Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-09-13
A Southern Pilgrim
In Eastern Lands
By Edgar E. Folk, D. D.

may De certain. IL is one OF lnS lew
authentic places in all Palestine. Stu
ated somewhat out Of the line of travel,
from east to west, and also from north
to south, it has been left untouched by
the ravages of war for the 1900 years
since the stirring events of which 1
spoke last week. The houses, being con-
structed of stone, cannot burn and do not
readily decay. And so it is probable that
the present Bethlehem is practically the
same Bethlehem as in the time of Jesus,
of David and of Ruth. 1t is now a city
of some 5000 inhabitants. 1t is a matter
of much qualification to know that it is
\ CHRISTIAN CITY.
OF its 5000 population nearly all are
Christians at least in name. 1t is said
there are no Jews there at all, and only
seven Mohammedans. This is true also
of Nazareth, though not to so great an
extent as of Bethlehem. 1t seems very
appropriate that the place of our Saw
tours birth and the place where he
spent most of his life should now be
inhabited predominantly by his followers
after 1900 years. AS result Bethlehem
and Nazareth are the incest cities in
Palestine-if such as expression can be
applied to any city in that country.
There is less poverty, less misery, less
squalor, less dirt, less ignorance in them
than in any other city in Palestine pro-
portionately. Bethlehem, especially, has
the reputation of being the most orderly,
contented and Industrious community In
all Palestine. 1t is also the cleanest
The pavements in the main part Of the
city are swept and sprinkled daily-think
of that for Palestine-the houses at
y haH he va da
kept clean, and a visitor misses, much
to his qualification, the horrible stenches
usually encountered in other cities, such
as Jerusalem, Hebron and Shechm. The
5000 population are almost entirely de-
pendent on tourists and pilgrims and the
manufacture of religious emblems. 1t is
SAID that at least 1900 men, women and
children, out of the 5000 population, are
engaged in manufacturing rosaries, cru
ciflxes and other articles of olive and
saldalwood and mother OF pearl The
mother of pearl work, especially, is
famous 1t is very beautiful, and at the
same time remarkably cheap. Millions
of rosaries are shipped from Bethlehem
annually to all parts of the world. and
millions Of crucifixes of ivory. mother of
pearl, olive wood sandal wood, cedar.
lava. marble, alabaster and other ma
terials are made and sold to tourists or
exported.
THE PEOPLE.
The people Of Bethlehem look happier
and more intelligent than those of other
cities, and the women are considered the
most beautiful in Palestine. Both the
Roman and Greek Catholic churches
have schools for boys and girls. There
is a school for girls and alsa a seminary
for training teachers conducted by the
British MissiCa. A German Protestant
church has q school for boys and one for
girls. Not one in thousand Moham-
medan women can read. So much for
the uplifting influence of Christianity.
even when imperfectly practiced and
when surrounded by the grossest igno-
rance and superstition.
THE CAVE
I said that there is no doubt Of the
location of .Bethleh EN-. The same In
true to a large extent with regard 10
the exact site VIII ere Jesus was born.
Luke tells US that when Mary brought
forth her first born son she laid him
in a Manager, because there was no
room for them in the inn" Justin
Martyr, born a short while after the
death OF the Apostle John, says dis
tinctly that the birth of Christ occur
CURED in a certain cave close to the
village Of Bethlehem" A century later
Origin states that the cave and the
manager were still sh own, and that the
fact OF the birth there and the place
of the birth were a matter OF notoriety,
even among the heather. Eusobius and
Jerome in the fourth century both con-
firm the belief in this cave as the site.
Jerome went so far as 20 take up his
residence In a grotto near it, spending
80 years there in literary work, as we
shall see directly. And thus we have
the tradition In unbroken succession,
coming down from the second, third and
fourth centuries that this cave was in
deed the very place of our Savior's
birth. To sum up: We know that Je-
sus was born In a stable, because there
was room for his parents in the inn,
which was crowded with visitors COM
ing to be enrolled. We know that the
stable was situated in the village ard
that 1t was probably a cave, as Justin
Martyr says IL was. We know that the
location Of the village has not changed,
because there is no other place s2nve-
nient for it. There being but one cave
in the village, it must have been this
one.
THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY.
In $50 what is known as the Church
of the Nativity was erected, 1t is SAL,
by order of the Emperor Constantine,
who, as you remember, had just been
converted to Christianity, and who
showed the zeal of a new convert by
erecting this church in Bethlehem, and
the Church Of the Holy Sepulchre at
jerusalem Unlike the latter, the
Church of the Nativity has not been de-
stroyed 1t IL usually believed that the
church now standing is practically the
same building as the one erected by
Constantine, or at least that the oldest
part of It is. 1t has undergone, in the
1900 years since it's erection, numerous
repairs and reservations, the earliest in
$50 by Justinian. In this church, on
Christmas day I think 1t was, 1101.
Baldwin I, of crusade fame, was crown
ed king Of Palestine. He would not he
crowned in Jerusalem, because he said
he was not worthy to be crowned with
crown Of gold where his Lord had
worn a crown of thu rns. He and his
successors held Palestine for a CEN
fury, until utterly overth rown by Sala-
conqueror, Manuel Commences, at LARGE
expense caused the walls to be adorned
with beautiful gilded mosaics, traces Of
which may still be seen. In 1892 the
roof, which had become dilapidated
was repaired, Edward w, Of England,
giving the lead for the purpose, and
Philip of Burgundy, the pine wood for
the beams. The woodwork was execut-
ed by artif1cers of Venice. Near the end
of the 18th century the Turks stripped
the roof for lead with which to make