Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-08
HOLY CITY IS AIM
OF INVADING ARMY
Jerusalem Will Again Be At
tackled When English Forces
Their Siege.
FALLEN SIXTY-SEVEN TIMES
History Shows That Many Con-
querors Have Triunphed in
Old Metropolis.
FALLEN SIXTY-SEVEN TIMES

NEW YORK. April 7.-Once more
tho gaze of the world is focused on
the city Of Jcrusalc m--;hat citadel on
rock which has stood, for Jew. Chris-
tian and Mosicm. as city OF holiness.
From at least 1000 H. G. il has been
striven for by representatives Of these
three great religions. Another siege
and attack by English forces will make
but one more chapter in "a history al
ready filled with accounts OF battles
sieses and poli,ica, in,rieues which
have resulted in continuous change Of
government and form of rule
II 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 tablets dis
covered recently in Tell-c!-Amara in
Egypt in describing the distress Of
Add khiba. King OF Jerusalem. ut the
coming Of "a desert hordc-the Hihiri
He bcsourht hfS overload In Egypt to
send him munitions and men: thus his
account shows that the city was being
fought for As early as 800 r. G.
Al the time the citadel OF Jerusalem
WAS little more than threshinS roor
used by the Jcbusite farmers who &c
garded the rock as an imprcEnable
fortress. and sent word to la sid the
lsraelite. that he need not attempt it's
capture. FOR the lame and the blind"
we're fully able TO protect it.
CITY Or DAVID TAKEN
BY NEBUCHkDNEZZAR
get up 10 the water course" and after
" long siege entered and took posses
sion in The year 1000 r. c. Then il
became the City OF David and with
stood the assaults OF the Assyrisns and
Egyptians for 800 years. un,il il was
captured by Ncbuchadnczzar the Baby
lonian.
II is worth noting that the English
army now in Eagdsd may nc setting
out Tor Jerusalem from tho same re-
gi"n out Of which tho old Eabylonian
sci forth. and to which he brouEh,
back the captured Jews in 5SS r. {.
After the captivity. when Jerusalem
vas rebuilt, under Ezra and Nehemiah.
tho city became SO prosperous and
cny by the Greek, Alexander the
- - 49, ''N t''i " a. HpL com
PEELED to hrh; for il. but in the wear
81. was invited in by procession OF
white-robcd priests. whom he is de-
Scribed as worshpinE.
Then came one of the most distress
ing periods in the history OF tho city.
when AlcXandcr's successors. among
whom Was .Antiochus Ephiphancs. com
pletely destroyed the temple and for
I1.s.I ion
crush and stamp GU, Jewish life gave
rise 10 the revolution under rhe Macca-
beans. who, in los. entered the city
and established an independent Jewish
Kingdom which lasted 100 years.
Then came the Roman. great Pom
Dey himssi.. who, though invited into
the city. was compelled to fight for the
citadel on the high rock. In order 10
place his ba;tering rams on Il level
with the temple fortiiications TO the
north Of tho city. he built great mounds
in The valley. which were pcrsistcntly
torn down by the Jews. He finally won
because the inhabitants. true 10 their
OH the Sabbath Day
Hcrod. the Arabian. next fought for
the possession Of Jerusalem By means
Rome, he succeeded in impressing tho
Caesars with his qualifications for the
vacant office Of King OF Judea
BACKED BY ROMANS.
HEROD FORCES ENTRANCE
Eut IIcrod was not wanted. and. al
though bearing the title OF King. his
kingdom refused for three years 10
admit him, and did only then because
Herod. backed by Roman lcgions. was
able TO force his way into Jcrusalcm
With three immense batterinG rams
erected on artificial mounds 20 the
north Of tho city. the King finally. after
forty days OF bombarlment. broke his
way through the walls. and III tho
year 81 t. e. became actual monarch.
IIcrod won the title 1.-The Great he
cause Of his enormous building projects
In the year 30. soon after Christs
prophecy of the temple. saying that
one stone would not be left upon an
other the Romans completely destroy
ed the city. Ii surrendered 10 Titus
after siege of 1874 days by his army
cncampcd on the hills TO the north.
Famine was tho immediate cause Of
the downfall; so determined we're the
inhabitants to hold out that they ac-
tually ate each other before Yielding
Hcnccforth for centuries Jews were
forbidden to enter Jerusalem. but tho
gates were open to Christian pilgrims
after the conversion Of the Roman
Constantine. who identified holy sites
and built, hundreds of splendid monu-
menis.
Jerusalem was then in Christian
hands until G37. when the Arab hordcs
before the city under the
command Of Omar. After four
months siege he took il and made il
Il Moslcm city for the first time.
Christians held the city for several
years at the time of the Crusadcs. hut
otherwise Jerusalem has been q Mos
lem possession since the Arab con-
quest.
s--r----------.----
No Tea for DUKES Guests.
LONDON. April Tho Duke OF Con-
naughts observance of the food ration
rules led 20 an amusing incident. The
duke had some soldier friends visit
him. and when he ordered tea for them
found, to his clagrin. that there was
nothing in the house to give them. He