The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1920-12-11
SS&sA

ing down IN it to get back bucket he had
dropped, noticed door which led him into a
wonderful garden, where he picked lear. No
of his acquaintance to whom he showed
it had its like and since it did not
wther, all agreed that it must be of celestial
origin n hypothesis absolutely incOntrovertible
because the secret door could not be found again.
1t had disappeared completely the entrance
to the tOmbs of the Kings of Judah. accidentally
lighted upon, Benjamin of Tudea informs us,
by stone maSOnS and carpenters employed in
snoring the foundations of the temples and pal
that successfully rose and were RACED on
the site of Mechizedeks hill fortress.
The northern part Of the sacred inclosure is
occupied by the Jami al-Aqsa, or Distant House
of Prayer with its superb pulpit one of the finest
pieces of woodwork eXtant 1t was carved by a
celebrated sculptor of AleppO at the charge of Sui
tan Nuraddin, and was placed in its present pO-
stiOn by Sultan Saladin when, after his capture
of Jerusalem, the Christian church became a
Mahommedan mosque. This event could not &C.
cur, of course, without being duly announced by
signs and wonders. In numerous churches of
Europe the crucifXes shed tears of blood and a
monk of Argenteuil the moon descend to
earth with weeping countenance. Truly, the city
reverted again to the Christians by the treaty of
February IS, 1920 concluded between Sala1ins
nephew Malik al-Kam and the Emperor Fred
erick IT, but after the departure of that brilliant,
dered West and prepared the way for Turkish
rule of the holy places.
The Distant House of Prayer-in popular par
lance the Palace of SOomOn-was assigned to the
protection of the aristocratic brotherhood nsti-
tuted i'm Ills to protect pilgrims to the holy
places and to fight the battles of Christianity
Since the edifce situated in the temple
grounds the members of that brotherhood became
known as Knights Tempars. The order ceased
to exist in 1914 when its grand MASTER Jacques
de Molay. was burned at the stake. With mis-
last breath he summoned the two puissant enc
mics who had compassed his fall, to follow and
face him before Gods tribunal, as they did
King Philip the Fair of France within three and
Pope Clement within twelve months The same
year, 1914, brought the revival of another broth
erhood closely associated with the history of Pal
estine-the Knights HOspitalers originally the
Brothers of st. John. 1t was founded just before
the first crusade by a certain Gerald of Amaf
on the lines of an earlier order. the members OF
which served as mniStrants to the comfort of
lepers and pilgrims in distress under the patron.
age of ST. Lazarus. This order of the Hospital
of ST. John at Jerusalem, to write out it's full
name. later known as the Order of the Knights
of Rhodes and as the Order of the Knights of
Malta is still very much alive iE of its Off
shoots In the East it counts descendants of the
Sultan Saadin among its pensioners and also in
the West ii takes an active part in relief work
During the Great war it supported at EtapleS
between BoulOgne and MOntreuil a large hut hos
pital, where many of those wounded in the Ger
drives toward Amiens and the channel ports
and in General Fochs decisive cOunter-offensve
cared for.