The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1913-05-23
From Jerusalem to Jericho
By Rev. Charles N. Magll. formerly Maryvile

r trasting the three streams one ca
t readily under tand why Mama
g preferred the rivers of Syria, to til
mud iy. turbulent Jordan.
The road from Jericho to th
Jordan river led us by Gilgal, wher
the lsraelites first pitched their tent
west of the Jordan and set up tn,
twelv9 stones which they had taker
! from the bed of the stream as they
passed over on dry land, Here al
SO the mama ceased on the NOR
row." after the children of Israel
had eaten of the old corn of the
Land of Canaan. And here in after
years the solemn assemblies of
Samuel and Saul were celebrated.
and here Saul was made king.
Here also king David was given a
reception by the whole tribe of
Judah, when he came back from
exile after the death of Absalom II
Sam 1915
We visited the Jordan river at a
place called the Pilgrims bathing
place between Gilgal and the Dead
Sea At Easter time especially.
thousands of GreeE Catholics and
other pilgrims resort thither, to
bathe in the Stream, to which cere-
nony they attach great religious
significance, and say it is a source
II great blessing to them. We felt
bat a good bath would be a great
blessing to any one after having
made that long dusty trip on a hot
ay But the Jordan is not an in
iting looking stream. 1t is one of
ne swiftest rivers in the world, !
Glling 600 feet in its course of go
lies, and the refore is most always
luddy The banks are steep and
le river is deep and treaoherous
ith the exception OF only few
aces. The banks are rich with Y
-ried foliage, the lovely pink y
aander being beautiful in spring. U
le sight of ancient Bethabara. 7
lere our Saviour was baptized by u
hn, is further north near the sea al
Galilee We followed the Jordan OF
down to where it empties into OF
Dead Sea, about five miles from Ca
'icho co
The Dead Sea is the lowest sheet -
water in the world. 1t is about "
miles long and 8 or 10 miles wide -
'eral other rivers besides the 9e 49,
dan flow into it; but it has no - :
let except through evaporation, - r.
Ich process goes on at wonder.
rate, leaving an extraordinary "
Dunt OF mineral in solution in
lake. But the Old theory that
rd cannot fly over it is not true,
we saw hocks OF them flying
it. But the large number of
ltiful fish lying dead on the shore !
to where the Jordan empties nov
it, is proof that nothing can pio'
in it. The taste of the water is clVl'
lar to liquid quinine. The o'i' VI,
lish Government manufactures 0io
by evaporation on the shores of wan
lea, and all around the sea, for u0ii'
8. one can see the white crystals 'iin'
e earth, and even hills or ioau
RS OF salty looking substance, oiie
suggestive Of Lots wife. Every liine
emembers her fate, as she dis. Suo VIZ
I'd God and looked back, while ""O
and her family were fleeing Oiiie
the destruction Of Sodom and 'iie0
1rah.
g return trip, from Jericho to II
alem, was begun before day Pr
the next morning, for, going sever
was all up hill and the day MUIR
Ised to be hard one for both resigI
and beast. But there was work
in store for us when the sun is
to rise over the hills and Cole,
tains of Moab. good
stopped many times on the
ice over looking the deep
thru which flows the supposed
Cherith, where Elijah :
d by the ravens. The Greek ine a.
/ have built some almost in 'ulit
No t,oopactoriao -, A. o;Jo. e dlIu v