Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-04-10

Times, telling of Easter in Jerusalem such as you
and know nothing of. Somewhere in the CEN
turies during which ancestors were moving
westward from the Middle East we have lost the
gift of 1t and we have recaptured it. Yet
we are, all of u.s. GENTLE and Jew alike, home
corners when we alight today at the little railroad
station on the Bethlehem road, which bears the
twin names of "El Euds" in Arabic script and
Jerusalem in English
AS modern cities co. the physical Jerusalem Is
small. The population is about 10000, of whom
possibly third live within the walls. The physi-
cal Jerusalem is tiny stone relic of town, the
most revered relic of three great faiths. 1t has
more physical riches per capita than any other
city on earth. 1t is surrounded by great modern
German Russian, French, Italian and British prop
critics. strong fortress-structures erected ad goram
majorem Del.
Within the walls it is divided into Christian.
Armenian, Jewish and Moslem quarters. At this
time of the year each quarter observes Of the
greatest events on its calendar-the Christian and
Armenian quarters their Easter week, the Jewish
quarter its Passover, and the Mosem quarter Its
fasting at the Tomb of Noses 20 miles east on the
sitting shores Of the Dead sea.
Before the war the old Ottoman government at
Constantinops was accustomed to transfer its
Jaffa garrison to Jerusalem to maintain order dur
ing the three festivals, and the British today.
after having similarly drawn in their forces to-
ward Jerusalem, find the period of the three festl
walls one of anxious days and sleepless nights.
The Passover of the Jews is kept in Jerusalem
just as it is kept in American cities Among the
few Samaritans who are left in the world, however
it is kept with differences. There are only about
$50 of them, and they are concentrated In their
own quarter of Nabus north of Jerusalem. They
observe their Passover week encamped In tents
on the summit Of Mount Gerzim
Easter week at the Church Of the Holy Sepul-
cher is observed with less simplicity for six Chris
tian communities possess rights in the church and
Of
out the week. The orthodox community has 5000
COMMITMENTS, the Roman Catholic community g.
OOO the Armenians 1900 the Copts 150 the Syrians
100 and the Abyssinians 80. Those of us whose
more immediate ancestry is Protestant have no
specified rights In the labyrinth of churches chap
els and monasteres which together make up the
Church of the Holy Sepulcher The rights which
each community enjoys In the church are closely
defined by centuries of precedent and are embod-
led in firmans granted for centuries by successive
sultans at Constantinople
AS for the Mosem pilgrimage to the Tomb of
Moses, its participants come into Jerusalem on
the Tuesday before the Christians Easter week
begins and leave on the following day. marching
with banners and bands of music down the Jericho
road toward the stark wilderness about the Dead
sea A mile from these hot salt shores lies the
tabled Tomb of Noses one of that line of nrophets
including Adam. Noah Abraham and Jesus of
whom Islam holds Mohammed to be the last 1t
seems to be generally established that the tomb
IS not authentic and 1t is not impossible that Sal
adm to whom 1t revealed In a vision was
moved by the desirability of modelling Moslem
force near Jerusalem during the Christians Easter
in order to prevent the Christians from encroach-
ing on the Haram-esh Sheriff. (The term ''haram"
in Islam corresponds to cathedral among Chris
tians, and the great Haram-esh-S Sheriff at Jerusa-
lem is, after the Haram at Mecca, the most ven
Grated shrine in Islam) The tomb is owned by
the powerful Husseini family of Jerusalem, which
numbers among its members the mayor. the grand
multi head of the Mosem community and the
head OF the anti-Zionist organization.
with 1000 Mosem pilgrims fasting at the Tomb
Of Moses. some 20 miles away, Easter week begins
Mt the Church of the Holy Sepulcher left the
hotel shortly before 8 o'clock on the morning of
Maundy Thursday. The church is announced as
one nears 1t, by Transformation in the bazaars
which line the cobbed streets. Oriental wares
give place to rosaries. pictures icons and
candles AT length gateway opens in an ancient
wall and flight Of cobbled steps brings one down
70 the somber overshadowed square which s the
forecourt of the church.
Every finch of the small court was crowded
Windows and lodges which looked down upon the
scene were damned with onlookers Ladders lean
ing up against the ancient walls were being used
to push still more onlookers to points of vantage
Roofs were psriiousy crowded. and on the high