
RELIGIOUS REVOLUTION IN JERU
SALEM.
tBy Frances J. Edwards,


OF Jerusalem by the Hierarchy at Con
stantinople. The excommunicated dig
nitary is very popular here and his
followers are demonstrating 1t by
hanging above their houses and shops,
little Turkish flags with the Patrt-
arch's picture appended. 1t appears
that much of the opposition to him In
Constantinople is due to his integrity
of character and his determined eff
forts to fulfill his duties justly. Pre-
vious to his elevation he was only
sacristan; no higher church official
could be prevailed upon to accept the
honor. as the two preceding patrlarchs
died in an unexplainable manner. So
the church had to take what it could
and the present incumbent has sur
prised his superiors. as well as disap
pointed them by his honesty of word
and deed.
This is city of prayer-Christian
Jew or Mohammedan being already
busy at It In one form or another
Yesterday, Friday, as l came out Of
the magnificent Church of the Holy
| Sepulchre the Muezzin OF the Mussel-
man was calling out the hour of pray
er from minaret which looked down
into the basilica's square. An hour
later / was present at one Of the
most unique scene of Hebrew religious
life enacted on the globe.
| 1t is the Iamentat.on at the Wall.
ing Stone. Here, at sunset every FRI
day, and the eve of feasts, the Jews
assemble before a section of the city
wall TO pray and lament. This par
ticular part OF the wall is fine speci.
men of Jewish architecture, some of
even the primitive wall can be seen
to an extent of forty feet. Emperor
Adrian had forbidden the Jews to en-
ter the city, but under Constantine
they were allowed to come within
once a year and weep on the sacred
rock, the altar of holocausts In Solo
mons time, then at the coming of the
Arabs, they were permitted the inte-
rior OF the wall, when a distance Of
about fifty feet was left to the Jews
as place to weep over Punishment
from their beautiful city. The Jewish
| men wear their hair very long on both
sides OF their face and at the Wailing
Stone were attired In costume iden-
| tical with that worn at the time Of
Christ--a long ulster-like cloak of col
| ored plush or velvet and flat, round
hat edged with fur. The lameuters
| turn their faces to the wall and while
| repeating prayers, sway the body back
and forth, touching the stone with
their foreheads. It is a weird, depress.
ing ceremony and though helped to
increase the crowd of curious specta
tors, It seemed as II there should be
no unbelieving witnesses to that Ia
mentation and tears over lost birth.
right.
But 1t is the Holy City of the Mas
ter and His chosen twelve. Of His
grief-stricken mother and His dear
friends Of Bethany. Martha, Mary and
Lazarus. which draws Christians from
the four quarters of the world. And
how any visitor can fail to be impress
ed passes understanding. Even the
approach to Jerusalem from jana be.
fits the age and solemnity of the ven.
cradle city of Palestine Then. the
carriage road fro mthe depot, long and
sweeping. greets you with Oriental
life. 1t is thronging with Arabs on
foot. on donkey and camel, the ma,
tive Syrian with the ubiquitous red fez
and the grave-faced Greek priest In
black gown and queer, round, tall
black hat. Carriages stop at the Jaffa
gle. Bah ell Khalil, the first by which
the city is entered, and the traveller
must complete his journey on foot.
The streets, which are OF deepest
interest TO pilgrims. and to even the
mere sightseer, are exceedingly dirty,
the government taking no care OF
them whatever. The only clean spots
are the churches and chapels, where
individual effort is exercised. The
Via Dolorosa is the most neglected of
all. yet 1t is the one trodden annually
by many reverent men and won.
en- whose home cities are like Spotless
Town. But this is the land OF the sui.
tan who demands a silver tribute ev.
cry morning before he win open the
door of the Church OF the Holy Sc.
pulchre to Christians.
The way up to Calvary from Pilates
house is not far. but It is very steep |
and In the time OF the Savior was |
even more fatiguIng journey, as 1t
was outside the city. executions being
forbidden to take place within the
gates. Small wonder the Innocent
Victim. worn with his forty days of
fasting, scourged. then cruelty NAL.
treat by the bowling mob. fell three
times, finally having to be helped TO
hat awful summit The church built
above, where the Redeemer died and
where his body lay for three days, IL
\ superb edlfice. in which can be seen
he hand of Constantine. the Crusad.