Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-11-13
Holy Places Of Jews, Moslems
and Christians Now in War
Romantic Possibilities Created by Embodiment of
Ottoman Empire; Puts Religion Behind Guns
BY he Isamb
BY THE RELIGIOUS RAMBLER)
BY the Religious Rambler


OF a sudden all the shrine cities of
all the faiths of America and Europe
and Western Asia, have become in
volved in the present world war.
Turkey contains not only all the en-
pires of antiquity but also the birth
places of the jewish Christian and
Moslem religions. Thus the sentimen-
tai factor has been thrown into the
scale of war. Troops are now hghtinS
from the oldest of passions-zeal for
their religion.
raised. in an effort to solidify the sem
timent of the many races or Ottaman
Mogammendans, that the holy places, OF
which the Mecca and Medina are chief,
are imperilled by the Christian allies.
On the other hand, the Russian andS IN
lesser degree. the French soldiers are
crying for the conquest Of CONSTANT
nople and Jerusalem. The average
American, who is a bit hazy upon his
geography and religious history, VIII be
Interested to take fresh look at the
places and faiths which may play an
important part in settling the war.
Three Creeds in David's City
Oldest of all the shrine cities and and
probably a heather high place long
before King David, of Israel, wrested 1t
from the Jebusites. No other city on
earth has so long existed under the
let's show that in the year 1850 b. G.,
the city of "Urusalim" was paying
tribute to Egypt.
Holiest of all spots on earth to the
Jews. the capital of their peoples anci-
ent glories, and still the goal of pill
grimage of devout Jews, Jerusalem is
equally sacred to the Christians, whose
literature calls heaven the New Jeru-
salem" 1t was in Jerusalem that the
Founder of Christian faith uttered
many of his teachings, and it was there
he underwent his passion, cruclhctlon
For the possession of this city
countless wars have been fought, ana
to wrest it from the Moslems was the
objective of the Crusades of the Mid
die Ages. the most dramatic and ro-
mantle enterprise ever undertaken by
mankind in the mass: The present war war
I saders' dream. Tens and hundreds of
thousands of Christian pilgrims. chiefly
| from Russia and Eastern and southern
Europe, have annually made Pilgrim
age to the Holy City, as an act of merit
Mosiems. too. count Jerusalem holy,
because of it's association with the
Caliphs. The name of one of the great
est of these is borne by the Mosque
of Omar which stands on the site of
Jerusalem is fostered by the leaders of
Islam. because 1t offsets the concentra-
ton and demonstration of the Christian
pilgrims. They have also located the
grave of Moses near by, and Moslems
make pilgrimage to this site at Easter,
to offset the Christian showing in Jeru-
where History Was Made
The extent of the Turkish Empire Is
not only vast, extending from the In
dian Ocean to the Red Sea and the
Black Sea and both sides of the Medi-
terranean, but IL is most notable for
the historic character of its soil. All
the empires of the past, from Babylon
to Macedonia and Rome, whose glories
I'LL the pages of history, fell within the
confines of what is to-day Turkey.
So not only Jerusalem. but also Heb
| 4 sf k1aa lNsNl a aH
and Bethlehem and Nazareth and Anti
och and all the cities of the churches
founded by the Apostle Paul were on
what is now Turkish soil. Constanti-
nople, the capital of the byzantine En-
pire, and itself a sacred city to Mos
lens and Christians. is to-day the seat
of the Turkish Government There is
not a city mentioned in the, Bible, cx-
ceut Rome and Susa (Which latter is
just across the Turkish border in Per-
sia) that is not now in the present
For be ii remembered, Egypt is nomi-
nally n dependency of Turkey. This
phase of the war may be followed on
the ancient maps prepared to show the
wars of Sennacharib, Nebuchadnezzar,
Cyrus and Alexander.
Cities of the Desert
AS Islam was born in the desert. and
it's founder, Mohammed was camel
driver, it's sacred cities are in remote
desert places. Mecca, the birthplace of
the prophet, and the spot toward which
all Moslems pray. is situate in one of
the most arid and barren spots in the
world. It lies in that part of the
Arabian desert called the Heinz, about
forty-fve miles due east from Jiddah,
on the Red Sea The only approach to
II is by caravans and these are always
subject to attacks by the Bedouin.
Nevertheless, Mecca supports popula-
tion of approximately $4,000 persons,
who live Off the 100000 pilgrims who
visit the city every year. 1t is required
of every Moslem that he make this pill
grimage once in his lifetime. Other
pilgrimages are meritorious-this one
is obligatory.
Damascus does not reach any farther
than Medina. nearly two weeks jour
ney to the north. on the upper end of
the Hejaz desert. Like Mecca, Medina
NAV not he visited nv nonNoslem, on
peril of his life. Here the Prophet is
buried. 1t was to Medina that he fled
when driven from Mecca. and all Mos
lem calendars date from that year.
"a H." "Anno He~ira" the year of
the flight. Practically all the pilgrims
who visit Mecca go also to look upon
the tomb of the proDhet, which, bv the
wav. Is not suspended between heaven
AMI earth. as a curious legend which
will not down, persists in reporting.
Damascus and Constan tinople are
also minor shrine cities of the Moslems,