Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-01

preaching on high and shady
ridge few rods west and q good
many feet above the Georgetown and
Rockville pike, about two miles north
of the center OF the village of Be-
thesda. The inspiration for the name
OF this; little church was no doubt
that passage In the Gospel according to \
St, John: go. -.
After this there was a feast of the Jews;
and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there
Ia at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool
which is called in the Hebrew tongue Be
thesda, having i've porches.. In these lay
great multitude Of impotent folk, Of blind.
halt, withered. waiting for the moving Of the
water. For an angel went down at certain
season into the pool and troubled the water:
whosoever then first after the troubling of
the water stepped in was made whole of
what disease he had. Ia
And certain man was there, which had
an innrmity thirty and eight years. When
Jesus saw him lie, and knew he had been
now long time in that case, He saith unto
him. Wilt thou be made whole? The i'm
potent man answered him, Sir, I have no
man. when the water is troubled, to put me
into the pool, but while am coming, another
Jesus saith unto him, Rise. take up thy
bed and walk. And Immediately >the man was
made whole and took up his bed and walked,
and on the same day was the Sabbath. The
Jews therefore said unto him that was cured,
1t Is the Sabbath day; 1t is not lawful for
thee to carry thy bed. He answered them
He that m1de me whole, the same said unto
me. Take up thy bed and walk. Then asked
they him. What man Is 1t that said unto
thee Take up thy bed and walk. And he
that was healed visit not who 1t was; for
Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude
being in that place. Afterward, Jesus 'fndeth
him In the temple and said unto him. Be-
hold thou art made whole sin more, lest
worse thing come unto thee. The man
departed and told the Jews that it was
Jesus which had made him whole. And
therefore did the Jews prosecute Jesus, and
sought to STAY Him, because He had done
these things on the Sabbath day. But Jesus
answered them, MY Father worketh hither-
to, and l work"
The Rambler has read that Be
thesda" means 'house of mercy" and
mercy. charity, humanity, faith and
all the other virtues, often more hon
ored In the breach than the observ-
anee, are reverently preached in this
little frame church on the shady
ridge. great many churches have
taken their name from Bethesda, or
Bethzatha, or Bethsaida. A good
deal Of speculation has been INDUCED
in as to the identity or location of
the pool or public bath at Jerusalem
where it is reported in holy writ that
miracles were performed. A large
cistern near st. Anne's Church has
been pointed out; also the twin
pools" north Of the Haram, on the
ancient temple area; the pool Of
healing, west of the Haram; the vir-
gins fountain, south of the Haram.
and spot near st. Stephens gate,
and also the Pool of Sloan. All
these have been pointed out. time
and again and many times, as the
original Bethesda.
This little flame church on the
shady ridge stood by the side Of the
''cut-oh" Of tho ancient Georgetown
Rockville road long before the vii
lage Of Bethesda came upon the map.
A0 AV6IS0h AS0oSt Vu8ut easily "
conclude without being told that the
village takes Its name from the :,
church. Such things often happen.
There is q Bethesda district in the
shire Of Carnarvon, In North Wales.
and. looking this up, the Rambler
fnds that lit. lies near the lower end
OF the fine Nant Francon, which Is
the valley Of the Ogwen stream. The
spiritual name is due, as often in
Wales, to the village or hamlet taking
its title from the Noh-confotmist church.
And the bethesda church stands by
the side Of the Georgetown Rockville
pike. That is q road which Braddock
did or did not march over, but OUT
side Of that fact or fiction the road
Is old enough. Because of it's age
and the number Of incidents, acci-.
dents and events that have happened
along its course, the Rambler feels
sure that sober minded men and women
will not rebuke hiEn for calling 1t
historic, or an historic. road. The
Rambler writes "a historic" and IAN
historic" road because each form has
been right at one period In the growth
of language and wrong at some other
.f-N-