Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-10-17
By WILLIAM T. ELLIS

have been to Capernaum. My
feet have stood on the very stones
of the porch of the synagogue where
Jesus himself often stood and looked
out across the lake he loved. Now
that I take up the regular Sunday
school lesson which opens at this
same ynagogue-doubtless the one
given to the Jews by the Roman
centurion-and continues in the CITY
of Capernaum, and proceeds to the
dwelling upon the setting of the
story, which makes it all so real to
me.
At Tiberian, late one afternoon
this summer, 1 had hired a boat and
three men to take us to Copernaum
expecting to be back in the hotel by
dark, for n belated dinner. Instead
we had contrary weather, and did
not reach the ruins of Capernaum
until nine o'clock, long after the
stars were out and the shores were
shadows-eXcept for the stubble fire
that was sweeping over the hillside
site of old Bethsadia. evidentaliy
flaring up into great blaze as 1t
reached the wheat stacks. The
flames crawled like a giant red worm
over the night-enshrouded hills
From the lake it was a spectacular
sight, and gave a wild touch to the
silence and gloom of the scenery OF
the night.
Barking Dogs Amid City's Ruins
When at length our boat was
beached, amid the trees at the wa
ter's edge, the leading boatman
helped ashore his two passengers
my son and myself. He knew the
way to the gate of the wall which
surrounds the house and working
of the Austrian Franciscan archae-
ologists; and his knocking at the
gate brought no response for a long
time, except the fierce barkings OF
big dogs. At length a servant was
aroused and responded with alarm
ed questionings concerning this un-
timely disturbance. Travellers dc
not commonly journey by night III
the East; and there was no occasion
that could be conjectured for visit
ors at such an hour to the house oi
the single old monk who represents
the expedition.
The word Americans" seemed tc
resolve doubts, for the strange ways
of Americans abroad are as well
known as their friendliness. The
old monk himself had seen our boa'
battling with the winds in the early
evening, and he quickly surmised the
facts-and n few days later told the
King-Crane Commission how two
Americans had come in upon him al
night, and had seen the ruins by
starlight and lanternlight.
The old man was really glad to
see us. 1t pleased him that any
body should think enough OF his
dear ruins to Outright the storm, in
stead of turning back to Tiberias
He pressed us to spend the night
with him, but, learning that this
was impracticable, he cheerfully
went with us over the wonderful
ruins of the marble synagogue, with
the carvings still almost as fresh as
when the eyes of Jesus and his
friends had looked upon them.
The entire plan of the synagogue
has been made clear by the archae-
ologists' spade, and one my see the
pillars and their places; the aisles
the walls and the readers platform
There are the very stones, will
their beautifully carved pome'
granates and olives and stars o.
David, which once heard the tender
tones of the voice of Jesus. All, Il
they could but echo back single
word of that Teacher who spoke a:
never man spoke before.
A Porch and Its Memories
There are only a few spots in The
Holy Land, where, despite the accu.
mutations of the centuries, one ma!
say with certainty, Jesus walked
here: His feet pressed these very
stones" Old Jerusalem, for in
stance, lies many feet below th'