Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-08-02
By
Edgar E.
Folk. DID.
XVII--JerusaIem. the
Holy City; A Trip
Around It's Walls

into the city 1t is the chief entrance
for trade travel and pilgrims into the
city. The new quarter of The city IS
outside of this gate, and much business
is done there. There is large square
surrounded by cafes, commission ana
brokerage offices. animal corrals and
khans, the busiest place in all Judea,
where it is said. ''all the centuries and
all the races meet and hustle each oth-
err. 1t is the horse and camel market
of the city, the headquarters of the sad
dlers and veterinarians, the starting
place of the caravans, and the entering
place into the city of probably nine
tenths of the pilgrims and two-thirds
of the traders. 1t is the rendezvous OF
buyers and sellers of all classes of pro-
duce and merchandise, a general market
at which anything can be bought or sold,
1tind of chamber of commerce. 1t is the
court and parliament of the masses. Here
they hold public meetings, discuss poll
tics and theology and-gossip. 1t is an
employment agency. Professional letter
writers. wearing white turbans and white
cotton cloaks, sit around with ink horns
and blocks of paper in convenient cor
ners sheltered by umbrellas from the
sun, just as they sat in Jerusalem from
the time ot David. These were the
scribes of our Saviours time. Here are
the money changers, with piles of coins
displayed on the tables before them, or
the more valuable coins under screens on
the table They will change any amount
of money for you. But the stranger had
better beware. He is likely to get some
coins he may not be able to use. The
coins of these money changers have been
gathered from every nation under the
sun Some are good and some are worth
less to the American and European
traveller. Dealers in caravan supplies
have shaded stands against the walls.
Arab and Jewish girls go about chatting
their admirers and selling baskets of
fruits. Vendors of lemonade with pig
skins on their shoulders filed with this
and other refreshing drinks, clink brass
cups to attract attention. Itinerant bar
bers do a brisk business with the Be
douins. Here you can hire any kind of
conveyance you wish by the hour or by
the day or week or Instance, and any
thing that is marketable may be bought
or sold. Inside the gate there is a SINH
lar scene, except for the narrower space.
1t is surrounded by the European con-
sulate banks, restaurants of Europea n
style and the shops of curio dealers. ror-
merIy there was only one gate. The pas
sage way through this is so arranged
that 1t is necessary to turn at right an
giles to get through. That is to say, in
stead of the passage being straight IL is
open on the west and south sides, in
stead of the west and east. The Damas-
Gus gate is simila rly arranged. The pur-
pose of so constructing the gates was
protection in time of war. II an enemy
should attempt to come in through the
gates, they could not march straight
through, but would have to march up
against a stone wall, then turn at right
Il, 49, Awzr~
Only a few could go in together. The
large army on the outside would be use
less. If they should shoot at the gate
they would only hit stone wall. A few
men standing on the inside could slaugh-
ter those those who attempted to
pass through. This would make the gate
a Themopylae, where 800 men defied a
whole army.
This would be all right in time of war.
to make this turn at right angles every
time you enter or go out of the gates
1t is especially inconvenient for a car
riage. These the jewellers in Jerusalem
did not count on in the construction
of the gates They did not have carriages
then, and do not have them now for their
own use. The streest of the city are SC
narrow and so steep as to make 1t I'm
possible to use carriages on the inside,
except to a very limited extent.
When in 1895 the German emperor was
to enter Jerusalem he was not salts
fed to enter through the old gate. 1t was
awkward to make the turn at right an
giles. Besides, it did not quite comport
with his dignity to do so. And so he had
another gate cut in the wall over the
Jaffa gate through which to enter. This
is straight. The people of Jerusalem
were very much offended at him for cut
ting this other gate. They felt that he
might have entered once through a gate
through which they and their fathers
had been entering for hundreds of years.
Besides, he had spoiled the gate for
purposes of defense in case of war But
the gate was cut. And it still stands and
is open to the public. Much of the travel
is through it, 1t so happened that when
was in Jerusalem Prince Eitel. the
son of Emperor William who had this
gate cut, came to the city and entered
through this gate. Not far from the Jaffa
gate on the northwestern side of the
walls is the new gate, cut only few
years ago to relieve the travel through
the jana and Damascus gates, and to
provide a quicker passage way to the new
part of the city. And so having complet-
ed the circuit of the city walls we come
again to the
DAMASCUS GATE.
on the northern side of the city. Next
to the Jaffa gate this is the most i'm
portant of all gates into the city. There
is more passing through 1t. and more
business is done near it, inside and out
side, than any other except the Jaffa
gate. The present gate was rebuilt by
the Crusaders, and Is about 800 years old.
1t was through this gate, or one cor
responding to it. that the Apostle Paul
rode as he started on his murderous
mission to Damascus. to come back a
humble follower of the Nazarene whose
disciples he started out to prosecute.
More important still, II was through this
gate or one corresponding To IT that