The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-12-16

goes into the country of the Philis.
tines of old. The plain of Sharon is
celebrated for it's fertility, and now
produces corn, grass and flowers in
profusiOn. 1t is here one for the
first time sees the beautiful Rose of
Sharon 1t is only fifty-four miles
from Jaffa to Jerusalem but the lit.
tie train consumes nearly four hours
in making the trip. At each station,
when the train pauses a few mo-
ments, one finds himself full of SYM
pathy for the little beggars trying
to earn something by the sale of a
bunch of flowers. At last we.reach
the Holy City. The successive de-
structions Of Jerusalem, with it's
present houses built upon heaps Of
ruins, forbids any one but the COM
ing explorers from giving a COM
plete history of the ancient city.
Has Grave Doubts. 3e
There are grave doubts about
many of the present sacred places
in Jerusalem. The, real locations lie
buried far beneath the surface of the
present city. But the general fea-
lures of the country remain UNI
changed. The mountains round
!about Jerusalem, which were her
bulkworks, are still there. Here are
Olivet, the brook Kidron, Zion and
Moriah. A competent guide will
point out to you Lazarus tomb,
Simon, the leper's tomb, the tomb
of Mary, the mother of Jesus, Solo
mons stables, the Pool of Bethesda,
the old road to Olivet where Christ
wept over Jerusalem. The guide will
show you where the disciples slept
while Christ was away in prayer;
also many other points of interest.
Kings and prophets and holy men
looked on these scenes and the feet
of the Son Of God trOd the ground
on which we here walk. Somewhere
in the buried city under our feet we
know He did bear His cross; but
+! if the designated spot where He
fell beneath the weight of His cross
! be correct we do not know. Here
is the garden of Gethsemane, and
we would not dispute but that these
J are the original olive trees of
| Christ's time. ,!iGs Hts
Many Ancient Spots.
| At Bethlehem, only a half hours
carriage drive from Jerusalem, one
may find many ancient spots. Leav-
ing Jerusalem and passing through
the Valley of IIinnon TO the south
west, one passes the POttersfield and
the traditional tree where Judas
hanged himself. A little further on
we come to the Well of the Magi
/ where the wise men saw the star
reflected in the water. Liat.4
Next the tomb of Rachel is reach
ed-a small modern building with a
dome. The views OF ancient Bethle-
hem, as it is approached, suggest
many pictures to the minds eye, of
Ruth, David and l. others. The val.
leys about Bethlehem are well cult
waited and wheat fields look fertile
while on the terraces vines and fig
trees are in abundance. The inhabf-
tantS apparently possess moro ruddy
! beauty than those OF Jerusalem and
are still, like David OF Old, inclined
to be men of war from their youth.
Church of Nativity.
Zone soon finds the Church of Ma
| tivity and descends some twenty
feet in the main part of the church
to the grotto where a silver star on
| the pavement marks the spot where
our Saviour was born. A short dis
lance to the east lay the fields
where the shepherds watched theil
flocks by night Also oneris shown
David's well and in the distance
Mount Frank and the cave of adul
lam. The trip to Jericho is through
a barren rocky country with little
vegetation of any description. 1t is
some fifteen miles from Jerusalem
and yet not house by the way ex
cept such as are resting spots fol
tourists where few curios are sold
A view of the River Jordan and
Dead sea with the mountains of Moaf
| and Gilead as seen from the ruins
Of old Jericho is picturesque. The
water in the river Jordan is muddy
but the water in the Dead sea i.
exceptionally clear and indeed entic
: ing to the most fastidiOus bather
| ahere are few inhabitants in Jer
icho today cg
!, An interesting Drive.
"The drive to the south Of Jeru
salem, passing Bethlehem and tn,
Pools OF Solomon and on to Hebron
is extremely interesting. Hebron is
, the city of Abraham of old. 1t is
here at Machpelah that Abraham
!; and his wife and Isaac and Rebekaf
: his wife and Leah are all buried
1t was TO the cave Of Machpelah il
Hebron that Joseph and his brethren
brought their father Jacob to bur!
, him. These tombs are guarded will
the most Jealous care by the Mos
; lens and no Christian is permitted
to enter them. So intent is this zeal
Gus feeling at Hebron, that we saw
small stones thrown at us from owe
: the walls as we passed along tht
/ street. Everywhere around Pales
tine the people give every evidence
/ of dreadful poverty. They are poor
| ly clad, poorly fed and poorly edu
| Gated. But everywhere one find
the most IMPRESSIVE solemn atmOS