Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1917-04-20

Reach Jerusalem7
- T now seems likely that Jer'isa-
lem, whose glory has been sung IN
Jewish and in Christian literature
for some 1000 years, will pass out
of ALoslem hands. Not that Jerusalem
intrinsically is any very great prize--a
city of 10000, set down in the midst OF
q sun baked and poverty wracked land,
city of narrow streets and dirty al
leys. in itself 1t is bound to prove some
thing of a disappointment to the tour
list, who from childhood has heard and
sung of Jerusalem the golden, with
milk and honey blest." But because old
memories cluster around 1t, because II
was there David ruled, there Solomon
set up his gorgeous temple, there Christ
walked, spoke, went to his death Jeru-
salem has always been "a city set upon
hill that cannot be hid"
Across the burning sands of Palestine
the crusaders In blazing, blistering ar
NOR streve through long years to reach
the city. You may remember the story
of how King Richard of England. Rich
ard the Lion Hearted, forced to turn
back when be was within sight of the
holy city, would not look on Jerusalem
since he could not deliver it from Mos
lem yoke.
Davd's City Is Gone.
The ancient city of David, which he
won from its Jebusite founders and
made the capital of Israel, has long
since disappeared in the dust of its
own crumbled walls. Hills have disap-
peared, ravines been choked with rub
bish. This was the city Solomon made
beautiful: here he built the temple, into
whose ma king went gold and ivory,
eedars from Lebanon and Tyrian pur-
pie; here he set up his own great pal
ace; hither came the dark queen OF
Sheba and the queen Of the south,
bringing him apes and ivory, marvel
ing at his greatness, his splendor, his
sad wisdom. That city passed away.
Its glory dimmed when Israel and
Judah set up separate kingdoms. 1t
was captured more than once.
Hezekiah. one of the few kings who
did good In the sight Of the Lord"
strengthened the city. built strong tow
era. improved its water supplies. Then
the city, which had submitted to Neb-
uchadnezzar, revolted, and the Assyri-
ans came up against it and besieged it
for year, five months and seven days
and captured It. The temple was
burned, the walls broken down, the
people carried away into captivity. As
the prophet Jeremiah had spoken:
Then will cause TO cease from the
cities of Judah and from the streets Of
Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the
voice of gladness, the voice of the
bridegroom and the voice of the bride;
for the land shall be desolate.'
For fifty years the city was desola-
ton. Then Cyrus the Persian gave per-
mission to rebuild it, without walls. In
445 Il. c. Nehemiah, the energetic royal
governor. set about the rebuilding Of
the walls. 1t was done In fifty-two
days. The whole population was set to
work.
The Temple DesiIed.
A long, long story of struggle, of de-
struction, of rebuilding, is the story Of
Jerusalem. Jerusalem was quiet under
Persian rule. For a century after Al
exanders time it prospered as sub
ject of Egypt. Then came the Graeco-
Syrian king. the rulers Of Antioch; re-
ligious strife, the walls were broken
down. the temple defiled by the sacri-
flee of swine. the one thing most OBJ
noxious and horrible TO the Jews, and
The erection of a statue to Jupiter. The
Jews fought well under the Maccabees
for the restoration of their faith and
Of their city.
Came again peace and prosperity and
an era OF building under Herod the
Great (37 Il. Or He reconstructed the
temple on a magnificent scale and
msde the city very beautiful. This
was the Jerusalem of Christs time.
which was destroyed in 10 A. ID. by
the Romans under Titus.
Again for sixty years the city was in
ruins The Emperor Hadrian rebuilt
ii and, angered by the stubborn rebel
lion of the jews, made il a pagan city
~~I forHada any Inv IN anfpr IL Nc