The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-11-27
WHERE RELIGIONS MEET.
Jerusalem the scene of Rivalry
Among Various sects.

Among Various sects.
In Jerusalem each religion exhibits its
fanatieism. There the Jews observe eere-
moniously every sacred rite, one sees
cufiously CARRIED rabbis and Jewish men
with long curls at each side Of their
faces. Below the south wall of Solomon's
Temple is the wailing place" There
they 90 TO weep and repeat the Seventy
ninth Psalm in Hebrew. Friday morning
usually finds picturesque crowd there.
picturesque and deeply pathetic. when
one realizes the import OF the psalm
which they repeat;
"Ah, Cod the heather are come into
Thine Inheritance; Thy holy temple have
/ they detiled; they have laid Jerusalem IN
heaps-We have become q reproach 10
our neighbors, a scorn and derision 10
them that are around about us-where-
/ fore shall the heather say, Where is
their God?' I"
While the Jews wall at the outer wall
/ Of their old temple inclosure. writes Ruth
Bryan Owens. in the National Monthly,
the Mohammedans are ostentatiously
/ worshiping their Allah within on the
/ site OF Solomon's Temple
/ The Mosque of Omar stands on this
most sacred Jewish site, and the tur-
baned officials smilingly wait at the door
10 cover feet of Christians or Jews with
clumsy slippers to preserve their shrine
/ from contamination.
The Omarhan Mosque is beautiful in a
! bizarre, fantastic style. It's lavish glow
| OF color one would condemn at once as
heather, and admire nevertheless. It's
oetagonal exterior Is all of tile. brilliant
/ ly shining with yellows and blues. It's
great rounding dome is black. Marvellous
windows OF stained glass, each OF differ
ent pattern, light the interior. The Per
/ sian rugs that cover the floor do not ex-
eel the windows in intricacy of pattern
or wealth of color.
/ The green turbaned officials of the
4 mosque are splendid as to apparel, sur
| roundings, and whiskers. They pointed
cut the rock on which Abraham prepared
20 sacrifice lsaac-the great, bare stunt
center OF their mosque-and also assured
us that this rock is not attached to
/ Mount MOriah, but rests on the air.
They also assured US that when Mo
manned went into the shrine beneath the
rock to pray that the rock followed it,
self into little dome over his head. OF
this we ought 20 feel convinced. for we
/ saw the hollow.
IN this city Of religions Mohammedans
are present everywhere. The Turkish
Sultan. being the earthly head OF The
MOslem Chruch, and also the ruler OF
Palestine. has given the Mohammedan'
! fTst claim on many sacred sites, anC
they never hesitate TO erect a MOSQUE al
any point where il will be a thorn in
the flesh Of Christians. mosque stands
on the Mount Of Ascension, and one
marks the Pool of Sloan. The gate In
the city wall through which Christ made
his one triumphal entry has been NOR
! tared up by the Mohammedans. for q
prophecy says. He will enter again by
| the same gate. and this they have takeT
the precaution TO blockade.
Instead OF showing a contrasting mod
| Grafton the Christians in Jerusalem lear
also toward narTowness and eeremonials
The great Church of the Holy Sepulchr'
/ is literally honeycombed with shrines o.
all sorts. and every niche or space is def
nitely portioned of 10 the different sects
Even usurping the privilege of sweeping
the steps has led 10 riot and bloodsheC
/ between the Greek and Roman priest
hood.
In Jerusalem the devotees of all three
religions seem TO have lost moderation
In their intense zeal. The traveller can
not but regret this departure from the re
ligion OF humanity and patience which
knew its beginning here.
Those few sacred places which are a
yet unncumbered with ornament o
shrine seem to preserve the most of pur
inspiration. The little Garden Of Gethse
name is undecorated and beautiful. Lep
rous beggars clamor outside its hig
walls, but once inside all is peace. Italial
monks tend the gardens. and its prim
1ower-bordered paths speak Of the low
ing care reverently bestowed upon them
About the roots of the gnarled old tire
of sorrow" are fragrant beds Of violets