Eastern Utah advocate. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1895-1915, 1913-12-25
BETHLEHEM

cob and Leah we're buried. and from
there gone on into Arabia. crossing
the isthmus OF suez somewhere near
lsmalia. and making their way
through old Goshen 10 the site Of
the present city OF Cairo. The Scrip
lures give no record Of their travels,
but there are traditions In Egypt
which state that they went out to
the pyramids, and which even FIX
upon certain tree under which
Mary and the baby Jesus were said
to have slept This tree Is not far
from the obelisk Of Heliopolis. lt
Is about five miles from Cairo, aud
the ground upon which q stands h
. private farm OF the present kho
dive. The tree IA an old sycamore.
gnarled with the age OF many years
and Scared with the names Of tour
lists. A fence has been built around
Il to keep Il away from the relic
hunters. and when l photographed
II had to bride one OF the khe-
dives servants TO allow me to do so.
There was an orange orchard near
~. aud after taking the picture 4
sat In the shade OF the syoamoro
outside the fence and wondered
whether Mary and Joseph had not
perhaps thus quonched their thirst
In that same place. now more than
nineteen cncturies ago. As went
on 10 the obeiiSk saw a young
woman OF perhaps "a. who had
baby In her arms. She must have
been OF about the age OF Mary when
Christ was born.
But let Ne go back to the Holy
!.aLd and see something Of the WI.
lago whore Christ spent his boy
hood. and indeed almost the whole
of his life until he began TO preach.
after he was baptized OF John. We
have gone back TO Judoa and have
Travelled across Samaria to the
mountains OF 0alilcc. We are nov
about sixty miles north OF Jorusa-
lem and sixty miles from
Bethlehem. where Jcsus was born.
We are In n little nest In the noun
taina inside quaint town. the
houses OF which cover the sides OF
the Hills. The houses are great
stcbC boxes OF one aud two stories
To most OF them have flat roofs
and some are surrounded by gar
dena. The country about Is Gov
ereG with gr.Aa aud flowers There
are fruit trees almost everywhere
and especially orchards OF olives
auo figs.
This IL the town OF Nazareth
which s'anc N lee Tm' .itc lB
tbs home OF Joseph anu MARY The
place has now ab5ut 10000 people.
and. like most OF the holy spots OF
Palestine. II has many converts ana
churches IL was here that Joseph
worked nc the carpenter trade and
her, the boy Jesus played abou,
with his fellows as the little Mana
iene do today. II was here that
Jesus came after he had been bap-
,lzed In the Jordan, and here he
preached In the synagogue when
the Nazarenes cried out. "ls not
this Joseph's SOM" and IN their an
ger were about to throw him from
The brow OF the HIN whereon tho
city was built. but he. passing
through the midst OF them. went his
way" That hin Is still shown 20
tourists. II Il about mile and
half from the town, In the middle
OF Nazareth "a a fountain or spring
which supplies water for the COM
munity. The women go 90 the
spring and carry the water In Jars
ON their heads 10 their houses
Mary undoubtedly used that spring
for her family water supply. and the
boy Jesus must have drunk there
The surroundings OF Nazareth are
beautiful 4 dOubt whether there L.