Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-05-20

cut out of the solid rock and crawl
ing through a small hole chisseleG
in the rock we are told that the
opening before us is the grave o.
Lazrus. We have no authority tt
say this is the place where Lazrus
was buried but no doubt it was dus
for burial place. AS we drive or
down the steep road, we pass boys
with sings spun of wool they have
pulled from their Sleeps back, OF
which they are shepherd, and with
these sings, while running beside
our carriage, they throw stones with
such precision as did David when
on this same location threw and
killed Goliath. Farther down the
road becomes more abrupt but a
finer road could hardly be made in
this difficult location. OveE this
road Christ travelled; on this road
the Jews were led captives to Baba-
Ion. 1t is the one great road that
has entered in the history of Pales-
tine. Farther down We pass the
spring of the good Samaritan; just
on a knoll above this was built by
the crusaders a large church now
in ruins, a large portion of the
stone used in building the barns at
the spring.
We are in the most barren desert
little rain ever falls here and no land
is cultivated. AS we drive on near
er we pass a Greek Chapel, where
is marked the tomb of Moses; no
other habitation is seen until we
reach Jericho. The day Is hot, the
roads very dusty and we are almost
famished for moisture. We drive
through the town and two miles up
the valley to the old town of Jericho.
In this little location they have a
small amount of water for irrigation
and the finest oranges that ever have
been eaten are grown in this small
locality, here were ripe tomatoes and
other garden truck that requires a
hot sun.
The German Geographical Society
have done a lot of excavating here
and far below the surface have IN
earthed the walls of ancient Jericho.
Just above us OH a sharp peak of the
mountain is a small Greek Monas-
terry, or chapel. 1t was here that
Christ was said to have been tempt
ed of the devil. We return to our
hotel at Jericho, get a dinner that
would put on streak of lean and
again we drive out of this little
oasis into this great desert valley.
In the forming of the earth here
the outer coat was thin and the roof
fell in sinking deep down and left
this indentation in the surface. Jer-
icho is about 700 feet below sea
level and it is about 900 feet lower
at the Jordan. We pass number
of camels hunting for something to
fill their contracted stomachs, see
two Greek Chapels, erected to COM
memorate some superstition, no 9TH
err sign of human eXistance is seen.
Far over there across the Jordan
can be seen the great desert OF
Moab, Mount Nebo its most conspic-
uous mark. History gives this as
the place where some 10000 Jews
crossed into Palestine. AS l ride
down nearer the Jordan that pas
sage where this is spoken of as the
land of milk and honey comes to
me and feel l can recognize it as
true. Here only a goat could live
and from it comes the milk of Pale
slime. Here in the desert sand bios
som those lilies of the field of which
Soloman in all his glory was not ar
rayed like one, and from these lilies
came the honey, surely land Of
milk and honey and nothing else
To gather these it would seem thai
the goat and bee would starve. We
reach the Jordan, small stream
perhaps a little larger than our One
ota. l toss a stone across it. Blu
, it is deep and as it falls 500 feet be
tween here and Tiberias it has &
swift current; it is as muddy as the
Missouri. many of our people filled
bottles with it for babtismal use.
We drive to the Dead Sea just be
low, five miles. Rolling our trousers
high we wade in as far as they will
allow What grand place to battle
but no bathing suit or dressing room
the water is about 20 degrees, thu
bottom as smooth as hard sand cal
make it, the water as clear as a crys
tai and so salty that one would floa
without effort Some day they will
have a car line here (the French al
ready have a franchise) and whel
they do, here will be winter re
sort.
We have seen the sea and driv,
of ten miles brings us back to GU
hotel at Jericho where we spend ;
II I'll - n. q