Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-11-01
4 SOUTHERN PILGRIM IN EASTERN LANDS
By EDGAR E. FOLK DID,
Shechen Mounts Genzem and Ebal

ever, that the ladies in some other par
ty may yet come across them and have
the pleasure of wearing the very ear
rings worn by Leah and Rachel and 9TH
er members of Jacobs household.
JOSEPH AT HEBRON.
Leaving the old homestead in Hebron,
which is comparatively dry, the breth-
rem of Joseph went to feed their ia
theirs flock in Shechem," because the
country around there was so well wa
tered as to furnish both an abundance
of water and fine pasturage for sheep
It was to Shech EN- that Jacob sent Jo-
seph to find his brethren. They had,
however, moved farther west to Dothan.
Inasmuch, though, as Jacob had given
this parcel of ground to him, Joseph
seems always to have claimed it, and
at his death he took an oath OF the
children Of Israel" that they should car
nv up his bones from Egypt and bury
him in the land of Israel This oath
was devoutly fulfilled, and during all
Of those 40 years of wandering in the
wilderness they carried those precious
bones with them, and finally "the bones
of Joseph. which the children of Israel
brought up out of Egypt, buried they
in Shechem, in the parcel of ground
which Jacob bought Of the sons of Ha-
NOR. the father of Shechem, for hun
dred pieces of money; and they became
the inheritance of the children Of Jo-
seph." (Joshua 24:391.
CITY OF REFUGE.
On the settlement OF the land or "a
naan by the IL tribes Shechem was as
signed to the Levites. Joshua 2I:2O-
biz IT was one of the six cities Of re-
fuge. Kedesh in Galilee, and Hebron in
Judah. being the other two on the west
ern side of the river Jordan. Joshua
2O:O. - o,,n,ro,
After the death OF Solomon. Rehoboam
his son, went to Shechem to be made
king for the reason, / presume, that IT
was more central to the whole country
than Jerusalem. Here all Israel gain
cred to make him king. Il Kings lid.
His reign there. however, was not long.
ON account of his expressions the peo-
pie turned to Jeroboam, the son OF
Nebat, for relief, and he became the
George Washington of the Israelites and
led the ten tribes OF Israel-all except
Judah and Benjamin-in a revolution, or
revolt, which resulted in their independ-
ence and the establishment Of what was
known as the northern Kingdom: Jero-
beam then located his capital in
Shechem, which he built" or perhaps
more properly rebuilt or restored. Il
Kings 1920, 25).
POPULATION.
Shechem was the city of Joshua and
Judges as Jerusalem was of David and
Solomon. One of the earliest and most
distinguished Christian fathers, Justin
; Martyr, was born at Shechem. 1t is
now, as 1 said, called Nablus, or Naples,
or Neapolis, or the new city" 1t is
the largest city in Syria between Jeru-
salem and Damascus. 1t is AZ miles
from Jerusalem, 80 from Caesarea, on the
Mediterranean sea, and Is from the
River Jordan. 1t now has a population
OF 26.Ooo of whom about 600 are Chris
tians and $50 Samaritans. / shall have
occasion to speak Of these little later.
1t is for the most part. however. Mo-
hammedan city, over 25,0O0sof its 5000
population being Mohammedans. 1t is
the most fanatical Mohammedan city
! in Palestine, outside of Hebron. 1t has
eight mosques, which are the finest in
Palestine 1t is said that the Green
mosque is situated where Jacob stood.
SOAP FACTORIES.
1t carries on a considerable wool and
! cotton trade with the east. 1t has
20 soap factories the soap being made
, and brought it home with me. My
little fellows are delighted with it, say
ing that 1t will even take the paint of
of their hands. My wife, however, does
not seem so we'll pleased with it, be
cause of the dirt to be found in the
soap, which suggests that with all of
the soap manufactured by their 20 soap
factories, the people OF Shechem use
very little of IT themselves. They were
about as dirty looking a set of people
as could we'll be found, while the streets
were the foulest and most ill-smelling
that we encountered anywhere, except
perhaps in Hebron.
, LOCATION PERMANENT.
Shechem has remained through all the
centuries for two reasons:
/. Because of it's location in the pass
between the two mountains a very large
proportion of the trade from east to
west in northern Palestine must pass
through this passageway, which makes
the location of a city there a CONNER
cial necessity, just as we saw that the
location, of Jericho at the foot OF the
pass into the mountains opposite the
fords of the Jordan is commercial ne
cessity.
,. Because the whole country around
is well watered There are said to be
q large springs and number of smaller
ones around there. This makes II beau
fif,,I giHyea rama blc