Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-04-07
JERUSALEM PROBABLY
SOON CHRISTIAN AGAIN
(By Eleanor Wood whitman)

the gaze of the world is focused on
the city of Jerusalem-that citadel
on n rock which has stood for Jew,
Christian and Moslem as a city of
holiness.
From at least 1000 d. c. it has been
striven for by representatives of these
three great religions. The present
probable siege and attack by English
forces will make but one more chap
ter in history already filled with
accounts OF battles. sieges and politi-
cal intrigues which have resulted in
continuous change of government and
form of rule.
1t has been estimated that Jerusa-
lem has been taken by invading hosts
sixty-seven times.
The earliest written account OF a
siege is contained in stone tables
discovered recently in Tell.el?Anrarna,
in Egypt. in describing the distress of
Add Khiba. King of Jerusalem, AT the
coming of n desert hOrde-the Hibiri
He besought his overload in Egypt TO
send him munitions and men; thus
his account shows that the city was
being fought for as early as l4OO
ID. G.
AT the time the citadel of Jerusa-
lem was little more than a threshing
floor used by the Jebusite farmers,
who regarded the rock as an impreg
nable fortress, and sent word to David
the Israelite, that he need not at
tempt its capture. for the lame and
the blind" were fully able TO pro
tect II.
David. however found out way
to get up 10 the water course and
after a long siege entered and TOOK
possession in the year 1000 d. c. Then
IL became the City OF David and with
stood the assaults of the AssyrianS
and Egyptians for 500 years. until II
was captured by observation-disclosures, thu
Babyionian.
IL is worth nothing that the English
army now in Bagdad may be setting
out for Jerusalem from the same re
gion out OF which the old Babyloniar
set forth, and to which he brought
back the captured Jews in $50 B. c
After the captivity, when Jerusalem
was rebuilt under Ezra and Nehe
miah. the city became so prosperous
and wealthy that it was looked upon
with envy by the Greek, Alexander the
Great. He, however, was not com
PEELED to fight for 1t, but in the veal
1872 was invited in by procession o.
! white-robcd priests, whom he is de
scribed as worshipping.
Then came one of the most dis
tressing periods in the history OF tn
, city, when AleXanders successors
among whom was Antiochus Ephi
planes, completely destroyed the ten
pie and Notifications. Their deter
mination to crush and stamp on
Jewish life gave rise to the revolu
ton under the Maccabcans, who, IL
1s5. entered the city and established
an independent Jewish kingdom which
last 100 years.
Then came the Roman, great Pom
pey himself. who, though invited int
: the city, was compelled to fight TO
/ the citadel on the high rock. In OF
der to place his battering rams on
level with the temple fertilization
I to the north of the city he built grea
! mounds in the valley which were pei
! sistently torn down by the Jews. II
finally won because the inhabitants
4 true TO their religion, would not wor
! against him on the Sabbath Day.
ucrod. the Arabian, next fought TO
the possession OF Jerusalem. d
/ means OF long and extended joul
! ney to Rome ne succeeded In impress!
ing the Caesars with his qualifici
tions for the vacant Office OF King q
Judea.
) But Herod was not wanted. and, n
Z though bearing the title Of King. hi
Z kingdom refused for three years I
: admit him, and did only then becaus
y Uerod. backed by Roman legions, wa
able TO force him way into Jerusalem
with three immense battering ram
3 erected on artificial mounds TO tn
B north of the city, the King hnall
q after forty days OF bombardmen
: broke his way through the walls. an
4 in the year 81 -. c. became actua
3 monarch.
3 Herod won the title "The Great