The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-25
BETHLEHEM IN 191O-By Frank G. Carpenter
Frank

Ia hill where. the guide says, stood the
 building in which Judas Iscariot sold his
 Lord for 30 pieces of silver The site is at
 the left of the road, and not far away
 is an old olive tree upon which the ig- | norant pilgrims are told Judas hanged
 himself in his remorse after the crucifix- 1 ion.
 1 Going onward about four miles from Jerusalem we come to a building which has pust received a fresh coat of white wash It is known as the Tomb of Ra- chael and 1t coveres a spot where she IS said to be buried. It is not far from 1t where David had his fight with Goliath, the ten-foot high giant of the Scriptures. I am not sure as to the locality, but there are stones there today, and plenty of ann intuition for the slings of numerous Davds Indeed, there is hardly a field on the hills of Judea which is not GOV cred with stones of one size or another and the shepherds use slings to this dy. The Field of Peas
 And speaking of stones, reminds me or the Field of Peas, which lies not far from Bethlehem. It is a tract on the side of q hill upon which the rocks are so thick that if planted to corn you would have to carry earth to cover the grains. As the story goes, our Lord was passing here when he saw a man sowing grain. He stopped and asked him what he was sow ing. The man replied stones and there upon the seed peas In his bag turned to stones. and all that he had sown did tha same. Some of the stones now on the field are gathered up and peddled to pil- grims as relics.
 I had one such peddler follow me half the way from Jerusalem to Bethlehem
 He was turbaned Syrian boy on a don key, who had to gallop to keep up with my carriage. To this the donkey ob- 1octed and the boy kept him up to his work with stick as long as a husking peg and equally sharp He inserted this under the saddle behind him, and then using it as a lever. pulled on the other end of the peg. forcing its sharp point into the animals flesh. At every such pull the donkey kicked up its heels and increased it's speed, the long, full trous- cred legs of the rider standing straight out and bobbing up and down as it did so Bethlehem in 1910
 The Bethlehem or today stands on the site of the Savior's birth. It is on the top and side of a hill. Ii is a mass of box like one, two and three-story houses built along winding streets, which here and there are arched by the houses. The building material Is from the limestone quarries nearby, and the town has many quarrymen and masons. Entering, we find the business parts made up of cave like stores and rude workshops, in which the Bethlehemites are making the rosa ries, crosses and articles of wood and mother-of-pearl for sale to the tourists and pilgrims Fully half of the popu- lation Is engaged in this business, the ros- aries being shipped from here to all parts of the world They are sold to both Mohammedans and Christians, and are used to keep count of ones prayers There are also many crucifixes of ivory and articles of olive wood made and sold for shipment abroad. The people are thrifty and they seem well to do The town is the cleanest in Palestine, and its natives have an independent spirit which you do not find in Jerusalem This nay be from the fact that there are no Jews in the city, and comparatively few paupers, nearly every one supporting himself
 The Church of the Nativity
 The grotto or cave in which Christ was born is in the very heart of the Bethle- hem of today. There is an open square in front of it surrounded by stores and schools and great church known as the Church of the Nativity has been built over it. This church is entered by door which looks like square hole cut through stone wall. It is so low that all who enter. even the children, must stoop. As started to go in I saw Beth
 ehem woman with babe in her arms standing outside The baby was small. and I could imagine the woman as Mary and the child as the Savior. took a coin out of my pocket and asked her to pose for my camera. She did so stepping into the sun. Nearby was bearded syrian in turban and gown. and at first thought he might make a good Joseph to, pose with my Mary. He was in the shadow of the church. Upon my bringing him into the light I found he was beg nar and not nt for niotura so I en-