Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-07-19
By Edgar
E. Folk,
D. D.
XV.-Cairo
to
Jerusalem

are grown annually, most Oh WHICH IRE
exported. They have the reputation Of
being the finest oranges in the world, but
we did not find them so extraordinary
good. They were sweet, but pithy. 9th
er exports are olives, pomegranates, figs.
apricots, maize, sesame, wine, soap and
wool. There is in the city soap fac
tory, where an excellent quality OF soap
is made from olive oil. 1t is shipped TO
all parts of the world.
FROM JOPPA TO JERUSALEM.
1t is about 40 miles in a straight line
from Joppa to Jerusalem, but is SO 10y
railroad. 1t seemed rather strange to see
a railroad in Palestine. 1t looked out of
place, an incongruity, an anachronism.
But it is certainly a great convenience.
The track is standard gauge, but the cars
are. small. The managers of the road
are French. The track is well construct
ed and kept in good condition. The loco
motives and rolling stock were built for
the Panama Canal road, but upon the
collapse of the canal company the owners
of the Jerusalem line bid them in at
low price. 1t takes four hours to make
the trip. Mr.. r. Hughes, of Jerusalem,
a Scotchman by birth, who has been IN
Jerusalem for some 20 years, and who
was to have general charge of our party
in Palestine, met US at Joppa and enliv-
ened the journey to Jerusalem with many
a. joke, as we'll as with much information.
Leaving Joppa and passing through grove
after grove of orange trees, we soon
emerge on the famous
~ PLAIN OF SHARON.
This is 80 miles long, north and south,
Varying in width frof to Il miles. 1t
is planted mainly in wheat, which grows
abundantly. despite the primitive meth
DDS of cuItivating. the soil, tickling IT
with stick, and reaping the crop by
hand with a hook. The plain is covered
with flowers 1t Is a question as to just
what Is the rose of Sharon" and what
the lilly of the field" The general opin-
ion seems to be that the narcisSus Is the
rose of Sharon and the red anemone Is
the lilly of the field These grow in
rich profusion all over the Plain of Shd-
ron, and in fact all over Palestine. Here
is a man ploughing The Saviour said:
He that putteth his hand to the plough,
and 1ooketh back is not fit for. the king
dom of God" His hand to the plough?"
Why "hand?' Does a man plough with
one hand? He ploughs with two hands.
So he does in America. But not so In
Palestine. His plough has only one ham
die. He. ploughs with one hand. This
he did In the time of Christ. The Bible
is exactly correct He that putteth his
hand to the plough'-not hands. We pass
a number of small places on the way TO
Jerusalem. ....r
The first place of any Importance to
which we come is LYDIA, about six miles
from Joppa.s This is very ancient city.
In Corinthians SIP, 1t is stated that the
city was built by Slammed, a Benjamite.
1t was first called Lod. 1t is mentioned
In the books of Ezra an Nehemiah >af-
ter the captivity. 1T is especially inter
esting to use as the place where Peter
healed Eneas of the palsy. after he had
been bedridden eight years. (Acts 9:32-35.)
LYDIA was also the scene of the martyr
dom in the year 3O3 of George. now
known as ST. George. He was Roman
soldier OF noble birth, served as a tri-
bune under the Emperor Diocletian, be-
came convert to Christianity and a lay
teacher of great fame. He finally gave
his life for the faith, and was buried at
LYDIA. The Empress Helena erected
magnificent church over his tomb, which
was. visited by pilgrims until it was de-
stroyed. The first Crusaders built ca
thedral upon it's ruins which was de-
stroyed by Saladin. Richard. the Lion
Hearted, rebuilt the shrine and carried
the name and fame of st. George TO
England, where under Edward III he was
made the patron saint of that country
and still is, you know. LYDIA now has
a population of only few hundred.
Ramleh is a city of about Il, 900 popula-
tion, the largest place between Joppa
and Jerusalem. 1t is said to have been
the home of Joseph of Arimathes. In
rapid succession we pass, most of them
without stopping, number of places Of
more or less interest, but to which 1
can barely refer, such as the valley Of
the Ajalon, where Joshua commanded the
sun and moon to stand still until he
could thoroughly whip the AmoriteS;
Megiddo, whose king Joshua smote where
Barak gained victory, where Ahaziah
and Josiah were slain; Gozer, whose king
Joshua smote also, to winch place David
pursued the Philistines; Ekron. where the
ARK of God rested for awhile; the brook
from which David took the stones to STAY
Goliath; the place where David killed
Goliath; Bethshemeth, the birth place OF
Samson; the cave on the hillside wnere
Samson hid himself from the Philistines.
and other places of more or less Scrip
tural interest toe. numerous to mention.
These were pointed out to us by Mr..
Hughes as the train rolled along.
Not all of these were in the Plain of
Sharon. Leaving that we came to the
Shephelah, or foothills Of the Judean
mountains, and then began to ascend into
the mountains. knew that Jerusalem
was 900 Feet ABOVE the level or the
Mediterranean sea, but / was hardly pre-
pared for the magnificent mountain seem
cry which we saw in approaching 1t. On
every hand ravines, gorges, precipices,
peaks, mountain sides-it was fine. 1t
reminded me very much of the scenery in
approaching Asheville from the direction
OF Knoxville, except that the French
Broad river is lacking. Some of the Geor-
gia people said 1t was like the scenery
around Tallulah Falls. We were all quite
enthusiastic over It, all the more as
we were not expecting 1t.
At last, after climbing up and UP and
up, we were approaching Jerusalem.
There is an electric tremor in the air,
the solemn hush, as we wait in expect
ancy of seeing 1t for the first time. Rev.
8. H. Campbell of Troy. Ala. and myself
stood on the platform to catch the first
sight 1t was a question as to which of
US saw II first. At any rate, that first
sight produced a powerful impression on
both Of us. Brother Campbell said he
wept when he first saw II. 1 felt more
like kneeling down and offering a prayer
Of gratitude for the privilege of being
permitted at last to behold the city
where large part of my Lords ministry
was spent, and whose death on the cross
there had forever hsllowed II and made
1T to his followers the Holy City, the
most sacred place in all the world. We