Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1920-01-26
new PALENSTINE AND "GREATER JERUSALEM"

Washington, Jan. 22.--Palestine
soon may take its place among IN
dustrial nations, and ancient Jerusa-
lem may become humming mart of
modern trade, If projects in contem-
plation are realized.
One such project is that of build
ing a tunnel from the Dead Sea to
the Mediterranean, passing under Je-
rusalem, which would utilize the var
iation in els to provide water pow
er for - ons along the way.
A s. suggestion is to build a
new ,trial zone about Jerusalem,
Will re ancient city is preserved
inta
In his connection the National
Geographic Society has issued, from
It's Washington headquarters. the
following bulletin, based on a com
mafieation to the Society by John D.
Whiting:
i'cw realize that the manners
and customs which prevailed In the
Holy Land in Biblical days are still
unchanged, even after an interval OF
5000 Yeas.
The present day villages are To-
Gated, as rule, either on the tops
OF hills, originally for protection, or
near some spring or source of water.
Many are built upon the foundations
of dwellings whose origin dates back
thousands OF years. There does not
exist single example OF a peasant
village that has been founded in
modern times.
Many have pictured Mary and
Joseph. after arriving at the inn at
Bethlehem, and finding no room, be-
ing forced to turn into some barn
built OF timber, with lofty roof hay
mows, wooden managers, and stalls
for cattle and sheep. Such a stable
has been the subject Of many medic
val and modern artists, but 1t does
not present really true picture. Let
US consider the old style village home
that is most common in the districts
around Jerusalem and Bethlehem for
that will give us a better idea of
what happened on that first Christ
mas day.
"The village streets are crooked,
harrow, and unpaved. AS in many
Of the countries OF the Orient, far.
mers live close together for protec-
ton and not on their lands: there
fore in the villages there are no open
fields or gardens, but house is next
10 house, except for the small well
ed-in Enclosures or sheepfolds
through which one generally passes
In going into a dwelling.
"The house itself consists of one
large room, usuaIly square. The
walls, from to 4 feet thick, are
built of blocks OF stone roughly
dressed and laid In mortar, rooted
over with a dome also of stone. The
outside of this roof Is covered with a
coating of mortar made of clay,
which, on being pressed with small
stone roller or pounded with board,
becomes hard and compact enough
to shed the rain.
"a steep. outside staircase. unpro-
tected by any railing is built up to
the roof, for the surface must be re-
paired at times. The fiat open space
of the roof also forms a handy place
on which to dry figs and raisinS, and
during the hot weather the family
may sleep there at night.
Entering the door, we find about
two-thirds of the space is devoted to
4 raised masonry platform. some to
10 feet above the gground and sup
ported by low-domed arches. This
raised space, called Ell mastaby. is
the part occupied by the family,
while the lower part is used for the
cattle and focks. A few narrow
stone steps lead UP to the mastaby,
and couple of small windows pierce
the wall, high up from the ground.
These, as a rule are the only means
of admitting light and furnishing
ventilation to the entire house.
On one side IS an open fireplace,
with chimney running through the
wall and terminating on the roof, Of
ten in an old water jar whose bot
tom has been knocked out, and so
becomes sort of Bmokestack. Many
houses have no chimneys at all:
small holse through the wall, or the
windows, furnish hte only exit for
the smoke, which on winter DAYS fair
ly fills the house.
THE furniture Is very simple-a
crudely decorated bridal chest, a
straw mat. or heavy woven wooden
rug, which covers part of the floor,
and mattresses with thick quilts and
hard pillows. which at night are
spread on the floor. The cooking
utensils are few IN nun ber-one clay
cooking pot, couple of large wood
uax1 hrxr In, x1rE1 ~