Arizona republican., 1915-01-29
HOLY LAND AND ITS CUSTOMS


 Tie latest iand brought within the war area is that tbin strip upon the easter the Aieli- terranean sea- the Holy Land. sacred to believers "l three world religions to Christians, Jews ana MGslehis and ground wherein were cradle,! ideals that have made almost all civilization tributary 1t Is a bridge between the Moslem power in Asia -a4lor ana the Mosem power in Egypt, and as sumes strategic importance in the war of the na- tons. Yet the Holy Land is a land cmlalmed in the spirit and customs of $,eOO years according to description of village life there as prepared by John D. Whiting for the National Geographic So- ciety.
 Manners and customs which prevailed in Pales- tine in biblical days still unchanged" writes Mr Whiting. While the townspeOple losing their ahcl'n customs and quaint costumes the villagers are, in these things, they were 5000 years ago Three G.stnce classes nlabit the lard: the Icdouin nomadic w;,rloNing race; the Fcllahcer acrictIl- turIsts shepherds and village dwelers and the Madahiyeh who live in the towns and cities and are artisan5
 "1he present day villages are located. as a ruIo either on the tops of hls originally for protection or near some spring or source of Many are huilt upon the foundations of buildings whose origit dates back thousands of There not ,.x- st single example of a peasant village that has been founded in modern times
 Village streets are crooked. and unpavad. The tarmets houses arc crowded ciQsc together for protection. These houses consist of one large room usually square. About tvt,-.nnde of the spac, with in is devoted 3 raised lnasonrv platform some eigh! to ten feet above the ground and this is the kitchen, storeroom bedroom and living room of the family Below this platform tie ctte and flocts are housed. goats and sheep. a few work cattle and perhaps q donkey ramel
 Each village has guest chamber, which is the social center for all the village men, who love companonship and great gossips. Each day by turn. of the villagers furnishes the coffee beans and to be served the men who gather at the e;Iest chamber He also supplies the food ami bedding if sone ordinary guests come along
 'TheH of course great respccters of persons cOmO man han in fried With bread and olives will do for him If a more important parsonage arrives. '. pair of chickens is provided for his supper but if a still honored guest a company of men appear :, lamb or kid is killed The village guest chamber is club of the village men
 Children in the peasant families are always wei comed. The father brides himself on his boys Even the mother prefers them and when questioned as .o the number of her offspring she will say she has five children and, two girls, whatever the num- bers may be This is the more strange since the would-be husband pay his f4ther-in-law T handsome price for the girl while boys are q heavy expense, and their wives and weddings are costly affairs
 "Women are looked upon as something irferior The woman may never call her husband by his first name, but oh father of Ahmed or whatever the eldest sons name may be The wife likewise takes the of her first born son. The husband Will never say my wife, or mention her first name but will either say the mother of Ahmed my family the relative in my house. the forbidden or the daughter of uncle.' The reason for this last ti tie is that the village the Holy Land mar ries his first cousin in preference to anyone else and in fact. she cannot marry another if he wants her
 When the fallah peasant child is born, it's tender skin. without being washed s rubbed with olive oil and salt For seven consecutive days it is reoiled, and when a week old gets first ba tn and is again oiled. In localities they consider it is unsafe to bathe the baby. before it is forty days old. Mortality among the babies is great. and it is not to be wondered at. for view O the rough treatment they receive it becomes question of the survival of the fttest.
 The ways of these village folk. their methods of agriculture, of administration of household and munity and of sanitation primitive rennis- of the days before the coming Christ The refuse of their villages is in great heaps around tlem and there left to lester Their blowing is a bare scratching of the ground with wooden blows. while they thrash their grain by failing and tread Ing and mill it in stone mortars.
 The marriage customs of these people inter estlng. Young men marry at about 20 and girls between F and 16. The son. coming o mar riageable age. picks his wife by choice of sightno courtship is allowed-when his father arranges al! further details The girl has no voice the matter. Ifr price cf a bride depends her age. beauty usefulness ano family connections It ranges in our np'ncy, from $10o to $400."- Chicago Herald