Evening star., 1937-02-07
Restoring the Castles
of Palestine.
BY FREDERIC J. H4SKIN.

terest in the Zionist movement, move
ment intended to repatriate members OF
the Jewish race to the ancient land Of
their fathers. Americans have had a
large part in the work. Associate Justice
Brandeis of the Supreme Court being
one of the outstanding leaders. Large
sums have been contributed to forward
the work, and many thousands Of Jews
have been assisted in returning and es-
tablishing themselves in Palestine.
This work has been chiefly Of a religio-
sociological nature How successful it
eventually will prove can scarcely be
foretold. While originally the Jews were
a pastoral people with keen knowledge
of husbandry. their vicissitudes the
world over have been such as to turn
them away from the soil. 1t has been
said that. in view Of the centuries OF
change since the dispersion of the tribes.
no restoration in q national, racial
sense can be accomplished.
Another sort Of restoration has, how
ever, been undertaken in the Palestine
region. 1t Is the restoration of the
tremendous castles, fortresses and cathe-
drals which were built in that region by
the Crusaders. One is inclined to think
of this part of the world as part Of
the East, far removed from Western
Europe's culture and architecture. One
naturally expects to see the mosque and
minaret rather than the battlement and
tower. Yet over a broad territory are
scattered castles which resemble in every
particular the ancient castles of France,
England, Italy and Germany. The rea-
son is that they were built by men from
these very countries. Indeed, many OF
them stand today in better state OF
preservation than those built in Europe
in the same era.
For long period, devout pilgrims from
Western Europe journeyed to Palestine
in safety. The country was as tranquil
as any region in those early days. Then
came the invasion from the eastward OF
the Saracen hordes, who prayed to a
different deity and regarded the Euro
peans as heathens. Pilgrims were taxed
in an extortionate manner which prac-
tically amounted to holding for ransom.
Their lives were lightly dealt with.
When the news of this development
filtered back to Western Europe there
was resentment and unrest 1t so hap
pened that the time was ripe for some
sort Of tremendous movement The serfS
were restive. There was no opportunity
above the rank of serf save in church or
army, except for relatively few trades
men and artisans who excluded all they
could from their groups.
y n
The story runs that one Peter, who
dwelt in the low countries, had married
a wife older than he who developed into
a jealous Scold He fed from her into
the hills, where he lived, for a while, the
life of hermit. But she found him out
and attempted to bring him home.
Realizing that he could not escape her
in Europe, he decided to flee farther
away. The inspiration came upon him
TO make pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
The news of the altered state of affairs
in Palestine reached him and he feared
to 60 alone The inspiration came to
him to raise an army to help him get
away from his wife.
So he went about preaching the First
Crusade under the slogan of Save the
Holy Sepulchre!" The spark came at
precisely the right moment of economic
and political unrest in Europe. Peter
the Hermit became, overnight, a holy
man. The great captains, Godfrey Ray.
leading their hosts, and everywhere were
joined by others. Jerusalem was taken.
1t was found that the wrestling OF the
Holy City from the infidels did not suf.
fee to protect pilgrims. The fleet horse
men of the Saracens continued to attack
them with even more bitter venom than
before. So the order Of Knights Templar
was organized expressly for the purpose
NJ Y,rntaofiy1O TNi1OrirnS QtQr the KY1iphtS
of st. John were organized into body
tute among them.
These knightly orders required bases
and permanent defenseS, and so began
the erection of the tremendous castles
which still dot the lands of Palestine.
Syria and Transjordania. The very
names of the places seem as out of place
as the European architecture. For ex-
ample, one finds Belfort, Beauvoir,
Chateau Neuf, Montfort. st. Giles, Mira
bel and Blanchegarde-surely anything
but eastern names-in this far country.
Interest first was stimulated in them,
OF recent years, when a sort Of thesis
concerning them, written by Col. Law
renee of Arabia in 1910. when he was
an undergraduate at Jesus College. Ok
ford, came to light.
Now the French and British govern
ments have both interested themselves
in the restoration and preservation OF
these historic monuments. 1t is no
small task, for most of them are Of
tremendous size. There is, for example,
the Castle of the Chevaliers, in Syria.
Within its walls were a palace, an
armory, a church and a barracks. The
fortress maintained 1000 men at arms
and stabbed 1000 horses. For more than
a century the banner of the knights OF
st. John waved from the citadel, and
during their occupancy the place never
was taken.
There is little known of how these
tremendous fortresSes were built. They
were built on rocky prominences, some
times as much as 1000 feet high. so
there was plenty Of stone. but the in
finite labor must have required vast
numbers of men.
The country being extremely rugged.
there was no lack of natural sites. For
example, the fortress of Sabyn stands
on a vast mass rising out Of gorges sur.
rounding it, much as the Rock of Gibral-
tar rises out Of the sea. There was but
a single entrance. 1t was reached by
bridge which spanned a gorge dropping
hundreds of feet below. When the bridge
was raised the fortress was cut of
utterly.
While the outer walls of these castles
were forbidding in the extreme, within
there were amenities. Little is left OF