The north Mississippi herald., 1920-08-27
MODERN PLANS
FOR JERUSALEM
One Is for a Tunnel to Pass Be-
meath 1t From Dead Sea to
Mediterranean.
MAY PRESERVE IT INTACT
What the Houses and Stables Of An
cient Palestine Are Really Like
Village Streets Crooked, Mar
row and Unpaved.

Washington.-Palest soon may
take its place among industrial nations
and ancient Jerusalem may become
humming mart of modern trade, II
projects in contemplation are realized.
One such project is that of building
tunnel from the Dead Sea to the Medi-
terranean, passing under Jerusalem.
which would utilize the variation in
levels to provide water power for sta
tions along the way. A second sug-
gestion is to build new Industrial
zone about Jerusalem while the an
cient city is preserved intact.
In this connection the National Geo
graphic society has issued, from its
Washington headquarters, the follow
ing announcement, based on a commu-
nication to the society by John d.
Whiting:
"The present-day villages are locat-
ed, as rule, either on the top Of
hills, originally for protection, or near
some spring or source of water. Many
are built upon the foundations whose
origin dates back thousands of years.
There does not exist single example
of peasant village that has been
founded in modern times.
Old-StyIe Village Home.
"Many have pictured Mary and Jo-
seph, 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 medieval and
modern artists, but it does not present
really true picture. Let us consider
| the old-style village home that is most
common in the districts around Jeru-
salem and Bethlehem. for that Will
give us better idea of what happened
on that first Christmas day.
'"The village streets are crooked.
narrow and unpaved. AS in many OF
the countries of the Orient, farmers
live close together for protection, and
not on their lands; therefore, in the
villages there are no open fields or gar
dens, but house is next to house, ex-
cept for the small walled-in Enclosures
or sheepfolds through which one gen.
orally passes In going into dwelling.
'"The house itself consists of one
large room, usually square. The walls,
from three to four feet thick, are built
Of blocks Of stone roughly dressed and
laid in mortar, rooted over with
dome, also of stone.
Entering the door, we find that about
two-thirds Of the space is devoted to
a raised masonry platform, some eight
to ten feet above the ground 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
fiocks.
"On one side is an open fireplace,
with a chimney running through the
wall and terminating on the roof.
Furniture is Simple.
"The furniture is very simple-a
crudely decorated bridal chest, straw
mat, or heavy woven woolen 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 num-
ber-one clay cooking pot couple
of large wooden bowls in which to
knead the dough and couple of small
er ones used to eat from.
"Having inspected the dwelling por-
ton, which at once is kitchen, store
| l1rin n
scend the steps into what the natives
call the stable.
"Below the mastaby, or raised plat
form, Just described, among arches so
low that q man can scarcely walk
erect, are the winter quarters of the
goats and sheep. To shut the tlocks in.
these arched entrances are obStructed
with bundles of brush used as fire
wood for the winter. The rest of the
floor space, which is open to the cell
ing, is devoted to the few work cattle
and perhaps donkey or camel.
Around the wall arc primitive man
gers for the cattle, built of rough slabs
of stone placed on edge and plastered
up with mortar.
| 'Orten tne owner HldkeS SIudil
raised place on which he Sleeps at
night TO keep better watch over the
newly born lambs lest in the crowded
quarters some get crushed or trodden
down by the older ones. Here he often
sleeps by preference on cold night.
for he says the breath of the animals
keeps him warm"
A q IL q IL