Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-10-25
By Edgar E.
Folk D. D.

the same route. but not the same road.
Here again we had to thank Emperor
William for a good road. Winding among
the hills in graceful curves, showing
fine engineering skill in it's construc-
ton, the road gradually leads to the
top OF
MOUNT Scoops,
about mile or a mile and a half from
the Damascus gate, and overlooking the
city. 1t was here that the army of Titus
camped in the memorable siege Of Jeru-
salem in the year 20 AID, in which after
a prolonged and desperate resistance the
city was finally captured and utterly de-
stroyed. If Titus had had our modern
cannon, throwing balls and bombs from
Ave to ten miles, he could have demol-
ished the city I'm an hours time from
this eminence. But with the modern
mode OF warfare Titus would not have
been allowed to reach Mount Scopus
unopposed. The Jews would themselves
have seized and fortified it and the
fighting would have been north of
Mount Scopus, and the city would have
remained untouched and unassailed I'M
til oMunt Scopus fell. Then the city
would have surrendered without another
blow. recognizing the utter futility of
. further opposition. This is the way OF
modern warfare.
Here we had our
LAST LOOK
at Jerusalem There it lay, almost al
our feet, beautiful panorama, it's prom
inent buildings. such as the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre, the Mosque OF
Omar, the Mosque ell Aksa, with their
domes and minarets, standing out dis
tinctly in the clear morning atmos-
phere. 1t was with tinge of sadness
that we took our last look at a city
around which cluster so many haIlowef
associations, the city in which--or al
least in city on the same location and
by the same name-our Saviour had
walked and talked and taught and
wrought and lived and died. Some of
rs hoped to have the pleasure of visit
ing it again sometime. But in all prob
ability this was the last time most of
us, If not all of us, would be able to
see Jerusalem until our feet should walk
the golden streets of the New Jerusa-
lem" But taking a last lingering look
we turned our faces toward Samaria and
Gallilee. A little to the north of Mount
Scopus, some two miles from Jerusalem
on a hillside to the left of the road is a
village called Shafat, which is thought to
be the
of which we read in l Samuel the 21st
IL r.
David, fleeing from Saul, who had be-
had slain Goliath and the multitude had
sung, .-.... -...
Saul has slain his thousands
And Davis his ten thousands
came to Mob a city of priests. and at
his request Ahimaech, the priest, gave
him the shew bread, and also the sword
of Goliath which had been kept there
wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod."
1t happened that Doeg. the Edomite.
"tne chiefest of the herdsmen that be-
longed to Saul" was at Mob that day on
religious business He reported to Saul
what Ahimelech had done. Despite the
protests of -Ahimelech that he thought
he was doing a favor to the kings SON
in-law, Saul interpreted the act of Ahim-
elech as an act of treachery to himself
and gave orders that Ahimelech and all
of his fathers house should be put to
death. When his body guard refused to
carry out his cruel command the king
toad Doeg. the EdOmite, to do so. He
readily obeyed.- The record reads: "Ano
Doeg, the Edomite,- turned, and he fell
upon the priests, and slew on that day
foarscore and five persons tn at did wear
a l!nen nephod. E. And Mob, the city of
the priests, smote he with the edge of
the sword, both men and women, children
and sucklings, and oxen, and asses. and
sheep, with the edge of the sword.
II sam. 22:1S-19). Mob seems never to
have recovered it's glory. 1t is never
mentioned again in the Bible. Now 1t
is only a small, struggling village on the
hillside.
We are coming into the
HILL COUNTRY OF BENJAMIN.
The ancients you know. used to seek
the most inaccessible places for the To-
cation Of their cities and towns for the
sake of protection from enemies and
from marauders. For this reason II
was not uncommon to find "a city set on
a hill" In fact, 1t was the usual GUS
tom, not only in Palestine, but in other
countries as well. Many of the i'm
portant cities of Palestine were located
on the central range of mountains-rnn-
ming the length of the country were SIT
uated OH a hilltop or hillside. And a
large number of these towns were sit
uated in sight of a number of places or
Biblical interest up among the noun
tains on either side of the road, such as
NEBY sAMwIL,
so named because according to an an
cient tradition 1t is the burial place of
the Prophet Samuel. 1t Is also the PROP
able site of Mispeh, to which the people
of Israel were assembled to take counsel
together concerning the rebellion OF the
tribe Of Benjamin, on another occasion
TO offer sacrifices and seek deliverance
from the Philistines. and aagin, to ratify
the selection of Saul as their first king.
1t was one of the points, also, where
Samuel regularly judged Israel. Anoth-
er is. Ramah, referred to in Joshua. 1925.
Gibeah of SAUL the birthplace of Saul
the seat of his government during most
of his reign, and the scene of that most
pathetic story of Rizpah related in 2
Sam H:S-11. Was ever maternal love
more strangely and strongly manifested?
The first place at which we stop is
g.. BEEROTH.
This is about ten miles from Jerusalem,
at the top of a steep grade, is we'll wa
tered, the meaning OF the word being a
place of waters, and forms a convenient
stopping place to rest and feed the
horses. 1t is of special interest, though,
from the fact that 1t is thought to be
the place where Joseph and Mary. re-
turning from Jerusalem on the occasion