Evening star., 1920-01-31
PALESTINE MAY Be
INDUSTRIAL nation
Jerusalem to Become Mart
of Trade if Plans
MateriaIize.

:; of Trade if Plans
MateriaIize.
Palestine soon may take it's place
among Industrial nations. and ancient
Jerusalem may become a humming
! mart of modern trade. if projects in
contemplation are realized.
/ one such project is that of building
tunnel from the Dead sea to the
Mediterranean. passing under Jerusa-
lem. which would utilize the variation
in levels to provide water power for
stations along the way.
second suggestion is to build
new industrial zone about Jerusale
| while the ancient city is preserved
intact.
In this connection the National Geo
graphic Society has issued from it's
Washington headquarters. the follow
ing bulletin. based on communca-
tion to the society by John D. Whit
ing:
Unchanged After 5000 Years.
Few realize that the manners and
customs which prevailed in the Holy
Land in biblical days are still un-
changed, even after an interval of
5000 years.
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 a single example of a peasant
village that has been founded in mod
ern times.
Many have pictured Mary and Jo-
seph, after arriving al 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 stable has
been the subject CT many medieval and
modern artists, but it does not pre-
sent a really true picture. Let US con-
slider the old-style village home that
is most common in the districts
around Jerusalem and Bethlehem. for
what happened on that first Christmas
day.
Streets Are Crooked.
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 gardens, but house is next to
house, except for the small, walled
in Enclosures or sheepfolds through
which one generally passes in going
into a dwelling.
The house itself consists of one
large room, usually square. The
walls, from to feet thick, are
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 a board.
~ har q
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.
Plan Of the House.
Entering the door. We find that
about two-thirds of the space is de-
voted to a raised masonry platform,
some eight to ten feet above the
ground and supported by low -domed
mastaby.' is the part occupied by the
family, while the lower part is used
for the cattle and fiocks. A few mar
row stone steps lead up to the mas
taby and a couple of small windows
pierce the wall, high up from me
only means of admitting light and
furnishing ventilation to the entire
house.
with chimney running through the
wall and terminating on the roof
often in an old water jar whose bot
tom has been knocked out, and SO be-
comes a sort of smokeStack. Many
houses have no chimneys at all; small
holes through the wall. or the WIN
dows, furnish the only exit for t9e
smoke, which on Winter udSS ia''i1
fills the house.
.aThe furniture is very simple
crudely decorated bridal chest.
straw mat, or heavy woven woolen
rug, which covers part of the moor:
hard pillows. which at night are
spread on the floor. The cooking uten-
sils are few in number-one clay
cooking pot. couple of large wooden
bowls in which to knead the dough
and a couple of smaller ones used TO
eat from.
Quarters for Goats and sheep.
Having inspected the dwelling por-
tion, which at once is Kitchen, store
room, bedroom and living room. we
descend the steps into what the ma
tives call the stable.
Below the mastaby. or raised plat
form. just described. among arches SO
low that man can scarcely walk
erect. are the winter quarters of the
goats and sheep. To shut the fiocks
in. these arched entrances are OBJ
structed with bundles of brush used
as firewood for the winter. The rest
of the floor space. which is open to
the ceiling, is devoted to the few work
cattle and perhaps a donkey or camel.
Around the wall are primitive man
gers for the cattle. built of rough
slabs of stone placed on edge and
piastered up with mortar.
"Often the owner makes small
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 a cold
night, for he says the breath of the