Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-08-24

o'Si luC SpOl iete Tic SldDle SlOOu.
This Is authentic. 1t is a matter of
| constant regret that some church or
monastery, defaces almost every
spot Of historical interest In this
land, leaving little trace Of original
conditions. This church was gaudily
decorated with tawdry lamps draped
in tinsel and before one of its altars
the monks were having service,
swinging censors filed with burning
incense. After looking through the
church, which is built over the sta
Bile, we descended into the grotto.
which is the stable. This IS an as
surcd fact, for almost AL stables
here are dug out of the solid rock.
1t Yves right down in this place that
the Crimean war originated over
some change proposed by one sect
and disputed by the 0 Ter.
In one place was a shrine with a
silver star in the floor to show whore
the mangcr where the young child
lay. Both places are filled with
gaudy lamps and candles Of all col
ors that are always burning. \
Turkish soldier stands guard to keep
the peace. 1t isn't praseworthy
that the Christians have to have this
Mohammcdan soldier to keep them
from falling upon one another.
Next we went into Il shop and
bought some pearl beads. The mo-
Their of pearl industry is worked ex-
clusivcly in Bethlehem. We drove
on to the Pools Of Sloan, and sat
down on the grass to cat our lunch.
Only two Of them contain water now,
and they are not full. Next we Wis
ited Golgotha and the Garden Tomb,
also Solomon's quarrics. The latter,
10 me, were very wonderful. It was
from these the stones were prepared
for the temple. They are no longer
city, and excavation would be dan
gcrous. I've never seen such i'm
m"nsc quantities Of rock
After leaving these we ran upon
the workshop Of an old pottery
maker. He worked as they did cen
turics ago. We had him make some
little things for us a souvenirs.
Another afternoon we spent visit
ing Zion Hill and the Tomb Of David,
but the latter is a fraud
Yesterday we spent the morning
seeing the Temple Of Area. This is
solid rock. and the center Of it was
the thrcshing floor OF Aranwah (thc
.Icbusite who sold it to David to Of
fer up sacrifice on to stay the plague,
because OF his sin in numbering the
pcoplc.) Here Abraham offered up
Isaac. Built now Just upon the done
OF the rock IS the beautiful temple
Omar, sacred next to Mecca, and said
to be the most beautiful temple in
the world. ii is the site also whore
Solomon's Temple stood. 1t would be
bcggarly to offer Il description Of
this. The stained glass windows are
the most exquisite ever made. The
art IS lost, and they cannot be re-
produced. Not only the cOlOrS, but
the designs change as YOU look at
them in different lights. The Ger
man Emperor offered fabulous
price for one in the small Temple Of
FL Akra that stands just beside
Omar, but the people refused to part
with them at any price.
They show YOU stone in Omar
on which, If you place a coin, YOU
secure a passport TO heaven. We
put down fifteen cents. and the Old
man assured us if we made it a franc
We would he Immediately translated.
We told h.m we couldn't afford to
30, as we were under contract for
two NOR" years in Cairo.
Underneath the Temple FL Akra is
tn" archcd stone road way leading
to the Pool of Sloan. and under
the Temple Area are Solomon's sta
bl"S, used by the Crusaders.
forgot 10 tell YOU that the Karass
OF the council conducted us through
Omar. He was a most fantastic fig
Uro, dressed in brigand's costume of
beautiful p0ngc and wore curved
cruel looking sword.
The Jews, who were so Jealous TO
shut all G"ntilcs from the Temple
Ar'1, ar" now shut out themselves.