The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-09-24

Rich Little Valley Held Near
GaIiIee Sea for
Colonies.
By w. H PoRrERFIELD

GALILEE Cby maiD.-After night
at Liberals, we took boat for Ca
pernaum. The sea of Galilee is more
than 600 feet below sea level in one
OF the most rsmarlze ole depressions
on the globe. It is entirely enclosed
by barren hills. which at times reach
almost the dignity OF mountains.
I say these hills are barren. That
is not strictly true. They are tree
less, without even a bush or shrub
such as cover our desert hills OF the
West, and at this season they appear
inexpressibly dreary under thee noon
day sun.
Yet the rainfall IS fairly. generous
IN winter and by March these hills
are a blaze Of color, the variety Of
flowers being extraordinary, while
wheat, barley, maize, Egyptian corn
and vegetables flourish on every kill
side and in every little valley.
Yet, aside from Liberals, q town OF
maybe 5000, there are not thousand
human beings living on the shores
Of Gahlee! The country is actually
waste OF desert to all appearances.
AS we moved along in the wake
CT our wheezy little launch, We saw
the site Of ancient Magda1a, where
Lived the woman who. because she
was alleged to be a sinner, has been
popularly endowed with great beauty
On the age-old theory that virtue must
be ugly and vice the reverse. Mag
dala today Is but collection Of mud
huts.
Not far away is a fertile little val
ley which has recently been brought
to q high state Of cultivation by a
company Of Zionfsts or Jewish fnnrni-
grants who have brought in the euca-
lyptus tree and have planted fine
almond orchard and made other ex-
tensive Improvements.
The Arab. IN fact ell Moslems, hate
the Jew and are accordingly bitterly
opposed to the Zionist movement
which aims ultimately to make Pales-
tine a Jewish land again. I think one
Of the chief grounds of opposition TO
the Jews Is based on the willingness
Of the latter 20 work intelltgently and
TO develop the country.
Palestine lacks water grievousiy
Whether, under intelligent husbandry,
It could ever be brought back to self
support and comfort, I do not know.
Certainly what agricultural develop
ment has been made in this region
has been done mostly by the Jews.
Presently our guide pointed out the
hills rising from the lake 10 the
southwark and explained that there
was site Of -Bethsaida. Today Beth
saba and Chorazin and Capernaum
are one with Einevan and Tyre. and
lie in ruins.
We have arrived at the toy har-
borette OF ancient Capernaum and
under a spreading fig tree we note a
couple of picturesque Franciscan
priests with flowing robes and boards,
sole guardians of the ruins of that
little city which Jesus called home"
for nearly three yearsI
OF Capernaum, not one stone re
mains upon another and we marvel as
we stumble forward over ancient
columns and carved capitals of the
Roman era that time could have
wrought so complete destruction. but
# was not time at all but earthquake
following quake which destroyed this
city of our Lord. and until the efforts
of a German archaeological society
shortly before the war, there was
nothing here but mound of earth
Since then the ruins of the beauti-
full synagogue in which Jesus preached
so often have been brought to light
and thus Capernaum, even for it's ar
tistio merit. is well worth a visit