The mirror., 1923-04-26

finger indexes the holes in which the three
crosses were set up, and Christ nailed to
the center one.
No matter what a man may believe, he
can not help but receive vivid impress
sion as he casts his eye about these var
ious Sacred locations Moreover when
one goes through the house of Joseph OF
Arimathaea and is told that this spot is
the center of the world that where the.
cross stood is cleft in the rock said to
extend down into the center of the earth,
and numerous monuments vivify ones
memories of Christ's death and resurrec-
ton.
One should be careful not to get lost
here among the Babylonian tongues, un-
less one might incidentally be lnguist;
capable of apprehending the glossaries Of
Greek, Latin, Armenian, Copt, Abyssinian
and HISTORIAN. These nationalities, own
and manage the church of the Holy
Sepulchre.
Approaching large open space one en-
counters what is considered to be the most
prominent and perhaps the most magnif-
cent building in Jerusalem, the Dome of
the Rock, or the Mosque of Omar Ac-
cording to tradition on this site once stood
the temple designed by king David and
erected by king Solomon. 1t is standing
on the summit of Mount Morah on the
exact spot where David interceded with
God for his plague-smitten people and
where Abraham had offered to sacrifice
Isaac his only begotten son.
The Mosque of Omar was the concen-
tration of political, poetical and religious
life of Gods chosen people who, due to
their subsequent disobedience, met with
so many defeats and calamities that their
glory vanished and foreign powers plum
dered, desolated and completely destroyed
them.
Standing before and staring at this
beautiful structure one can not help being
moved with strong emotion, as ones mind
reflects over the past; when psalmists
wrote and the prophets sang of the splen
dor of this Dome of the Rock. Here the
Christ child was taken by His mother and
when He attained the age of twelve sat
with teacher and doctors, asking and ans
wering questions, and afterward teaching
and heraldng the supernatural wisdom.
Upon entering the Mosque of Omar
and inspecting its interior one finds it to
be rather obscure, or perhaps gloomy, yet
one Immediately perceives circle. of four
colossal piers and twelve columns of
Corinthian architecture which support the
great dome, Hinety-eight feet high and
seventy-five feet in diameter.
Jewish and Moslem traditions main
tain this rock to be the precise center of
the earth, and from it was taken the clay
with which Adam was created. Anti
christians assert that on this rock was
written the mysterious unspeakable name
Of God which Jesus deciphered, and in
consequence He was exalted by its aid in
performing His miracles.
The Mohammedan world believes that
from this rock Mohammed ascended to
heaven on his trusty steed and On it in
the last day will be set up the judgment
throne of God.
Such is the city of Jerusalem Of today.
Approximately one-half the population is
composed of Jews, of whom many are OIL
men and women who have returned from
all parts of the globe that they might die
and be buried in sacred soil.
This spirit of theirs is so fundamentally
deep in their hearts that it suggests to a
tourist the most interesting place in the
city, the Jews wailing place.
Remaining here until Friday afternoon,
or particularly, the eve Of some feast or
holiday, one will observe many Jews com