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SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES ON "THE LAND AND THE BOOK" BY ROBERT STUART MacARTHUR AUTHOR OF ''Current Qjiestions for Thinking {Men^ " The Celestial Lamp:' ''Quick Truths from Quaint Texts,'' '' ^tble T>iffi. cutties and Their ^lleviative Interpretation," " The Old 'Book and the Old Faith " etc., etc. In those holy fields Over whose acres walk'd those blessed feet, pyhich fourteen hundred years ago were nail'd For our advantage on the bitter cross. —Shakespeare PHILADELPHIA a. 5. 'RowIan&-H20 Cbcatnut Street 1900 T Copyright 1900 by Robert Stuart MacArthur ^rom tbe prees of tbe Hmertcan Kaptiet publicatJon SocJets PREFACE This volume will possess at least the value ot showing that a great amount of travelinir can be done in Palestine in fifteen clays. Many busy pastors and laymen are prevented from attempt- ]ng to visit Palestine because their time is lim- ited, and they think they must spend a month or SIX weeks in the Holy Land. Doubtless one might well remain as long as that, if he had sufficient time for that purpose. Special students do we 1 to spend years in this historic country ; but this volume will show that much can be done in two weeks. With the exception of Hebron, Tyre Sidoii, and a few other local- ities, all places of great interest west of the Jordan were visited ; but some points of the country in the vicinity of the Dead Sea had to be seen partly hroiigh the eyes of others. The counfry is small, and an energetic traveler, especially one who IS not greatly fatigued by riding his horse, can accomplish much in fifteen days. Soon rail' ways will be built over all the country, and oW^ r^/'" .''"^ '' ^^ "^"^^^ ^^ the archaic charm of its ancient customs, they will greatly but still interesting and sacred land. Many pastors and business men are deterred VI PRKKACK from visiting- Paleslinc because sunimcr is their usual holiday season. With most pastors the winter and spring are the harvest seasons for their churches ; to be absent then is virtually to lose a whole year's work. Of course, spring is the best time in which to visit Palestine. Then the grass is abundant and green ; then flowers of many kinds make the country beautiful with varied charms. Then also the weather is pleas- ant, and traveling in companies cai^ more readily be arranged than at other seasons. In summer, or in the early autumn, the country is parched from the heat, vegetation has largely disappeared, and with it many attractions. But, on the other hand, prices are then much lower, hotels are not crowded, and dragomans are more easily secured. Those who speak of the heat as being so great in India, Egypt, and Palestine, are usually tourists from Great Britain or from northern Ciermany. The writer was in the Hawaiian Islands, in Japan, China, Ceylon, India, Egypt, and Palcs- stine between the months of June and October, arriving in Palestine at the end of September, and leaving about the middle of October ; and he found no day in any country as hot as were the closing days of May in New York before he left for his trip. A clerical friend spent the months of June, July, and August, in the city of Jerusalem, and he affirms that it was one of the plcosantest summer resorts he ever enjoyed. There ii a vast amount of worthless tradition regarding the great heat of these countries. A visit to Palestine will be disappointing to PRKFACE vii nay excellent Cl,ri.stia„,s ; but if „ ,o„rist ™e^ wit 1 the present condition of the conntry c , ^d v >» l>is n.nul, and prepared to experie,?ce so„d wmcl tune and nus-H^overnnient have wrouidit e w,ll con,e bael< with l,i.s faith strengthene ' s knowledge greatly increased, and hk Kib e ■' Znf f "^ "'" '" "'''^' '" «">■ -it Ke an utals o Matthew and Mark, instead of an abs act I cn,g that one wonhl say had never existed r Nev^Vl?';''"^'" '"•;"■'"■ ««"^^ ''^-^ »"<1 ' ove " fl,?= V "'■'^ "'""^ ''°"' I'estaments .so rea o iiistoncaJ and experiinenta facts with%nnJ chSiife "Tt'7 '° ''^■'"^"■^'-" ""ties irti; ,7 j 7, " \^^^- ^"^ liccause of their primarv '-•.e'th^i::rh-]ranrr^i^ o.. .r^endin, to n.ake the fo.^^^r aS,lV° fst's H.^l 'i"^?"" Syria," and Cook's "W s s Handbook of Palestine and Syria " were while ou the ourney, a daily and even hour ; VIU PR»iFACE *' 7>ade mccumy Amoiij^ other autlioritics con- sulted arc Smith's, McClintock and Strong's, Kit- to's, and other Bible dictionaries ; Stanley's " Syr- ia and Palestine " ; '' Recent Discoveries on the Temple Hill," by Rev. James King, m. a. ; " Cleo- patra's Needle," by the same author ; " The Dis- eases of the Bible," by Sir Risdon Bennett, M. D., LL. D., F. R. s. ; *' Fresh Light from the Ancient Monuments," by A. H. Sayce, \X. d. ; " Kgypt and Syria," by Sir J. W. Dawson ; Geikie's " Hours with the Bible ; " " In the Levant," by Charles Dudley Warner ; " Bible Lands Illustrated," by Rev. H. C. Fish, d. d. ; " The Historical Geog- raphy of the Holy Land," by George Adam vSmith, D. D. ; " Handbook of the Holy Land," by Henrv B. Waterman, d. d. ; and " Galilee in the Time of Christ," by Selah Merrill, D. D. Where the writer's indebtedness is direct and conscious, he has striven to acknowledge it in the body of the text. This hurried visit to the land of patriarchs and prophets, the land of evangelists and apos- tles, and above all the land of Jesus Christ, has given deepened love to Him who is the end of revelation, the ideal of character, the inspiration of life, and the glory of eternity. That this vol- ume may honor the Bible and glorify Christ is the author's chief desire and prayer. R. S. MacA. Jalvary Study, New York, Jan., 1900. CONTENTS LECTURE I The Land of the Hook Different Names of -the I.aml "-Houn.laries of Canaan-Sue of the Country-Hi^jlnvay between l;«ypt and Assyria-lJattlff.eld of the Nations- kautifully Diversified-Its Plains-Valley of the Jordan-Its Rivers and Streams-Lakes or Seas-Its Uorious Mountains-Its Climate- Varieties in Pro- duct.ons-Land of Ruins above All Other Coun- tries-Its Various Nationalities, Creeds, and Seets- Return of the Jews-Their Two M„,„ lUulies-Pos- s.b.ht.es of the Overthrow of -Mhe Cnspeakahle lurk — (,ood (Jovernmenf. and it Would Again be a 'Land Flowing with Milk and Money." LECTURE II JopPA — "Beauty" Sail from Alexandria to Joppa-First View of Joppa-Thoughts on the Holy Lnncl-Diff-iculty in Landmg-Classical Joppa-Biblical Joppa-Modern Joppa-I resent Appearance-American and German Colonists— Oriental Associations. (( LECTURE III Going Up to Jerusalem " . . ^ Railway to Jerusalem-Plain of Sharon-Lydda Its Names, History, and Church of St. (Jeor^e-Ram- 13 24 ix CONTENTS leh, its Name, Traditions, Tower, Ophthalmic Dis- eases, as at Lydda — Ajalon — Jimzu — iJclh-horon — Joshua's Prayer — Did Sun and Moon Really Stand Still ? — Joshua's Famous March — Makkedah, where the Five Kings were Slain — Latrun and its Traditions — Emmaus, not that of Luke — Abou-gosch, named from Famous Robber — Kirjath-jearim, "City of the Woods," and its Great Memories — Gibeon and its Cunning Townspeople — The Country of Samson — Zorah, Timnath, Sorek, and Delilah — Nearing Jeru- salem — iioly Land about Size of Wales or New Hampshire — Railway Station — Valley of Hinnora — Tower of David — Jaffa Gate — Jerusalem ! LECTURE IV Jerusalem — " Habitation of Peace " 37 Some Travelers Disappointed with Jerusalem — Doul)t Regarding the Sacred Sites — Quotation from Renp.n Regarding Effect of Visiting Holy Land — Origin of Word Jerusalem — Location of the City — History : Where First Mentioned ; Salem, then Jebus ; David's and Solomon's Times ; Temple Built ; Captured ; Babylonish Captivity ; Alexander the Great ; Ptolemy ; Under the Maccabees ; Romans ; Destruction; Constantine and Helena ; Caliph Omar; Crusaders ; Turkish Sway in 1840 — Modern Jeru- salem — Excavations Going Forward — The Chief Gates — The Leading Streets — Various Peoples and Faiths — The Charitable Institutions. LECTURE V Church of the Holy Sepulchre 52 Approach to the Church — Clamorous Peddlers and Impudent Beggars — Synopsis of History of the Church — Question of Site — Claims of other Places to be the Site — Is the Traditional View Correct ? — CONTENTS XI 17 Visiting the Church, its Rotunda, Chapels, and other Sacred riaces-The Holy Fire— Horrible Scenes- Parts Owned by Different Churches. LECTURE VI The Mosque of Omar ........ g . The Great Altar Mountain— Marvelous Spot— Its Wonderful Memories— Christ in the Temple— The Temple Area and its Names— The Moscp'e : its Dome ; Interior ; Windows ; the Sacred Rock ; I'ray- ing Places ; Mysterious Slab— Mosque el-Aksa— The Cradle of Christ— So-called Throne of Solomon— El Kas, or the Cup— Stirring Views— Historic Scenes. LECTURE VII Various Interesting Places— Jaffa Gate Jaffa Gate with its Needle's Eye— The Tower of David— The Royal Quarries : theii Discovery ; their Characteristics ; their Relation to tlu; Various Temples —The Jews' Wailing Place : the Dcjcjiption ; the Wailers; the Litany— The Via Dolorosa— The Tomb cf David— The Coenaculum— \Vas this Really the Place ? 77 LECTURE VIII ''Round Arout Jerusalem" . ^, Valley of Gihon— Valley of Ilinnom— Worship of Moloch-" Field of Wood "-" Pool of Siloam "— King's Garden and Dale— Tombs of Zechariah and Absalom- Valley of Jehoshaphat-Garden of Geth- semane: Location: Features; Reality; Tender Memories; Significance. Xll CONTENTS LECTURE IX Bethlehem— ** House of Bread" ,o No Sweeter Name-Valley of Rephaim-Road to Bethlehem-Well of -The Star ''-Mar Elyas- Tomb of Rachel-Ancient Zelyah-Solomon's Pools -Is Urtas Emmaus?- Claims of El-Kubeibch- View of Bethlehem-Historical Facts-Plain of the Shepherds-The Church of the Nativity • Its For- tress-hke Appearance ; its Convents ; its Size. Nave, and Roof; Chapel or Grotto of the Nativity-The Star ,n the Marble Slab-Kneeling Pilgrims-Latin Inscnption-Ever-burning Lamps-A-.rring Faiths- Chnpel of Manger-Altar of the Magi-Altar of the Innocents-Tomb of St. Jerome-Well of Bethle- hem-Back to Jerusalem-Groups of Lepers. LECTURE X From Jerusalem to Jericho .... g Passing through St. Stephen's Gate-The Mount of Ohves-The Doomed Fig Tree-Bethphage-Beth- any-Was This the Grave of Lazarus ?-The Ala- baster Box-Place of the Ascension-Down to Jeri- cho-Place of Desolation-Petrified Waves-Fero- cious Bedouins-Wild Gorges-- Brook Cherith "_ Valley of Achor-Jericho, "Place of Fragrance "- Abommable Riha-Ancient Gilgal-Bathing Place- Suggestive Memories-Our Lord's Baptism-His In- structive Example. The Dead Sea LECTURE XI Largest Lake in Palestine-Never Much Navi- gated—Its Names and Characteristics-History of the Deed Sea-Bathing in the Sea-Superstitious Views 128 03 CONTENTS Xlll Largely Uemoved— Nauseous Character— ScientiHc Results— lieautiful and Terrible— The Earth May Contain all the Elements Necessary for the World's Destruction. LECTURE XII The Cities of the Plain •••• 140 Their Names and Number— Were they at the South or the North End of the Lake?— The De- struction of the Cities- W^hat were the " Slimepits " ? Sir J. W. Dawson's View— Natural Conditions and Divme Punishments— Natural and Supernatural- Petroleum in Canada— Recent Volcanoes— Meaning of " Brimstone "—Recapitulation of Argument- How About Lot's Wife?— Not a "Pillar" but a Mound-The Laws of Nature are the Laws of God —Way of Escape Then and Now. LECTURE XIII Jerusalem to Bethel 150 Turning Northward Roads Become Permanent- Historic Travelers Over this Road— Last Views of Jerusalem-Shaphat, the Ancient Nob— Gibeah of Saul— The Motherly Love of Rizpah— Geba, An- athoth, Ramah— Beeroth, the Modern El Bireth— Ai with its Memories of Achan, of Defeat and Victory-^ Bethel, the Household Word-Practical Lessons Suggested by the Journey over Desolate Hills and Ancient Roads, and the Sight of Bethel. LECTURE XIV Bethel to Shiloh Modern Name of Bethel is Betin-Luz Older Name than Bethel-Abraham and Lot Came from 159 XIV CONTENTS the Jordan — Lot's Selfish Choice — Jacob's Journey — His Sleep and Dream — Erection of Altar — Thirty Years Later — Ark of Covenant Here — Seat of Gross Idolatry — Bethel Changed into Bethaven — The Golden Calf — Jeroboam I'unished — Elisha, Children and She-bears near Bethel — Ephraim — "Glen of the Robbers " — Approaching Shiloh — Lessons from Places Visited, Need of an Altar to God — Heaven and Earth Still Near — Christ the True Ladder. LECTURE XV Shiloh — "Peace" 167 Fruitful Fields of Ephraim — Jifna, the Ancient Gophnah — Tibneh, Supposed to be Timnath-Serah — Sinjil, Perhaps the Saint Giles of the Crusaders — Seilun, the Ancient Shiloh, Meaning "Peace " — In- teresting Historical Events — The Daughters of Shiloh — Here the Ark and Tabernacle — The Ancient Well — Hannah's Prayer — Samuel's Boyhood — Eli and his Sons — Capture of the Ark — Death of Eli — Birth of Son, but Death of the Mother — Child Called " Icha- bod " — The Prophet Ahijah — Traces of Tabernacle — Joshua's Tomb — Discovery of Flint Knives — Hast- ing to Jacob's Well — Plain of Mukhna — Discoveries of Science Endorsing Teachings of Bible — Professor Toy's Recent Assertion, and its Refutation. LECTURE XVI Jacob's Well and Joseph's Tomb 177 Reaching Jacob's Well — Heaps of Rubbish — Jews, Christians, and Moslems Agree as to This Place — Here We are on Ground Trodden by Christ — Dr. Hanna's Words — Our Surroundings — The Well De- scribed — Picture of Christ Here — Why Jacob Dug This Well— WTiy Did Woman of Samaria Come Here for Water? — Building over Joseph's Tomb — Foiirney — r—'ihirty of Gross :n -- The Children -n of the IS from -Heaven r. CONTENTS XV UI ey of Nablus-VVhere Abraham's Oak Stood- lurkish Uarracks-Beauty of the Valley-What Mo- hammed Said of Syria and the Mountain of Nablus -A Greater than Jacob. Joseph, or Joshua Here. LECTURE XVII Nablus and the Samaritans . i86 167 Ancient Jerah — iders — "-In- Shiloh Well— nd his rth of Icha- rnacle Hast- ISeries fessor 177 iWS, ;e — Dr. De- )ug me Meaning of Word Nablus-Other Names of the 1 own- fhe Biblical and .Secular History-Glances a Mounts Ebal and Gerizim-Joshua's Pulpit- Marked Features of Nablus-Sublime Scene of the Ratification of the Law-The Samaritan I'eople-The Samaritan Quarters-The Codex of the Pentateuch -Their .Synagogue-Their Creed-Special Rites- h-nmity between Them and the Jews. LECTURE XVIII From Nablus to Samaria „ 195 Eb;i " T^^'V^^c"^,. ^'«""g-Climbed Over Part of Ebal-T,r2ah-.Sahm-Samaria: Its Location- Its History; Modern Name; Terrible Siege Visit of fohnVt'"'- ^^«^--^<^- Schoolic'hurch o John the Baptist-His Alleged Tomb-Obadiah's Also-Superb Rums-Noble Monoliths-Traditional S.tes-Wonderful Fulfillment of Prophecy. LECTURE XIX From Samaria to Dothan and Jenin Valley of Barley-View of Abel-Meholah-Dothan. •'Two VVells "-Joseph. -This Dreamer "-Th^ Sons of Jacob with their Flocks-Came from He- bron-Joseph's ..Coat of Many Colors." Not a Coat of Many Colors-Thrown Into and Drawn from the Fit-Taken Away to Exaltation in Egypt and Immor- 204 XVI CONTENTS tality in the World — Elisha at Dothan--Ben-hadad the Syrian — Compassing the City — Fear on the Part of Elisha's Servant — Elisha's Prayer — Mountain P'ull of Horses and Chariots — Syrians Blinded, Captured, Conducted to Samaria — Arriving at Jenin, the En- gannim of Scripture — Lessons for To-day from the Olden Time. LECIURE XX The Plain of Esdraelon 215 Conspicuous in Topography of Palestine — Scarcely Less so in History of Israel — The Battlefield of the Nations — Name and Shape of Plain — Scripture Places Thereon — Most Noted Modern Contest, that Be- tween the Turks and Napoleon in 1799 — Great Rich- ness if the Plain Naturally — Its Present Desolation — Farmed out in great Part by Rich Men in Damas- cus and Beirut — Prowling Bedouins — Summary of the Great Battles of Israel — God Raising Up Wit- nesses to the Truth of the Bible. LECTURE XXI Zerin, the Ancient Jezreel 225 Starting from Jenin — Seeing Jaanach on our Left — Reaching the Historic Megiddo — Deborah and Barak Against Sisera — Jezreel, "God's Sowing" — What Memories Here ! — Jezebel's Malign Intiuence — Ahab's Fatal Weakness — F'lijah's Curse Fulfilled — Death of Ahab — Fearful Fate of Jezebel — Continu- ance of her Influence in Israel and Judah — Weak- ness is Wickedness — Evils of Unholy Marriage — God Will Assuredly Punish Sin. LECTURE XXII Fountain of Gideon 235 Description of the Fountain — Dashing Soldiers of I i » CONTENTS XVU 215 25 Heroic Gideon-The Noble Three Hundred-The Country Devastated-Coming of the Children of the Last— 1 heir Gorgeous Display— Names of Chiefs- Meaning of the Names-Gideon, the Deliverer-His I-amily-IIis Employment When Called by God's Messenger-The Assurance Given Mim-The Tests to which God Condescended-The New Era Dawns -1 he Men who Lapped-Meaning of the Act- Ground of Gideon's Choice-Sanctified Common Sense-Quality More Valuable than (.)uantity-The Mighty Host of Midian-The Stealthy M^rch of Gideon and His Servant-Dream of the Midianite- Interpretation Thereof-The Mysterious Barley Cake -Midnight-Lamp, Pitchers, and Trumpets-Defeat 1^11 /';^7r'<;,^''"'"' ^''' I'ursuing "-Punishing the Unfaithful-Slaymg the Foe-Refusing to be Made a King— Lessons for To-day. LECTURE XXIII Mount Gilroa and its Battle 249 Battle of Gilboa— Proximity of Important Places- Near the Fountain of Gideon-The Camp of Israel —Israelites long Masters— Saul's Evil Case— De- serted of God and Man— Darkness in His Soul- Seeks the Witch of Endor, "The Mistress of the •Ob'"— See Him Go with Two Attendants -They Arnve-The Spirit of Samuel Apparently Aroused— The Woman Startled-Saul Overwhelmed-Ihe Next Day Comes-The Battle Rages-See Saul and the Noble Jonathan-Saul Wounded-His Sons Dead- The Dizziness of Death-Falling on His Sword-A Wild Amalekite Gives the Last Stroke-David's Lament-Israel's Terrible Defeat-Saul's Down- ward Course-" The Mighty Fallen in the Midst of the Battle," and Fallen also in Early Moral Conflict. 9 XVlll CONTENTS LECTURE XXIV Shunem — "Double Resting-Pi,ace" 258 Sulem, the Shunem of Scripture — Approach to the Village — The Grove and the Streams — At Shunem the Philistines Encamped — Home of the Shunammite Woman — Elisha's Visit — Chamber on the Wall — Her Kindness — Her Deprivation — Elisha's Promise — Birth of a Son — His Illness — "My Head, My Head" — Taken to His Mother — At Noon Dead — Application to the Prophet — The Woman Hastening Over the Plain — Eli.sha's Servant — Elisha Himself — Her Return — The Servant and the Staff Powerless — Elisha Alone with Dead — "Take Up Thy Son " — Wonderful Moment — Sorrow Comes to All — All in Sorrow May go to God — Lesson of Hospitality — Greatest Men Powerless without God. LECTURE XXV Nain and its Widow — Endor and its Witch . . 269 Nain Mentioned Nowhere in the Old Testament — Fine Location — A Few Hamlets — Nain Lives Ever in the World's Heart— Christ Glorified it by His Compassion and Power — The Woman's Double Sor- row — Christ's Discriminate Sympathy — His Words of Power — Glorious Moment — Contrast between His Miracles and Those of Elijah and Elisha — Nain Will Live When Nineveh, Babylon, Athens, and Rome are Forgotten — Endor — "Spring of Dor," or "Home Spring" — Endor Not Mentioned in the New Testa- tament — Location — Description of Caves — One Large — Squalid People — The Witch and the Apparition — Saul's Sad Straits — Explanations Offered — Are They Correct? — One Endorsed — Did Samuel Appear Be- fore the Woman Began her Incantations ? — Terrible was the Effect on Saul — Saul at Times Seemingly Irre- CONTENTS XIX 258 169 sponsible for his Acts_IJ„t Responsible for Earlier fr'lZ^""^ ^^"' Mocked-Unbelievers in (Jod and the B.ble will became Believers in Things Abso- lutely Impossible and Supremely Silly. LECTURE XXVI Bethshan—" House OF Rest" 27 Cnown as Scythopolis and Now Beisan-Situation Lnusually Attractive-Ruins Very Interesting-De- scnption of Fragments of Columns, Pillars, and Other Remams-Traces of Massive VValls-The Amphithe- atre-Many Nationalities Left their Impress-Early Mention of the Town-Its History through Diff .rent Civihzations-Bishops of Scy thopolis-Place Desolate m the Middle Ages-In Time of Crusaders-Level Ground had Influence in Battles-Here on the Walls Decapitated Body of Saul was Placed by the Philis- tines-Men of Jabesh-Gilead Took it Down-They Cremated Flesh-First Case of Cremation Mentioned m Bible-They Buried Bones of Saul and his Sons Under Tree and Fasted Seven Days-Feeling Re- garding Unburied Bodies-Similar To-Day in Several Countries-David's Appreciation of the Men of Jabesh-Gilead-The Suggestion for us Regarding David's Lord. ^ LECTURE XXVII Mount Tabor— " Height " o 209 Rises Like a Dome-Its Attractive Appearance- Its Location-History of the Mountain-Deborah the Joan of Arc of the Time-Both Poet and Patriol -Her Husband's Name-Her Own Means •' Bee " -The Whole Country Aroused-Barak, "light- ning"_The Tribes Gathering-Meet on Mount Tabor-Sisera Collects Forces-Battle Begins- Stars m their Courses Fought "-Rains De- XX CONTENTS scendcd — Floods Came — Chariots Mired — Horses Plunge — Sisera Flees — Jael's Tent — Gives Him "Lebben"— He Sleeps— Tent and Mallet— She Strikes — He Dies — Terrible Treachery — i)eborah's Song — IJible and Jael's Act — Tabor in the Gallery of Memory. LECTURE XXVIU Nazarkth — "THE Guarded One" 299 Tender Thoughts at Nazareth — Meaning of Word — Old Interpretations Set Aside — Location of Town — Population and Characteristics — Modern Name — His- tory of the Town — Relation to Christ and his Family — Places of Interest : Church of the Annunciation ; Chapel of Joseph ; Legend of Holy House; Work- shop of Joseph ; Table of Christ ; Mount of Precipi- tation ; The Synagogue ; The Fountain of the Virgin — Religious Work in the Town — The Ueauty of the Women — Grand Prospects — Lesson of Christ's Hu- manity, Industry, and Obedience — How he Learned Here. LECTURE XXIX Cana of Galilee 310 From Nazareth to Cana — Birthplace of the Prophet Jonah — Is Cana Really Cana ? — Distance from Naza- reth — Water-pots Still Used Here — The Church on Site of House where Miracle was Performed — Where Are the Six Jars ? — Here Healing for Noble- man's Son — His Imperfect Faith- Christ's Beginning of Miracles — He Bided his Time — Too Many Men in Hurry — This Miracle Symbol of his Earthly Work — So his First Parable of All his Teaching — Firj.t Miracle at a Wedding Feast — Christ No Ascetic — He Did Gently Rebuke his Mother — Marriage Holy as Celibacy — Christ Cares for the Wants of Others — He CON'TEN'TS XXI Mad e Good Wirie-ireMad e it in Abundance— Kc- lig.on Always Keeps ih. JJcM ... the Last. LKCTURK XXX MouvT OF Beatitudi:; ?9 I^ive-They Have A "':"' ""^' '"^ ^^''"^"^•'' ness." '^"^'^ ^^ ^^"H^ftual Contemporaneous. iJ':cti;re xxxi 319 The Sea of Galilee 329 First Glimpse of Sea-Hesitated to Tike If T Good to be keil Who* • -. T 't— Too I^ECTURE XXXII Town of Tiberias ^■IQ Chris. Probably Never Vi.i.ed I,-Wri.er There xxu conti:nts v r During; l*"'.'nst of TalxTuncles — History of Tiln-rins — Its Various I'critHls— Various Nulioiialiliis -Slni^^tjlfs of Chri:;lianity — Jowisli Sciiools — I-oariud Kaiiliiiis — The Modern Town — I'rotestant Missions anr. Thoin. son's Thrilling description of K«rlli.|uake Tiiere- Mfiron-Tomhs of Celel.rated Talniudists-Kefr Hmm-Kadesh Naphtali-]lazor-I,ako IluUh- " Waters of Meroin "-Shape of I.ake-Size-Char- acter of Shores-Hedouins Fishing and Hunting in Vicin.ty-New and Prosperous 'iown of Jews- Meeting American Haptists-Tel el- Kadi, or Dan Meanmg Judge-One Source of Jordan-Arriving in lianias. •* LECTURK XXXVI Banias, the Ancient O.sarea-Philippi . The Sheik's -Upper Room ' -Trouble Between Druses and the Metawilehs-Whence Comes Name Banias? -Worship of I3aal - Worship of Pan- Herod's Temple-Misinterpretation by Romanists of Christ s Words to Peter-Situation and Description of Ranias-Lnvirons Very 15eautiful-So is Com bination of Woods. Streams, and Hills-Ruins of Old Temples and Palaces-Most Attractive Spot-One Source of Jordan-Ancient Sanctuary of Pan— The Paneum-Wely of St. Oec^ge-Cavern of Spring- The Rock-'MhouArt Peter "-Did This Historic Rock Suggest l-orm of (^)uestion and Answer of Chnst?_PIace of Our Lord's Transfiguration- Healing of Lunatic Child-Tender Thoughts-Glori 377 XXIV CONTKNTS ous Presence of Jesus — The Huge Caslle — Dean Stanley Compares its Size with Castle of Heidelberg — The Three Chief Sources of the Jordan — The Course of the River Traced to the Dead Sea — Our Lord's Presence Glorified Every Place he Visited. LECTURE XXXVil From Banias to Damascus 388 Leaving Hanias — Druses' Sheik as (iuide — An Imposition, hut Was .lelpless — Sunrise on Castle of Subeiheh — (jlorious View of Hermon — Its Several Names and their Meanings — It as well as Lebanon the Mont t^lnnc of Palestine — Three Separate Heights — Transdgi.ntion of Christ — Dean Stanley's Reference to Hermon in Hebrew Poetry — P>reakfast at Winepress — Hot Ride Over Rough Roads — Wild Glens and Desolate Deserts — Then Abundant Streams and Luxuriant Vegetation — Traditional Burial Place of Niinrod — The Historic and Benefi- cent Pharpar — Yonder Damascus — Here Supposed Place of Saul's Wondrous Vision — Saul Smitten to the Earth — Here Repose Sought and Found in the New Khan — To-morrow on to Damascus, Oldest City in the World — Perpetually Young — Much Stirred by War between the Mountain Tribes — Tour- ist Contractors Charge Too Much — Grand Chance of Good Profits for Some American — He Could Make Money at Half-Rates — Syrian Wedding Party — Meet- ing Four American Clergymen — Charms of Da- mascus. LECTURE XXXVIII Damascus the Ancient 399 Oldest City in World — Shakespeare's Reference to this Opinion — View of Josephus — Its First Mention in Scripture — David and Damascus — Naaman the CONTENTS XXV j88 Nynan- 1 .^lath-Pileser Subdued it-I'Iace in Isaiah Jerenuah ..ekid. and A.no.s-Snhject to Variou; Nations-Many Jews there when Under Ro.nans- Connection with Apostle I'aul-Its Mercantile Cireat- ness-Starting-point of Ca.avans-Aiso of I'il^rims to Mecca-Kes,dence of Christian Uisl^ops-S^lendor Begms wuh the I'rinces of the OnuniyadeLcru- saders Under Baldwin-Conrad III.-Taken by Mongols ,n 1260-Plundered by Tartars i„ ,30(J. Sultan hehm Took Possession. lSi6-Turkish I'ro- vmc^ Cap.tal Kver Since-SIaugh.er of Christians. 1860-Locaf <,n and Description-Influence of Abana and I harpar-Charn,s of City and l>lain-Damask- Damascus Blades-Toledo Blades-Different Ba- zaars-.; /y/« ,,, ,,,,,, ^^^^^^ ^ VVatclunan- lopula, on Protestant .Missions-Damascenes Proud of C ty-Dogs Howl and Prowl-Creat Mosque- VVonderful Inscription on One Minaret - "Street Called Straight "-The Christian Cen.etery-Grave of Buckle The Cates-IIouse of Ananias-Drea™ lu!, Charniful Damascus. LECTURE XXXIX Baalbek—'' City of the Sun " . Railway Over Anti-Lebanon-Olorious Views- Zahleh, I argest Town in Lebanon-Relatively Clean a.d Intelhgent-Largely Christian and European" ^omen Not^ Generally Veiled _ Pertinadty of 'Cabby' -Tomb of Noah-Sight of Baalbek-I.s Names-Its History- Us \'ast Temples-Their De scnpfon How Could Stones be Transported ?- H.soryof I own-Crusaders-Height Above Sea- Vas Stone Still at (^uarry-The Three Great Stones -AU Forms of Heathenism Perish-Jesus Christ is the Everlasting King. w Jcxvi CONl^ENTS LECTURE XL Beirut 425 Railway Ride from Zahleh — Hot and Tired — Con- fusion at Customs Examination — Hold the French Have in Syria — If Palestine is Divided, France Large Share — Beirut Largely Modern and Euro- pean — Good Shops — Chief Seaport in Syria — Does Large Trade — Early History — Derivation of the Names — Roman Dominion — Crusaders Under Bald- win — Earthquakes Destructive — Residence of Druse Prince — Bombarded by the English in 1840 — Cap- tured for the Turks — After Massacre of Christians in Damascus, i860, Population of Beirut Rapidly In- creased — Town Prosperous Since — Official Repre- sentatives of Many Faiths — American. Mission Work Greatly Prospered — Noble American Missionaries — Beneficev.t Influence of Christianity — Gone Out Through All Syria — Protestant Missions and Schools Stirred up Romanists and even Mohammedans — Woman Honored — Leaving Palestine — Star of Hope in the Dark Sky — Now for "the Isles of Greece." i ^ ,1 425 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES THE LAND OF THE BOOK Ham, w1,o divid d it aro"' ''r ^"T^ =°" °^ opposed to " The Land oToil^, "'I'^tl e'"; " because oTh'"" "^"^d "The Land of P IS. n rdet:dar;?{,^«^^^^^^^ brews, the word ' H^b f '"' "'"^ ^^"^'' Ho- over,' 'and heui appLrbv Jhf r"^ "';™""' Abrnliatn „». 1 . i^l''^'^'- D> tlie Canaanites to per m,s th^P i"' '""''"'« ">«= Euphrates ; or t'^lonVLr patriarchs™'". '''^^ '"^ '•^•^' °f named '' ThetaK r^, "from theT ","'''■' or posterity of Jacob, who' her^ fc ^d 1*:' Th.s name occurs frequently in the Old Test": SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURES meiit ; it included at one time the tract of j^round on both sides of the Jordan given by God to the Hebrews for an inheritance. Later, however, the term was often restricted to the territory occupied by the ten tribes. It is also called "The Land of Judah." This title was limited originally to the territory occupied by the tribe of Judah ; but, after the separation of the ten tribes, " The Land of Judah " included the territories which belonged both to Judah and Benjamin; and the whole country, including that beyond Jordan, retained this name even under the dominion of the Romans. "The Holy Land" is a name which seems to have been used by the Hebrews during and after their captivity in Babylon. This name, '•''Terra Sancta^^'' or "Holy Land," was the most common one throughout the Middle Ages. The name " Palestine," or the land of the immigrant, was originally synonymous with Philistia ; but later the term wps applied to the whole land of the Israelites. The Philistines probably came from Caphtor — wdiich is variously understood to mean Crete, Egypt, Cyprus, or Cappadocia — and expelled the aboriginal inhabitants, and then settled on the shores of the IVIediterranean. The population increased 30 that probably it was not less than five million in the most prosperous times in the history of Israel ; the population of Syria is now es+imated to be two million seven hundred and fift)' thousand. Canaan was bounded on the west by the IMedi- terranean Sea, on the north by the high ranges THE LAND OF THE BOOK n es, and Us ayerap width from forty to If x- v Slot J' ctir s-r ^„rl:[r of Ihe EasV-^°" "'^^■^'^«='"^ western edS from Mesopotamia and Arabia TfH^/^ it was tne arena on wlii^i, ^^ -^"lupc, hostile powerr?ou"l,r tlfeirLHr'^'^J 'S^^ tended for tl,e contVoS o ' v ^t empfres'^ .n the center of the great cot,ntri"'^^nntiJ„it7 ^onVrrn'atT::, thTc .^.^as't '", -' ^^ compared to Ihe St^'Xw Hamps S"""^' and valle" • s :,«'::'" k"'' P'^'"'' "-^'' SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES Esdraelon, and of Jericho are associated with his- toric events of the greatest importance. These and some other plains, together with some gen- eral featnres of the country, are worthy of "adi- tional comment. The plain of Lebanon is the valley enclosed between the mountain ranges of Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon. Strictly speaking, this plain does not belong to Palestine proper, although the greater part of it was included in the extensive dominion of Solomon. It is a plain of about ninety miles long from north to south, and from ten to twelv^e miles in width, widening at the northern, and narrowing at the southern eiid. There is probably no plain in Pal- estine or Syria more rich and beautiful than this one. In it the soil is good, and the water is abundant ; but at certain seasons of the year the heat is very great. The valley has been re- nowned in all ages for its fertility and beauty ; but unfortunately only a small part of it is now cultivated. By the plain of the Jordan we iinderstand the shores of the lakes through which the river flows, as well as the valley which the river waters. In portions of this plain the heat is great and, as a consequence, the fruits and trees of more tropical climes than Palestine are here found. If only water were abundant, nearly all parts of the valley would be very fertile; but parts of the plain are barren and desolate, the great heat in the absence of water destroying rather than promoting vegetation. The plain of Jericho is a broader opening in the plain of THE LAND OF THE BOOK the Jordan near tlie Dead Sea. This plain in- eludes the plain of Moab on the east as well as that of Jericho on the west side of the Tor- dan. The fertility of this plain, wherever water abounds therein, h,as lonjr been celebrated. To- sephus spoke of it as a -divine region." His description of its beautiful gardens, and its groves of palm trees, is corroborated by the ref- erences to it in various parts of the Bible. Ter- Trees.' These earlier features of this valley have a together disappeared; for long periods one solitary palm tree lingered. The soices which in the early day gave great value to this neighborhood are now almost wholly unknown. Of the plain of Esdraelon I shall speak at ength It IS sufficient, however, at this point to say that It is the great battlefield of the na- tions. It IS known as the valley of Aleo-iddo k"theVr ' rPl'^ "^ l'''''^ ' ""^ Josephus'^calls • .?^? ^\^'''' ^^' '^^^ ^'^^ been moistened with the blood of nearly all the nations under heaven. So important a feature is it in any his- torical or topographical account of Palestine Thl ll • "^^ F.y^ VP ^ "^^'^P^^' ^° '^^ description. The plain of the Coast, or the Maritime Pliin, is a tract of land extending along the shores of the Mediterranean and reaching to the mountains. Occasional promontories push out into the sea- but speaking generally, the coast may be de- scribed as an extensive plain. The portion be- tween Mount Carmel and Joppa is often called the valley of Sharon ; and the portion extend- SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES ing from Joppa to Gaza is sonietiiiie.i known simply as the Plain, to distinguish it from the hill-country of Judah. The face of Palestine possesses marked fea- tures. It has often been described by saying that four belts run from north to south. 'J'he first of these is the Maritime Plain, on the seacoast ; the second is the central belt of mountains ; the third is the broad valley of the Jordan ; and the fourth is the table-land east of the Jordan. The chief rivers are the Jordan, the Leontes, the Arnon, the Sihor, the Jabbok, and the Kishon. The most remarkable feature of the country is the Jordan and its valley. It extends from the north to the south, dividing the country into two parts. This valley is really a deep chasm, being everywhere below the level of the sea. It produces a marked effect upon the re- gions which border it, and also upon the cli- matic conditions of the country. This chasm gives the appearance at times of rugged gran- deur, and at other times of extreme desolation, to the receding or abrupt shores of the valley. The valley is about ten miles wide from brow to brow, increasing its width at the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. No one can study the topography of Palestine without giving atten- tion to the striking peculiarities of the Jordan Valley. There is, perhaps, no country in which there is so marked a feature as this deep valley. The Jordan is the only important river of the country. Lnter in this volume, its rise on the western slopes of ]\Iount Hermon, its various THE LAND OF THE BOOK 7 features, its passage tliroufrliLakc H.iwTTts ri!r"','°',''""'.P'''-"-^'''«'= "'™"K''' tl"-' Sea of r.al- ilee and tlien its sinuous course until it finallv thousand three huiidrcl feet below tic llcdilcr- raneaii, are fully described. -"cciuti The other rix-ors for the most part flow for only a part of the year. The Ki.shon is tl a "ancient river" by whose rapid waters the lio.sl of Sisera were carried away. It is in constant floxydnnun- only a few miles iu the latt.- par o Its course. The Jabbok, meaning. "pouJing out, IS a perennial stream which intersects the .nountam-range of Gilead, and which flows into tlie Jordan about midway between the sea of Gallic, and the Dead Sea. The eastern branch ot this stream is dry iu the summer. The Sihor ZfT^ yr\''"^^'^" '« ••> -'■■>'- torrait now IS the Hebrew proper name for the Nile ind doubtlcs It does sometimes mean the Nile It flows northwest into the Mediterranean, about forty-five miles southwest of Gaza. The Arnoii ot the Dead Sea into which it empties. It is v7jT'l "^''^y el-Modjeb." Aneientlv it di- V ded the territory of the Moabites from ihat of «.e Amontes, and later that of Moab from the Reubenites. It flows in the wild ravine bcarW e same^ name. In the bottom of this raviii? the heat in summer is very great and the river flows then in but a small stream; but during the rainy season it is an impetuous torrent T le 8 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES (; ancient river Lcontes, the modern Litany, drains tile valley of Ccclc-Syria ; it runs southwest in a strai,;;:^;^ ^:;rr ■"-? «'^'' wliich it lies It l,.wi' ""*' ^--fy"" between land can be seen''}:;. ^^ ..^ir ,/ ?,' Zr'''' take in at a e anee Ih, N ,?'' ""' ""•' '^^ ^•->" of Galilee ami ,e ,C'^a -k '''"T/"-"-''' ,"'^^^■" Dean St^^al :e' StLtT' ^" ^^^""^-- Above all other countries in the woilrl ;. ; , , nnns. In J„dea it is hird v .n „ ' """^ '"^ ^''»"^' "^ while for miles and n le t£e " ^'^^'''''^'^ ^" ^'-^y th.U. life or habitation excenV hi "" •'PP'^'"-''"^e of present hillside, or the ^athS o ' Z''^'"?', ^°*''^'^^^^ °" ^''^ hnrdlya hilhop of the nrmv h 1, 'I ''^', "•""^' '^^'^ '« ered with the vestiges of .n r "'^'^^ "'^^"^'^ '^ ""t ^^"v- ases. The ruins e'now see "' 0^^" ^" ^'!^' "^ ^-"'^^ Saracenic. C>usaclinK^ Roman rw'n "r^^^/!'^'^'"^ ''•.cs : -t are the Mo.a,„^::^a„?'\^:rr;r::f 12 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES ^ official Turks, and of a mixture of the Arab, (ireek, \ssyrian, and other races. The native Christians are mostly descendants of the early Syrian Christians. Great changes have taken place as to population and industries during the last few years. Now, many thousand Jews from Spain, Poland, and Germany, have homes in various parts of the lands of their fathers. It would not be surprising if in a few years the Turkish power in Palestine were bioken, and the land were completely divided, parts falling to Russia, Germany, France, and Great Britain. It has long been the dream of many nations that one of their number shall yet 1)e crowned in the city of David. Those who hold that Queen Victoria is a lineal descendant of King David, naturally look forward to the British realization of this dream. At all events, it is certain that great changes must come to this ancient land before many years shall pass. If the misgovern- ment of '' the unspeakable Turk " should cease, and the country should come under the wise rule of an intelligent European and Christian power, the country would again be " a land flowing with milk and honey." In these conditions it would be literally true that, " Instead of the thorn shall come r.p the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree : and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." II JOPPA — " BEAUTY " VJUn sailed from Alexandria to Joppa, or yV Jaffa -Arabic, Yafa ; Hebrew, Japho. m H-T^™' r«^'''^«I 'I'e trip was' one o marked discomfort. The Austrian-Llovd steam- ers 7uZ r'7-'^'^~ ^. ""^ ^K'P'i"" ^t«»"- ers on one of wlucl, this journey was made. Jaffa seems extremely beautiful as one ai> proaclies it by sea. Gazing upon this city rising from the sea, the traveler experiences straiio-| emotions. As a rule, tliis is the first point of the Holy Land on which his eve rests Can it C possible that he is looking upon a%an"of' ha land which IS sacred above all the lands of the earth : the land of Abraham, Isaac, and lacob^ the land of Rachel and Ruth tl,e knd of Caleb t.?.,-'°?"^, ''"^ '■''"^' °f ^'''■'"^ «>"' Solomon he land of the evangelists and the apostles ; the .and of Je.sns Christ, son of Mary and Son of Go P Wonderful memories, tender associations, and glowing hopes, fill the soul with the first siMit of this historic shore. Away yonder, among the hills, the prophets of Israel taught, and the Sav- our of men hved and died; and in and about r, thcf °/ ^^^"-^^^^'-'/^^ lesends and biblical truths cluster. Out of this often stormy road- 's \, ■J i i I' li ' If F 14 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES stead Jonah sailed on his tempestuous and ini- niortal voyage. The harbor of Jaffa is shoal and unprotected from the winds, although it is one of the chief seaports of the Holy Land. It was the only port of the Israelites until Herod formed the harbor at Ccesarea ; thus it was here, as will be seen later, that the timber from Lebanon for the first and second temples was landed. Jaffa is on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea about thirty miles south of Coesarea and nearly forty miles northwest of Jerusalem. It was and still is one of the chief landing-places of pilgrims from all parts of the world, h'- On'the silri'f jalta the Phcemcian manners dwelt. Before Rome or Athens had a history, these hardy sea! men sent their ships over tl.e "Great Sea^' 1 hey seem to have introduced science and ci%-iii- za hon nito the western world. It is said that in Phny's time the chains were shown with whic It was clanned Andron.eda had been bound Throughout the Roman period, and down to the rocks of the harbor where she had been exposed and the chains and iron rings were preserved as u •.1 il J' ' I. I '« *, if i6 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES mementos of the myth. The bones of some mariie monster were taken to Rome and long exhibited as an object of curiosity. It will be remembered that in the legend Perseus is repre- sented as having plunged his dagger into the right shoulder of the monster. Perhaps the real monster was the stormy coast, which had swal- lowed up so many men and women during all the years that Jaffa was a seaport ; and perhaps the slaying of the monster was the improvement of the harbor, the roar of whose waves as they dashed on the rocks was as loud as the barking of Scylla or Charybdis. The chains and rings shown were, perliaps, those used by the Romans for mooring their vessels to the rocks. Sir J. W. Dawson, in his volume entitled, " Egypt and Syria," tells us that "the rock on which Jaffa stands, and which extends under the whole of the Maritime Plain, is a soft sandstone," which "shelters it and gives it such apology for harbor as it possesses." There is also a biblical Jaffa, or Joppa, as it is called in the Scripture narrative. We know that it became the port of Jerusalem when Jeru- salem became the metropolis of the kingdom. This place thus occupies a large space in the Bible. In Joshua (19 : 46) it is called Japho, and is there described as in the boundaries of Dan. When we come to the time of Solomon, we have Hiram, king of Tyre, saying in his con- tract : " My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon imto the sea ; and I will convey them by sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt JOPPA—" BEAUTY " j^ materials were broT,4' 'S ?!*!"'''' ''"r° "'*^' mission of Cvnis for f I *™", Lebanon, by per- temple unde'r ZerSeP " W,'"^ °' "'"^■™-' thetiineof loiml, :.„ \, ^^"''' ^^'^ '^O'ne to from the°pS'e :; ht trd'v ""r", "'^^'""^ Joppa and fo„r.d a sh p ^oinl^ nV , ■ ' ""'" "^ liave in Matt 12 Z f°?, '°- "'''"•'*''• We of the histo yof jonlhL r„"r"" '" ""' !»" of a portion o'f tliro ' o' r Lo'dT T", '''^'''' historic event is tnnr» Ii ? Perhaps no Joppa thanX fact tint rni' TTf"^ ^"'"' portonhisreiLrlnh/-^ "■''-''' ^'°"' ""« 1 ^^i^^remarkable voyage. One still thinks I Kings 5 :9. >2Chron. : 16. 'E/ra3:;. < Jona.h , tii i8 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES h,^ f/i I. I ' ; '/.i lit W of him threading his way through these streets and hastening to get on board the ship which was waiting in the harbor. In Joppa the Apos- tle Peter raised Dorcas to life.' It is certain that at the time when this miracle was performed a considerable number of Jews dwelt in Joppa, and among them were some who had become disci- ples of Christ. Dorcas was one of these. It is said of her that she was " full of good works and almsdeeds " ; but good and noble as she was, she died and, as was to be expected, she was beloved and lamented by all. The Apostle Peter was at Lydda, where he had just restored Eneas to health.^ Thither messengers were sent beseech- ing him to come to the he^p of those in Joppa who sorrowed over the death of Dorcas. One may well turn to this account and read it as he visits the reputed places in this historic town. While the Apostle Peter was in Joppa, he lodged at the house of one Simon, the tanner.^ This house is still shown. On the afternoon of my first day in Joppa I hastened to visit the house and to climb to its roof. It is now a sort of IMohammedan mosque. From its flat roof I gazed out on the sea and sky. These two ele- ments of the view at least are the same as when the Apostle Peter gazed uj^on them from this or some other house in Joppa. This house will be forever memorable as the place where, in the wonderful vision, which has been called " vision of tolerance," the apostle learned that he was not * Acts 9 : 36-43. * Acts 9 : 32, 33. ^ ^^ts 9 : 43. JOPPA—" BEAUTY " jQ seems to .l,i„k that tl.is may t tlfe v n & Tonn. hl'f "'^ ? "'^"''"^ J"??'-*- The h.istorv of seq^ue,U to lfr'°"'- ".''''^ ^'''"^'>^" ■=■•- --1 ^^'b- TeHoTb uvee";;;"',:;' :f jL'"'^^i«"s- '" "- birfh nf PI • "., ^^•^'^ °^ ^"e prophets and the by Jonathaulla^^aL; ,"c Cr^' 1^ .^et pS'""" he ittn^l-„,i ',''/*'" and terrible reventfe when district, and as snchit td'a^'g ea ^harTTn all the wars wao-ed qo-oi'n^f PoI .• . ^ ^^^ joppa in that province; finally, after having ' Acts lo : 9-23. 20 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES i.' ' ■ been in the possession of Herod the Great and Archelaus, it became a part of the world-embrac- ing Roman Empire. Josephus tells us that in the last Jewish war eighty thousand of its inhab- itants were slain by Cestius. Vespasian destroyed the town, which had been rebuilt and occupied by pirates, who ravaged the coast. In Strabo's time it was notorious as a den of robbers. Dur- ing the early period of the Christian era Joppa became the seat of a bishop; in the time of the crusades heathen and Christian took and retook Joppa many times. It was in the possession of the forces of Ciodirey of Bouillon previously to the capture of Jerusalem. Tlie place was largely deserted, and soor. fell practically into ruin, as the crusaders cared but little for the town, as a whole, limiting themselves to the citadel. For long years it remained in almost utter decay, there being no habitable house in this once pros- perous city. It is not possible, however, in the limits of this lecture, to trace its history with fullness of detail. Finally it came into the pos- session of the Turks ; since which time it has been three times sacked, — by the Arabs in 1722, by the Mamelukes in 1775, and by Napoleon in 1799. "The massacre of Jaffa" leaves an indel- ible stain on the career of Napoleon. Four thou- sand Albanians surrendered on the promise of protection, but with their hands tied behind them they were marched out and shot. A part of the present Armenian convent is shown as the place where Napoleon is said to have poisoned five hundred sick soldiers in the plague hospital. JOPPA — " BEAUTY " 21 Tlie Joppa of to-day is also a'^,^^;^^,^;;^^. mg place As already stated, tlit town rises 4. ruptly a„d beautifnily fro,„ the sea, but a closer exa„n„at,o„ shows that it is crowded i, to a iTt' e space as possible. On entering it one fi, 1, that the streets, like those of most OHenta to v are .nconveniently narrow and exccx.Iingly fi) 1 y' Xlicy are crowded with camels, don kets horses the ^Sir"l"'T ""■' "r '^■^•' *->'V thT, desen o dnsf " ', "' "■''''"'^'' ""^ streets are a of n d T ■ I' f ' '" "*■"' Tf ""'^^ "'^>- "f^ ^^'->-^ east and nk ?,' ™" T'"«' °" ""=-^"""> '->■«! f.?,ii T , °" ""^ "°''"' •''"'1 "est, but these Been sold by the governn.ent for varions bnild- !• gs. Away from the shore the environs are fnll of gardens of nu.ch beantyand frnitfnlness ^ population ,s probably abo-,t twcnty-five thou sand and ,t .s constantly inc. easing. ^ Tlfere are several thou.sand Christians, also a7ew Tews and he rest of the population 'are Mohammeda™^ Joppa contanis three convents, Utin, Greek ami t\ZT"'r^ '"'"'- "-q"^'^a" i pomegranates, and watermelons abonnd. Tlie gardens and orchards are admirably protected, as are many villages in Palestine, by hedges of the prickly cactns. The school, nnder the direction of Miss Arnott, and the hospital for natives, nnder the care of Miss Newton, are institntions worthy of a visit and of generous support by all visitors. In 1866, outside the Jaffa gate, an American colony was organized ; it was made up of Americans from Maine, New Hampshire, and other parts of New England. It was under the direction of a second adventist named Adams ; but it is understood that he fell from grace ; and when the " Quaker City " visited Jaffa it took many of the colonists to Egypt, whence many finally came back to Amer- ica, having been assisted by their American friends. There are houses still standing in this part of Jaffa which were taken from different parts of New England, all ready to be erected when they should reach their destination. The ruins still remain of the New England meeting- house erected by these colonists, and it, as well as the little homes, bear the marks in their clapboards and blinds of New England taste and handicraft. A few of the colonists remained, marrying differ- ent nationalities, and they brought up their fam- ilies in this far-off land with many New England peculiarities of speech and methods of living. The foreign colony is now largely German, there being perhaps a hundred Cierman families in the part of the town once occupied by the Americans. They are known as the "Friends of Jerusalem." JOPPA — " BKAUTY " ») 23 There arc colonists liokliiicr similar views in o her parts o Palestine. Owing to its locatio," Jaffa IS the home of fugitives and vagabonds from many countries. One is deep])' impressed, as he wanders throu-h the streets of Jaffa, with its varied historic mem- ories, Its present peculiarities, and its great pos- sibihties. He can but remember that near IhJs sea vva 1 nuiny mighty men have landed, from the Clays of Solomon to the beginning of the Chris- tian era, from the time of Tiglath-Pileser to Rich- ard Ccxur de IJon. Here the pilgrim to the Holy J and generally first touches that sacred soil. Unattractive as are the streets of Jaffa, the tourist begins to feel the strange chann of Ori- ental associations and especially of biblical memo- nes. He knows that soon he will be able to say : I tread in the paths where the patriarchs trod • 1 visit the haunts of the prophets of (^od ; Ihe foot of my Saviour hath hallowed this sod t '•! / . Ill "going up to jkrusalkm " THICRE is now a railway from Jaffa to Jcni- salein. Some tourists, however, prefer to ^o by carriage or on horseback. Either of these latter methods gives travelers a better opportu- nity to see the country as a whole, and to study any particular locality in which they are spe- cially interested. Some go only as far as Ram- leh during the first day, anr' omplete the jour- ney on the second day. ( ^, hy carriage or on horseback the road from Jaffa leads through gardens of oranges, lemons, and pomegranates. Soon the traveler comes to the so-called tomb of Dorcas, or at least to the place reputed to be that where she was raised to life ; later, after leaving the gardens, the plain of Sharon is entered. Tliis plain reaches from Jaffa to Caesarea, and from the central hills to the Mediterranean. It has long been celel)rated for its fruitfulness, and for its varied forms of beauty. It has a large ])lace both in song and story, as well as in the figurative allusions contained in the Bible. It still produces grass and flowers in great abun- dance and variety ; if properly cultivated, it would be one of the gardens of the world. This re- mark will apply, in part at least, to many other 24 II- to se [1- !y e- 1- r- T ll i. f ^^O'"" '"P TO JRRtTSAr.TiM " ^^ I)ortioii.s of I'alfstiiK. •!•!.: 1 ■ . thousan.lsof vefrs ,;. ; '!''■"" ^""^ ''^'^" f'"" Jaffa to IcHH- iJm f ^'''f ""'■•"••«Ware fr.m. rf one wil/l,,}-..,,;,; f^' , X nll'ltt V"'1-^'-'- represents in this rmr, H t), "'«' t'l'splani will a^in live ef.mf , ' "'>• 5'-'»';« "f Hie past ness ami power ' '"• *"l'g^<-'"' vivi.l- Kon,an don.inion if b;:^,: |^ ^±,!r'^. ^ ,,"- Zens"; and by this mm,. inJ t. ' '> "' by Knsebins and fero.nl I — " ""^""o"«l "i"e to ten miles eisnr'.ff " f"".'!"-''' f"-"'" to Jernsalen.. , wa o i'Smilv" ""^ '"T,' ^"^" "eiijaniites. It was it H,k .' ^^ "T"'"?'" ''>' ""-" tie Peter healed Fnels 1,? ' """ "'/ '^P°»- healinswe have li ' A^'ts'S' ^T ^ ■^''''''■'\ that n the tinip ,^f n. • ^ ; ^^ 3,5- It is said death of jtili ,sC^^,r :n''''f ir""*^'i""-^' ^^^^ "'^ sold intoih ve ry The n '" '"'"'"'''"'« "'ere tins OallnsX;. o ," , s^^X nT' '^'^^^- Jernsaleni. When he nnt^. 'i I? Ca^sarea to the people ^r^lb^Tt^t::^"^ "' the infiiria't^cUewro ' h ri'f. ^"'%'.:^^' '-f °- famous for I'K ^-^r,. i ? - ' ■'^^^^^^ ^t was cluireh was orffaiii.ed he e afa ver ?"''!''"; Ill the Christian en T„ !.f ^ "f'^'-P'^"'"' era. in 445 a„ ecclesiastical (i > 'i I I i ' u 1 1 ? I !, , 1 ji' 26 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES council was held at Lyclda, at which Pelagius defended himself. Soon after the founding of Ramleh, Lydda lost its importance. In 1191 it was destroyed by Saladin, but was soon rebuilt, only to be sacked by the Mongols in 1271. Al- though situated on the principal caravan road between Egypt a.id Syria, it has never gained its former importance. We find frequent mention of Lydda in the his- tory of the crusades. It is located in the midst of extensive plains composed of rich soil, capable of being extremely fruitful. Its chief attraction now is the church of St. George, whose stately ruins carry us back to the Middle Ages and per- petuate the name of the saint and martyr who, it is claimed, was burned and buried here. There is a tradition among the Mohammedans that on the last day Christ will slay Antichrist at the gate of Lydda ; but this is supposed to be simply a distorted version of one of the legends of St. George and the Dragon. The English crusaders adopted St. George as their saint and even as the patron of England, and around his name many a remarkable legend has gathered. Churches were erected in Lydda in the sixteentli and seven- teenth centuries by an English king, but the church of St. George is now in possession of the Greeks, who restored it a few years ago. Parts of this church can be distinguished which are, perhaps, as old as the twelfth century. Beneath is the crypt which it is said contained the tomb of St. George. Some traditions afhnn that Justin- ian reaied a church here to the memory of St. " GOING UP TO JKRUSALKM " George, but that the Saracens destroyed it in the eighth century ; thai it was completed bv the crusaders destro)ed by Saladin, and finally re- bui by Richard Cceur de I.ion. It is easy to see that the present church was erected of various materials and at different periods One ineets at Lydda a painfully lart^^e number of people who are afflicted with diseases of the eyes. Their appearance is often loathsome. either but one eye or no e>es. RAMi.EH.-We are making our journey by railway and in a few minutes after leaving Lydda he train reaches Ramleh. This is really an in- teresting place. The town is supposed to have been founded as early as 716 by Khalif Sulei- man 1 he name is of Arabic origin, and is sud- ?Xh P '"'1" "f "^V ^" ^70 the town wa^s called Raniula. It is believed to have been at one time large, than Jerusalem. By many the town was thought to occupy the site of the an- cient Arimathea, but this tradition cannot be traced beyorri the thirteenth century ; it was also believed that the Latin convent stood on the site ot the house of Nicodemus ; but all these tradi- tions are now held in very little esteem. We know that before the time of the crusades Chris- tian churches flourished at Ramleh. In looq a bishopric of Lydda and Ramleh was founded Ramleh was twice captured by the Saracen.; during he war between tlie Franks and Saladin. In the truce between Richard of England and f!5 28 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES Saladin, made in 1192, it was agreed that the plain from Joppa to Tyre, including part of Ram- leh and Lydda, should be in the possession of the Christians. In 1202 Ramleh was wholly Chris- tian ; but after the fifteenth century the town fell into decay. We are told that in the Latin mon- astery Napoleon once had his headquarters. There is to-day a population of about eight thousand, nearly one thousand of whom are Greek Christians. The orchards in the vicinity are numerous, fertile, and beautiful, and one is gratified with their fragrance ; but the town it- self is wretched and abominable. As usual in these Eastern cities, the streets are narrow and dirty. Ophthalmic diseases are very common here as at Lydda ; their prevalence is attributed by some to the sand that often fills the air, and by others to the small thorns of the prickly pear which, when the fruit is ripe, are blown about in every breeze. The fields yield rich crops and are usually enclosed by hedges of cactus. The climate is unusually mild, but not very healthful. The chief object of interest is the tower of Ram- leh ; this is square and of great beauty. Their are no fewer than one hundred and twenty steps which reach to its top. Some believe that this tower was part of a mosque erected by the early inliabitants of the town ; but others, and it would seem with more correctness, affirm that it was a Christian church built by the crusaders. There is an inscription which assigns the origin of this tower to a ^loslem chieftain, but it is well knovv^n that but little weight can be attached to such {■ " GOING UP TO JERUSALEM " 29 an inscription. It is not nncominon to i)lace inscriptions of a later date on bnildin•! I 1 "GOING UP TO JERUSALEM" 31 1 ing : " Sun, stand thou still upon Gibcon ; and thou, moon, in the valley of Ajalon." ^ Did space permit, it would be easy to show that there IS nothing in the language of the narrative which obliges us to take the words literally. The lan- guage here employed is a quotation from the book of Jasher, a book of national songs illustra- tive of the exploits of national heroes. It is dis- tinctly stated that this language is a quotation, and It seems clear that it is only a poetic way of saying that Joshua was victorious. Here is Jimzu, or ancient Gimzo, which was captured from the Israelites by the Philistines with Ajalon and other places, in the reign of Ahaz. It stands like a fortress above the Tower hills, like a sentinel to defend the passes beyond. On our left, as we resume our journey by the railway, are the two Beth-horons, and Gezer — meaning "a precipice,"— whose king was de- feated by Joshua. Gezer was long a strong for- tress of the Pliilistines ; it was invaded bv David, and finally was captured by Pharaoh, who gave It to his daughter, who is believed to have been the wife of Solomon, and the place was re- built by Solomon. The two Beth-horons occupy an important place in biblical history ; they are the scene of one of Joshua's most famous battles. Joshua was summoned by the Gibeonites to come in great haste. They said : " Slack not thy hand trom thy servants ; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us ; for all the kings of the * Josh. 10 : 12. fyy< i . ■ 'I. ''I I 'I i 32 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES Ainorites which dwell in the nioiintains are gathered together against us." They regarded their case as desperate. Joshua lost not a mo- ment in hastening to their relief. As in many battles, ancient and modern, everything depended iipon the suddenness and sharpness of the blow which Joshua might strike in order to break in pieces the hostile confederacy. Many military men of our own time, who have carefully studied this forced march by Joshua, give him the greatest praise for the vigor and courage which he manifested, and the success which he achieved. On a former occasion he took three days in going from Gilgal to Gibeon ; but on this occasion he made the journey in a night. When the sun rose he was already at the foot of the heights of Gibeon where the kings were encamped. His presence filled his foes with alarm. The terrible shout and the sudden appearance of Ls^'ael were irresistible. The Canaanites fled down the west- ern pass ; a great storm from heaven, accom- panied with lightning, thunder, and hail, broke over the alarmed soldiers as they fled in disor- dered ranks. There on the summit of the pass of upper Beth-horon stood Joshua. In the dis- tance was the green valley of Ajalon, and the waters of the ^lediterranean beyond ; and below him the Amorite host rushing onward in wild confusion. Over the western valley of Ajalon was the form of the waning moon, perhaps visi- ble above the hailstorm driven tip from the sea. IVIust night come before the victory is complete ? Can it be that the allies shall be rewarded with (( GOING UP TO JERUSALEM " 33 victory before the day shall close ?l}elioTd the pic lire of Joshua standing on that lofty height With outstretched hand and uplifted spear. Go graciously h.ard his prayer; the day did no dose xmtil the glorious victory was secured. Ihere is no space here to enlarge upon these wonderfully interesting historic instances; they our -oun""? ' ^"^^^'^^"^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^en forward on Yonder is Makkedah, where the five kino-s were found hid in a cave/ and here was enacted the last scene of an eventful day, for tlie five kings were brought out, siain, and hanged on five trees until the going down of the sun.^ Here IS Latrun, meaning robber; this is the native place, according to tradition, of the penitent rohb;r T 'T^ •^^'''^' ""^ J^'^P^^ ^^^"^ intended [s thffn^^ '. impenitent thief. Near Utrun ^ the village of Anuvas, or Eniinaus, but not the Emmaus mentioned in Luke's Gospel. Not far disant IS Abou-gosch. This place was named atter a famous robber who once was the terror of all travelers in this vicinity. Wonderful things come to one's mind as he remembers that in stil^ more distant times this was Kirjath-jearim, t le City of the Woods." There is music in t s T'"- u^^lS ^'^ ^^ ^^^^ ^'^^ been at Be i- shemesh. To that place came the men of Kir- TuUTT ^^^ ^'°"§^^^^ '^ ^"t« the house of Abinadab. For twenty years the ark abode there, during which time Israel was brought into 'Josh. lo : i6, 17. C )| Vi I I'V s. 34 SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURKS u t ^ ' penitence for their sins, and led to long for the forgiveness of God. We behold Gibcon, from which place went the cunning inhabitants who made a league with Joshua, leading him to suppose that they had come from a far country. Their garments were old, their shoes were patched, and their pro- visions were musty, so their story was accepted. Joshua soon discovered the imposition that had been practised upon him. These people were really his neighbors. He permitted them to live, but made them hewers of wood and drawers of water to the whole congregation. Later, Gibeon became a city of the Levites ; it was here that God appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and that Solomon received the promise of riches and honor. Many other interesting biblical facts are associated with this historic name. We have left behind us the country of Sam- son, in which he passed his playful boyhood. Yonder is Zorah, the home of Manoah and the birthplace of Samson. Nothing, however, is now left of it but a cistern, and only a wretched hamlet marks the site of Timnath, two miles west of Bcth-shemesh, where Samson married his Philistine wife. The valley now called Sarar is probably the valley of Sorek, where the in- famous Delilah dwelt. Somewhere in this vicin- ity Samson killed the young lion, and in the re- cesses of these mountains he caught the three hundred jackals which carried the torches among the standing corn of the Philistines. "GOING UP TO JKRUSALKM" 35 , Nkaring jKRUSAi,KM.~\Ve lia^;t^7"^^„r journey with all these siicrgcstive places passin^' ^^'^ table-land on the east of the Jordan. From our point of view near Jerusalem, all these facts are readily suggested to the mind of the traveler; on one side\ the Mediterranean, w^th its white sails ; on the other side IS the range of Moab, as the eastern bound- ary of the country. Almost the whole land from Dan to Beer-sheba, can be taken in a^a / ?: ri 'r i I M ,) 36 SUNDAY NIGHT I.KCTURKS single glance. The snn is ncaring its setting; we are approacliing the city of the great King. One's pulse beats fast. The railway station is reached, soon we are crossing the valley of Hinnoni. Here is the pool of Gihon ; yonder, rising in grim grandeur, is the tower of David ; here is the Jaffa Gate,— this is Jerusalem. We turn to the left to our hotel, outside of the walls. The dream of years is about to become a reality. The city, sacred in song and story, will be entered in the morning. Can one compose himself to sleep in the midst of such historic realities? Never before did the Bible story seem so real ; never before was Jerusalem so near and yet, in one sense, so far distant. With the dawn of the morrow, our feet will pass through the Jaffa Gate; and now to-night, let us read with a meaning never before known, the words of the one hundred and twenty-second psalm. Thinking of the morrow, the second verse ex- presses our purpose as we compose ourselves to rest : " Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.' IV JERUSALEM— " HABITATION OF PEACE" l\/rOST travelers are disappointed with their IVX first view of Jcnisalem. Indeed, in tlie case of many persons, tliis remark will applv to the Holy Land as a whole. Those who visit Palestine expecting to have a great spiritual up- litt from the places which they visit, because of their connection with sacred scenes in the life of our Lord and his apostles, will assuredly be dis- appointed. There are but few places in Pales- tine, drawing a circle around which, and walkincr within that circle, one can be sure that he is treading the soil once trodden by the feet of the Son of God. With the exception of the immedi- ate vicinity of Jacob's Well, there are few places in Palestine which one can be sure that Christ trod. The grotto at Bethlehem does not give us the certainty that we had expected, nor the sup- posed si e of the home and other sacred places in Nazareth. One cannot be sure of the exact lo- cality in which our Lord's miracles were per- termed, and a vast amount of topographical ob- scurity hangs around all the places visited by our Lord But perhaps this obscuritv is greater at Jerusa em than at any other part of Palestine. ihe marked natural features, of course, still re- 37 ; I- I'f. U'\ ¥! 'I' t'l'. : 38 SUNDAY Nir.IlT I.KCTURKS main ; but all the details re{^^1r(ling definite lo- calities are now in hopeless doubt. The effort to secure fixed and limited localities must end in failure. Perhaps it was the divine purpose that we should not know Christ unduly accordiu}^ to the flesh. We know that M. Renan has testified that : " All that history which at a distance seemed to float in the clouds of an unreal world took instantly a body, a solidity, which astonished me. The striking accord between the text and the places, the marvelous harmony of the evan- gelical picture, with the country which served as its frame, were to me as a revelation." The truth of Renan's words every intelligent visitor to the Holy Land can appreciate ; but those who go expecting that their visit will throw wonderful light on disputed localities, or will give them great spiritual exaltation, will be doomed to dis- appointment. The hand of time and the ruth- less touch of the infidel have destroyed the definite marks of localities made sacred by the pre • -uce of Jesus. It is not too much to say that persons who visit Palestine with exaggerated notions of the vividness with which sacred places and events will be brought to their minds, may have their faith shaken, as they certainly will have their comfort for a time destroyed. But those who go with an intelligent appreciation of the condition of the country, of the discomforts and difficulties of travel, and of the lawlessness and filthiness of the people, and who at the same time have their minds well stored with biblical facts, will be greatly helped in their understand- JKRUSAUiM— " lIAniTATION OF I'l: ACR " 30 Iff Of he Hible ami i„ tl.cir ap,>rcciatio„ of tl,c I.fc and work of the divine Led. Sneh ,xrso s ho £1""^ ''•■' ''°^^ inseparably the I.acl m tl c Hook are associated, and Imw eaeh delii; fully Illustrates, emphasises, a„■; """ "''« comparatively msisnificant citv- is a.ssocialed with the grandest e n", n-"' he"'- " ''f ^'^>' •-•"" ""-"'' >.n.«I.^n fc centuries the city of .song and .story, and the most acred p aee on this globe. As a .natter o act .t IS not the city of prophets and apo.stles, „ kings and saints, and of him who was the wor d^ desire and the Father's beloved Son. TheTe „! salem whose streets Jesus trod was very n„,eh arger than the Jern.salem of to-day. \\e " ow that in Christ's time Zion was covered whl, pa aces; but now, in hannouy with aneiei o^^ part of It IS a plowed field. Now, in other places m the vicinity of the Holy City tlie husbandman pursues his toil, and in still other places desol t.oii reign.s where once were the ho/ncs of weal Ii and splendor which formed a part of the g a * Micah 3 : 12. h 40 vSUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES I'/ We may not be able to decide with absolute certainty as to the origin of the word Jerusalem. Regarding its derivation and significance there will ever be much difference betv/een the most learned authorities. Some say that the name Shalem was given it by Shem, and the name Jirah by Abraham, and that the two were after- ward combined so as to form the present name. Otliers make the word mean, " Foundation of Peace," deriving it from two words, which in combination give this meaning. Still others give its termination the form of the Hebrew dual. It is said that as early as 1400 B. C. we hear of it as Uru-Salim, the residence of one of the Egyptian district governors who for a time ruled Palestine, and that the cuneiform tablets discovered at Tel el-Amarna, contain several letters from ':ne gov- ernor of Uru-Salim to his sovereign, giving re- ports of the Hittite invasion of Palestine. This name is interpreted to mean " City of Peace." Perhaps Jerusalem is simply its Hebraized form. Probably the better derivation is that which makes it mean, *' Foundation or Habitation of Peace." But whatever derivation we give to the name, all will agree that this chief city of the Holy Land is to Christian believers the most in- teresting place in the whole world. Three cities are great centers of religious life and power, Jeru- salem, Rome, iVIoscow ; but of these three Jerusa- lem is incomparably the greatest. It is a center of religious life alike to the Jew and to the Christian ; it is tiie source of the faith of Protes- tant and Romanist alike, and is deemed a sacred JERU«>AI.EM — "HABITATION OF PEACE" 41 city e/eii by the jMohaiiimedans, as the Arabic name, HI Kuds, which they to-day give it, signi- fies. The name, it is said, is used eight hundred and thirteen times in the Old Testamer<^ nud in the New. Its history is long, sad, and yet Jtscin^ting and inspiring. Its situation and locaiio:: indi- cated from the very first that there would always be a city on its important site or in its immedi- ate vicinity. Topographical peculiarities mark the location of great cities. The presence of rivers and the bay say as clearly regarding New York as if God liad spoken with an audible voice, Let there here be a city. With scarcely less distinctness did God speak regarding the location of Jerusalem. It is on the central table- land of Judea ; it is on the watershed between the ]\Iediterranean and the Jordan. Had there been reference merely to centrality of location, Jerusalem would not have been chosen as the capital. Indeed, Samaria and some other cities had strong claims to the honor of being the cap- ital ; but the well-nigh impregnable position of Jerusalem gave it remarkable advantage*^ over all other claimants in the Holy Land. Jerusalem did not become the capital until a comparatively late date in the history of the nation ; it was not eyt'fi possessed by Israel until some time after the second neriod of their history, that of the mon- archy, iiad been entered. It long resisted all the att^'inpts of the Israelites to become its masters ; and after the division of the tribes it long re- mained the capital of the kingdom of Judah. It 42 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES f'/ I'- I /■' is first known to us as Salem (Gen. 14 : 18), then as Jebns (Jndg. 19 : 10). When it was cap- tured by David and his warriors it became " the City of David." Finally it was greatly beautified by Solomon, and when the temple was erected on Mt. Moriali and the ark was brought from Mt. Zion, it seemed as if the glory of Jerusalem was complete and would be perma- nent. But we know that it was plundered by Shishak and Pharaoh-Necho, kings of Egypt ; that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, pillaged it three times, and that finally the temple and palaces were burned and the walls leveled to the ground, and that King Zcdekiah and the remnant of the people were carried to Babylon. After the return from the Babylonish captivity, the city and temple were slowly rebuilt. About tlie year 332, without a siege, Jerusalem passed into the hands of Alexander the Great. In 320 B. c, Ptolemy, King of Egypt, besieged it on the vSabbath, knowing that the Jews would not fight on that holy day, and he easily took it by assault. There is not space in this chapter to go into this remarkable history in detail ; but it may be said that about 175 b. c. the city fell under the cruel power of the infamous Antiochus Epiphanes, who set up an image to Jupiter in the temple, and used every other means in his power to compel the people to become idolaters. He in- troduced Greek sports, dress, and names, and did all in his power to efface all the marks of Jewish faith and life. Under the Maccabees, the Jews, in 163 B. c, re- \it JERUSALEM — "habitation OF PEACE" 43 .., ;o covered their power. Exactly one luindred years passed, and in 63 b. c. the Romans, under Pom- pey, conquered the Jews. Jerusalem was plun- dered by Crassus, B. c. 54, but was soon greatly embellished by Herod the Great. It was to Jeru- salem thus beautified, and to the temple thus re- built, that the Messiah came, according to the ancient prophecies, and it was the crowning sin of this city that the Lord of life and glory was rejected by her people. In his rejection and cru- cifixion Jerusalem filled her cup of wrath. In 70 A. D., the utter destruction of Jerusalem was accomplished. On the thirteenth of April of that year, the city was crowded w ith worshipers. At the foot of the IMount of Olives Titus sta- tioned the famous tenth legion ; then, according to the remarkable prediction of our Lord, he cast a trench around the citv. Soon the awful rava 44 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES ■II I*- ^' / ■ ■ I'l* ! I 'i' to destroy the beautiful city and temple ; but the wild fanaticism of the Jews and the reckless de- sires of his own soldiers thwarted his purpose. Many Jews, even then, in the midst of these aw- ful experiences, expected the ^lessiah to come for their deliverance. Six thousand men, women, and children were burned in a portion of the sacred buildings. As Jesus had pred cted, not one stone was left upon another. Zion, how- ever, still existed ; but on September the seventh, the Romans burst, with triumphant shouts, into this last stronghold of their fierce foes. The streets were, for the most part, silent ; houses were filled with dead bodies, as were also the sewers. It is said that more than a million thus terribly periijlied. One's heart aches as he studies these sad details. One sees, as never be- fore, the folly and wickedness of the Jews in denying their IVIessiah. No words can adequately describe the horrors connected with the capture of Jerusalem. Finally, a temple to Jupiter Capitolinus was erected on IVIount IVIoriah, and the name of the city was changed to ^lia Capitolina, and it was consecratt il to heathen deities. The purpose was to defile the city as much as possible, and blot out all traces alike of Judaism and Christianity ; and also to make the city the home of the heathenism whicli the Jews so terribly detested. The name of Jerusalem almost perished from among men, ^ylia becoming the name by which the city was knov 11 to all the heathen nations. In the time of Constantine, however, the ancient name was ! JERUSAI.RM — "HABITATION OF PI- ACE " 45 resumed Pldena, the inotlicr7rCo,istairtine^ bmlt a church lu Bethlclieni aud oue ou the Mouut of Ohves iu 326. She made tlie city once more a Christau city. Juliau gave peruiis- sion to tlie Jews to rebuild the temple : but as the superstitious men of the time believed, this pur- pose was frustrated by earthquakes and by the explosion of balls cf fxre among the workmen. Ill 614 the city was taken by the king of Persia who slew, It is said, nearly one hundred thousand men. He aimed to destroy everything which the Lliristians venerated, and he encouraged the Tews to return to their ancient city. In 637 it surren- dered to the Caliph Omar and became a IMoham- medan city the Mosque of Omar taking the place of the temple on Mount Moriah. In 1076 it fell into the hands of the Turks, when awful barbar- 1 les were inflicted on Christians ; but in looo the crusaders, under Godfrey of Bouillon, took Jerusalem and elected Godfrey their kino- In 1187 the city again fell into the hands of the Moslems, Irnving been captured by Saladin, Sul- tan of the East, who was assisted, it is supposed by the treachery of Raymond, Count of Tripoli' who was found dead in his bed on the day agreed upon for giving the city into the hands of the Moslems. In 1229 the city ^yas again in the hands of Christians ; but ten years later it was once more Mohammedan ; and four years later tne Christians were in authority. In 1 244 it was taken by storm by a Tartar horde. Finally in 1517 It vyas taken by Ottoman Sultan Selim who also became the master of Egypt and Syria' m iff f'/ I'f m 46 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES i5 ^ W r^ Vc' .:i i » 111 1542 his son Solyman reconstructed the pres- ent wall. In 1800 Napoleon planned to storm it, but he finally f>;^ave up the idea. It was bom- barded by the Turks in 1825. In 1831 it submit- ted to the pasha of Egypt, IVIohaninied AH, but in 1840 it again owned Turkish sway. In the prob- able fall of the Turkish power Jerusalem may come into the hands of France, Russia, Germany, or Great Britain ; or it may be divided among these various nations. France, Russia, and Ger- many now own considerable parts of the city of Jerusalem and vicinity. Great changes in the near future are inevitable, but what the final re- sult will be no prophet may affirm. Modern Jerusalem. — Comparatively little of the ancient city remains. We have already seen that the present walls were built in 1542. There are in them courses of stone which be- long to the ancient walls, and these may be readily distinguished. On Mount Zion, and at the church of the Holy Sepulchre, and elsewhere in the city, the ancient rock is readily seen ; but the glorious city of Solomon lies under the dS- brisoi not fewer than seventeen captures and spoli- ations. This fact throws great doubt on all the sacred places in Jerusalem. If the city of New York should in the future be captured seventeen times, and its great buildings thrown in promiscu- ous heaps on the streets, no topographer could with certainty identify our present localities. The real locations of ancient places and events in Jerusalem are buried far beneath the present level n JKRUSALKM — "habitation OF PKACE " 47 of the city. The mountains round about^ city still remain, but many of the valleys have been partly filled ; the streets that were trodden by kings and prophets, and by Jesus Christ and Ills apostles, are buried many feet below the streets of the Jerusalem of to-day. The thought IS most impressive that on some streets of that city Christ bore his cross, and somewhere in that city he died thereon, bul we may never discover with absolute certainty his Via Dolorosa or his Calvary. We can all sympathize with Robert Bruce king of Scotland, in his vow to set off on a pil- grimage to Jerusalem when freed from wars at home, and who, when death was overtaking him and he had not fulfilled his vow, said: "I can- not go to Palestine in person ; I send my heart • carry it thither when I am dead." Jerusalem' will ever be sacred as the place in which the greatest scenes on earth were enacted ; it will ever be sacred as the symbol of heaven. Heaven is ' Jerusalem the golden ; heaven is the city \yhose walls are jubilant with song ; heaven is the Jerusalem whose maker and builder is God " There are great diflSculties connected with the excavations now going forward in Jerusalem. Sometimes the funds secured in England and America for this purpose have been insuflficient sometimes the narrow and bigoted Turkish gov- ernment has objected to the work, and always the work itself is most diflScuIt, as it is unclean, imhealthful, and disagreeable. We owe much to Captains Wilson and Warren, to I^ieutenant 1-1 < J W' n I: 'I if .:i ti' 48 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES Condor, to Dr. Edward Robinson, and to many others, for their self-sacrificing toils. At this moment many yonng Americans, Frenchmen, Germans, Britons, and others, are engaged in similar services, living often in tombs, sewers, and otlier ntterly abominable places, and doing a heroic work in the interest of science and re- ligion. I never before so thoronghly learned to appreciate the valne of the services which exca- vators are rendering to the canse of biblical in- terpretation. These explorers suffer much from the impure condition of the soil, saturated as it is with the sewage of ages, and much from the opposition of the government and from the diffi- culties inseparable from the nature of the work. These excavators have dug down literally through several Jerusalems. We have here one city piled on another. The Jerusalem of to-day is, per- haps, the seventh or eighth city built on this site. Did space permit, it would be interesting to trace the origin, growth, and destruction of these various cities. Every foot of the ground is cov- ered by the wreck of cities that once were the symbols of marvelous power and of wonderful beauty. Great thoughts fill the soul as one ■wanders over these ruins and through the nar- row and filthy streets of modern Jerusalem. It is said that the Jerusalem of to-day covers an area of more than two hundred and nine acres, of which thirty-five are occupied by the level on which the Mosque of Omar stands. It consists of the Christian quarter, the Moham- / ' < JERUSAI.EM— ''iiAniTATlON OF PKAC!, " ^_ __ 49 about three miles Tl,l • ^"^ ^'^>' ^'^ are closerl rii« ^ ^ &^tes, two of wind the Street of ^h^etlSl he Col S" °A ""-T ' still, fro,„ itltlnL^ntritt °';??;,'7:7' at St.'steph?;"s Gate ^ " ^°'"'"" '""' '"■"''■^ PEOPI^ES and FatTttc Ao -1 t..eare„owa|Xn\-;;fb:;:f"^^^^^^ s'jewis,n\;\t''ofr:^^^^^^^^^ dm, or Spanish Jew.s; and ta,t,^,i ;'■:'; D ' l ^5 h 1 * ,1 i i! 1 50 SUNDAY NIGHT LI-CTURHS Jews of Ocrinaii and Polish orij^in. They arc stistaiiied larj^cly l)y charity. Many Jews, like many Christians, ^o to Jerusalem on a pil<^rim- age of piety. Tlie Rothschild Hospital was founded in 1855. Sir Moses Montehore has done much to encourage the Jews in lalestine to become self-supporting. In January, 1875, he desired that a proposed testimonial to him might take the form of a fund to help Ji ws in Pales- tine, and nearly sixty thousaiid dollars was con- tributed in this way. Although he was ninety- two years old, he visited Jerusalem and brought back n\ encouraging report regarding his people. The |>atriarch of the Greek Church resides in Jerusalem, in a convent beside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Armenians number nearly five hundred in the Holy City, and the Copts own two monasteries. The Latins number, perhaps, two thousand followers. The Church of PCngland has a small school and church. Lay German missionaries have branches of their mis- sion work in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Jaffa. There is a Good Samaritan Home under the direction of the Deaconesses of Kaiserwerth. There are now ophthalmic and other hospitals, some of which are undi. r the control of the Knights of St. John. There are services under the direction of several of the Christian denomi- nations, and a converted Jew, who has recently become a Baptist. We have thus had a glimpse of Jerusalem, its history, its characteristics, its people^ and their faiths. The day is now dawning; we have fa- lit J'''«U-^'^^KM~"irARITATlON OK I'KACK " 51 niiliarized ourselves witli the^7a"iid^i7hc^7T;^ present co„clitio„s; we pass throuTl ^e^ j-iiy mat is compact toL»-ether " a ^1, * , but constant entli^isiasm^iirbeen exp H^cc'd since first touching tlie soil of ^'^P^"^»ced n , The lioly fields, Oyer whose acres walked those blessed feet Wh.ch. eighteen hundred years a^rwere nailed For our advantage to the bitter cross. V CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE i :i i» ( WE pass tlirouj^^li the Jaffa Gate, and follow- in<^ an impulse connnon to nearly all pilj^rinis and tourists, we direct our steps to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In the minds of most Christian visitors to the Holy City this is the most sacred spot within its walls. A volume mij^ht be written regarding the architecture, lo- cation, and history of this famous building. It is situated in the Christian quarter of Jerusa- lem, and in a street which not infrequently is called Palmer Street. The street is largely given up to the traffic in bends, or in wood and ivory carving, and a thousand cheap and inartistic trinkets. Even in midsummer one will find there a horde of clamorous and impudent ped- dlers. At the Eastertide this crowd is much larger and still more clamorous, and through it then the traveler can scarcely force his way in order to approach the portal of the historic church. On the pavement, beside the traders who are watching for customers, are heaps of beads, shells, and many kinds of fancy work. One sees among the peddlers Greeks, Jews, Armenians, and Syrians. Here and there may be seen women en- gaged in beseeching tourists to buy their wares ; 52 i 1' Ciri'RCH OF TIIR HOI,V SliPUr.CItRI. 53 especially „t he K„ press" Helena, the mother of Constantine, bnilt " tl^ site .selected, as the resnlt of a diWne visio, a gronp of .sacred edifices. It wonld .seen tl a 'at first there was a small chapel o^•er each sacre'd I; .•'t 54 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES K i< 'I I r I ¥ \v i 1^; If: if place ; but now all these sacred places are in- cluded within the walls of this heterogeneous building known as the Church of the Holy Sep- ulchre, and also the Auaj.tasis, because here Christ rose from the dead. It consists of differ- ent styles of architecture, of many roofs, chajDels, shrines, tombs, and altars. Some of these belong to one sect and some to another. It is said by some writers that there are now no fewer than thirty-seven sacred sites within this historic en- closure, while others make the number much greater. Tlic buildings erected by Constantine in 326 were destroyed by the Persians when they took the city of Jerusalem in 614. Their king, Chosroes II., did all in his power to destroy every vestige of Christianity ; but in 627 Heraclius de- feated him, and Jerusalem was recovered by the Greeks. In 936 fire partly destroyed the church, and in loio the Moslems inflicted great damage upon it ; but in 1055 a church again arose ':o commemorate the sacred sites. In ioqq the cru- saders entered this church barefooted and sing- ing songs of praise. At the beginning of the twelfth century they erected the present build- ing ; but it has undergone so many changes as to make it almost another building. Great damage was inflicted upon it by the Arabs in 1 187, and in 1244 the sepulchre was destroyed by the Kharezmians. Writers on the history of the church call attention to the fact that the dome of the sepulchre became insecure, and in 1 7 19 it was restored and a great part of the ,'1 t CHURCH OF THE HOI.Y SKPLXCHRE 55 church rebuilt. In 1808 it was ahnost^^My bimied ; tlie dome at that time fell in and cruslied the chape] of the sepulchre, and large quantities of molten lead flowed into the interior. The Greeks now secured the principal ri' arrangements have yet ^^en mad<'. A few lessons suggest themsel es as one turns I CHURCH OF THK nOI.Y SKPULCIIRK 63 The visitor away from this remarkable church, is grieved at the pitiable superstitions of uiau> of the (ireek, Roman, Armenian, and other pil- grims. Tlie heathenism of distinctively heathen countries could scarcely be more heathenish than are the practices of many pilgrims in the Church of the Holy vSepulchre. One's heart aches as he gazes upon their acts so marked by ignorance and dotard superstitions. But through all these offensive sights the devout and intelligent visitor lays hold of the tremendous realities which oc- curred here, or elsewhere in the neighborhood. Wliat marvelous thoughts fill the mind as one thinks of the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of the Son of God ! Properly distinguishing between history and tradition, it is easy to see how the Holy Land confirms the holy book and how real the earthly life of Jesus Christ was, and may still become, to the intelligent and de- vout pilgrim to the Church of the Holy Sepul- chre. f 1 ^ i, i i ,! U (fi w VI THE MOSQUE OK OMAR hasten at this time to the Great Al- tar Mountain, Mount Moriah, to the site of Solomon's Temple; tlie Harani Area, the Mosque of Omar, the Dome oi tlic Rock, or Kub- bet es-Sukhrah. Perhaps there is no spot on tliis j^lobe which appeals more powerfully to the his- toric ima<^ination than does this altar mountain, as it has been called. It is the symbol of faith in one God as aj^ainst the many lords of heathen religions. On the bmw of this rocky summit, Jew, Christian, and Mo. m alike may honestly and devoutly worship. All of th^-m be- lieve that here the veil which shrouds the in- visible world has been drawn aside and the glory of the invisible God has often been sub- limely revealed. Here now stands the Mosque of Omar, probably upon tbe summit of Mount INIoriah, perhaps on the very spot where Oman had his threshing-floor. It was here, according to the oral tradition of centuries, that Abraham laid the v.'ood in order for the contemplated sacri- fice of his son Isaac. Attention has often been called to the fact that Abraham was the common ancestor of all the Arabian tribes. He is still held in high honor 64 I THE MOSQUK OF OMAR 05 1 by these trihes, however bitter their hatreds in other respects may be. It was here that David saw tile aiio, 1 standing bet een earth and heaven with a draw n sword in his hand stretched ont over JernsaleiM. Here it was that David inter- ceded for the plague-stricken people. Here it was thai later the glorious temple of Solomon stood ; here it was believed dwelt, at least for the four hundred and twenty-eight years of the fust temple, the shadow uf the cloud and the glory of the Shekinah ; and here came the tribes 111 a grateful celebration of God's wonderful blessings to Israel. To this spot the hearts of Jev.s oppressed in every land turned with hope joy, and supplication. ' One cannot stand before the IMosque of Omar with Its many colored marbles glistening in the sunlight, as once "the goodly stones of the tem- ple shone before the eyes of the disciples, with- out emotions of wonder and tenderness. One's thoughts rush back to the time when the temple here stood in all its dazzling splendor; back to the times of the patriarchs, back to the very dawn of_ human history. One sees again the tribes going up from all parts of the land ; again their ;' songs of degrees " are heard as they re- joice in God and glorify Israel. This was the very heart of the religious life of the Hebrew people ; it was the inspiration of prophecv the theme of poetry, and the center of national hope and joy. Memories of Israel's disobedience de- feats, and manifold disasters crowd the mind Visions of God's ancient people imprisoned and £ i IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // #^.^ 1.0 1.1 ■- 1^ 1 2.5 2.0 I %Z 1.8 1-25 1 1.4 1.6 •* 6" ► p» <^ /a % /y # o / Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 "^iWl I ■ 1 ! 66 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES ' ! f i exiled among their heathen captors, who deso- lated and destroyed the holy places, pass vividly before the niiid. Other pictures, also, are pres- ent ; we see God's people turning away from their sins, coming back to God with breaking hearts, and turning their tearful eyes once more to this sacred place. It was here too, that to the priest Zacharias, at what was called the Feast of Lights, in the thirty-fifth year of Herod the Great, the angel of the Lord appeared, standing on the right side of the altar of incense, and to this priest came the promise of the birth of John the Baptist. Here too, the babe Jesus was pre- sented at the appropriate time, and Simeon uttered his Nunc Dimittis. Here later, within one of the many chambers of the great build- ing, sat the marvelous child in the midst of the doct-rs, both hearing them and asking questions. Here, as Dr. Fish has reminded us, twenty years later, the Son of God walked under the royal porches in the winter at tlie feast of the dedication ; here he lifted up his voice in warning, instruction, and benediction ; and from these sacred precincts, during the last days of his ear*;hly life, he drove out the traders who dese- crated his Father's house. And here, in the opinion of the IMoslems, who are the present guardians of this sanctuary, the great Arabian prophet l^.Iohammed, took his flight from the earth to the flowery paradise so vividly described by the teachers of the IMohammedan faith. There is little doubt that Mount Moriah is identical with this present temple area, now known as THE MOSQUE OK OMAR 67 the Haram esh-Sherif, or the Noble Sanctuary. Ahnost every inch of ground in this sacred en- closure has been the subject of earnest topo- graphical scrutiny, historic research, and vigor- ous controversy. The Exploration Fund has given earnest students the opportunity of clear- ing up many disputed points, and has opened the way for the removal, in the near future, of many present difficulties. Biblical and scientific stu- dents now in larger numbers than e\er before, visit the Holy Land. The government is dis- posed to be somewhat more liberal in removing obstructions than was formerly the case, and we may well expect that before many decades shall pass, still greater liberty will be given to scien- tific exploration, until finally all that scholarship can do to identify ancient sites will have been accomplished. The temple area is quadrangular in shape ; it occupies thirty-five acres, or nearly one-quarter of the whole city of Jerusalem. It is two hun- dred feet above the valley of the Kedron. We know that Solomon leveled the space for his great temple and its oth,-r buildings; and this work he performed at enormous cost in labor and money. On the west, the wall which surrounds this space is one thousand six hundred and one feet long ; on the east, one thousand five hun- dred and thirty feet ; on the north, one thousand and twenty-four feet ; and on the south, nine hun- dred and twenty-two feet. This sacred enclosure is entered by eight gates on the west, the princi- pal one being known as the Gate of the Chain. r . • i I 1 68 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURKS Entering by this gate we have on the right the bnikling known as the Mosqne el \ksa, in the enclosure of which there is much green grass, while olive and cypress tree-^ are also found. There are likewise marble fountains and the broad platform is surrounded b> arches, by pul- pits, prayer niches, and cupolas, and there before us rises the great mosque, glittering in the flood of sunshine which bathes the summit of this his- toric mountain in heavenly splendor. A truly glorious picture is before us. Its chief attraction is its great central figure, the magnificent Kub- bet es-Suklirah, or Dome of the Rock. This building is generally supposed to have been erected by Omar, and so is called by his name ; but some authorities believe that the title belongs to a much smaller and less important building which contains the Mihrab, or prayer niche, of the celebrated Caliph. But perhaps Omar did realJy erect this magnificent structure. Tradi- tion tells us that when he took Jerusalem his first inquiry was for the site of the temple, that he was guided to the traditional spot which was then covered by mounds of rubbish, and that he there built the Mosque which bears his name. Some, however, afiirm that it was built by Abd- el-Melek, in tlie year of our Lord 696. Perhaps no amount of historic investigation will be able, for many years at least, to settle these disputed affirmations with any certainty. The time, how- ever, will come, we may assume, when the efforts of all these students will be rewarded with sub- stantial agreement regarding historic facts. I THE MOSQUE OF OMAR gg It is necessary to secure permits before one excem on I, "'"'' '"" "" ""™"^; ^"' "°^. can be readily obtained. Tiie consul of the country to which the traveler belongs he beW tonristt rfri 'd""";';'°" f-^e is small and the tonrists dragoman will attend to all details is wel as pointing out, perhaps with thetelp of a entering the building one can study with profit Its superb dome, which seems to float i if The It IS one of the most notable objects in Tern- Mount 'o?nr '°°'^^ r ,"P°" «'^ ^"y f-""'"e JMount of Ohves. As the dome of St. Peter's seems to hang in tlie heavens over the grea chnrch and to some degree over Rome, sothl dome of the Mosque of Omar seems to hanV ^ Ae sky over the mosque and over Jerusafem This interesting effect is produced by a sliX draw;ing m of the dome at its base, which the architect has managed with remarkable k IK If the drawing-in had been too great, the effec of inseenrity would have been produced ; it not hi^tw,""^- ' "'" f PP^^^«"« of the dome is float- ing in the air could not have beer, attained. The buildmg IS eight-sided and eaci, side measures sixty-seven feet. The dome is surmounted by a gilt crescent, and the lower part of the wall is of tTrns"' t1"''^ '""'''^^ =?"^"S«' '" -'ri°- P^t! terns. The upper part is pierced with fifty-six ■t u 70 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES ill • i ] 1^ ? [i III I ' iti pointed windows. The piers which separate the windows are covered with tiles of brigiit colors, and the glass in the windows is nnnsnally rich and brilliant. The diameter of the interior is one hnndred and forty-eight feet, while it is encircled with Arabic inscriptions. There are sixteen marble Corinthian colnmns, connected above by a horizontal architrave nnder pointed arches. The walls are ornamented in gilt stncco in the Arabesqne style, and the pavement is of marble mosaic. The Sacred Rock, innnediately beneath the great dome, is of irrcgnlar shape, and abont sixty feet long and fifty feet wide. Captain Wilson is qnoted as saying that it " stands abont fonr feet nine and a half inches above the mar- ble pavement at its highest point and one foot at its lowest." The snrface bears the marks of rongh chiseling; on the west side it is cut down in three steps, the object of which i,; still a matter of doubt. Beneath the rock is a vast tank which, perhaps, was used as the cesspool of the great altar of the early time, if, as is supposed, it was intended that the blood of the victims should be carried off through the drain connected with this pool. Many legends hang about this rock, legends Jewish, Christian, and Moslem. According to the Jews, jMelchisedec here offered sacrifices ; here Abraham contemplated offering Isaac, and here the Ark of the Covenant stood ; and here it is said the unutterable name of God was written. ]\Ioslem traditions rival the Jewish as connected with this historic rock. The legend is that i run MOSQUE of omar 71 when Moliaiiimed ascended to Iicavcn on his horse Kl-Bnrak, the rock wanted to follow him. It started to ascend witli its master, but the an-d Gabriel rushed in, seized the rock and restored It to Its place. Surely no one can doubt the truth of this lejrend, for there on the rock still are shown the prints of Ckibriel's fmcrers when he seized it in its ambitious flight ! What evi- dence stronger than this can be desired as to the truth of this legend? Since that day the rock has been suspended in the air; it is true that you cannot see it so suspended, but it is to be borne in mind that its suspension, according to the lecrend of the local guides, gave such alarm to visftors especially to women, that an appearance of so- lidity had to be given it by the erection of a wall But that It IS still suspended is evident from the hollow sounds which come from the wall placed there to quiet the fears of the pilgrims ! ^ In the cave below the rock are seen the pray- ing places of Abraham, David, Mohammed and others. Here in the floor is the slab which cov- ers the Well of Spirits ; here the spirits are con- fined, and thence they will be brought up bv the hair of their heads when the dav of judcrincnt conies. Many other places the guide poiiUs out as sacred in the mosque. Here is the shield of Mohammed's uncle ; here the footprint of Mo- hammed himself; here are hairs from his beard- and here especially is the slab with three and a half nails still remaining in it. The guide de- voutly tells you that once there were nineteen nails, but the devil knocked all of them but three ]i 72 SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURKS , I ./ * ' ' i i Jt ', I i and a half into the stone, and when these disap- pear the end of the world will certainly come. After imparting this interesting piece of infor- mation, and giving this exhibition of hopelessly blind superstition, the gr.ide expects the tourist to place a generous amoui . of coin on the slab. The guide takes the coin and rewards the tourist by assuring him that his chances now are much better when the devil knocks in the remaining nails, because of the generous gift laid upon the stone. Beneath the temple platform are great substructures, arche§, and pillars. These are truly wonderful. This part is called Solomon's Stables, and of these fuller mention will be made later. It will be remembered that the temple was built by Solomon, next by Zcrubbabel, and extensively repaired by Herod the Great. The entire space covered by Herod's Temple was about nineteen acres, or a little more than one half of the present temple area. The structure near the entrance of the mosque is said to be the model of the Mosque of Omar. It was called the Tribunal of David, the Dome of the Chain, or Kubbet es-Silsileh. The tradi- tion is that a chain which was suspended from heaven hung over this spot, and when two dispu- tants could not settle a quarrel, the chain moved to the one who had right on his side. If a wit- ness in a trial could grasp the chain his testi- mony was true, but if a link broke off it was certain that the witness was a perjurer. These legends are believed without question by many Mohammedans to this hour. THE MOSQUE OF OMAR PI 7i Mosque KL-Aksa.— Tliis building is frencrallv behoved to be identical with the church erected by the Kiiipcror Justinian, and converted from a church into a mosque. Others, however, claim that Its structure is entirely Arabic, a claim which does not seem to be well founded. It cer- tainly seems to have been erected as a church and to have been chan«rcd to suit its present use as a mosque. Here are shown the so-called tombs of the sons of Aaron, but it is much more likely that the stone slab pointed out on the pavement marks the grave of some conspicuous Knicrhts Templar. The fine pulpit, so exquisitely carved and inlaid with ivory and mother-of-pearl will at once attract attention. It was made at Damascus, from cedar of Lebanon. Here is pointed out the praying-place of Moses; here also are two pillars very dose together, between which formerly tourists were permitted to pass, If their size did not prevent. Those who squeezed through were sure of a place in the Mohamme- dan paradise, but those who failed could only look forward with great doubt to that possibility. Now, however, iron spikes and bands have been so arranged that the infidel Christian cannot ev^en make the attempt to pass between the pillars. In this mosque also is the Well of the Leaf, with Its strange legend. To it a worshiper went to draw water, his bucket slipped from his hands, and he went into the well after the bucket. To his great surprise he reached a door which opened and admitted him into a perfect paradise. There wr I M 74 SUNDAY NIC. I IT I.HCTURKS //' 5 rl ■ lie wandered for some time and plnckcd a leaf which he carried back witli him to the world. This leaf never withered, bnt no one has since been able to find the door leadinj^ to this match- less garden. This door the Moslems believe leads into paradise. The Cradlk ok Christ. — We leave the mosqne by the eastern door, where we lay aside onr slippers. We proceed to the sontheast corner of the Haram, and descend thirty-two steps to the so-called cradle of Christ. This is a small chamber to which many legends are attached. Here, it is claimed that Simeon and the V^irgin dwelt for a time, and that to this chamber Christ was bronght for the rite of circnmcision. We next descend to Solomon's Stables. This is a vast snccession of pillared and vanltcd vistas. All gnides call attention to the l)eveled stones, which are snpposed to be characteristic of the bnilders of the first temple. It is true that others think they may be bnt an imitation of the earlier stones. Very much has been written on these stables. The recent volume, entitled " Recent Discoveries on the Temple Hill," by Rev. James King, M. A., is worthy of careful study. He has given us the very latest results of the most care- ful investigation connected with this interesting structure. It was especially interesting to me as showing iio-w the valleys were raised so as to form the vast temple platform. That fact had never before been made plain to my mind. It is a matter of comparatively little importance \\ i THE MOSQl'K OF OMAR 75 whether these were really Solomoirs stables or not. We are told in i Kiii^^s 4 : 26, that ''Solo- inon had forty thousand stalls of liorses for liis chariots.'' His palace may have bctn somewhere in this vicinity, and ^^rotloes, or artificial strnc- tnres somewhat similar to these now shown, may have been used by him as stables. It is certain however, that tlie Knights Templar nsed these great colonnades as stables, and the rin^^s to which their horses were attached are still shown As we einerj.e from the stables of Solomon there opens before ns a view of the valley of Jehoshaphat. It is a mass of graves, containing the dead of many generations. All devout Tews desire to be buried in this valley. They believe that the Messiah will come here, in harmony with the prophecy of Joel 3 : 2. Here also a view IS obtained of Absalom's Pillar, the Monnt of Ohves, the garden of Oethsemane, and other interesting places in the vicinitv. Moslem tra- dition affirms that IMohammed, when he comes to judge the world, will sit on the wall beside the spot on which we stand, that a wire fine as a hair will be attached to this broken column protruding from the wall near by, and will be stretched across to the IMount of Olives. All men must attempt to pass over this cord ; those who have sins will fall into perdition ; but angels will carry the just in safety to the Mount of Olives on the opposite side of the vallcv. Near here is seen the so-called throne of Solomon ; here also are many prayer niches, and a famous marble fountain called El Kas, or the Cup. Beneath w^ i '!. .. ); ( ' i' 76 SUNDAY NIGHT LICCTURES tliis fountian, it is said there are vast reservoirs into which tlie water from the distant pools of vSolomon once flowed. Perhaps it was here that the brazen lavcr of Solomon was placed. Wonderful thonj^hts crowd the mind in the midst of these historic scenes. One is impressed with the fact that legend and truth are intermin- gled. They must be sharply separated in order that one's visit may be made profitable. A further impression is that the statements of the Bible are constantly confirmed by the remains of the ancient time which mark this temple area, (lod's word is constantly corroborated by the monuments of the ancient day which still re- main. The church of Jesus Christ must stand when every vestige of tradition shall have passed away. From hoary rock and crumbling ruin witnesses are constantly rising to prove the truth of our Lord's words in Matt. 5 : 18 : " For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." (' VII VARIOUS INTERESTING PLACES— JAFFA GATE FREQUENT reference has been made in these lectures to the Jaffa Gate. It is close to the tower, or castle, of David. It is the gate through which those who come to Jeru- salem from Jaffa naturally first enter. In this gate there is an illustration of IMatt. 19 : 24 : " It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." It is believed by many that the reference to the greater ease with which a camel could go through the eye of a needle than a rich man, who trusts in his riches, should enter heaven, is because of the small gate which one finds in the large gate known as the Jaffa Gate. It IS certain that this small opening is still called the " Needle's Eye." This form of structure is common both in Palestine and in Egypt. At nightfall the Jaffa Gate, like the other gates in Jerusalem, and in many other Oriental cities, is closed. Laden animals must, therefore, remain outside the gate until morning ; but often small camels and donkeys, lest they should be stolen by the Arabs, are passed through the small gate or Needle's Eye, after their loads are removed! A large animal, or even a comparatively small ■'^ • ■ ' 'i' ^' I- I' ^■ hi r' > I r!i "' / 78 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES one, laden as these animals often are, could not pass through the gate ; but a small animal stripped and crouching can squeeze through. So while the rich man laden with his wealth, and f'e hypocrite inflated with pride and self-rig. teousnrss cannot enter the kingdom of heaven, the man who humbles himself, stripping himself of the world and of self-righteousness, and becoming as ; little child, can enter the kingdom of heaven. There is, of course, some doubt as to whether the language used by our Lord in the passage quoted was suggested by the name then given to tlie smaller gate in the larger gate, or whether the name now given to the smaller gate was suggested by the language of the Lord in the passage to which reference has been made. Different writers, travelers, and commentators will take different views as to the origin of the name. Some will claim the one, others the other. But whichever position we may take regarding the origin of the name, it is deeply interesting that the gates of Oriental cities in these modern days should gi\e so striking an illustration of the truth taught by Christ regard- ing entrance into the kingdom of God. The Tower of David.* — We enter Jerusa- lem again at the Jaffa Gate, and immediately before us there is an open space in which a fair is always in progress. On our left is a line of shops in which the chaffering usual among all 1 2 Sam. 5 : 6, 7. VARIOUS INTKRKSTING PLACES 79 Oriental peoples is vigorously carried on. Time IS an element of comparatively little importance either for seller or buyer. Over an article cost- ing but a few cents tliere will be more loud and meaningless talk than a visitor from the Occident can well conceive. The intending purchaser turns away in disgust at the price asked ; but the intending seller is not alarmed. Each knows that the other is not in earnest ; neither deceives the other. But they will keep up the farce often for hours before a purchase is made. A self- respecting purchaser from other lands will often go v/ithout what he wants ratiier than chaffer in this way. On our right is the tower of David, on JMount Zion. This was called by Josephus the tower of Hippicus ; it formed part of the citadel, and has always been a conspicuciis and substantial structure. Parts of this tower may rightly lay claim to great antiquity. The tower at the northeast is built at its lowest part of bev- eled stones from nine to thirteen feet in length, and some of them more than four feet high! Recent excavations show that for some distance above the foundation it is formed of the natural rock. When David came up from Hebron, it \yill be remembered that the Jebusites exulted in the strength of their fortress, impregnable as they supposed. They looked down proudly from t!ieir secure heights, and taunted David with his rela- tive weakness. They believed that even lame and blind men were able to hold a fortress which naturally was so strong. They did not, however, reckon on the bravery of their foes. Soon Joab I r^v i 80 SUNDAY NIGHT I.ECTURES .lii A ' , ' ' ■f ' ,.iv climbed the steep ascent, gained a signal victory, and won the chieftaincy of David's hosts. Soon the ancient, and seemingly everlasting gates, " lifted np their heads," and David entered in triumph, dwelt in the stronghold of Zion, and called it the City of David. Let us approach nearer to one place of marvel- ous interest. The spirit of the ancient time sur- rounds this neighborhood and fills our minds as we meditate on these historic facts. The Bible narrative becomes marvelously real in the pres- ence of these enduring monuments ^2 the past, and of the heroic achievements of David and his men. Here are still the thirty steps cut into the rock by the old Jebusites more than three thou- sand years ago. These steps were used as a means of climbing into the fortress. Doctor Fish rightly suggests that David probably had these cuttings in mind when he said : *' Whoso- ever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, shall be chief." How many feet have trodden these ancient steps ! How voiceful they are even to this hour ! They are witnesses to the heroic deeds of friends and foes " in the brave days of old." The fortress which David erected here was the stronghold of Zion in all after ages. Attention has been frequently called to the fact that if what we now see be really the tower of David, or that built by Herod, it was standing here when Christ visited Jerusalem, and his eyes frequently rested on this tower and his shadow fell upon parts of it while he walked in Zion. Josephus tells us that when Titus de- VARIOUS INTERESTING PLACES 8l stroyed Jerusalem, he lefrstandi"nffll,e~three towers built by Herod ; two of thest three If? untouched by Titus, have beeu fe^oyed inc I lains. With many other travelers I reo-nrH ale.,r "it ,"' t "'«' ""-esting'u'e/inT..- s not in T r ""f " ''"' '^"' "'"' P™bablv there Lf 1 i-'T"''''^'" ^ ""■8"'= building- on which o thisold't'^ ''"ri"^ "°"- "■"' ">e— ep o, ot this old tower lifting itself in its strength its otl^er'parts rf'T^'^'f' '^'-'-^^ P^^« °" '° ^sit 1 ^T '"^'°"c places in their gejcvraphicil order. Near the Damascus Gate, t1,e"fiT.e 1 h Jernsalem, is the entrance to the Royal Quarries They are vast caverns reaching beneath Be.etha the nor^iern hill, on which the Holy Citv Ts cHscoverln.r''' "' ""^"S™""" Jenis^lem ';v mscOTered m an apparently accidental, but al- togc her interesting, manner. Doctor Barclay mient i°' '"^P'-^-^f"' .""estigations and his e o- quent descnptioiis, discovered this entrance in laoois, and those of many other in\esti<.ators in exploring underground Jerusalem, have bee richly rewarded. Let us enter this dark rcah!" ' I Kings 6 : 7, F .: ^ iii ' s. 82 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES Leaving the bright light wliich gilds the ancient city with heavenly splendor, we pass into the darkness of these quarries. Almost immediately we descend a few feet, and then light our torches and descend still farther. We soon discover that the quarries are not only vast caverns, but a succession of chambers in great disorder. Here and there enormous and shapeless pillars are left standing to support the roof. It is al- most startling to remember that nearly all that part of Jerusalem which lies east of the street of the Damascus Gate stands over these quarries. There is thus a great underground Jerusalem ; a succession of mighty aisles and mammoth cham- bers. We soon discover that the floor of these quarries is very irregular, and the visitor must be extremely careful lest he fall into one of the many deep pits. The descent at the dee^^est part is said to be not less than one hundred and fifty feet. At the bottom of some of the deep excavations the bones of human skeletons have been found. The walls are covered in places with crystalline encrustations caused by the water as it has trickled down. In other cases stalactites hang from the ceiling and stalagmites rise from the floor. Here are unfinished stones looking as if the workmen had just ceased their labors for the noonday meal and had forgotten to return to resume their work. Here are the marks of the saws where the stones were re- moved from the rock, and here are vast blocks cut from the rock but not carried out from the quarry. Here is a hole cut by the workmen, VARIOUS INTERESTING PLACES 83 and once filled with water which they nsed at their meals or while they pursued their toils Here are the slight depressions made in tlie stone where the oil was placed, which, when Illuminated, became a lamp furnishino- them light as they continued their labors. Here are the discolorations caused by the flame of this rude lamp which still remain upon the rocks It is said that not less than four acres are made up of these quarries. Doubtless Solomon's men here quarried the stones for the temple. Some- how many persons suppose that the stone, like the wood of the temple, was brought to Jeru- salem by king Hiram from Tyre, or by some other great contractor from some other place Indeed, the fact that the stones for Solomon'^ temple ^vere quarried under this part of Teru- salem will spoil many an eloquent sermon on the temple, or on some part of the description of Its erection; but oven at the risk of spoiling sermons, historic taith must be told. Here is even now a great monolith which split in the process of removal, and, as I have said, the smoke-marks of the Phoenician workmen are still seen, and one of their lamps has actually been found in the position in which it was lef^ 1 ousands of years ago. Doubtless it was from this quarry that both Zcrubbabel and Herod ^ot the stone with which they rebuilt the temple I is deeply interesting to re-people these dark and silent realius with the busy workmen of mon'T''4>' ^^^':'^'^'^^''!^ '-^"^1 Herod. When Solo- mons lemple was built it was in these under- I* . /l 84 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES .' ■■ 'J!' / ' ground regions that the sound of the hammer and cliisel was heard, so that after the stone was brought out, and when the temple was in pro- cess of erection, it could be truly said : No workman's steel, no ponderous axes rung ; Like some tall palm the noiseless fabric sprung. It is quite certain that Mito these quarries numbers of Jews went for refuge when Titus took the city. We know that many found a hiding place in sewers and aqueducts in and near the city ; many thousands would hasten to these great quarries as their last hope when the capture of the city was certain. It is affirmed that the whole population of Jerusalem to-day could be stowed away in these quarries. The visitor to Jerusalem will never forget the feeling of awe that conies over him as he walks through these subterranean caverns. For ages and ages darkness and silence have reigned in their dreary abcdes. The streets overhead have been deluged with blood : through them has rushed the fierce populace, making them echo with the c^y : " Crucify him ! Crucify him ! " And, as Doc- tor Fish has suggested, perhaps a shudder rang through these gloomy depths when Jesus gave up the ghost, and when the earth shook as if it shuddered at the cruelties which it witnessed. The Jews' Wailing Place. — All visitors to Jerusalem will readily agree that this is one of the most interesting, affecting, and often pathetic '. y . VARIOUS INTERESTING PLACES «5 places in the Holy City. Here, on the eveninjr of Friday, the Jews assemble for humiliation and supplication. All travelers who can possibly be in Jerusalem on that evenincr visit this place. It IS near the sacred spot on which the old temple stood. The stones in the wall are of immense size, and doubtless some of them were once a part of the temple, or of some of the walls of its various courts. They are beveled at their edges with much care ; this fact is usually considered as evidence of their great age and of their former position as parts of the ancient temple. The area itself is about one liundred feet long and fifteen wide. The temple wall above the ground at this spot is sixty feet high. The place is reached by passing through a succession of nar- row, winding, and most filthy streets, and often no small degree of filth is found in the area it- self. The Jews believe that their prayers will find special acceptance with God when offered through crevices of the walls composed of stones which formed part of the building, regarding which God had said, " Mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually." The result is that the Jews who come here to pray put their lips between the stones, and in that attitude offer their prayer that they may claim the promise just quoted. Here I found rows of Jews— men, women, and children— sitting in the dust in front of the wall or standing against it, some reading or reciting, others praying. They rev- erently touched the stones of the temple;' they caressed them lovingly; they kissed them ten- •i' h t j \/ii: t ,r-l ■ i r '1 I 86 SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURKS derly, passionately. Tears literally streamed down their cheeks ; they were genuine tears. No one can doubt, however he may explain, the fact that the sorrow is sincere and the tears are genuine. Their lamentations touch the heart of the visitor ; no thoughts of levity intrude upon the reality of the sorrow which the visitor every- where sees. I really pitied these Jews who were here from many parts of the world, Jews wearing different garments and speaking various lan- guages. They meet usually from three to five o'clock in the afternoon, and after wailing out their lamentations and offering their supplica- tions, they go to various synagogues. They rock to and fro, as their lips mutter their wails and lamentations. Jerome makes a touching allu- sion to the Jewish mourners of his day v iio paid the Roman soldiers for allowing them to go and weep over the ruins of the Holy City. A firman from the sultan, for which they pay a small tax, gives them a perpetual right to the wailing- place. With equal fervor they pray and with equal sorrow they weep to-day. Readers will be glad to see an example of the beautiful litany, parts of which they still chant over their house defiled by infidels : THE RABBIN READS ALOUD : For the place that lies desolate : For the place that is destroyed : For the walls that are over- thrown : For our majesty that is de- parted : For our great men who lie dead : ALL THE PEOPLE RESPOND : We sit in solitude and mourn. We sit in solitude and mourn. We sit in solitude and mourn. We sit in solitude and mourn. We sit in solitude and mourn. » > 'i VARIOUS INTKRKSTING PI.ACKS ^7 For the precious stones that are We sit in solitude and mourn, buried : For the priests who have stum- We sit in solitude and mourn bled : For our kings who have dc- We sit in solitude and mourn spised him : Another litany, consisting of five petitions and five responses, is frequently repeated. It will be observed that lis litany is written after the manner of an antiphonal psalm : TIIK RAHIIIN PRAYS THl'S : TIIF. niOI'I.K ANSWKR : We pray thee have mercy on Gather the children of Jerusa- Zion : leni. Haste ! haste ! Redeemer of Speak to the heart of Jerusa- Zion : lem. May beauty and majesty sur- Ali ! turn thyself mercifully to round Zion : Jerusalem. May the kingdom soon return Comfort those who mourn over to '^'on : Jerusalem. May peace and joy abide with And the IJranch of Jesse spring ^'°" '• up at Jerusalem. The Jews in Jeru.salem are mostly very poor ; they live chiefly on the charity of their country- men in other lands; and they spend much of their time visiting holy places, studying ancient Scriptures, and many of them are looking for- ward to a grave in the valley of Jehoshaphat as the greatest boon they can desire at the close of this life. The Via Dolorosa.— Few streets in Jerusa- lem deserve or receive so much attention as the Via Doloro.sa, or "Way of Sorrow." If the Church of the Holy Sepulchre really stands on Calvary, perhaps this street is rightly designated. ^ : mi \ 1 I , I • fi ■ I ;■ ■ I • V Ml 88 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES It is a narrow street and roughly paved, but is in some places truly picturesque with its quaint arches, strangely constructed houses, and very ancient styles of masonry. No one can look with indifference, however much unbelief he may express, on its so-called "holy places." Considering the many sieges which Jerusalem has experienced, one cannot be sure of any of its localities, but even though this may not be the very street trodden by Christ on his way to Cal- vary, it has at least been hallowed by the tears and prayers of millions of pilgrims during the Christian centuries. They have come from many lands ; they have had many superstitions ; they showed much ignorance, but many of them had a desire to follow the footsteps of Christ, according to their light, as their Lord and Master. I must admit that there was to me no satisfactory historic evidence of the genuineness of these sacred sites ; the street was not even known in connection with these sacred associa- tions until the fourteenth century. Rut we have at last the Pretorium, where Christ was arrayed in purple and crowned with thorns. This place I visited with the deepest interest. Here is shown the entrance to the Hall of Judgment, where Pilate declared Christ was innocent ; the spot where Peter stood when he denied his Lord ; the Ecce Homo Arch, where Pilate exhibited him to the people ; the place of the binding of the cross on the shoulder of Christ ; the place where he sank under it and where Simon of Cyrene was compelled to carry it ; and the im- i '111 lil ! 4 VARIOUS INTKRESTING PLACES 89 pression of Christ's shoulder as he leaned on the wall for support ; also the house of Veronica who wiped his brow and on whose handkerchief Ills features were forever imprinted; and the place where Jesus said, '' Daughters of Terusa- cin weep not for ine." Here also are shown the house of Lazarus and the house of Dives One cannot have confidence in the authenticity of any of these sacred places, but they recall tlie historic facts as presented by the evangelists. The Tomb ok David.— This is close to the Lepers Quarters ; it is by far the most remark- able of all the tombs in or near Jerusalem, ex- cept, of course, the tomb of our Lord. It is quite certain that David was buried in Zion, and the Apostle Peter tells us that "his sepulchre is .'y u"',il"^^ this day." Adjoining the tomb is the building or mosque known as the Ccenacu- liim, the place where the Lord's vSupper was in- stituted. In 1839 Sir Moses :\Iontefiore and his party vyere admitted to the mosque. Through the trellised doorway they saw the tomb, but tl:-y were not permitted to enter it. Miss Bar- clay, the daughter of Dr. Barclav, the American missionary of whom I have already spoken, was ater permitted, through the influence of a Mo- hammedan lady, to enter the tomb and to make a sketch of its salient features. The room is not large, but is richly furnished. The sarcophagus IS ot rough stone and is covered with green satin tapestry richly embroidered with gold. The real tomb IS possibly in a cave below, the door to h IJ 90 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES inj I '' which is covered with black velvet tapestry em- broidered in silver. Near this door hanj^s an ever-bnrning lamp ; in the southwest corner a staircase descends to the lower room, and in the middle of it is shown the place where, it is said, our Lord celebrated his last Passover, and insti- tuted his Supper with his disciples. The place where it is claimed the table stood is pointed out, and a .stone in the wall marks the place where the Lord sat or reclined. If this really is "the upper room " of Scripture, what wonderful events have happened here ! The preparation for the last supper, the washing of the disciples' feet, the institution of the supper itself, the ten days' prayer meeting while waiting for the ful- fillment of the promise of the vSpirit's descent, and the coming of the Spirit on tlie day of Pen- tecost ! Marvels upon marvels ! what histories concerning time and eternity are suggested to us by this place ! If only one could be sure that it is the real place, how his soul would glow with holy emotion, with lofty aspiration, and with divine inspiration. The tombs of the Kings and the tombs of the Judges, on the north of Jeru- salem, are also objects of great interest. Many lessons are suggested by the places we have visited. Whatever the historic facts regard- ing the strait gate may be, there is, as taught us in Matt. 7 : 13, 14, a strait gate for every human soul. This truth it is well for us constantly to appreciate and daily to emphasize. We also may learn that the whole world is a quarry in which God is getting material for the spiritual temple. VARIOUS INTKRI'STINO ri.ACI-S 91 Again, did time permit ns to enlarj^e upon the thought, it would be profitahle to emphasize the fact tliat all of us, like Christ, must carry our cross to our Calvary; and, finally, we may 'learn that we daily may hold communion with' Christ as truly as did the disciples in that upper room, and that vve daily may be under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, for since his descent on the day of Pentecost eyery belieyer has become his sacred and august temple. r- ' J i\ 1.1 'f '? ; /I VIII " ROUND ABOUT JERUSALEM " WE cannot do better than start again at the Jaffa Gate. Directly before us, as we begin our tour outside the walls, is the valley of Gihon into which we descend. This valley is memorable as the place where Solomon was crowned and proclaimed king. Here are the upper and lower pools of Gihon. The lower pool is six hundred feet long and two hundred and fifty feet wide, and its depth is from thirty- five to forty feet. It is believed by those compe- tent to express an opinion that this great reser- voir dates from the time of Hezekiah. Tradition says it was here that David saw Bathsheba batli- ing, when the thoughts of evil entered into his mind, which resulted in his act of perfidious murder. The valley of Gihon is changed to the valley of Hinnom as it turns eastward. It also grows narrower until it becomes a ravine with steep and rocky sides. It separates IMount Zion on the north from the hill of Evil Counsel and the plain of Rephaim on the south. On the south- ern border overlooking the eastern end of this valley, Solomon built the high places to Moloch.* * I Kings 11:7. 92 '' ) " ROUND ABOUT JERUSAI.EM " 93 Usually kings followed the practice begun by Solomon, so that Ahaz and Manasseh did not spare their own sons, but made them pass through the fire to Moloch. This false and cruel God was set up in the very face of the true Ciod. It is quite probable that Baal and IMolocli were differ- ent names for the same abominable deity. There was in this valley a great iron image of this idol, and little children were placed on the red-hot hands of the image, their agonizing shrieks be- ing drowned by the clattering cymbals in the hands of the worshipers and by th.e wild shouts which accompanied the beating of the cymbals. Milton thus describes these abominations : Moloch, horrid king, besmeared with blood Of human sacrifice and parents' tears, Though for the noise of drums and timbrels loud Their children's cries unheard, that passed through fire To his grim idol— in the pleasant vale of Hinnom, To- phet thence. And black gehenna called, the type of Hell. The good Josiah with a strong hand put a stop to the Satanic practice of infant sacrifice. He made the place a place of refuse and a charnel house ; and :t became so odious that later the Jews called it "Ge-Hinnom," or, as the word has become in later usage, "Gehenna," making this place symbolical of the fire of eternal torment. Within this valley is the traditional Field of Blood, or Aceldema of the traitor Judas. Tiiis place is on the southern face of the valley at the eastern end. Tombs abound in the vicinity ; fir' 'I, ,6 ^' r i I' ' ^' 94 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES tombs of hermits, Crusaders, and pilgrims, some of the latter being of recent date. In some of these tombs lepers and other outcasts now find a home. The hill is called the "Hill of Evil Counsel " from the tradition that here was the country house of Caiaphas in which he met the Jews to form a conspiracy as to how they might best put Jesus to death. Near here is En-Rogel, a word which means the " Fuller's Fountain " ; some believe it to be the " well of Nehemiah." It will be rememljcred that at this fountain Jon- athan and Ahimaaz waited for news from David in his time of trouble; "for they might not be seen to come into the city." ' Wlien Adonijah "exalted himself, srying, I will be king," it was at this fountain that he celebrated his coronation feast." This well is in one of the most fertile spots around Jerusalem. It is wailed up with large squared stones, is one hundred and twenty- five feet deep, and at times is full to overflowing. Pool of Siloam. — This is an object of very great interest. Around few places in or near Jerusalem do so many tender, beautiful, and po- etic memories gather as about the pool of Siloam. This pool is supplied by a fountain of the same name, and around it are ancient stones and ma- sonry. There are some broken pillars in the pool, and in certain places it is lined with very old stone work. In Isa. 8 : 6, we read of " the waters of Shiloah that go softly." This beautiful * 2 Sam. 17 : 17. ' I Kings I : 9. ' ):'l " ROUND ABOUT JERUSALEM " 95 »j imagery of the old prophet has given its poetic suggestion to all writers since his day. All our thonghts of this pool are colored by the descrip- tions given in Scriptnre and by the later writers in prose and poetry. Perhaps Isaiah's imagery led Milton to describe this rill as, Siloa's brook that flowed Fast by the oracle of God. If we follow the stream for a little distance we shall come to the pool of Siloam. It is fifty- three feet long, eighteen feet broad, and nineteen feet deep. The broken columns of which I have spoken probably indicate that a church was once built over this historic pool. Is this really the pool to which Christ sent the blind man, saying to him after he had anointed his eyes with clay : " Go, wash in the pool of Siloam " ? The ques- tion immediately suggests itself to the traveler who is familiar with this incident in the life of our Lord ; for these waters thus formed a part of the wonder-working power of Jesus Christ. Were they the first thing which this man saw after he had washed therein ? Standing beside these waters, his eyes now opened, did he look up and for the first time behold the light, and gaze on the city and on the valley? What thoughts must have filled his soul, and what thoughts fill our souls as we now recall these wonderful events ! At certain seasons of the year red an- emones bloom in the crevices and around the edges of the old pool ; they also fringe the riv- ulet as it flows from under the brow of the hill. L > ■} ^r w ' 96 SUNDAY NIGHT tKCTURES I, ;4 ,1 I These facts were doubtless in the mind of Bishop Heber when he wrote the lines which we often sing in our public services, lines which seem still to reproduce the imagery of Isaiah and the sug- gestion of Milton, and lines which bring their benediction of peace to their readers or singers : By cool Siloam' s shady rill How fair the lily grows ! Probably it was from Siloam that the water was drawn to pour on the sacrifices on the last great day of the feast. It was this fact that sug- gested our Lord's words on a memorable occa- sion; "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." The gardens below Siloam form certainly one of the greenest and most attractive spots in the vicinity of Jerusalem. There is a zigzag passage nearly two thousand feet long cut through the rock which connects Siloam with the Fountain of the Virgin on the opposite side of Ophel. The water of this fountain often bursts out in a great stream, and then as sud- denly subsides. The common people believe that a dragon dwells in the fountain, and that when he wakes he stops the flowing of the water, but when he sleeps it resumes its flowing as be- fore. Tradition points out in connection with this fountain the spot wh.ere the Virgin Mary washed the swaddling clothes of the infant Sav- iour. Some have supposed *hat the fountain of the Virgin is the Bethesda of the New Testa- ment, where our Lord cured the iinpotent man ; but others place the pool of Bethesda within the \ :\ y\ "ROUND ABOUT JERUSALEM" 97 walls and near St. Stephen's Gate. Perhaps the consensus of opinion in our clay is toward this latter place as the true pool of Bethesda. The modern Arab village called Silwan is a miserable place, some of the huts being old sep- ulchres hewn in the rock. Near here was the tower of Siloam which fell and slew eighteen persons.^ The King's Gardens are at the point of junc- tion of Hinnom and Kedron. The name comes from the opinion that David and Solomon had splendid gardens here, the spot being even now most attractive. On either side are fig, olive, and pomegranate trees, while gardens of melons and cucumbers at certain seasons of the year give an idea of remarkable freshness and equal fruitfulness. The hills on either side are ter- raced and were once beautifully cultivated. Ne- hemiali tells us that the King's Gardens were opposite the pool of Siloam, and were watered by thai pool. A venerable mulberry tree is shown in this vicinity, supported by a pillar of loose stones ; this tree is said to mark the spot where the cruel Manasseh put the prophet Isaiah to death, causing him to be sawn asunder. The tree is therefore called "Isaiah's Tree." One of the most attractive spots in this neighborhood is still called, as it was believed to have been called of old, "The King's Dale." The so-called tombs of Zechariah, Saint James, Jehoshaphat, and Absalom are in the valley of * Luke 13 : 4. G 98 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES pi ■(■ Jehoshaphat. To this valley, or this part of the general valley, we now come. We are continu- ing our course around the southern portion of the city — let us keep our geographical relations clearly in mind. We cannot, however, be suie of the identity of any of these tombs. The style of the architecture clearly shows that the so-called tomb of Absalom is not the pillar which he reared for himself during his lifetime in the King's Dale. There is so much of doubt regarding all these tombs that one cannot speak of their identity with any degree of certainty. The Garden of Gethsemane. — We con- tinue our journey until we have reached the eastern side of Jerusalem. We are now about to approach one of the most sacred, and, in the thought of many Christian believers, //le most sacred place in the vicinity of Jerusalem, — or even in the whole world, — the garden of Geth- semane. This garden is from a quarter to half a mile east of the wall of the city. The tradition which places the betrayal of Christ here is much supported. Doctor Fish, in his excellent volume to which I have already referred, quotes Euse- bius, bishop of Caesarea, who lived almost early enough to have known some who had seen the companions of the apostles, as speaking of the garden as a well-known place. Jerome, a half- century later, describes the situation of the place as in harmony with the present locality. Prob- ably the garden originally covered considerably more space than is now occupied by what is ir' 'yf .1 u ROUND ABOUT JERUSALEM " 99 con- known as Oetliscmane. It now embraces about one-third of an acre ; to l)e more exact, it meas- ures one hundred and sixty feet by one hundred and fifty feet. It is surrounded by a reasonably high wall, perhaps about six feet in height, co^'- ered with white stucco. This wall was erec : in 1847 l^y the Franciscan-,. A rock to the east of the door marks the spot wliere tlie Apostles Peter and John slept. There is also outside the wall a fragment of a column which indicates the traditional spot where Judas betrayed his Lord with a kiss. Passing through the gate in this wall, we find a space of perhaps five feet be- tween this wall and an iron fence which sur- rounds the garden. In none of the descriptions which I have seen of this garden, is there an allusion to this iron fence. The space which it encloses is laid out in walks and flower beds in- terspersed with a few shrubs and trees of smaller growth. There are eight olive trees of large size and of great age ; they were not there in the time of our Lord, for we know that Titus, in preparation for the siege of Jerusalem, cut down all the trees in the vicinity of the city. But there is almost no doubt that the trees which are there now grew from the stumps and roots of the trees which were there in Christ's time, and which were the witnesses of his unspeakable agony. These trees are shored up with heaps of stones lest the wind should blow them down. They are also supported, in part, by bars of iron! There are also six cypress trees in the garden ; these latter trees, for some reason, are generally •c? lOO SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURKS -' I ' < 4t v , ' ( ' , i omitted in the descriptions which travelers give of this sacred place. The g^arden is carefully kept by the Latin monks, and all forms of dese- cration are prevented. Here and there fences shut off particular spots, but on the inner side of the outer wall very poor pictures dishonor the place, and disturb one's desire to reproduce the wondrous past. I visited the garden for the second time at sundown on Sunday evening. I left at a little distance my dragoman and two others, dwellers in Jerusalem, who chanced to be with us that day, that I might be alone with my thoughts, that I might read again the Scripture narrative of our Lord's agony in the garden, and that I might make the scene of his sufferings real and personal. Some have said that the present garden is not sufficiently lonely and secluded to harmonize with the descriptions given by the evangelists, and that possibly the agony of our Lord occurred in the larger garden which existed, as it is supposed, in that day, and not in the portion of the garden now shown. But it seemed to me to be a place of peculiar loneliness and seclusion. The Mount of Olives overhangs it on the one side and the embattled walls of Jerusalem on the other. It is a fitting spot for one desiring to be alone with God at evening's holy hour, or under the shadows cast by the olive trees under the light of the Passover moon. An American woman has furnished a sufficient amount of money to maintain a tank of water in the garden. This provision enables the guardians to keep the flowers constantly in \^ "round about JERUSALEM" loi bloom and the grass perpetually fresh and green. It was an admirable gift ; it symbolizes the place which the garden and its sacred scenes must ever have in the minds of Christians throughout the whole world. Thoughts of won- derful tenderness came into my mind on that Sunday evening, amid the fading light of day and the gathering shadows of evening. Perhaps near the spot where I stood did Christ endure the bloody sweat of agony untold ; perhaps it was here that the angel came and ministered unto him when he was exhausted with "strong crying and tears." Under the olive boughs, Falling like ruby beads, The blood drops from his brows ; He bleeds ! My Saviour bleeds ! Josephus tells us that the suburbs of Jerusa- lem abound with gardens and pleasure grounds. The word "garden," it ought to be borne in mind, was then used with a somewhat different meaning from that which we now give to the name. The garden of Gethsemane is now more truly a garden, in our use of the word, tlian it was in Christ's day. Then the word garden meant substantially what we mean by the word orchard. This garden, however, will ever be as- sociated with but a single event, the agony of the Son of God on the evening preceding his death on the cross. Here was fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah regarding the Christ: "I have trodden the wine-press alone." The word !( W' ;r ) I02 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURKS Getlisemane means an olive press. The garden is but a few paces to the south from the so-called tomb of the Virp^in. The entrance is from the Mount of Olives toward the southeast. The olive oil yielded by the trees in the ji^arden is still sold for a hi ' i \ t our BETlILEIIlvM — "IIOUSK OF BREAD" I13 est event of which our sinful world has been the theatre. Other Interesting Sites.— Not far distant from the spot we have been considering is the chapel of the Clanger Here, according to tra- dition, the wooden manger is said to have been discovered. This manger is now in the church of St. ]\Iaria IMaggiore at Rome. Near this is the altar of the JNIagi, which marks the ..pot where the wise men presented their gifts. Here are the chapel of Joseph, indicating where he retired at the time of the holy birth, and where the angel appeared connnanding the flight into Egypt ; and the altar of the Innocents. Tradi- tion tells us that thousands of the children slain by Herod were buried here ; but there never was a greater error than to suppose that thousands, or hundreds, or even scores of children were slain by Herod. A careful interpretation of all the facts will probably show that there could not have been more than ten or twelve children of the age described in the neighborhood. Tliere is not space here to go into details, but one haz- ards no risk in afTirming that probably at the outside, not more than ten or a dozen children were slain by Herod. Infidels have savagely criticised the Bible narrative, as if it were re- sponsible for the enormous exaggerations of irresponsible medieval monks and saints. Not far distant is the so-called tomb of Eu- sebius, but much doubt must always be associ- ated w4th its authenticity. Near to the birth- H ■'■i ■ ^ i' * 'Ml , I V't i fp V» t ; '•i'; -ir 114 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES place of our Lord is the chapel and tomb of St. Jerome. Here he spent thirty of his declining- years, believing that all the wliile the peals of the last judgment trump were sounding in his ears. Dean Stanley in his " Sinai and Palestine " gives a thrilling description of these long years of toils and tears, of prayers and penances. Here Jerome wrote his books and spent his time in the greatest austerities. He was the only one of the many monks sheltered in this grotto since the time of Constantine, as Dean Stanley reminds us, whose name has traveled through the world. Here he dreamed, studied, prayed, and fasted ; here he gathered round him, in small commu- nities, devoted followers who became the centers of conventual life in Palestine. Here the fiery .spirit of his Dalmatian birthplace found expres- sion in translations, commentaries, and letters. From this lonely cave he sent forth influences which to some degree have shaped the religious and philosophical thinking of the world. His great work, however, was his famous translation of the Scriptures, which is still the " Biblia Vtd- gata^'' of the Latin Church. Dean Stanley calls special attention to that most pathetic scene, his last communion and death, at which all the world has been in a sense present through the wonderful painting of Domenichino. The great painter has given us a vivid representation of the exhausted frame and sinking flesh and conse- crated spirit of Jerome pluming itself for its flight to the skies. Leaving Bethlehem, we visit on the way back \ :i- BKTIILHHEM — "HOUSE OF BREAD" 1 15 his to Jerusalem the well of Bethlehem, or David's Well. It is the place referred to in 2 Sam. 23 : 13-17. It will be remembered that when David and his men were in the cave of Adnllam, David longed for a drink from this well, saying: "Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate." But Betlilehem was garrisoned by the Philistines. Three brave men heard David's wish, and with great heroism dashed through the Philistine ranks and soon returned, bringing David the water for which he had longed. With a chiv- alry worthy of all praise, David would not drink the water, to procure which his followers had risked their lives, but he poured it out as an offering unto the Lord. Not far distant is the Milk Grotto, with its legends of the infant Jesus and his mother. Yonder is a shepherd going before his sheep, calling them by name and lead- ing them out, perhaps from the very snot where shepherds heard the notes of angelic so\ig on the night that Christ was born. We hasten back to Jerusalem. The sun is nearing its setting. Lepers with their wild tones and shriveled forms meet us asking alms. This has been a wonderful afternoon ; never, never shall I forget the afternoon of the twenty-eighth of September, 1895, when I stood over the silver star which marks the place of the birth of Jesus Christ, Son of man. Son of God, Child of the manger, and Ancient of days. I',' il) , 1 '{I li I ■ ,5- IV, / if /;',' X FROM JERUSAI.EM TO JERICHO WE tiow pass out of Jerusalem through St. Stephen's (kite and descend into the valley of Kedron ; and passing the garden of Gethseniane, we soon bear upward over a de- pression of the Mount of Olives. This moun- tain is now called Jebel-et-Tur. It is a ridge two miles long, running north on the east side of Jerusalem, from which it is separated by the Kedron Valley. It rises two thousand six hun- dred and sixty-five feet above the IMeditcrranean, and a1)out three thousand five hundred feet above the Jordan Valley, only fifteen miles distant. There are many tombs cut in the rocks on the side of the mountain. Perhaps there is no spot on the whole globe which unites so glorious a view with so many solemn and sublime memo- ries. Up this mountain David climbed when fleeing from Absalom, and over it he, who was David's son and David's Lord, often passed going to and from Jerusalem. The spot is finally reached where Christ, on the day of his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, wept over the doomed city. Passing toward Bethany we soon arrive at the place pointed out as that where the fig tree stood on which Jesus ii6 If'; n: > FROM JKRrSAI.KM TO JKRICIIO I17 pronounced his anathema because of its fruit- Icssuess. Like the Jevvisli nation, it was guilty of hypocrisy ; it flaunted its foliaj^e, but was en- tirely without fruit. With certain varieties of fif^ trees the new leaf never appears until the fruit is at least partly ripened. This I-jafy tree, therefore, j^ave promise of an abundance of fruit which it did not possess. Yonder is the place where it is supposed that Lcthphage, " house of figs," was located. It will be remembered that this was the hamlet to which Jesus sent his disciples to "find an ass tied." This place is now practically a houseless ruin. We now press forward to Bethany. This town is beautifully situated on the eastern slope of Mount Olivet, about two miles southeast of Jerusalem, on the road to Jericho. We see first a rocky knoll where are several ancient graves, and where probably was the grave of Lazarus; that grave was not in the village of Bethany. The vScripture narrative clearly points to this place; we are told that it was a cave, and a stone lay upon it ; by this language we are to understand that a stone lay over its mouth. The dragoman or a local guide will point out a grave which is said to be that of Lazarus. Was it really to this grave that Christ pointed when he said, " Take ye away the stone " ? Was it here that Christ stood in the hushed silence, raising his eyes to heaven and then saying, with sub- lime authority, " Lazarus, come forth " ? Was it on this soil that Lazarus stood when he came forth from his grave bound hand and foot ? Did ii8 SUNDAY NIGHT UKCTURKS < .( »i| / he live, as tradition affirms, tliirty years after- ward in yonder Bethany home? Qnestions like these force themselves npon ns as we tread tliis soil or stand amid the hallowed scenes of this historic village. liethany is now a town of thirty or forty families ; it is a place withont thrift, withont indnstry, withont intelligence, and so withont prosperity. Its villagers are al- most all Moslems, and Moslems of a pecnliarly bitter and bigoted type. A few of tlie honses are certainly old, as is shown by the large and beveled stones bnilt into their walls. All trav- elers and writers are agreed that these stones clearly belong to some ancient edifice, and have probably been nsed many times in tlie eonstrnc- tion of snccessive bnildings. The - ' 1 tower on the hill is particnlarly noticeable. ^e present name of the place is El-Azariyeh ; tins name is a corrnption of the name Lazarns. Some, how- ever, claim that the trne form of the word is I^azarieh ; if this is the trne form, the connec- tion with Lazarus is very marked. The mean- ing of the word Bethany, as is generally snp- posed, is " honse of dates " ; bnt some derive it from a word meaning " honse of sorrow." It is admitted that the etymology of the word is still an nnsettled qnestion. The present name is a memorial of the miracle wronght by Christ in the raising of Lazarns from the dead. Even to this honr, amid the rnins of this ancient village, there is still a snggestion of the calmness and restfulness which we have long associated with the place. Few places in the New Testament FROM JKRUSALEM TO JKRICIIO 1 19 history are more snpjTcstive of tender memories than is Bethany. Gronps of people may still be seen at the eventide returninjr to this quiet vil- lage from the busier scenes of the neighboring city. Bethany is, Not wholly in the busy world, nor quite Beyond it. One can readily imagine that here our Lord found the restful seclusion which made Bethany a place of frequent resort. Mary's act in anoint- ing the precious body of Jesus with the contents of her alabaster box, makes the place fragrant to this hour with the memory of her loving act. The odor of that ointment has filled the world. Vases of alabaster are still made for holding perfumes. It is said that the mouth is filled with cotton and then melted wax is poured over the cotton to exclude the air. It was this stopple which Mary broke, as Dr. Fish reminds us, and not the vase itself. Lazarus is now dead, Martha is no more " cumbered with much serving," and Mary no longer sits here at the Master's feet ; but Christ still lives, and Mary's act in anointing him beforehand for his burial still sweetens the whole atmosphere of this di- lapidated village, even as it adds a new charm to her character and to the beautiful Scripture narrative. Another event makes this vicinity famous forever. We shall not forget that on this deso- late upland, and perhaps at a point immediately overlooking the village, Jesus took his departure ■p»pli ft' « T20 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES id from t'lc earth on his return to heaven. The place pointed out by tradition on the Mount of Olives as that of the ascension, no one considers to be the true location of this great event ; and probably it was not intended at first that any one should so consider it. It was selected, not because it was supposed to be the actual place, but simply that it might commemorate the actual occurrence. Here on the eastern declivity of the Mount of Olives, sheltered by gently swell- ing hills and apart from other sights and sounds, our Lord had his last interview with his dis- ciples. We are distinctly told that " he led them out as far as to Bethany." Then he delivered to them his final commission, and as they stood about him " while he blest them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven." All the laws of gravitation yielded him homage as their creator and preserver. He began to rise — he rose higher and higher ; and the disciples watched him with strange wonder and great reverence until the cloud received him out of their sight. How wonderfully real was the story of the ascen- sion as we stood on this memorable spot ! It is most unfortunate that the peak of the ]\Iount of Olives should ever have been chosen as the site of the ascension ; if only we bear in mind the words already quoted regarding Bethany, we can readily see that the ascension could not have taken place from the top of Olivet. One e more th*^ sig'it of the disciples as " they looked stead- fastly toward heaven," and once more the sight of the heavenly messengers in white apparel, ' t ! i FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO 121 assuring the disciples that Jesiis would come again " in like manner as ye have seen hiin go into heaven," was present to our thought as we turned away from this sacred spot to continue our journey. Down to Jericho.— Our Lord was wonder- fully exact in all his uses of speech. He con- formed to the usages of his time so far as they were in harmony with truth. When in his fa- miliar parable he tells us that "a certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho,'" he speaks with absolute accuracy. Between these two places there is a literal descent of nearly four thousand feet. Leaving Bethany the coun- try slopes in a succession of naked hills of white limestone and dreary glens for about ten miles. Then what is properly called the valley of the Jordan is reached. Desolation liere reigns ; all about us is a wilderness stern and dreary ; all about us are barren rocl-s and numerous hills. It is common for u^ to associate the idea of abundant vegetation with the word wilderness, but according to the Jewish idea, a wilderness was largely a place of desolation. Here we have a jumble of villages, hills, and ragged ra- vines. For weary miles there is little except ledges of limestone rocks, glaring in the sun and seldom relieved by a tree or by even a sin- gle blade of grass. There is little to support wild beasts or even birds in this desolate region ; ' I,uke lo : 30. m 122 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES « ft K'r indeed, it has been said that birds could scarcely find here material enough with which to build their nests. Vividly conies to the thought the picture of John the Baptist, clothed with camel's hair and a girdle of skins about his loins and " as the voice of one crying in the wilderness." Travelers have often likened this region to what the ocean would become if, when its waves were rolling mountains high and in wildest confusion, it should be suddenly congealed and finally petrified. Through this desolate region the road to Jeri- cho passes. Remains of Roman times are seen where the roads were cut through the barriers of lofty rocks. We are now passing the spot where our Lord locates the scene of the parable of the Good Samaritan and of the man who fell among theives. Here again we see how fully Jesus appreciated the fitness of things, and how skillfully he harmonized the physical peculiari- ties of places with the spiritual purposes which he desired to accomplish in his parables. It would be difficult to find in Palestine a worse place than this in which to meet a robber ; in order to find a worse place it would be necessary to go beyond the Jordan. Even to this hour skulking Arabs have their homes in the caves and on the cliffs in this vicinity. Doctor Fish, to whom I have already referred, tells us that while he was passing through this wild region, he was met by seven or eight Bedouins, all armed with matchlocks, and presenting a ferocious ap- pearance. One of them seized his horse by the * ( FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO 1 23 n ip- bit, but they offered him no further harm tliau arousing him to the fact that danger was near if he fell behind his company while passing through these wild gorges. Here is a khan, pointed out as the inn in which the wounded man of our Lord's parable found needed care. Soon the tra\eler reaches the probable "brook Cherith, that is before Jordan." Here, as we know, Elijah was concealed from the wrath of Ahab, and here the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morn- ing and in the evening ; probably securing both, as has been suggested, from the neighboring idol altars. Here "he drank of this brook" until it dried up.^ Here too is the valley Achor, where the Israelites stoned the guilty Achan. This valley extends from Gilgal toward Bethel. And through this gorge the Israelites entered Canaan. Almost every spot in this rugged defile is voice- ful with historic facts regarding the histoiy of the Israelites in the earlier or the later day. We now reach the Jordan Plain. The air is burning hot, and the quivering haze makes all about us somewhat dreamy and indistinct. We are far below the level of the Mediterranean Sea. Neither the Jericho of Joshua's day nor that of Christ's day is now here; these two Jerichos were more than a mile apart, but both have now disappeared. Elisha's Fountain marks the site of the first Jericlio. This fountain is an immense reservoir, being six hundred and fifty- seven feet by four hundred and ninety feet. A • I Kings 17 ; 6. li'ji I' ' i m ■ lU t u n Hi ^:i «^V H) \l 124 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES copious Spring bursts from the base of the mound, around which are scattered bits of pot- tery and foundations of former buildings. The water is cool and sweet. In this neighborhood once stood a great city ; hither came the spies from the plains of Moab. Yonder is the moun- tain where on the advice of Rahab they hid themselves for three days. Around the city which then stood here marched the Israelites for seven days in obedience to the divine command. There stood the walls which fell down flat before the shout of the people of God. Here once was the school of the prophets to which Elijah and Elisha came from Bethel. Once more we see our Lord coming to the new Jericho, and lodg- ing with Zaccheus the publican ; once more we see him accompanied by the pilgrim^: to the Pass- over as he stops and heals the blind man. How these historic scenes again live and move in our thought ; how real all these events become as we associate them with the places in which they occurred. Truly the land illustrates the Book, and truly the Book conveys the exact facts in- separably associated with the land. From Cleopatra, the wily tyrant Herod the Great rented the revenues of this region, then beautiful with palm groves and balsam gardens. Indeed, one meaning of the word Jericho is " Place of fragrance," although some of the older commentators derive it from a word mean- ing the moon. Antony gave this region and its valuable products to Cleopatra, thus indicating the potent charm which this beautiful woman i\ M! ■ FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO 125 exercised over the brave but weak Roman. Herod the Great made Jericho a magnificent city, and here it was that this monster of iniquity died.- To-day the modern name of Jericho is Riha. It is a wretched village of about two hundred miserable people. The village has been called "the meanest and foulest of Palestine." It con- sists of dilapidated mud huts, which are covered with thorn bushes, though lately the place has been somewhat improved. Its people are the mongrel race hated by all classes of Arabians ; they are given over, it is said, to vices of the most degrading character. The women of the village go to the camps of travelers and give a rude entertainment accompanied by music and dancing. They are hideous-looking creatures ; their leader waves a naked short sword, and they all join in a sort of Indian war-whoop. The purpose of the entertainment is to secure back- sheesh. These shameless women and worthless men and this group of mud huts are all that remain of the city which Joshua conquered, the city where Cleopatra reveled, the city where Herod riotously reigned; and tlie city where our Lord performed his deeds ot mercy. His mira- cles of love are the only memory which makes this vicinity still the "place of fragrance." Somewhere in this neighborhood was the an- cient Gilgal ; this, it will be remembered, was the site of the first camp of the Israelites after they crossed the Jordan. Here they passed their first night on the west side of the river ; here the 126 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES <«(.<' n iti n twelve stones were set up, which had been taken from the bed of the stream ; and here they kept their first Passover in the land of Canaan. The name means "the rolling," because of the ob- servance of the rite of circumcision which had been neglected so far as concerned the Israelites who had been born during tlie wilderness jour- Hvjy. It is supposed that the name has reference to this passage : " This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you " ; ' but it is difficult to see how this derivation will apply to the other Gilgals, and it is possible that the name is the adaptation of an earlier word of another language to a Hebrew form. A ride of an hour and a half takes the traveler from Jericho to tlie Jordan. The Latin bathing-place is seven miles from the Dead Sea ; that of the Greeks is two miles farther north. The Latin bathing-place is generally exhibited as the place of Christ's bap- tism, the place where the Israelites crossed the river, and also the place of other great events in the history of this ancient people. Thrilling emotions sweep the soul as one stands for the first time on the banks of the veritable Jordan, the sacred river of the Holy Land. What stupendous events have occurred, we may be- lieve, on this very spot ! From this point the swollen waters at the springtime rolled back to permit Israel to cross over dry-shod. Here Elijah smote the waters with his mantle, and they parted to permit him and Elisha to pass while •'.H » Josh. 5 : 9. U FROM JKRUSAI^KM TO JERICHO 127 the former was on his way to glory and to God. Here the waters parted again when Klisha smote them with the mantle of Elijah. Somewhere in this vicinity the borrowed axe, used and lost by a stalwart theological student, rose and floated on the stream when touched by the wood at the command of Elisha. Here the waters were con- secrated by the most glorious event the Jordan had ever witnessed — the baptism of the Son of God. On this august occasion all the Persons of the blessed Trinity were either audibly or visibly present. The Father was present by an audible voice, the Son was present in human form, and the Spirit in the form of a dove. This is the one instance in the Bible when all the Persons of the Trinity are described as thus audibly or visibly present, although their presence is im- plied in several passages. The dove still abounds in this region, and the willows fringing the sacred stream are still its favorite haunts. No more beautiful place for the baptism of Jesus could be selected; and here thousands of pil- grims still come during passion week to be bap- tized in the Jordan, confessing their sins. May we be ready in all things to obey the commands and to follow the example of our divine I^ord and Redeemer. •' m H I !■ Bare mountain ranges flank the Dead Sea, ris- ing in cliffs on the west fifteen hundred feet, and on the east two thousand feet. At the south- west is a range of hills of rock-salt, seven miles long and three hundred feet high ; this range, called Jebel Usdum, or Mount Sodom, runs from north to south. In some cases these mountain ranges jut out into the waters in bold headlands. Besides bitumen and sulphur, there is on the beach a substance called musca, a carbonate of lime which is black and which takes a fine pol- ish. Souvenirs of the Dead Sea are made from it and are sold in Jerusalem. When rubbed it has an intolerable odor, and when placed on hot coals it blazes with a sulphurous smell. On the east about seven miles from the south- ern shore, a low promontory, called el-Lisan, the tongue, projects westward and northward into the sea. It is ten miles long and five wide. North of this tongue the sea is an elongated oval in shape. The surface of the Dead Sea is one thousand three hundred and ninety-two feet below the Mediterranean, and three thousand seven hundred and fifty feet below Jerusalem. The level varies ten to fifteen feet according to the season. A series of shore lines shows that it has sunk by degrees hundreds of feet ; and the bottom is still subsiding. Twenty years ago the channel between the tongue and the west shore was crossed by two fords ; now it is impassable. The waters are clear and limpid, but exceed- ingly salt and bitter. A gallon weigh, twelve and a quarter pounds, two and a quarter pounds ris- ^ TIIK DEAD SEA 131 more tliaii distilled water. Tliere is no hostility to life ill the nei^rhborhood but the want of water. If some company wonld draw off the waters of Jordan thirty miles above and turn them by irri- gation into the plain the whole valley wonld be a garden. Frnits, sngar cane, and cotton wonld abonnd. Once sngar cane grew here ; traces of sngar mills are still fonnd. Great hotels may some day be bnilt on the shores of the Dead Sea Boats may float over its snrface, gay bathers disl port in Its waters, pleasnre parties go to the mountains, while other gronps amuse themselves under the shade trees or on the verandas of their hotels. Health-seekers may yet crowd these shores. This is a sweet picture. Chris- tianity may yet adorn the historic places, cursed by abominable sin, making them blossom as the rose. History of the Dead Sea.— We learn from Gen. 13 : 12 that Lot chose for himself a home on the borders of the Dead Sea. It was here that the important battle of four kings against five took place ; we learn also that the vale of Siddim, which is the Salt Sea, was full of slime pits, and the kings of Sodom and Go- morrah fled and fell there, and Lot was taken prisoner. In this vicinity were those cities of the plain, cities so full of wickedness that the Lord rained upon them brimstone and fire out of heaven. Thus Sodom has been for thousands of years a symbol of the grossest wickedness. Here i.ot s wife, looking backward, became a " pillar " 132 SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURES .''/'' I ', i.l rather, a mound, of salt. Travelers can still see at Jcbel Usihini salt hills which may well be called pillars of salt to this day. Sir J. W. Dawson, to whom I am indebted for many facts and some of the language used in these two chapters on the Dead vSea, tells us that the Dead Sea, whether seen in calm or storm, is an impressive sheet of water. Its waters are clear and inodorous ; they are also free from pol- lution and garbage. The mineral springs of the vicinity, the mild winter climate, and the density of its air might well make it in the future what it was in the past, a favorite resort for invalids and pleasure seekers. The name Dead Sea is comparatively modern, and entirely unknown to the writers of the Bible. They associated with it no ideas of horror and desolation ; certainly not previous to the destruction of the wicked cities of the plain. They spoke of the region as resembling the garden of the Lord, and its western side was famous for its vineyards. Bathinc in the Sea. — Most travelers try the curiout^ effect of bathing in the Dead Sea. If one is suffering from any abrasion of the skin, which is not unlikely to be the case where is so much cause for irritation, a bath will cause much suffering. The specific gravity of the water is lightest at the mouth of the Jordan, as there so much fresh water enters. It is therefore well not to bathe too near the entrance of that river. The water is buoyant enough to permit one to stand in it with head and shoulders above the t, !! m I, THE DEAD SEA ^33 r »! surface. One floats at case ; indeed, it is difHcnlt for one to subnierj^e his 1)ody. Doctor Robinson tells us that he " could never swim before either in fresh or salt water," but here he " could sit, stand, lie, or swim without difficulty." Its buoyancy has not been exa^jj^erated. The tem- perature is i)leasin<;, and if one is careful not to j^et any of the water into the eyes, a bath pro- duces, when there are no abrasions of the skin, a pleasinj*', though somewhat oily sensation. U fresli water had its buoyancy no one would be drowned. Floating is no effort; sinking is laborious. The clv^.i annoyance is the tendency of the feet to go out of the water, and then the swimmer's head is in danger of going under. Lieutenant Lynch says : " With great difficult)- 1 kept my feet down, and when I lay on my back and drawing up my knees, placed my hands on them, I rolled immediately over." The differ- ences on account of its buoyancy are due to the difference in its specific gravity. One can cur\'e his body and so lie on the surface almost as one on a couch. Even then one feels almost as if he were a cork, and he is in constant danger of turning over. If one experiences any unpleas- ant sensations because of irritation of the skin, he can hasten to the Jordan and have a fresh water bath. Many amuse themselves by gather- ing sea-drift on the beach and taking away water in bottles. There is no living thing in the sea. Fish brought down by the Jordan die almost im- mediately upon being introduced into the sea ; even salt sea fish soon die. It has sometimes ft \i 1'. ■■ I I): ^ I hi i. All 134 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES been asserted that some of the lower forms of life are found, but the statement is open to doubt. General Impressions. — Most exaggerated and superstitious views were once held regarding this mysterious sea. It was said that no bird could fly over its deadly waters ; that no person could breathe its poisonous exhalations, and thn^ in its center there was an abyss into which the Jordan poured its full tide of waters. Among modern explorers, whose careful investigations have done much to explode these superstitions, is Lieutenant Lynch, of the United States Navy, who in 1848 passed down the Jordan from the Sea of Galilee in two metallic boats, and who made a careful survey of the Dead Sea. The density of the water is such that when these metallic boats of Lieutenant Lynch met with a gale on entering the sea from the Jordan, " it seemed as if the bows were encountering the sledge hammers of the Titans instead of the opposing waves of an angry sea." English and French investigators have confirmed his conclu- sions. One looks in vain for the awful gloom and deathliness which tlie medieval monks had described. One sees a lovely blue lake, changing into green in the shifting light ; at places one finds a sloping sandy beach, up which the waves come with a pleasant murmur. The sea does not destroy vegetable cr animal life in its vicin- ity. The song of bird.s is heard ; birds are seen flitting about the shore ; a rabbit runs into his i 4 THE DEAD SEA 135 hole close by Kie beach. But still, branches and trunks of trees, gnarled and bleached, the driftwood of the Jordan, impart a dreary aspect to the shore. As one remains longer by the shore he is solemnly impressed by its awful still- ness. He feels the strange effect, perhaps partb from the law of association, of the general &j- sence of life and the presence of death. Ji.-t as in Norway there is an awful stillness and solemnity in the sliining of the noonday sun at midnight, so here there is a deadness, a weird- ness, and solemnity which one feels though he cannot explain their essential elements. The basin is a bowl which the full tide of the waters of the Jordan can never fill ; and the exhala- tions caused by the great heat give the whole neighborhood the strange and mysterious ap- pearance which all travelers have observed. It seems as if the smoke of the buried cities was for- ever ascending to heaven. Nauseous Character.— Its nauseous char- acter is caused by the extraordinary amount of mineral salts which it holds in solution. The analyses of chemists differ according to different s<-asons of the year and different distances frcin the mouth of the Jordan. It has been calculated that six million tons of water fall into the Dead Sea daily. The whole of this amount is carried off by eya|K/f.ition. The lake has no visible out- let ; it is impt advanced science knows yet but little of the possibilities of God as they are concealed in the heavens above and the earth beneath. Science more and more is laying its tribute of honor on the Bible. One day it will give its proudest crown to Jesus Christ as King in THE DEAD SEA 139 truth's vast realm. Recognizing these great truths we are able more fully to appreciate these words of Holy Scripture: "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat." ri-i' XII > THE CITIES OF THE PLAIN ( >. \i I ■'i. I* ',••41 ,r,i (lli \ SOME hold that the cities of the plain, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, and Bela or Zoar, were not at the southern end but at the northern end of the Dead Sea. One reason for this opinion is that it is stated that Abraham and Lot could see the plain from the high ground between Bethel and Ai, from which point only the northern end of the Dead Sea is visible. Other reasons are given, such as that these were the cities of the Kikkar, or circle of Jordan, and that this name of circle is not ap- plicable to the south end of the sea. Another argument is that the expedition of the four kings as it swept north from Kadesh-Barnea attacked Hazezon Tamar, which was probably Engedi, before it reached the vale of Siddim, where the king of Sodom and his allies were met. There are still other arguments. But after fairly weighing them, I still hold to the traditional opinion, for reasons which I give in a few sen- tences. Lot's view, it is implied, took in only a section of the valley, or the name Kikkar may have been extended to the southern end. The argument assumes that there has been no essen- tial change in the locality since that day, but a 140 THE CITIES OF THE PLAIN 141 marked change because of the eruption is cer- tainly suggested by the narrative. The site of Zoar is a strong argument. It must have been near the southern end of the sea and on its eastern shore. It could not have been among the mountains, for Lot feared he could not get so far, and so begged to stop here. The names suggestive of identity with the original sites still adhere to the places at the southern end of the sea. This argument has never been satis- factorily met ; no one has really refuted it. The testimony of unbroken tradition, ancient and modern, Strabo, Josephus, Tacitus, Galen, Jerome, Eusebius, is in favor of the traditional view. Jebel Usdum must be recognized as the representative of Sodom. All the natural con- ditions of the southern end seem to me far more in harmony with the records of Scripture than those at the northern end. This I instinctively feel. Moses, four and a half centuries later, warns the Israelites against apostasy, telling them (Deut. 29 : 23) that God would overthrow them as he had those cities of the plain. He gives a picture of the site of Sodom and Go- morrah as it appeared in his day ; so do Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others, of its appearance in their day. It was then as now a blasted region, an utter desolation. Destruction of the Cities. — We are de- pendent on the Scripture narrative for our knowledge of the facts, so far as any contempo- rary account of this great event is concerned. 142 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURKS Pi 'I r l.-'l i : 'r i n 'I I ]■ I I f- ^^S We are told in Gen. 14 : lo that there were "slimepits" in the vicinity of the cities, which were destroyed. What are these slimepits ? Let us use a niodert; equivalent for that term. WIir:t is it? This: petroleum wells. The neighborhood of the Dead Sea was a region of bitumen ; it was a region liable to eruptions of the most destructive character. Sir J. W. Daw- son, to whom I have already referred with ap- preciation of his contribution to the literature of this subject and with acknowledgment of my in- debtedness to his brief but excellent statements, discussing this point in his book entitled " Egypt and Syria," calls attention to the fact that we have had somewhat similar eruptions in the United States and in Canada. A few years ago, as he reminds us, in tlie oil district of Pe- trolia, Canada, a bore-hole struck a reservoir of gas, which rushed out with explosive force, carrying before it a large quantity of petroleum. As was to be expected, the gas took fire, forming a tall column of flame, and soon the burning petroleum spread over the ground and ignited tank after tank of the substance in the neigh- borhood. Soon a space of about fifteen acres was enveloped in flame, an entire village was burned, and a number of persons lost their lives. The air poured toward the eruption, causing a whirlwind, which carried the dense smoke high into the air, and threw down burning bitumen all around. Here we have substantially the conditions of the destruction of the cities of the plain. If 1 ' I 'if were vliicli pits? term. The )n of tis of Daw- 1 ap- re of y i li- en ts, itled fact IS in ears Pe- r of •roe, um. ling ing ited gh- ;res A'as f a :gh len of If ME^CITIKS OF THE PLAIN 143 we supposc-a very natiiiarsTipposUbir-that; a he tune ( cscnbcd i„ tlie Hible, accumulations o .„na„,„,able gas aud petroleum existed below he plan, of S.ddun, the escape of these through the ope„,„g of a fissure might produce all the 1^1. mT;';"'- ^^■''•'" ^^^-^ tl'ese effects? lake the li.ble narrative in its essence for the a p liar of smoke ris.ng to heaven, burning bi- t men and sulphur raining on the doomed cities, and fire spreadnig over the vicinity. We have ma word, what they had in Petrolia, Canada,' pace therr'-n "^ "'" ,'"'P"°" ™'"='' '°ok p ace there There was also an explosion near the Dead Sea, au evolution of saline waters as .s uuphed ;n the destruction of Lot's w^f^nd this evolution is the natural accompaniment of the phenomena described, as water is alwav! present ,n such eruptions. In this cas'bec", e of the condensation named, the water ^-onld be a bnne thick with mud, and so exactly fitted to encrust aiid cover any object on which it mth? come. Thus Lot's wife in the most „a fra way conceiNable became a mound of salt Doctor Dawsou says that no geologist on com- paring the narrative in Gen. 19 with the striic ture of the district can hesitate^as to tl e nat'^e" of the phenomena which were presented to he observation of the narrator. Glance a^iin at ! narrativ-e iu Genesis. The destrnctio„™'s^ den and unexpected. It was caused by "brim- stone and fire," and that is just the Bible's way of saying by burning brimstone. These vvere 144 SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURKS i ?.' Ah U .i V' ■ che fables winch connect her with the pillar- like nias.ses of salt on the .salt cliff of Jebel Us those who were guilty of disobedience suf- lered the punishment threatened. God has pro- vic.ed a way of escape for us to-day. He has sent his only begotten Son. Christ died that we might hve. He has sent his preachers wani- ng lis to flee to the mountain. May we listen to the words of the great teacher and preacher when he said, - Remember Lot's wife." And may u-e not stop until we have gone to his cross and have found safety there for time and for ri'. I ' n iM I, .: ; 1 XIII JERUSALEM TO BETHEL WE turn now northward in our jonrneyings in Palestine. We mount our horses and start from this historic city before daylight. The air was fresh on the first day of October. Indeed, the motion of the horses was very necessary to keep us warm. Strangely contradictory emotions are in our minds as we ride from the city in the gray dawn of the morning. Never shall I forget the occasion. Roads become thoroughfares because thev are the natural courses of travel ; and as a result, they are not su])ject to many changes. We may, there- fore, be sure that the road which we are taking to the north is the old road to and from Jerusa- lem. Along this road Abraham journeyed from Bethel to Heljron ; over this track passed Jacob in his lonely exile going from Beer-sheba to Bethel ; Joshua in his hasty march from Jericho to meet the kings in battle at Gibeon passed over part of this track ; and the Philistines went over this road when they came up from the Mar- itime Plain and pitched in Michmash. The years pass. Great changes have taken l^lace. Pompey comes up from the valley of the Jordan a,nd travels this rough path. Again »5o 'v ^ JERUSALEM TO BETHEL 151 great chancres have conie; the years have passed. Kingdoms have risen and fallen. The crnsaders have come to rescne the Holy City from the in- fidel. They are marching from Tyre to Jernsa- lem, and they pass over this very road. Won- derful memories crowded my mind as with the dawning day I left Jerusalem and began my ride of at least seven days over this historic road. Already groups of country people were hasten- ing, with loads of vegetables and wood and many other tilings piled on the backs of camels and donkeys, to the early morning market in Jerusa- lem. Some caravans had been traveling for more than a week with wheat from the Hauran ; others, and many of them barefooted women, had trav- eled a day and a night to reach the market. With the opening day they would be seated out- side the Jaffa Gate, or within the walls of Jeru- salem, offering their various products to the chaf- fering purchasers. Leaving the city we passed by the Russian quarter, then by the tombs of the kings, and soon we climbed the hill Scopus. The day was breaking. The eastern sky was colored with crimson and gold. The gleaming light was fall- ing on hills and valleys, and on the towers and pinnacles of hoary, holy, and desecrated Jeru- salem, cit}' of song and story, city of ancient splendor and of present .squalor. Soon after I had my last view of the Holy City. The im- pression made on my mind will never be effaced. From this neighborhood the traveler's last view of Jerusalem is generally taken, and nearly every %' tf: 152 SUNDAY MGHT LECTURES t'*' -i^'^ » . .r lit ■I'i J. h ^ I'r^ { traveler experiences emotions deeper than lie can well describe. Here cnisaders, pilgrims of all ages, devotees of many faiths, Bible stndents from many lands, and vacation tonrists of many kinds, have felt the spell of a marvelous past and tlie strange charm of a sad present. It has been well suggested that if possible every trav- eler should get his first view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, and his last view from this hill of Scopus. The road we are traveling is very rough. The horses have to pick their steps with great care. Frequently we have to turn out to let the cara- vans pass. Once this was a region of thrift and prosperity ; now the contrast is very marked. Isaiah's words are sadly true : " The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth. . . The earth mourneth and languisheth " (33 : 8, 9). Pass- ing over the plain and then taking a northerly direction, we see on our left the village of Shafat. It is on the site of the ancient Nob. Here may be seen the ruins of a church or tower and of cisterns hewn in :' rock. Nob was a priestly city in the tribe of Benjamin. Here in the time of Saul the tabernacle and ark were stationed, and to this place David fled. It will be remem- bered that Ahimelech the high priest received David as a refugee from the court of the jealous Saul. He gave shewbread from the golden table and the sword of Goliath. Doeg, the Edomite, informed Saul of what had occurred, and Saul ordered that Nob should be smitten with the edge of the sword. The king's exe- i JERUSALEM TO BETHEL 153 cutioiiers refused to perform the bloody deed. Doeg therefore obeyed the king and slew the priests and people. It was a horrible day. Here the men of Israel vowed not to return to their homes until they had punished the men of (ribeah for their abominable crime (Judg. 21 : 20, 21). At Saul's call the people rallied here to fight the Philistines. If this is the INIizpeh of Benjamin, it was here that Saul was chosen king, when for the first time in the history of Israel, was heard the shout, "God save the king." GiBEAH OF Saul. — A mile or so from Nob rises the hill of Tel el-Ful, meaning " the little hill of beans." Here are the ruins of a large building, perhaps a fort erected by the cru- saders, the view from which is very extensive. Perhaps this Gibeah is identical with that of Benjamin. If so, then it was here that David permitted the murder of the seven sons of Saul. This was the native place of Scul, the first king of Israel. It was also the seat of government during the greater part of his reign. It was near here that the horrid story of the Levite's fate, as recorded in Judg. 19-21 was enacted. But tlie most touching incident was the nmrder of the descendants of Saul of which I have spoken.' Thi;i story gives us one of the most remarkable illustrations of motherly love ever recorded in any history. Two of the sons of Rizpah were among the victims slain ; they " were put to * 2 Sam. 21 : 10. n '). i n,t 'a ■, 1' • r M' ■'* J. I 5- t f I 154 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES death in the clays of harvest, in the first clays, in the beginning of barley harvest. And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her npon the rock, from the beginning of harves*: nntil water dropped npon them out of heaven, and suffered neitlier the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night." We thus see that for six of the hot- test months of the }ear the sorrowing woman watched the bodies of her sons, showing that " love is stronger than death." Wonderful pic- ture this of maternal love, this lone watcher by day and night upon the rock under the scorching sun of a Syrian summer ! BeeROTit. — Passing near Geba, which was taken by Jonathan from the Philistines, An- athoth, the birthplace of Jeremiah, and now a poor village of some twenty houses, and Raniah, to which figurative reference is made in Alatt. 2 : 17, 18, where it was said, "In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and vreeping," we come at a distance of nine to ten miles from Jerusalem to the modern El-Bireh, the ancient Beeroth. It owes its name to its alnnulant sup- ply of water. The village contains about eight hundred inhabitants and is located in a p(^or district. Near the excellent spring we find a Moslem place of prayer, and also the remains of ancient reservoirs. There are, also, the ruins of a tower, and on the highest ground in the village the ruins of a Christian church. Since the four- teenth century there has been a tradition that it y JERUSALKM TO BKTIIKI, 1 5 5 was here that Mary and Joseph first discovered the absence of tlie cliild Jesus from tlie caravan when returnincr from the temple at the close of the first day's journey. Travelers ^o'lucr north usually stop here for a nijrht, if thev leave Jeru- salem in the afternoon. No great historic value can be attached to the tradition, but in all prob- ability this has been the stopping-place of trav- elers, for the nicrht, since time imineniorial, and It may well be that the parents of our Lord halted here. Beeroth, the ancient name, means wejls. This was one of the four Hivite or CAhc- onite cities that made the league with Joshua. Leaving Beeroth, we journey about half an hour and come to a region of deepest interest. Near ns is Ai, where Israel was at first repulsed and then became victorious. Memories of Achan, who took the Babylonish garment, the silver, and the gold, and who suffered so fearfully for his sin, fill the mind. The victories of Joshua live again before us. He made this place a heap of ruins ; he hanged its king on a tree. And now we are at Bethel. This is a dear household name. How the past comes upon one at such a place. Dreams of heaven suggest themselves. The stairway of the excellent glorv, \encrabie patriarchs, stone altars, earth and heaven, visits of angels— these and other memories make this a hallowed spot. Here was laid the foundation SLOiie of lowjv chapels and loftv cathedrals all over the world. Who would not sleep on such a bed, With a stony pillow for his head } i 156 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES ■.if. ' • t- "». II F w This ride carried tis over rough roads and through a truly historic region. IVIany of the memories of the places passed were sud in the extreme. God's people were often guilty of great cruelty, according to the standards of our day. We must not, however, judge them l)y those standards. Too many critics forget that Christ had not then come and that the Sermon on the Mount had not then been preached. They carry the standards of the New Testament to the conduct of God's children as recorded in the Old Testament. This is not fair historical criticism. We do not judge the men of even a few hundred years ago by the standards accord- ing to which we estimate men at the closing years of the nineteenth century. It is mani- festly unjust to use the teachings of one part of the Bible to condemn the children of God who did not have those teachings, and whose acts are recorded in another part of the Bible. The light of Christianity is like the natural light of the day — it has its dawn, its progress, and finally its mer'dian splendor. Many immature Christians are startled by the conduct of God's followers and the world's best men of the early day, but they ought not to allow these imperfect charac- ters to disturb their faith in Cjod nor their judg- ment of his divine revelation. We might as well reject all the conclusions of modern science because of the imperfect science and scientists of the Middle Ages, as to reject the Bible because God's representatives in the early day fell far short of the standard placed hii'ire us by Christ. ftf ; I JKRUSAI.KM TO BKTIIKL 157 There is a grovvtii, a development, an evolntion in all these matters. We must jiulj^e men by the bes*^ standards of their time ; and their per- fection or imperfection must be determined ac- cording to their realization of or departure from those standards. These desolate hills over which we have been passing are remarkable illustrations of the ful- fillment of pro])hccy. Bethel is voiceful for Ciod. These ruins, on the tops of the hills over which we have passed, are mighty preachers, telling us of the fulfillment of prophecy. The Holy Land is an unimpeachable witness to the Holy Book. All these neighborhoods also illus- trate the providence of God in watching over his people in all ages and among all nations. He was the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. Every hill and valley illustrates his providential care over his people. The Bible is an honest book. It does not hesitate to declare the vices as well as the vir- tues of God's people. Had it been written by uninspired men it would have minimized or denied the vices of its heroes, and it would have created or magnified their virtues. It does neither. It does not exaggerate nor does it extenuate ; it sets down naught in malice ; it dares to tell the truth. In this respect it is a unique book in literature. It shows us that when God's children are loyal and obedient they are prosperous, but when they oppose or forget, God misfortunes come to them thick and fast. This lesson is taught us by all the towns we 158 suxnAY Nir.irr m;cturi:5> f> ^ ^5. Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716)872-4503 \ :\ \ t\ ^ .,<* '4^ 1 i6o SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 1^ certain that it was to this well the maidens of Sarah came to j;et water, and that it was here the cattle of Abraham often drank. Standing beside this well it is easy to picture the scenes of BethePs ancient glory. A little to the north of the village there is a remarkable circle of stones, which it is well-nigh certain must have had a religious significance. Some of the stones stand up like columns or tombstones or some sort of monuments. They remind one of the Druidical circles of stones in England and Scotland. One cannot resist the spell of time, locality, and association here. Let us dismount from our horses. As has al- ready been said, while the distance from Jeru- salem is comparatively short, yet we need a little change after three hours of rough riding. Let us now take our Bibles and give ourselves up to the charm of the place while we refresh our minds with the biblical incidents. Up the val- ley yonder came Abraham and Lot from the Jor- dan, when on their way from the far East they first pitched their tents in Palestine. Perhaps their tents were just where we stand. On this hill near us it may be they parted. Lot choosing the rich plain of the Jordan, which plain we now clearly see as we stand on this knoll. Lot showed his selfishness and Abraham his great magnanimity in this transaction. Here at Bethel Abraham reared an altar and called upon the name of the Lord, who had promised this land to him and his seed forever. From Bethel Abraham went into Egypt, fell into temptation, I BETIIKI, TO SHILOH l6l and dishonored God before the heathen kinij who sent him away out of the land. One hun- dred and fifty years pass. Jacob is now here on Ins way from the south to rest at night wliile fleeing from his justly angered brother. He has traveled forty miles. He has the worst of all traveling companions, a guilty conscience, He IS alone. He is exposed to danger. Near is the town of Luz. Its lights mav be seen • its voices heard. But he does not enter ' He might be discovered. He is on the backbone of lalestine. All about him lie great stones. Ihey are like steps in a stair. That thought deeply impressed me as I looked about with this narrative in my mind. We read that he " took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down on that place to sleep." These stones arranged like steps of a stair were the last sight before his eyes as he went to sleep. Then came his dreams, and the stones became a mystic ladder, reaching from earth to heaven, and over its steps welit the angels, ascending and descending. He awoke ; he made the solemn vrvv which consecrated hiiii to the service of God. As he awakes he ex- claims : " This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."' The stone which had been his pillow he set up for a pillar and poured oil upon it. He also built an altar and the name of the place was changed from Luz to Bethel, " House of God." That stone ' Gen. 28 : 11-22. I. l62 SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURES I :f}'\ 7 If: was the prophecy of all our churches in every land. Tradition says that it wus taken to Jeru- salem, thence to Spain, thence to Ireland, thence to Scotland, and thence tr England, and that it is now built into the coronation chair which stands in Westminster Abbey. Possibly Jacob erected some rude building over the altar ; if so, this was the first local religious building ever erected on the earth, the first architectural witness to the worship of the living God. Thirty years later Jacob again visited Bethel ; there he pitched his tent and reconsecrated the spot in fulfillment of his vow, and there he received renewed covenant promises from God. Here under an oak tree he buried Deborah, Rachel's nurse. Bethel was captured by Joshua and given to Benjamin. Here the Ark of the Covenant and probably the taber- nacle long remained. Here at times Saul held his court. After the days of Solomon, Bethel became the seat of gross idolatry. Jeroboam chose it, because of the early sacredness attached to it, as the place for one of his golden calves, in order that he might wean the hearts of the people from the worship of God in Jerusalem. There was now a more stately sanctuary, a splendid temple to rival that at Jerusalem. Bethel thus became the centei of idolatrous offerings ; it was well situated also to intercept those who would go up to Jerusalem to worship. The prophets of Judah were sent to cry out against this idolatrous worship, for the name of this once hallowed center of divine worship was v( i BKTHEU TO SHILOH 163 changed from Bethel, "House of God," to Beth- aven, " House of Naught," and so of " Idols " Punishment of the people's idolatry did not long linger. Amos had prophesied that Bethel should come to naught, (iod will not be mocked. A great feast day had come. Before the altar near the golden calf stood Jeroboam in the magnificent temple which he had built. A prophet of God appears and declares that one Josiah, of Judah, shall be born, who shall burn the idolatrous priests on that very spot. He further declared that as a sign the altar should now be rent and the ashes poured out. Jeroboam was filled with wrath. He put forth his hand toward the man of God, crying out : " Lay hold on him!" and instantaneously his arm was withered and he could not draw it to him again. The altar was rent from top to bottom and the ashes were poured out ; and in due time Josiah did lay waste that spot, even as the prophet of God had declared, and Bethel has been practi- cally a waste from that dav to this day. This dramatic story is found in 'full in i Kings 12 13 and 2 Kings 23 : 15-20. ' It was near Bethel that "there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children," who had said to Elisha, "Go up,^ thou bald head." After the Babylonish cap- tivity Bethel was inliabited by the Bcnjamites. In later times the Romans, under Vespasian, cap- tured It, and in due time it dwindled down to its present poverty and wretched insignificance. As we have already seen, Ai is but a short dis- 164 SUNDAY NIGHT LIXTURES < ■■ >.<,i ^r^'^ tance from liethel ; Ai, celebrated as the place of Joshua's defeat and later of his victory. Lcavin was erected at a period which harmonizes with the time of Joshua. This is certainly a very interesting find. God is bringing from the .sands of the desert and from many hoary tombs witnesses to the truth of his word. H i ■1i t r^^ I •< Hastening to Jacob's Wr,ij.. — The sun was hot as we hastened forward on our journey to Jacob's Well, but the plain over which we pass must present in springtime a green and attract- ive appearance. Descending into the Wady el- Lubban we soon reached a fountain of excel- lent water beside a ruined khan. The place is supposed to be the ancient Lebonah, which is mentioned in the book of Judges in a passage which helps us to locate Shiloh. Traveling on a better road, passing a village and a khan, descending to another khan and having our luncheon, we tlien go up a hill to a plateau, where a glorious view greeted us. Before us is a plain surrounded by the hills of vSamaria. On the left is Gerizim and beyond that rises Ebal, and away to the north is the magnificent snow- SIIILOH — " I'KACK " ^n clad Herinon. All about us are evidences of fertility; the "jijood things" promised to the tribe of Kphraini still remain. The olive and the fi^ and the vine still abound. We are now, and have been for some time, in Samaria. Who are the Samaritans? This is an interesting^ question. Later it will be answered more fully, but a partial answer now will help us. After Israel had been conquered by the As- syrians the territory lay waste, except as it was inhabited by colonif-ts from the east. These were pagans. The king of Assyria sent thetn some Jewish priests ; as a result the people adopted a mixed religion. They became by blood and faith mongrel Jews. We are told that "they feared the Lord and worshipped their own gods." The Jews disliked them and re- jected their offers of help in building the second temple. The Samaritans, however, built a temple for themselves. The Jews in Christ's time had no dealings with the Samaritans. Both Jews and Mohammedans oppose them to this day. The plain of El-^Iukhna, along which we ride, is the most beautiful and fruitful of val- leys. It is about ten miles long and nearly two wide. We take the road which leads to Jacob's Well. Our horses for hours have been carefully picking their way over stony places ; now there is a chance for a brisk canter, and as such oppor- tunities in Palestine are rare, horses and riders are ready for a gallop in this beautiful anu his- toric plain. It is approaching evening ; the sun 1/4 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES \'i ^ '■•i> Vi^ . ij is westering. We mounted our horses before sunrise ; we are tired, but glad and grateful as we ride. Glorious are these lofty moiintains of Gerizim and Ebal ; beautiful is this plain. Here perhaps grew the grain which suggested to our Lord the ripening harvest among the Samaritans. Before us is Nablus, and here beside us is a very sacred spot ; it is als: one of the best authenticated spots in Palestine. It is Jacob's Well. We dismount ; our legs are stiff and sore ; our lips are dry from the hot sun and wind. But our souls are tender, grateful, and joyous. All about us are Russian pilgrims, footsore and weary ; they are mending their gar- ments and shoes and taking part in the worship at the evening service beside the immortal well. We have yet to hasten to Nablus, but we shall refresh our lips and hearts beside the well on whose curb sat Jesus at the noonday hour. Of this well I shall speak at greater length here- after. We see here, as we have seen so frequently in our discussions of sacred sites, how modern dis- coveries are proving the truth of Scripture declarations. There is scarcely a day but we find that even the secular papers are bearin^f witness to the harmony between the discoveries of modern science and the teachings of the old Bible. The critics took the pen to confute the prophets and evangelists, and now we see ex- cavators taking the spade to confute the critics. Again and again it has been affirmed that there was no record on the monuments of Egypt cor- SHILOH — "peace" 175 roboratinor the statements of tlie Old Testament rcgardinor the residence of the Israelites in that land. This assertion has freqnently been used by those wlio attack the credibility of the Old Testament. Professor Toy, of Harvard Uni- versity, in lectnrin\ fresh and bright as if all the work had hcen done yesterday. It is delightful to the student of the Bible, even though he considers it only as his- tory, to see how its statements are confirmed by the discoveries of modern science in its various forms of activity. Doubtless this process will continue. IMany of the critics and skeptics of to-day will be utterly routed by the discoveries of earnest excavators and by the interpretations of competent critics in future generations. God is proving, as seldom before in the history of the human race, that his word shall stand whatever else may fall. " The grass " of infidel oratory "withereth," the "flower" of infidel science "fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever." 1 i >'. 1 ■\ f ■ ;! 1 il i ,l( I ■s » \h XVI JACOB'S WELL AND JOSEPH'S TOMB IT was toward eveiiincr when we reached this deeply interesting place. We had already been about ten hours on our horses for that day, and we had still to ride to Nablus, or Shecheni, distant nearly a half-hour's ride ; but the topo- .i>raphical and historical charms of the locality held us under their spell. I have few memories of the Holy Land more vivid and delightful than those connected with this sacred spot. After riding uj the long valley of El-Mukhna we turned the northeast corner of Mount Gcr- izim, rode about half an hour more and then turned to the right of the road, and we were at the famous well Adjoining it are the ruins of an old church and heaps of rubbish are piled up on every side. The well belongs to the Greek Church, and while I stood beside it a service was in progress under the leadership of a priest of that church. He read the account given in the fourth chapter of John's Gospel of the interview between Christ and the woman of Samaria. I could catch enough of the words to guide me as to what was the subject of the reading. The people listened with opcn-cvcd wonder, when they were not kneeling before the priest or kiss- M ,77 i 178 SUNDAY NIGHT LICCTURKS ing parts of the crumbling structure about the well. There is a very general agreement among Jews, Christians, and Moslems that this is the well of Jacob. The tradition to this effect is traceable as far back as the fourth centnrv. The location of the well is highly favorable to this general opinion ; it is on the high-road from Jerusalem to Galilee, and is thus in full har- mony with the narrative in the fourth chapter of John's Gospel, to which reference has already been made. The Samaritan woman came from Sychar, which is probably identical with the modern Asker. Her language to Christ shows us that in that early day this well was supposed to be Jacob's, and that the neighboring field was that which he purchased and where Joseph after- ward was buried. Dor.tor Hauna tells us that this is the only limited and well-defined locality in Palestine that we may with certainty connect with the presence of our divine Lord and Master. He thus writes : " You cannot in all Palestine draw a circle of limited diameter within whose circumference you can be absolutely certain that Jesus once stood, except round Jacob's well ; and I had the greatest possible desire to tread that circle round and round, and to sit here and there and everywhere around the well's mouth, that I might gratify a long cherished wish." And then he adds : " How bitter a disappointment on reaching it to find no open space at the well- mouth ; but spread all around the remains of an old building, over whose ruinous wall we had to .Lit .3 I i JACOB'S WKLI. AND JOSKPIl's TOMB 1 79 scramble and slide down, thronc^h heaps of ston^ and rubbish, till thronjrh two or three small ap- ertures we looked down into the undiscoverable well." But notwithstanding the partial disap- pointmeiit of which Doctor Hanna speaks, this IS still one of the most intcrestiujr spots in Pal- estine. Before examining the well itself let us take in our surroundings. Around us are the fields to which Christ pointed when he said : " Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest." ' On our right is the parcel of ground which Jacob gave to his son Joseph. \ onder is the opening between the two hills through which Christ saw the groups of people pouring down from Sychar. There on the left IS Gerizim, to which the woman of Sa- maria may have pointed as she said : "Our fathers worshipped in this mountain." ^ An actual view ot this fascinating place wonderfullv illustrates and illumines the whole narrative as given in the fourth of John. As you approach the well you come to an ir- regular chamber cut into the ground and walled up on the sides. Perhaps the space was once nearly square— about seventeen by fifteen feet ^"s space was once spanned bv an archway, and doubtless over it there once was a chapel built in the fourth century and still existino- in the eighth. The M^ell is in the center of Uiis chamber, its mouth being concealed by heaps of » John 4 : 35. John 4 : 20. li- ( ' 180 Sl'XDAV NIGHT LKCTURKS ('/ rubbish and stones. It is not a sprinjr of water bubbling up from the earth, but is rather a shaft cut into the living rock, about nine feet in diam- eter and about seventy feet deep. Once it may have been twice as deep. !Maundrell, in 1697, found it to be one hundred and five feet deep. The falling into it of rubbish and the dropping of stones by many tourists and pilgrims have greatly lessened its depth. It was intended to be a reservoir of water rather than a means of reaching a natural spring. If one were to enter the funnel-shaped mouth and descend, he could enter a sort of cave a few feet below the surface, and would find the remains of a small dome which once covered the mouth. Take in the picture of Christ here sitting on the well, wearied with his journe}. Was he thinking of Abraham, who built his first altar in the land at this opening of the plain ? Per- haps he thought of Jacob, whose only possession in the land of promise was here ; perhaps of Joseph wandering in this neighborhood in search of his brethren. Perhaps he repeopled the sides of Ebal and Gerizini, and heard the " Amen " as the curses were pronounced on Ebal and bless- ings on Gerizim. Well might he say in the midst of such associations, " I have meat to eat that ye know not of." The whole neighborhood was full of the tilings concerning himself. The question has sometimes been asked, why should Jacob have dug this well when springs were so numerous in the vicinity ? But so far as we know there was no suitable spring on his T JACOB'S WKUL AND JOSKPIl'S TOMB l8l part of the groniicl. He was too wise to be dc- peiident on others for water for himself and liis cattle; it was most important that he should have a well of his own. In no part of Palestine is water more abundant than at Shechcm. Why, then, did this woman come to Jacob's well ? Per- haps the wate? irom this deep reservoir was cooler than ordinary sprin^r water, and it is al- most certain also that in tlie judj^nient of the people a special sacredness attached to this water as taken from the well of "our father Jacob," as the woman said to Jesus. It is not at all un- likely that she lived in that part of the town of Sychar situated nearest to the well. About a quarter of a mile to the north of the well is the buildinor shown as Joseph's tomb. It is exactly in the center of the openin*^ of the valley between Gerizim and Kbal. The present structure is entirely modern. It was restored in iS68 by a Mr. Rogers, the English consul. In the hollows of the tomb the Jews, and perhaps the Mohammedans, burn incense to the memory of Joseph. The structure is in good repair and measures thirty by thirty-five feet. It is claimed that under a particular spot is the very dust of Joseph, and this statement is possibly true. In Josh. 24 : 32 it is said : "And the bones of Joseph which the children of Israel brought up out of Hgypt, buried they in vSlicchem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Ila- nior, the father of Shechem, for an hundred pieces of silver ; and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph." 1 82 SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURKS ■'i ■'. ; / ( '/ \ ') Hut a greater than Joseph vas here. Shechem is hallowed because of the presence of Jesus. This thought glorifies all Palestine. Jesus came by the very road which I came, and he looked on sights on which my eyes rested to-day. Oh, here with his flock the l)lest Wanderer came ; The hills he toiled over in grief .ire the same ; The founts where he dnink by the wayside still flow ; And the same airs are blowing which breathed on his brow, Thk Valley ok Nablus. — We remount our horses, turn to the west and enter the valley of Nablus. On our left rises Mount Ocrizim, on our right. Mount Kbal. The valley itself is well cultivated ; so are portions of the sides of the mountains. The sun is near its setting; we have been on our horses for ten hours and we and they are weary. The town of Nablus is just before us, and toward it we are hastening. In a few minutes after leaving Jacob's Well we reach the village of Balata. Both Christian tradition and Samaritan chronicles agree that here stood the oak of Abraham. Under this oak Abraham had worshiped. Under this oak Jacob, before going up to Bethel, as we learn from Gen. 35 : 4, buried the teraphim, idols or images, which were in some way regarded as objects of idolatrous wor- ship. In coming to Shechem his family clung to their superstitious worship. It is supposed that these teraphim were figures somewhat re- sembling the human form. Eastern people are still given to superstitious regarding the talis- manic power of earrings and other charms. JACOB'S WKIJ, AND JOSKPIl'S TOMB 1R3 Soon after wc reach a spriiij^ where tlicre arc Turkish barracks with a small arsenal and hos- pital. We now see some o*' the many beauties of this lovely valley. A reasonably j^ood car- riaji^e road leads from this point into the town of Nablns. Olive j^roves now Ixj^nn. Take in the view: (ierizim, on our left, is three thousand one hundred and seventy-nine feet lii^h ; and Hbal on our ri^ht is three thousand three hundred and seventy-five feet high. Their tops are about eight hundred feet above the town, which we now can see a mile farther on. It clings to the foot of Gerizim and extends nearly to Hbal. The locality is lovely in the extreme. Many streams burst from the sides of the mountains, and in the springtime their sides are luxuriant with the rich vegetation and foliage. \'egetable gardens, fruit orchards, and groves of olives abound. Foliage is here seen "from the deepest green to the softest gray and the most delicate russet " ; and as Doctor Fish remarks, these colors are "all harmoniously blended, melting in the distance into the purple and azure tints of the mountain sides and summits." The music of gurgling streams and the song of birds and the soft foli- age make a scene strangely fascinating. Grape vines, flowers of endless variety, almond, pome- granate, poplar, walnut, apple, fig, orange, and mulberry may all be seen her?. So much of Palestine is rough, barren, and deserted, that this town and its environs present a striking contrast. Every traveler, in springtime especially, will en- dorse Dean Stanley's fine description : < '/ A §J - >f 1R4 SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURKS A valley preen with jjrass and gray with olives ; pardcns sloping; tlown on each side ; fresh sprinj^s rushing down in all directions ; at the end a white tower einl)osnineil in all this verdure, lodged between the two hijjh mountains which ex- tend on each side of the valley — that on the south, (ier- izim ; that on the north, Ebal. 'I'his is the aspect of Nablus, tlie most beautiful, perhaps the only very beautiful, spot in central Palestine. Soon we had entered Nablus, of vvhicli I shall speak later, and I dismounted at the Latin Mon- astery, after a ride of nearly eleven hours, having come from Jerusalem that day, and feelinjj^ suf- ficiently weary to sleep on any kind of a bed and under any sort of roof. It ou^ht tu be said that the " Brothers " in this convent manifested marked courtesy to their guest. They make no charge, but all guests are thus put in some sense on their honor, with an added appeal to their re- ligious nature, and as a result they pay more than they would at a hotel of the same grade. All who are familiar with Palestine and Syria speak of the absence of the soft atmospheric tints which give beauty in some countries. The glowing tints abound in Palestine, but the soft hues are wanting there. In the valley of Nablus, however, the abundance of moisture in the at- mosphere, caused by so many streams, occasions the grayish blue and bluish gray tints which give a beauty to this neighborhood that is unique in Palestine. All the exhalations among the trees tend to give the soft blue gray and the dusky hues which remove from the mountains their harsh outlines and clothe them in ha/y robes of peer- less beauty. But the greatest charm which the i n III. ^ JACOB'S \Vi:i.I. AND JOSlvPIl's TOMB 1 S5 Christian tourist fxpcriciices in this entire vi- cinity is that ^rivcn it by tlic presence and words of the Lord Jesus. One's heart is moved as he knows that he is looking ujxrn mountains and valleys on which the divine-human eves of him who was Son of (lod and Son of ^tan rested. The echo of his words to the woman of vSamaria seems still to he heard in this historic valley. His declaration to her of his Messiahship, and his sympathy with her whom the Pharisees would have cast out, still make his presence real ; and these elements of his character find a full en- dorsement in the broad thou^rht, fraternal feel- ing, and the sympathetic impulses of the brother, hood characteristic of the closing decade of the nineteenth century. Not Joshua, not Jacob, not Joseph, but Jesus preaches on these hilltops. Jesus Christ fills Palestine, fills the world with tlie wisdom of his teaching and the beauty of his character. »! 14 1 XVII NABLUS AND THE SAMARITANS A GLANCE at the form of this word, Nabliis, shows that it is a corruption of the word Neapolis, or New Town. The fuller form of the name is Flavia Neapolis. The addition to the name commemorated the restoration of the town by Flavins Vespasianns. This name is one of the rare instances found in Palestine in which the ancient Hebrew name has given place to a name of Roman origin. It was called also Ma- mortlia, which signifies "pass," or "place of pass- age " ; but the more ancient name is Shechem, which means "the back," or "the shoulder." This place brings us at once into touch with remote history. It brings before us Abraham, the patriarch, coming hither from l^r of the Chaldees ; here he erected his first altar in Ca- naan.' Later, Jacob, his grandson, on his return from Padan-aram, encamped near Shechem, then a city of the Hivites ; down here at the right he crossed the Jordan with his "two bands"; he bought a parcel of land, pitched his tent, and dug the famous well, of which I have already spoken. Tlie land which he bought he be- queathed as a special portion to Joseph, who ' Gen. 12 : 6, 7. 186 \ ;, NABLUS AND THE SAMARITANS 1S7 also erected an altar.' After the conquest of the land Shcchem fell to the lot of the tribe of Ephraim ; but it was assij^ucd to the Levitcs and became a city of refuge. While Joshua lived this town was a center of union to the tribes ; probably because it was the nearest laro-c town to Timnath-serah which, it will be renicni- bered, was the residence of Joshua hiinself. After the death of Gideon it became the scene of the revolt of Abimelcch, who induced the Shechemites to rebel and select him as their kino^. Under Rehoboam, who went there to be crowned, the national assembly was held there, and that assembly resulted in the separation of the northern tribes from the southern. Shechem became the first capital of the northern kingdom under Jeroboam ; but the seat of government was soon transferred to Tirzah. During the Chris- tian period Neapolis becaine the seat of a bishop- ric. It is an interesting fact that the Christian philosopher and martyr, Justin, a heathen by birth, was born at Neapolis about A. d. 100. Pastors of Neapolis are mentioned as attending church councils until A. d. 536. In the seventh century the city was taken by Moslems. In about 1099 the crusaders took the town, after the tak- ing of Jerusalem ; but the Moslems were again masters in 1242. The city and neighborhood are noted for their insecurity, the people having the reputation of being turbulent and quorrel- some. Nablus is a perfect watershed, the v aters 1 Gen. 2^ : 18-20. i88 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES ;A'', h flowing off in all directions. Some streams run east into the Jordan, and others northwest into the Mediterranean. The city is one thousand eight hundred and seventy feet above the sea level and has, perhaps, twenty thousand inhabi- tants, of whom seven to eight hundred are Chris- tians, mostly of the Greek Church, about two hundred Samaritans, and a few Jews, a few Romanists, and one hundred and twenty priests. The Romanists have a monastery and school in the eastern part of the town. There are twenty- six manufacturers of soap, which is made from There is also a considerable trade m cotton with the countries east of the olive oil. wool and Jordan. The streets are narrow, crooked, and dirty. The houses are packed close together as in Jeru- salem. The bazaars are extensive, and the streets are so crowded as to make one's progress slow and difficult. Traveling merchants are here from many parts of the world, and there is the usual chaffering in buying and selling. Time is of little value in the Orient, and the sale of an article worth only a few cents may take half the morning and also volumes of loud and mean- ingless talk. Instead of counting their money, they weigh it ; this is true not only of bullion, but also of coin, lest a depreciated kind might be offered. As in the days of the patriarchs, stones are used for weights in buying and sell- ing. In Lev. 19 : 36, we have in our translation "just balances"; the literal translation is "just stones " ; and the word shekel, conies from shakel, NABLUS AND THE SAMARITANS 189 to weigli, indicating the original mode of reck- oning money. Here is tlie spot where it is supposed the tribes came to renew tlieir loyalty to the law. Yonder high point is still called Joshua's pulpit. Some critics have been disposed to deny that the voices could be heard from one mount to the other; but there is no ground whatever for this denial. ^lany actual tests have proved how very easily the voices could be heard. It was not on the tops, but on the sides, of these moun- tains that the representatives of the tribes stood on Gerizim to bless and on Kbal to curse, while the thousands of Israel stood in the valley be- tween to utter their long and loud "Amen." It was an occasion of wonderful solemnity. The valley at this point is not more than six hun- dred feet across, while where the town stands it is from one thousand five hundred to two thou- sand feet. At the point where the tribes met the valley is a sort of natural amphitheatre, there being a recess in Ebal exactly corresponding to a recess in Gerizim. Captains Wilson and Ander- son, of the Palestine Exploration Fund, proved by actual measurements and experiments, that this place is admirably adapted in size and in acoustic properties for great assemblies. There is still a spot where there is shown the Pillar El-Ahmud, which is supposed to be the tradi- tional stones set up by Joshua. There is no ground whatever for the opinion which I used to liear often expressed that Ebal was peculiarly barren while Gerizim was green and fruitful. '^ tJ (*((,;: 1 I t i ",» I* pi If* ? !'1 ) r? i 190 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES There is some vegetable growth on both, but until the base is reached, both are for the most part barren. In the midst of much that is very beautiful in Nablus is the sorrow which one experiences in seeing the miseries and hearing the plaintive cries of the lepers in this city. They constantly intrude their misfortunes before the notice of the visitor. Their distorted faces and wasting limbs are a sad sight, and their husky wail is one of the saddest sounds one ever hear;?. Tliey dwell apart and marry only among themselves. Their children are as pleasing in appearance as other children until they reach the age of ten to twelve years; then the deadly taint exhibits itself, and soon they also must take their place with others like them in the leper community. The Samaritan People. — Their quarter is in the southwestern part of the town. There these strange people have lived, separate from all other peoples of the earth, for nearly three thou- sand years. They have their own Bible, the five books of iMoses, and they continue their own forms of service, sacrifice, and worship. Think of the great changes which have taken place in the world during the time that these people liave existed as a distinct religious body! Em- pires have risen and fallen, dynasties have sprung up and held sway a.id have passed into oblivion; republics have "danced into light, and have died into the shade," bui these strange people have held together and have maintained [j 1 i '1 NABLUS AND THE SAMARITANS 191 I their racial distinclions and their religious pe- culiarities unchau*4^cd amid the thousands of changes in thousands of nations. Their syna- gogue is a small whitewashed chamber, which we reached by passing through very narrow and obscure streets. The Mohammedans constantly oppress this feeljle remnant of a very ancient and remarkable people. The pavement of the little synagogue is covered with matting; the rule being that it must not be trodden on with shoes. Arabic is now the language of the Samaritans in ordinary matters, but the prayers are repeated in the Samaritan tongue. The men wear white surplices and red turbans ; they can, therefore, be readily distinguished when met on the streets. They are very cleanly. By the payment of a small sum of money I had the op- portunity of seeing the Samaritan Codex, or copy of the Pentateuch. It is kept in a vault and it was brought out carefully wrapped in a crimson satin scarf, which was embroidered with letters of gold. The parchment is yellow with age and is much worn by frequent handling. The Sa- maritans claim that it was written by Abishua, the son of Phinehas, a son or grandson of Aaron, and that it is three thousand five hundred years old. But this claim is doubtless a myth, and an inferior codex is generally palmed off on gullible travelers. By paying an extra fee I saw both the old and the older one. Yakub is the present high priest. He claims to be a descendant of the tribe of Levi. His office is hereditary, and the holder of it is sup- w l:H. :'>:^ , 192 SUNDAY NIGHT I.KCTURES ported by tithes paid him by his people, who are now a feeble folk. These descendants of the ancient Samaritan people are their only repre- sentatives now in the world sufficiently strong- and numerous to maintain public worship. They alone, of all peoples, keep up bloody sacrifices according to the old Jewish law. Sanballat, the Persian satrap, being offended because his son-in-law was excluded from the priest's office and expelled from Jerusalem, allied himself with Tobiah the Annnonite, Geshem the Arabian, and built a temple on Gerizim. In A. d. 487 the Samaritans were driven away, and a Christian church built on the site of this ancient temple. After the Mohammedan conquest it fell into ruins and the Samaritans were permitted to return to their venerated place, but they built neither altar nor temple. Alount Gerizim was chosen, as we have seen, by the Samaritans as the place of a sanctuary of their own. Shechem at its base thus rose in importance, and Samaria correspondingly declined. Conflicts constantly took place between the Jews and the Samaritans. The temple on IVIount Gerizim, which had stood for two hundred years, was destroyed by John Hyrcanus, about 129 b. c. Vespasian slew eleven thousand six hundred Samaritan rebels on Mount Gerizim who resisted him in his subjugation of Palestine. In the sixth century A. D. the Samar- itans martyred many Christians. About the year 1000 there were about one thousand Sa- maritans at Nablus. Formerly they had small communities in Cairo and Damascus, but now B 'J i^'ii' r' '■^\k ii ftr 'M : f i\ if NABr.US AND TIIK SAMARITANS 1 93 tlieir only synagogue is the one at Nahhis. llicir numbers are steadily decreasing, there being now only about fifty families. They have preserved a very venerable type of Jewish face ana manners. nuJT^ ?f^^V7^^^y believe in one God, and they a^)hor all forms of idolatry and image worship. They believe in good and evil spirits ; they also bdieve in the resurrection and the judgment. They expect the Messiah in six thou- sand years after creation, but they do not expect nm to be more nor greater than Moses. They hold only the Pentateuch, or the five books of Moses, written in the old Hebrew or the Saiiiar. itan writing. Bigamy is permitted under cer, ain conditions, and when a married man dies lis nearest male relative, outside the circle of his brothers, must marry his widow On the occasion of four of their festivals, that of unleavened bread, that of weeks, the feast of Tabernac es, and the Passover, they make a pil, grimage to the sacred Mount Gerizim. They observe all the Mosaic festivals ; but only at the Passover do they offer sacrifices. Qu the top c^ the "holy mountain" there are extensive ruins ot a great temple built about five centuries b c LIT' '" 1 ^'r'}""' P^^' ^^"" ^^^t ^'^^^e ^^^^ nine deep, in which the sacrificial lambs are roasted accordino- to Fvod to • rr. ^i, 1 i '^•-"-'^ii If- «iM..f Z-^^: • ^"e iambs are slain Prnv;rf ' """^ ■'\'^''' P^' '^'^y ^'^ coasted. Prayers are recited, and then the people sit down and eat. The remnants are placed over N 'K iHl^;: 194 SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURKS the fire and consumed, according to the com- mand in Exod. 12 : 10. Candles are lighted and the ground is searched in every direction so that no fragment may remain unburned. They rig- idly observe the Sabbath from Friday evening to Saturday evening, meeting three times in their synagogues and worshiping toward Geri- zim. I soon rode away over a shoulder of Ebal and took my last look at these two mountains, made immortal as the place of the blessing and the cursing. I could again people the valley, again hear and see the six tribes on Gerizim uttering blessings, and hear and see the six tribes on Ebal uttering curses, while the thousands on thou- sands stood in the valley between responding with their long and loud Amen ! It was a won- derful scene. The sun scorches us as we ride over the hills on our way to Samaria, and we think of our Lord who showed his largeness of heart by honoring the name Samaritan in his parable, and by revealing himself to the Samari- tan woman at Jacob's Well, telling her more fully than up to that time he had any other that he was the Messiah. We need again his rebuke of the tendency to worship God on this moun- tain or that, and to remember his great saying : "God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." XVIII FROM NABLUS TO SAMARIA A FTER "doinK" Nablus we mounted our /-X horses a httlc before noou aud started for Jcuin, taking m Samaria on onr way Tlie sun was hot, aud the roads were dry and glariuL' under the seorehiug heat. liut w^ pressed ou oyer the nils and through the deep valleys h these r.cli valleys, at the proper season of the year every variety of vegetation is seen. Many biooks and streams flow down the mountain sides and eolleet in the vales below. As befo e remarked, those on the east flow to the Jordan and those on the west to the Mediterraiiean-!^ this^egJon' """^'"^ ^"'"^ "'^ "^'-^'-'' of We slowly Ciimbed over a part of Ebal • on neiglibonng hills pleasant-looking villages ^ere seen. Two miles northeast of Ebal is Talluzah the aneient Tirzah, "delight." It is truly beam I "I or situation. Onee it shared with Shechem the honors of being the eapital eity of the nort ern kingdom. I„ Solomon's Song 6 • 4 ve have the words: "Thou art beautiful as Tirza" -words that are applied to the spou.se who as « generally supposed, represents the ehureh Having used that te.xt in a sermon, I was more '95 I>.t,.^ i. ^,\ 196 SUNDAY NIGHT UIXTURKS than fj^lad to localize my thotij^^lit and to em- phasize my appreciation of the beanty and aj)- propriateness of this Scriptnre reference. Tirzah was originally a city of the Canaanites, and later became the royal seat of the kings of Israel from Jeroboam to Omri, who finally bnilt the city of Samaria, which snpplanted it as the cap- ital of the kingdom. Three and a half miles east of Shechem is a village which Robinson identifies with that of Salim where John the Baptist was baptizing, "becanse there was mnch water there." Some, however, place it near the Jordan, eight miles south of Beth-slian. The English Palestinian Expedition identifies it with Zarthan, or Tell Sa- rem. There is a large number of springs there, and it is therefore a place "where there is much water." .); >!■■! Samaria. — Off in the distance, standing alone, is the hill of Scbastiyeh, or Samaria. Under the glare of the noonday sun we ride up the hill and soon reach the town. Wonderful memories crowd the mind as we approach this small, dirty village, surrounded by hedges of cactus and by historic ruins. These ruins suggest striking contrasts between the former grandeur and glory of the place and its present decay and desola- tion. We put our horses in the charge of one of the idle boys waiting for the guileless tourists, and before we look at the town as it appears to- day, refresli our minds with some facts of his- tory. ' ' M n^ FROM NABLUS TO SAMARIA 197 Samaria is between six and seven miles nortli- vvest of Sheclieni. It is bnilt on an ohlonir liill rising one tlionsand five hnndred and forty-two feet above the level of the sea. It rises near thr center of a broad and deep valley encircled by nils and its lofty sitnation enables one to see tlie Mediterranean in the distance. Abont 020 n.c Samaria was bnilt by Omri, kin- of Israel he lull ' Tir.ali and Sheehein had been capi- ta s of Israel, but now Samaria became the capi- tal and continned snch for two hundred years unti the captivity of the ten tribes. Sheiiier' or Shomer, was the first owner, hence the name bamaria, as we have seen. Soon the city be- came a seat of idolatry, and the prophets Isaiah, Jcrciniah, Amos, and Micah prophesied very se- verely against it. In time Ahab built here a vast temple for P>aal, as we learn from i Kinrrs i^ ' 32, 33, and idolatrous worship ^vas formally recognized by king and court. Indeed, a part of Ba'ap! ^'tk r"'f' "the city of the house of i^aal. This temple was destroyed by Jehu bamaria was a place of great strength. Twice fhlf ^'^'}'^f}y tlie Syrians and rescued from tliem The later siege was marked by a terri- ble famine, and a remarkable deliverance was foretold by Elisha. The king of Assyria hi sieged the place for three years,';nd Sargon took t 722 B. c ,- and the people were carried as cap- tives to Assyria. Cuthite colonists partly re- '1 Kings 16 .-23. 24. ^2 Kings ,7 ..5. 6; ,8 : 9, ,< 1 198 SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTl'RES ' I Stored the city. Alexander the (ireat took the city ;^;^^ n. c. He colonized it with Syro-Mace- donians. John Hyrcainis captnred it 129 n. C. In time Ponipey restored the Samaritans who had been supplanted by Jews and Syro-Mace- donians. Augustus gave the city to Herod the Cireat, who chose it as his capital, adorned it with splendid palaces and a magnificent colonnade, which extended all around the hill. In honor of Augustus he named it Sebastc, which is the (ireek equivalent of Augusta; the name which the Arabs now give it, "Sebastiyeh," is just their form of thc(ircek word Scbaste. Herod brought six thousand colonists, who were chiefly veter- ans; he also surrounded it with a strong wall and built a grand temple which he dedicated to Augustus. So perfect were the fortifications that the city was thought to be impregnable; and this fact gives peculiar point to the proph- ecy of Amos when he said (6:1): "Woe to them that . . . trust in the mountains of Samaria." Fragments of statues of the gods of the Greeks and Romans, among them a stone image of Jupiter, have been recently found, these gods having taken the place of Baal of the Phoeni- cians. Two incidents of the siege of Samaria will be remembered : The compact between the starving women, expressed in these words, "Give thy son that we may eat him to-day, and we will eat my son to-morrow"; and the incident of the "four leprous men who sat at the entering of the gate, i1 FROM NABI.rS TO SAMARIA 199 and said one to tlie other, Why sit we here nntil we die?" and then actinjr on the sn^jrcstion and enterinjr into the camp they fonnd "there was no man there, neither voice of man," for the Syri- ans had all fled in the ntniost terror. It will he remembered that the brave and no- ble prophet Elijah came to this citv from the monntains of (iilead to rebnke the wicked Kinjr Ahab and foretell the lonjr dron^Hu that was to come upon the land. Yonder in the valley lay the R:reat Syrian army of lien-hadad, the army so terribly defeated by the Israelites. To Sa- maria from Ramoth-Oilead came the blood- stanied chariot of Ahab, who was pierced with an arrow from a bow drawn at a ventnre ; the chariot was bronj^ht to be "washed in the 'pool of Samaria," and the dogs licked np the kind's blood, and the prophetic word was fearfnlly ful- filled. In Samaria, either the city or district, or both, the gospel was successfully preached by Philip and others, as we see by Acts 8 : 5-25. Here the sorcerer Simon had long practised his impostures, and he desired to buy the gift of working miracles. It was from this city, or re- gion, that Philip was summoned to go south to baptize the Ethiopian treasurer. The church formed in Samaria was represented in the Coun- cil of Nicea. A. D. 325; but in 614 the city fell under the power of the Moslems. A bishopric was established here by the crusaders, and many travelers mention the place in the succeeding centuries. Rut as Nablus grew in importance^ Samaria declined, until now it is virtually a I 200 SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURES t y«'.' « heap of ruins. Wonderful is the interest which attaches to places when we see them with all their remarkable historical associations fresh in mind. The first thinji^ we did was to visit a Moham- medan school. The children were all studying aloud. It was a noisy school, I assure you. Our presence seriously interrupted their studies. Then the h.cad-master brought up some of his best scholars to give us an exhibition cf their great attainments ; and through the interpreter, I of course expressed great admiration for their attainments and appreciation of his considera- tion for our pleasure, for it must be assumed that there was nothing which I so much desired as to hear a recitation in Arabic. As we looked about we were again impressed with the exceed- ing beauty of the situation ; the valley below, the terraced hill, and the Mediterranean twenty miles away, but clearly visible. We visited the ruined church of John the Baptist, built by the crusaders of the twelfth century, on the sup- posed, but very improl)able, site of his grave. Jerome is the first who mentions the tradition that John the Baptist is buried here. Later came the tradition that he was beheaded here. This church is now used as a mosque, and it is a very picturesque ruin. On the walls are still crosses of the Knights of St. John, although an attempt has been made to obliterate them. In the court there is a dome over the traditional sepulchre of John the Baptist. Descending a number of steps, lighted by a torch, we reached FROM NABLUS TO SAMARIA 'a ^ 201 liis tomb together witli that" of Olxulial, and several others. A massive stone s diffieult to see how his ion.b is ■ere Jerome, as already indicatev;L;ht and action; but this prophecy comes down o details which are most minute. God was lo pour the stones down into the valley ; there the stones are lying to-day. God further declared that he would make Samaria "as plantings of a vineyard." This prophecy implies that portions of the ancient site should be used for various farm •U ^ U . W FROM NABLUS TO SAMARIA 203 purposes. Ut the tourist look aroundliim^and Th^re t". '^'' '"^^""^"^^ "^ '''''' predictio'^ 1 here to-day are seen traces of vine-terraces all about this historic hill. Here also are patches of some kind of grain; here also is the thresh! nig floor; and here are evidences that the Arabs have recently been threshing and vvinnowin' their grain. Can it be possible that once there stood on this hill and its sloping sides a g elt and splendid city? How xv^nderfnl are^ the literal fulfillments of ancient prophecies regard! lug Samaria and Palestine as a whole' This laud IS a witness to the truth of Cxod's word; its barren hills and desolate plains testify to the reality of God's threatenin^s and the' sins ^ Gods people. From barren hillsides, rifled tombs ancient parchments, and works of art of inaiiy kinds, proofs are multiplying regardino- the mith of prophecy and the uncha'^ngeSss >,;.. XIX I i FROM SAMARIA TO DOTHAN AND JENIN .V" ;»!;' t I" iV w ITH many memories of the splendor of Samaria in its palmy days and of the horrors of the time of which it could be said, " Lo, we boiled my son, and did eat him," and with an overwhelming conviction, as we looked on the stones thrown down into the valley, of the literal fulfillment of prophecy, we press on our way northward. Places of historic interest are about us. The Bible is becoming more and more a new book as it is illustrated by the sight of the places described. It is true that doubts regarding the genuineness of the sites rob the places pointed cut of much of their power over the imagination ; still, even the traditional sites are not without power to kindle the mind, to gratify the curiosity, and to vivify the historical narrative. With thoughts like these in mind we de- scended the hill where are the columns, entered the valley of Barley, and soon reached the village of Burka, under whose fine old olive trees trav- elers often camp. From the top of the hill near a glorious view bursts on the sight, — a great plain and its villages, — the plain of Esdraelon, full of places of intciest, and yonder in the distance is 204 ^^^^ SAMARIA TO DOTHAN AND JKNIx\ 205 white-robed Herinoii. Looking^off^oTiT^ht IS Abel-Meliolali. The mere mention of this name calls up a long train of historic associa- tion. Abel-xMeholah ! let us think of the name a little, as our horses slowly pick their steps over the often rough path along which we are journeying. Near this place Gideon defeated the Midianites, as we see in Judg. 7-22 This was the time when Gideon's brave three liundrcd blew their trumpets, broke their pitchers, held heir lamps in their left hands, and shouted: rhe sword of the Lord and of Gideon." The effect of these crashing sounds and reverberatinjr shouts was tremendous. The noise of so many trumpets the flashing of so many lights, and the crash of the broken pitchers, gave the Midianites an exaggerated idea of the numbers by whom they were beset. They supposed that the num- ber of Gideon's fighting men was in proportion to that of the trumpeters. Terrible was the slaughter on the one side and glorious the vie- tory on the other. This place was t.he birth- p ace of Ehsha, and here he was found at the plow by Elijah when returning up the valley from Horeb.' The word means "the meadow of the dance." To the borders of Abel-Meholah the routed, panic-stricken Midianites fled, utter- ing the wild cries peculiar to their race. Nearer the usual route of travelers is Ophrali. This town was in the tribe of Manasseh. Here Gideon continued to reside after he had deliv- * I Kings 19 : 16. \',ii tt* k i m • ■',' ■1 i 1 1 ■ r 1 1 i > I i il > 2o6 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES ered Israel from the Midianites. Here too, his ephod was established and became a snare to Israel. This ephod was adorned with the spoils of Zebah and Zalmunna, and became an object of superstitious worship. There is, however, some difficulty in fixing with certainty on this ,:ite. Doth AN — " Two Wells." — We have now traveled about eight miles directly north of the city of Samaria ; we are also on the border of the territory of that name, and we arrive at the ruins of Dothan. We are close to the great camel route between Egypt and Damascus. We are, also, as Doctor Fish reminds us, " at the gateway of the Carmel range of mountains in the plain of Esdraelon." Dothan, or Dothaim, is a place of great interest. It is on the caravan route from Syria to Egypt, fifteen miles north of Shechem and four to five miles southwest of En-gannim, now Jenin. It is now iminhabited ; '/Ut its ruins on a hill on the south edge of a fertile plain still bear the name Dothan. The word means "the two wells"; and two copious wells or fountains are found to this day at the foot of the hill. One of them at least is very old, and was probably there in the time of Jo- seph. To Dothan Joseph came seeking his brethren who had wandered thither with their flocks from Shechem.^ When his brethren saw him afar off they conspired against him, saying: * Gen. 37 : 17. ^_^OM &iMARIA TO DOTHAN AND JENIN 207 "Behold this dreamer coinetli." Tliesc brothers were of the spirit of Cai„, who slew his brother ot 11 ai.kiiid. Nine men here conspire to kill a broher of the most amiable qualities who tin derly loved then,, and who was'in tl e ven aet'of showing „s love when their anger bla.ed ont Xd'bloo !"r'f- ^"■^<^" '"^' "Ot wiJ?' them to nto . nU ' '^^ ,'"°Sested H,at they east Joseph wills le'^istilT The"', rf"-' f'^P P"« "' ^'y f,,Iv r } > ■ °''' *'°''>' "becomes wonder- ' t' [n th^o ""V-' '"' "'^ ground. We know mud a the bon'" ","'P''' V'''"''' °f'"' «i'l> P isous Tbe^^ 'f'T 1°"^ ''<--^" "^^d =>« north f..,c,f °^ ■f'"^°''' "° doubt, came rave ed 't,^''""''"" °" !''^ ^^^^ which we traveled. They came a long distance frotn Hebron in the south, to find water and ™ss n 'e "^Tr • f' f '^"" '. P'""^^ °f excellJJit'pTstnr" for tbei T ^fT''"^ 'o Joseph, in his anxiety lor their good, "Do not thy brethren feed the be ;>" ^r'""-" "Go and see whether t Oil T^ trf "'1"' =*:;othan ^alley ; [anions |e well 17- watered, beautifully situated, and prosperous town of Jeiiin is readied. The name Kn-}^annim means '' Fountain of Gardens." It was a town on the border of Issaehar, and was given to (iershonite Levites.' Josephus speaks of the town under the name of Ginea and as one of the boundaries between Galilee and Samaria. It is a place of {gardens to-day. A lar|;e fountain, whose waters form a brook, makes the village green and prosperous. It contains about three thousand inhabitants, in perhaps three hundred houses. Olive trees, palm trees, prickly-pear hedges, and rich gar(lcns characterize the place. There is a good-sized mosque, which perhaps was once a Christian church. We went into the town at a brisk trot, starting up the idlers about the fine spring, rousing the dogs, and attracting the attention of the people generally. Here on the borders of the plain of Esdraelon, the battlefield of the nations, we were to pass the night, and the next morning a long-cherished desire — seeing the plain of Esdraelon — would be gratified. Samaria has already suggested to us remark- able fulfillments of prophecy. Dothan gives us a wonderful example of the saving power of God. Never was there greater folly than that of Joseph's brethren in their desire to gratify their own wicked desires and to overthrow the purposes of God. God made their acts con- tribute directly to the accomplishment of his * Josh. 19 : 21-29. /' 1 ' r 4 212 SUNDAY Nir.IlT LKCTURI-S plans. Joscpli was to rule over his brethren ; J(j.sepli did rule over his brethren. He saw in his dream these brethren bowinj^ down before him ; he saw in his experience in Kj^ypt these brethren actually so bovvinp;. The j;rcat (ireek dramatists have illustrated in strikin<;^ forms the impossibility on the part of men of thwartinj;' the purpose? of God. This is the philosophy and theology which underlie their greatest dra- matic tragedies. It is a truth everywhere taught in the Bible ; it is a truth everywhere taught in human historv. God's hand is as trulv in the hist I' 214 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES /.: the material forces within tlieir sphere. Round about us are ministering spirits sent forth to minister to the heirs of salvation. Above us is the great God. The pure in heart can and do see him, and heart purity is the essential con- dition of this beatific vision. Only tiiose who sec the Invisible can do the impossible. The hosts of God shall as truly protect the children of God to-day as they did Elidia and liis serv- ant, and the enemies of God, in various provi- dential ways, shall become as blind and as powerless as did the Syrians v/hen they were led in helpless darkness into Samaria. Round t fortli to bove us is t" and do ntial con- iiose who :>le. Tlie - children his scrv- us provi- ' and as were led XX THE PLAIN OF ESDRAELON THIS plain occupies a conspicuous place in the topography of Palestine, and its place in the history of Israel is scarcely less conspicu- ous. Any description of Palestine which should omit a full reference to this plain would indeed be Hamlet with Hamlet left out. For thou- sands of years this great plain has been the highway of the nations, and for thousands of years it has been also the battlefield of the world. Perhaps there is no field on the globe where under so many different civilizations the clash of arms, the groans of the dying, and the shouts of the vif toiious have so often been heard ; per- haps no field which so often has been fattened by the blood of the slain. This plain is the map of Israel itish history. It has been the judgment field of n any nations, and it gives its name to the last great battle between good and evil. Its history is the history of nations and centuries. I^ater I shall speak of these histori- cal matters more in detail. Name and Shape.— The word Esdraelon is merely the Hebrew word Jezreel in the form which the Greek language givc.>, it. The plain 2IS 2l6 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES ',< I A: • ( is sometimes called simply the valley of Jezreel, because of its relation to the old royal city of Jezreel which was situated on a spur of ]Mount Gilboa near the east side of the plain. It was called the valley of Megiddo, because of its re- lation to Megiddo, the old royal city of the Canaanites. Megiddo stood on its southern bor- der, and it was at IMegiddo that Barak won his great victory and that Josiah received his death wound. Josephus called it simply the Great Plain. This name is given to the large expanse of level or undulating land lying between Jez- reel and Acre. It is from twelve to eighteen miles wide, and it extends from the Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea. It separates the moun- tain ranges of Carmel and Samaria from those of Galilee. The plain is nearly a triangle. Its base is on the east and extends from the town of Jenin to the foot of the hills below Nazareth, and is about sixteen miles long. The north side is formed Ly the hills of Galilee and is about thirteen miles ; the south side is formed by the Samaria range and is about eighteen to twenty miles long. The apex on the west opens through a narrow pass into the plain of Acre, the ancient Accho. The plain rises gradually from the Mediterranean about four hundred feet. The west part is level, but on the east it is more undulating, and is finally broken by Moimt Gil- boa and Little Henlion into three valleys about two to three miles in width, and these valleys at length sink down into the valley of the Jordan. The middle of these valleys is properly the val- f Jezreel, il city of >f Mount It was )f its re- ' of tlie lerii bor- won ]iis is deatli e Great expanse -en Jcz- igliteen rdan to : nioun- I those le. Its own of zaretli, til side about by the wenty rough ncient II the The more tGil- about ^}'s at rdan. i val- THE PI,AIN OF ESDRAELON 217 ley of Jezreel. The manner in which these three branches stretch eastward from the base of the plain has been well likened to the fino-ers from a hand. These fingers are divided by two gray ridges of mountains, one called Mount Gil- boa and the other Uttle Hermon, or by the Arabs Jebel el-Duhy. To the northwest the river Kishon traverses this great plain. In the •spring it IS green with grain of different kinds when properly cultivated ; but where it is nccr. lected weeds grow in great profusion. Once k was well watered and famous for its fertility but now there is a blight from which the whole land suffers Here and there are knolls on whose sides ohve trees grow. The soil naturally is ex- ceedingly rich, but the plain is almost unin- habited. A few small villages are seen on its borders, but its crops are insecure because of the depredations of roving Bedouins, who are as ikely to rob the peasants of their crops as were the Midianites in the days of Gideon, and most ot the soil now is in the hands of rich men in Damascus and Beirut, who are almost as hard on the peasants as were the Midianites in the early day and as are the Bedouins in our day There IS no small ownership. A few men living in different parts of the country, especially in the two cities named, farm out parts of the o-reat plain. The blight of Turkish tyrannv leaves much of It uncultivated and practically deserted The highways are deserted and the villages have mostly ceased, but under proper cultivation great prosperity would be certain. 'I n \ ^ :1 'i I'll * i -^ i f ^i 2l8 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES Scripture Places. — Within single views a wonderful number of places mentioned in Scrip- ture cluster together. Doctor Fish calls atten- tion to the fact that standing at the opening of the plain we can see at the west IMount Carmel ; at the north the mountains of Zebulun, Naph- tali, and Issachar, including those back of Naza- reth ; at the east INIounts Tabor, Little Hermon, and Gilboa ; and we also see the sites of Jezreel, Bethshan, Shuncni, Nain, Endor, Cana, and Nazareth, and still other places famous in the story of the Old Testament or the New. Think of all the history which in both Testaments gathers about these names ! Long had I wished to ride over this plain. Now this wish is grati- fied, and I am actually treading this historic soil. Battlefield of the World. — The valley of Megiddo, I have already remarked, is so called from the city of Megiddo, which stood on its southern border ; it was liere also thnt Barak triumphed and that King Josiah received his death wound. It is not at all unlikely that the Apostle John, in describing in the book of Revelation the final conflict between the hosts of good and evil gathered to a plain called Ar-mageddon, which is just the Hebrew for the city of IVIegiddo, had this place in mind. This plain was the great battleground of Pales- tine, in a sense of the world. Its situation made it such. It was always the main passage of en- trance and exit for the nations whose methods I? I THE PLAIN OF ESDRAELON 219 of warfare limited them to the level country. Thus it became the arena of war between tlie lowlanders, who trusted in their chariots, and the highlanders, who fought most successfully on the heights. None of the battles which secured the conquest of the land for the Israelites were fought here. Most of them took place in the south. jMost of the battles in Esdraelon were forced on the Israelites by invading armies. Israel won some great victories here, but the plain will always be associated in history with the defeat of Saul at Gilboa and of Jos'iah at Megiddo. These two defeats gave rise to the two saddest dirges in the literature of the Jewish people. On this plain have glittered the lances of the wild men of Moab. The soil has trem- bled under the horses' feet and under the chariots of the Pharaohs and the Ptolemies. Over it thundered Sennacherib ; over it marched in stately tread the phalanxes of IMacedonia and Rome. Here Deborah and Barak encountered the forces of Sisera, and the battle which fol- lowed swept over most of the plain and dyed its waters and fattened its soil with blood. At the foot of the ridge where stood Jezreel Gideon achieved his great victoi-y over the Amalekites and the Midianites. By the fountain near the same city the host of Israel under Saul en- camped before it was chased on the mountains of Gilboa. At Alegiddo, as we have seen, Josiah was slain by the Egyptians under Pharaoh- necho. Across this plain Elijah ran sixteen miles from Carmel before the chariot of Ahab. 1 : [iV^I- 220 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES At the foot of Tabor Vespasian fought against the Jews. Here the Cruiaders and Saracens have slaughtered each other. It has been the chosen place of battles in the Holy Land from Nebuchadnezzar to Napoleon. Jews, Gentiles, Saracens, Egyptians, Persians, Druses, Turks, Arabs, Crusaders, and French- men, warriors of every nation under heaven have here fought in fierce battles. The most noted modern contest was that of 1799. The Turks with an army of twenty-five thousand (some say twenty-seven thousand) were utterly vanquished by the French, who with fifteen hundred (some authorities nearly double the number) men under Kleber fought for six hours and were finally succored by Napoleon, who came with six hundred men and dashed upon the foe with such terrible force as to scatter them like chaff before the wind. There is no such other plain in Palestine, historically or geographically. The language of Doctor Clarke, quoted in Smith's " Bible Dictionary," is not too strong to picture the wonderful scenes here enacted. He says : " War- riors out of every nation which is under heaven, have pitched their tents in the plain of Esdraelon, and have beheld the various banners of their nations wet with the dews of Tabor and Her- mon." Napoleon is represented as having been profoundly moved with the memories of Christ, the Prince of Peace, as he rode past Tabor to engage in bloody battle on this historic plain. Of some of these stirring events I shall speak I ' THE PLAIN OF ESDRAKLON 221 i against Saracens 's in tlie apoleon. ?*ersians, French - heaven lie most ?. Tlie lousand ntterly fifteen ble the « hours n, who i upon scatter lestine, iRwage 'Bible re the " War- eaven, aelon, their Her- been :hrist, )or to plain, speak more at length in connection with the places where they occurred. Other Characteristics of the Plain. — Its great richness is to be noted. Beautiful is the contrast between i.s greenness and the gray bleak crowns of Gilboa and the rugged ranges on the north and south. It was a frontier of the tril)e of Zebulun, and in Dent. ^^ : i8 we read: "Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out." It was also the special portion of Issachar, and we read : " And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant ; and he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant uiito tribute." But its present desolation is equally observable. It is authoritatively said that " if we except the eastern branches, there is not a single inhabited village on its whole surface and not more than one-sixth of its soil is cultivated." Here the wandering Bedouin has his home. He dashes over its smooth turf on his fleet horse; he plunders peasants and tourists. He then hastens, when hard pressed, beyond the Jordan, carrying his tents, flocks, and herds with him, and the government is too weak to follow and punish him. The plain has always been greatly ex- posed. Over it rode the old Canaanites in their iron chariots, and before them the Israelites were powerless. To it came in the time of Gideon, as we have seen, the nomad IMidianites and Amale- kites, those children of the East, who were "as grasshoppers for multitude" and whose camels were as the sands of the sea for numbers. ti li '.*' 1 222 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 1.^ 1.^ I , ' ii While our friend Doctor Fish was at IMegiddo some prowling Bedouins crept to his tent door and stole his trunk, which was near his head. The trunk was recovered, and a second time came the Bedouin prowlers, crawling on their hands and one foot, the other foot being cocked over their backs in imitation of the tails of dogs. The first qualification for greatness on the part of an Arab is cxpertness in stealing. It is said that the funeral services consist chiefly in a re- cital of the virtues of the deceased, and if it can be said of any dead Bedouin, " He was a good man ; he could steal by moonlight and in the dark," the highest encomium to his virtues is paid. We were not uiolested, but we saw the black tents of the Bedouins very often. Dr. George Adam Smith, in his recent volume, " The Historical Geography of the Holy Land," calls attention to the fact that there are five entrances to the plain of Esdraelon and that they are all visible from Jezreel. With these en- trances clearly in mind, we can readily see how well adapted this field was to be the arena of great battles. It is really a vast theatre, as Doc- tor Smith has suggested, with its clearly defined stage and with its proper exits and entrances. In the first battle Israel not only overcame a foreign tyrant but circumvented that tyrant in his purpose to prevent Israel's unity. The en- trances to the hill country of Israel were in the hands of the Canaanites, and the northern tribes, Zebulon and Naphtali, were cut off from their southern brethren. The very existence of THK PLAIN OK KSDRAKLON 223 Megiddo ent door lis head, nd time on their r cocked of dogs, the part t is said in a re- if it can i a good in the rtues is •aw the 'oliime, Lund," ire five at they ?S£ en- ee how ■ena of IS Doc- iefined ranees, ame a 'ant in he en- in the rthern ■ from nee of Israel was menaced. This fact was recognized both in tlie song of Deborah and in the prose accounts of the battle. Of this battle I shall have occasion to speak more fully later, but it is interesting to observe at this point how all the plu-sical conditions contributed to the suc- cess of Israel at this critical time in her history. The plain, owing to the storm, was soon in 'a condition rendering it impossible for the chariots to move, and the horses plunged helplessly in the mire. These facts are brought out elo- quently in the song of Deborah. The highland footmen were masters of the situation. In this great victory Barak and Deborah were helped rather than hindered by the level ground. The Turks in 1799, when Kleber and Napoleon scattered their enormously superior numbers on this same field, fled in the same direction as did Sisera after his defeat. This great plain had a conspicuous place when Israel repelled the next invaders ; they were the Arabs of various terrible names from over the Jordan. Their battle was at the head of the long vale running down to Bethshan. We shall have occasion later to study Gideon's remark- ably wise tactics, and to observe the skill with which he selected his heroes and the success with which he followed up the flight of his foes. The campaign of the Philistines against Saul, and also the other historical battles on this field, we cannot fully understand unless wc have the characteristics of the field iiself clearly in mind. God has made the configuration of this plain to 1 1 n H 224 SUNDAY NIGHT I.KCTURES \h contribute greatly to the triumph or defeat of his people. No one can travel over the great plain with- out having striking illustration of the truth of the record in all the accounts of the great battles fought on this field. Not more fully does Gettysburg illustrate the terrible fighting which was at once the high-water mark of the rebellion and its death knell than does the plain of Ksdraelon illustrate the movements of the armies which have dyed its soil with blood, and whose victories or defeats have changed the history of nations. Palestine is an illustrated edition of the Bible. I ii ( ^ » : feat of his lain witli- e truth of tlie orreat lore fully - figliting rk of the the plain ts of the lood, and iged the llustrated XXI ZERIN, THE ANCIENT JEZREEL WE Started early from Jen in for our journey across the plain of Esdraelon. Soon the villa<,re of Taanach was pointed out on our left. This village consists of a mere handful of wretched houses, although once it was a royal city of the Canaanites. It is mentioned in Josh. 12 : 21, and was one of the thirty-one cities con- quered by Joshua. It was in the territory of Issachar, but was assigned to Manasseh, and allotted to the Levites. In the war between the Canaanites and Israel it was a strong post of the Canaanites under Sisera, and seems to have been their headquarters. The town is mentioned in the triumphant song of Deborah, "The kings came and fought; then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo.'" We learn from i Kings 4 : 12 that it was one of Solomon's places of supplies. All that now re- mains of this old and famous town is the ruins on a hill on the southwest border of the plain of Esdra<.]on. About five miles farther on we reach Megiddo now marked by an old khan or inn. Megiddo and Taanach are always mentioned together; *Judg. 5 p 19. !'!■ \ • / 225 ' ' 226 SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURKS ft tliey were evidently chief towns in tlie ricli dis- trict wliicli formed the western portion of tlie jjreat plain of Ksdraelon. Like Taanach, Mc- j^iddo was a royal city of the Canaanites, and was also assigned to Manasseh, although the Canaanites long retained a foothold therein. It commanded a pass from the plain on the north to the hill country of Samaria. It has been identified with a place now called Leijun, which is supposed to be the Legio of the Romans. It was here that King Ahaziah died ; it was here that King Josiah was defeated and slain, and afterward sorely lamented by the nation,' as it realized therein the death-blow to its hope. It was easy to see here how the hosts of Deborah and Barak on the one side, and those of Sisera on the other, were drawn up and how the result of the battle was secured. On the summit of Tabor the hosts of Deborah and Barak were assembled ; those of Sisera in the plain of Me- giddo between this place and Taanach. Debo- rah gave the signal for battle and Barak rushed down. The stars fought against Sisera ; the rains fell in torrents ; the Kishon rose and ran furiously. It beat against the chariots and horses and they were swept away. Sisera sprang from his chariot, fled to the tent of Jael, and was finally slain by having the tent pin driven through his head. The whole course of the bat- tle is plain as one stands on the site of the ancient Megiddo. ' 2 Kings 9 : 27 ; 23 : 29 ; 2 Chron. 35 : 22-2$ ; Zech. 12 : ll. ^ ; I ZKUIX, TIIK AN'CIKNT JKZKKKL 227 rich dis- )ii of the Lich, Mc- iitcs, and u^^h the rein. It lie north las been n, which lans. It was here ain, and )n,' as it lope. It Deborah )f Sisera lie result iiiinit of ak were 1 of Me- Debo- rushed ra ; the and ran ots and sprang lel, and driven he bat- of the h. 12 : II. j JKZUKKI., "TIIK SOWING OF GoP." — We pass now under the l)are niouiilains of (»ilboa and soon we reach the iiiodcni Zerin, the ancient Jez- reel. Tliis is now a wretched hamlet of some twenty houses. It is surrounded with heaps of rubl)ish. Many holes may be discovered in which j^rain is hidden with the hope of puttiu}^ it out of the reach of thievish Hedouius, as in the davs of (iideon similar holes were used as storehouses to protect grain from the predatory Midianites. A superl) view is ours here. The eyes takes in the plain of Ksdraelon, as far as Carmel on the one side, and the valley of the Jordan on the other. What is known, in the limited sense, as the valley of Jezreel, lies to the north of Zerin. What memories crowd upon us here ! Here live again Ahab and Jezebel, Nabotli and Kli- jali. Jezreel was the royal city of Ahab and of successive monarchs. Here stood his superb palace, but not a trace of it remains to-day. Here lived in royal splendor Jezebel, the Clyteni- nestra, the Lady Macbeth of the Bible ; and from the window of the royal palace she was thrown to be devoured by dogs in the street. Here was enacted the story of Naboth and his vineyard ; and here, finally, the whole family of Ahab was put to death by the fierce, relentless, but providential Jehu. These events are so thrilling, and withal so instructive, that before we ride farther we must pause to recite the story more fully and learn the lessons it so impress- ively teaches. i •• ^ ' I. 228 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES The name Zerin is really Jezreel, having simply passed through the changes incident to being dressed in different languages. The word means ''God's sowing," a name derived from the richness of the soil in this plain. The word is rightly applied to the valley between Gilboa and Little Hermon, but in a more limited sense it is used of the city. The historical importance of the place dates from the reign of Ahab, who chose it as the place of one of his palaces. It was a kind of summer residence. Oniri chose Samaria, and Baasha chose Tirzah, and Ahab divided his time between Samaria and Jezreel. The site shows the wisdom of choosing Jezreel. It rises gently out of the fertile plain of Esdra- elon, and was a place of great strength. There is on the northeast side a rocky descent of at least one hundred feet. The place was easily fortified, and in that day this was a most im- portant consideration. The place also enjoyed the advantages of a central locality ; it looked straight toward the wide west level and it com- manded a view toward the Jordan. On the east was the Jordan ; on the west Carmel. The lo- cation was simply superb. In or near Jezreel were a temple and grove of Astarte ; there was also an establishment of four hundred priests supported by and under the di- rection of Jezebel. On the east side of the city was the palace of Aliab ; here too, perhaps form- ing a part of the palace, was his "ivory house." The palace in which Jezebel lived was on the city wall and had a high window facing east- I [\ t\ ■ I (Hi ZERIN, THE ANCIENT JEZREEL 229 having ident to he word roiii the word is boa and nse it is tance of lb, who ces. It i chose I Ahab Jezreel. Jezreel. Esdra- There t of at 5 easily 3st ini- ?njoyed looked it com- he east ^le lo- rove of of four he di- le city form- ouse." )n the : east- ward. There was --Aiso a watch-tower on which a sentinel stood t j give notice of the coming of messengers, especially from the disturbed dis- tricts east of the Jordan. To this day among the hovels there is a square tower which may be the modern representative of that ancient " Mig- dol," or '' tower in Jezreel." Adjoining the royal domain was the tract of land which be- longed by hereditary right to Nabotli. When the house of Ahab fell the glory of Jezreel departed. No other king selected the place for his capital. The blight of God seemed 10 rest on the place. Terribly instructive are the silence and desolation of the place to-day. The glory truly is departed. Where is the splendor of Ahab's ivory palace ? Where is the glory of Jezebel's power? Elijah seems still to haunt the place as the incarnation of divine justice to punish the manifold weaknessos and wickednesses of Ahab and his fierce and cri:el Jezebel. Ahab and Jezebel. — We may now fittingly look at this king and queen of the olden time. There never was a weak Ahab but that by his sldfc there was a wicked Jezebel. Weakness is often virtually wickedness. Ahab wns the seventh king of Israel and the son of King Omri, wiK/in lie succeeded 918 b. c. For twenty- two years, n^/twithstauding his many sins, he reigned ovef Israel. The story of liis life is stained with crime, Jezebel, his wife, was the daughtev of Kthbaal, king of Tyre and Sidon. I I i'l 230 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES \, li A^ She was an ambitions and passionate idolatress. She spent her time and thonght, with Ahab's co-operation, in the effort to establish idolatry in Samaria and to exterminate the worship and destroy the servants of God. The brave Oba- diah, at the risk of his own life, saved one hun- dred of the prophets of God. Four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, under the direction of Ahab, perished at Mount Carmel at the word of Elijah, and then Jezebel sought to a venose herself on Elijah ; and, bold as he undoubtedly was, he ran with fear from her presence. Ahab long-ed for the plot of o^round which beloncred to Naboth. He whined like a spoiled child. Jezebel rebuked him. She would <^et it for him. She did secure it by perjuries and murders. What cared she for either? But with NabotlTs vineyard she got also the hated presence of Elijah and the dreaded curse of God. We pay a high price for any pleasure when we o-ive for it otmr sense of justice and the favor of God. Jezebel diffused the poison of her idolatry in Israel ; throug-h her own influence and through her daughter Athaliah she sent the virus into Judah, and her son Jehoram perpetuated her evil influence in Israel. Her name has become a proverb for boldness and badness, for profli- gacy and malice. In Samaria Ahab erected a house of Baal, and set images of Baal and Ashto- reth. We read that he "did more to provoke the Lord to anger than all the kings that were bom before him.'' As a punishment for his sin God visited the laud with three years of drought ZERIN, THE ANCIENT JEZREEL 231 of and famine ; and then on that great day on Mount Carmel God destroyed the prophets of Baal and Ashtoreth. Ahab went on in sin. After the murder of Naboth Elijah denounced the punishment of God upon him. A little time passed. With Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, he sought to regain Ramoth-Gilead from the Syrians. God warned him against the battle, but he defied God. He, however, took the precaution to disguise himself so that he might not be so conspicuous a mark for the archers of Ben-hadad. One of them " drew a Ijow at a venture " and slew him. For a time he was supported in his chariot, but toward evening he died and his army was dis- persed. He was brought to Samaria to be buried, and while his .servant was wa.sliing his chariot the dogs licked up the blood of Ahab, as Elijah had predicted. The death of Jezebel was equally terrible. She was the evil .spirit of his reign. Fourteen years passed after the death of Ahab. As queen-mother Jezebel was of great influence in the court of her sons. Jehu now advanced against Jezreel to overthrow the dynasty of Ahab. Tt was the supreme moment in the liistor\ oi her house, and the spirit of the aged queen rose with the determination of despair to meet it. She was in the palace overlooking the approach from the east, and .she saw Jehu driving furiously in his chariot. She painted her eye- lids and tirec her head. Perhaps .she thought she could fa.scinabe: Jehu ; perhaps she simply ' i 232 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES W fi I ' ^} desired to appear in all the charms of regal splendor. She looked down on him from the high latticed window and taunted him with an allusion to a former act of treason. Jehu looked up at her and hurled at her words of defiance. " Throw her down," he shouted. Two or three servants obeyed his command and dashed their royal mistress down from her chamber. In front of Jehu's chariot she fell, and the blood from her mangled corpse dashed on the wall behind and on the horses in front. On went Jehu, and his chariot wheels and horses' hoofs crushed out whatever of life remained. The body was left where the offal from the cities was thrown. The dogs, packs of which may be seen to-day on the sp<^>t, pounced on this unexpected prey. Soon nothing was left but the skull, the soles of the feet, and the palms of the hands. Jehu's heart was touched a!id he said : " Go, see now this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king's daughter." Tlius were the awful words of Elijah fulfilled: "In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel, and the car- cass of Jezebel shall be as dung on the face of the earth, so that they shall not say, this is Jezebel." It is easy for us to learn practical lessons from the histor\ we have been studying. The weak- ness in Ahab's character was wickedness. He was merely Jezebel's puppet. He followed her guidance aiid became the victim of her superior strength and his own reprehensible weakness. A man must not be morally weak in the pres- ZERIN, THE ANCIENT JEZREKL 233 4 ence of temptations on the one side and obliga- tions on the other. Adam could not excuse himself in the garden by weakly and covvardlike throwing the responsibility upon the woman. Adam's ungallant spirit in this respect showed the degrading influence of sin upon his more manly nature. Each man must bear the burden of his own responsibility, notwithstanding the share that others may have in tempting him to evil. We see also the evils of an unholy marriage. Ahab ought never to have married the daughter of Ethbaal. This unfortunate marriage was the turning point in his whole history.' She was reckless, fierce, licentious, and idolatrous. She united religious fanaticism with a naturally un- governable temper. She was the evil genius of Ahab's dynasty ; she cared neither for God nor man. She showed her power over her weak husband when she determined to secure for him the vineyard of Naboth. One would think that the hand of death had come into the palace when he beholds the sorrow of Ahab because he could not have this plot of ground. He was the lordly possessor of palaces ; ' he was at the proud pinnacle of human ambition ; he had servants and soldiers to do his bidding, but he could not be satisfied until he secured possession of the hereditary vineyard of the Jezreelite. His conduct was positively contemptible. Strictly speaking, the soil of Israel was the property neither of Ahab nor Naboth, but of God. By the law of Moses Naboth was prohibited from I ' '!l y.W I t < 4 .1' "I 234 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 1 I parting with his paternal inheritance. Naboth, therefore, rejected Ahab's offer. He must obey God rather than man. We now see the evil of having this Clytemnestra or Lady Macbeth by the side of King Ahab. He had not the moral courage to perform the foul deed by which he hoped to gratify his selfish will. Jezebel would do it ; her queen-craft would be as successful as it was Satanic. Ahab and Jezebel were unevenly yoked to- gether. Her name was originally a beautiful name ; it is simply our Isabella. It has the significance, in the matter of moral purity, of our name Agnes, but the wild license and the magical fascination of this woman has made her name the synonym of cruelty, idolatry, and mur- der. Just as the word Jesuit, so suggestive of all that is deceitful and much that is abominable, comes from the sweet and holy name Jesus, so Jezebel is the chaste and beautiful name Isa- bella. Long afterward the name lived as a by- word for all that was execrable in conduct. This is strikingly illustrated by the use of the word in the book of Revelation. We see also the certainty that God will punish sin. Neither Ahab nor Jezebel could escape. Sin seems to be a slight matter until it is com- mitted, then it appears in its true character as exceeding sin^^ul. When men have committed the crime even Satan seems to burn the sense of its iniquity into the soul of his own victim. Let us trust Him who alone can cleanse from sin and give us the victory over every temptation. 'i '' (! ^ i XXII FOUNTAIN OF GIDEON WE might go directly across the valley to Sliunem, but by making a short detour to the east, we may visit tlie fountain of Jezreel, or as it is sometimes called, the fountain of Gideon. The water is clear as crystal. It issues from a rocky cavern and flows off in a goodly stream. Few places are suggestive of more thrilling memories. Here the stirring events recorded in the sixth and seventh chapters of the book of Judges live and move again before us. Here it was that Gideon encamped against the Midianites ; here that the three hundred picked men lapped the water, and of these men (iod had said: "By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midian- ites into thine hand." Let us look at these re- markable events ; they will well repay our care- ful study. Brave, dashing, and victorious were the sol- diers of the heroic Gideon. They are wortliy of immortality ; and they have been immortalized on the page of sacred story. They lose noth- ing of their grandeur and glory even when com- pared with the "noble six hundred" who rode into "the jaws of death," "into the mouth of 235 i 236 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES hell," and whose praise is chanted in immortal verse by the laureate Tennyson. In giving praise to Gideon and " glory to the Lord of hosts, from whom all glories are," we desire to detract nothing from the illustrious three hun- dred, whobc heroic and patriotic piety gave them a unique place not only in the Bible, but in the history of brave men of every century and every clime. The Country Devastated. — In order right- ly to understand the events recorded in connec- tion with the bravery and victory of Gideon we must have clearly in our minds the condition of the country at the time. Earlier in this history we have the account of the defeat of Sisera. That defeat marked the failure of the last at- tempt by the old inhabitants to overthrow the people of God. Now, however, enemies from new quarters afflict the children of Israel. They are the IMidianites and the Amalckites. The Midianites had gradually spread northward from the peninsula of Sinai, and the Amalekites were the old enemies of Israel whom they had fought at Rephidim. These two peoples had now joined their interests with some other tribes, known under the general title of " the children of the East," in order to overthrow Israel. They were accustomed to make incursions at harvest time, when they carried off flocks and destroyed the harvests, after the manner of the Bedouin Arabs of the present day. The Israelites were reduced to the sorest distress ; many of them I \ I • FOUNTAIN OF GIDKON 237 were obliged to dwell in the mountains, in caves, and in strongholds. They did not dare to reside in the open country, but were obliged to find protection in these retired places and hidden caverns. Frequently still, whole neighborhoods are exposed to these ravages, and as a result whole villages have disappeared from the face of the earth. The peasants prefer to climb to a safe retreat in the hills where attacks are not easily made, rather than take the risk of living in the open fields. In Gideon's time these raids were on an especially gigantic scale. Cruel as is war always and everywhere, it was especially so in the midst of the terrible sufferings inflicted upon the helpless Israelites. Two chiefs, having the title of kings, are especially brought to our notice, Zebah, the " man-killer," and Zalmunna, "the pitiless." Their names indicate the power they exercised and the terror they inspired. There were two inferior chiefs, named Oreb, " the raven," and Zeeb, " the wolf " ; these latter bore the title of " princes." These four chiefs led their wild followers in battle array against the de- fenseless inhabitants. The picture of their army given in the narrative is striking and startling. They are represented as appearing like the Aral) chiefs of modern days arrayed in gorgeous scarlet robes, while on their necks and the necks of their camels there were gold chains and crescent- shaped ornaments. All their women were dressed with ear and nose rings of gold, tocrether with many other jewels. This is the picture given us in this ancient record of the dashing and heart- '1 ni' K : I r in (« ki I ^ \ 238 SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURKS less enemies of Israel, and of the sad condition of the people themselves. GiDKON THE Dkmvkrkr. — When the night is darkest, the morning is near ; when the knell of liberty is sonnding, the dc-livercr is born. When the tale of bricks was doul)led, then came Moses ; when Israel was in desj)air and her ene- mies in triumph, then came (iidcon, heroic de- liverer and triumphant soldier of God. Our thought must be fixed upon him for a little as we study this interesting narrative. " Words are things," said the fiery Mirabeau in the wild French Assembly. This statement is true of Gideon's name. It means '' feller," " hewer," or "destroyer.' He was chosen of God for his noble mission. Amid the poor, or at least weak, clans of western Manasseh, was that descended from Abi-ezer ; but among these households that of Joa.sh held a prominent place. All his .sons were brave and noble, " each like the .son of a king." All except the youngest .son, (iideon, had fallen on Mount Tabor in the many fights with the fierce Midianite.s. Unexpectedly did this great champion of Israel arise in the mid- night hour of Israel's liope. Already he was known both to the Israelites and to their ene- mies as a mighty hero. The " trce-feller " was also a "man-feller" ; and many a Midianite had already felt the strength of the arm of this " mighty man of valor." His home and fields were at Ophrah, and here the invaders encoun- tered his strong arm and brave household. He \ 'I )\: FOUNTAIN OF (ilDEON 239 was modestly at work, like many other truly j^reat men, when he received his call to hi<(her duti( s and nobler endeavors. (liileon was threshin.LC wheat with a flail in the winei)Vess in order that he nii<^ht the better con- ceal tlie ^rain from the tyrants. In the wine- press he would be less exposed to the notice of the invaders, and the flail falling on the grain placed perhaps on the ground itself would make less noise than if it were on a boarded tl< or. There would be danger tliat the enemies miglit hear the bellowing of the oxen, if they had been used to thresh the grain. The angel of the Lord immediately said to him, " Jehovah is with thee, thou mighty man of valor." This address seemed not only startling but ironical to Gideon, when he considered the depressed state of his people. He therefore replied, ''O my Lord, if Jehovah be with us, why then is all this evil be- fallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying : Did not Jehovah bring us up from Egypt ? but now Jehovah has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites." We can well understand how Gideon came to speak in a tc>ne so despondent. The answer came : "Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hands of the IMidianites. Have not I sent thee?" Gideon still expressed his doubt ; but he was met with this divine promise : " Surely I vill be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man." The assurance that God is with him is all that he needs. A miracle finally entirely re- 240 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES I m moved his distrust, and inspired his heart with hope and assured liini of God's presence and help in all his nndertakin<;s. This miracle is in itself deeply interesting^, (iideon at once under- took to present the an<;el with a kid and un- leavened cakes. These he laid upon the rock, and the supernatural visitor touched the offer- inj^ns with the tip of his stafT, and immediately a fire arose out of the rock and consumed them ; and thus the meal immediately became a sacri- fice. The angel then departed and (iideon was filled with holy awe because he had seen an angel of the Lord face to face. The heavenly visitant gave him a word of benediction, and Gideon built an altar, calling it Jehovah-shalom. A new era dawned upon (iideon and the peo- ple of God. Striking is the language employed to describe Ciideon's preparation for this heroic and patriotic ser^•lce ; we are told that the Spirit of Jehovah clctlied him. This statement means that he was filled ftilly, possessed entirely, by the Spirit of God. Being thus clothed " he waxed valiant in fight," and was thus enabled to *' turn to flight the armies of the aliens." Wlien the Spirit of God comes in abundant measure upon men they are able to perform heroic deeds, and to achieve sublime results. We are not now sur- prised to read that Gideon blew the war trumpet through his own clan of Abi-ezer, and also that messengers were sent through the northern tribes and they joyfully obeyed the patriotic summons. All was now ready for a great deliverance ; but Gideon felt the need of a divine token to assure FOUNTAIN OK GIDEON 241 liini of God's presence and blessinjr. God con- descended to strengthen his faitli by a donble sign, tlie wet fleece and the dry, of the divine presence. One wonders at Gideon's demand that God shonld give liini this token ; liis con- dnct seems presnmptnons, after God had given a definite promise ; but in passing judgment upon this demand of Gideon we must have constantly in view the necessities of his position. We now see tlie gathering of the clans, we hear the blast of the trumpets, and we are ready for the aj)- proaching clash of arms. Gideon's career was a campaign rather than a battle, a campaign which divides itself into three parts. No fewer than thirty-two thousand men answered Gideon's call. He, however, pro- claimed through the host that all who were faint-hearted were free to depart and to our astonishment, and, as we might well suppose, to his dismay, no fewer than twenty-two thou- sand withdrew. But even the ten thousand still remaining were too many. A strange method did Gideon employ to test the spirit of his soldiers. Here was a "copious spring, the spring of Trembling," flowing through the basin from under a huge rock, forming a pool of pure water, and to it his soldiers were brought that he might once more test their wisdom and their self-restraint. Only those who lapped the water with their hands, as men do who are in haste, were considered worthy to be retained in the army, and all those who lay down and leisurely drank were excluded. Dr. Smith, to whom I Q iW M 242 SUNDAY NIGHT I,KCTURES have several times alluded, gives a somewhat new interpretation of the conduct of thes;- men, and of the significance of the act of lapping. After calling attention to the well of Harod, as being some fifteen feet broad and two feet deep, and as sending forth a stream sufficieKt to work several mills, he goes on to say that the enemy might have been hidden in the reeds and shrubs standing around the spring, as they afforded ample cover for hostile ambushes. The soldiers, therefore, who bowed themselves leisurely on their knees to drink were in that attitude ex- posed to the enemy who might be waiting in ambush. This act of these soldiers showed that they did not appreciate the possible position of their foe, or their own possible danger. But the brave three hundred, who merely stooped and then lapped up the water with one hand, holding their weapons in the other hand and keeping their face to the foe, showed that they had clear heads as well as brave hearts, and were ready against all surprises of the enemy. He sums up this thought by suggesting that it was a test of the attitude toward the foe which it was most suitable for Gideon to make. He contemplated a night march and a sudden suiprise ; he there- fore needed soldiers who could show common sense and exercise constant vigilance, as did the three hundred at the water. For only such caiition would render his tactics successful. These two modes of drinking are still common in the East. Orientals become amazingly dex- terous in drinking by the use of the hands ; they '' I i '1 FOUNTAIN OF GIDKON 243 til I I I throw the water into the month before the hand is bron^ht close to it, so that the hand brings a fresh snpply before the preceding orie has been swallowed. The original word for " lai)peth," yalok^ is precisel}- the sound which a dog makes in drinking. The entire number of soldiers was row re- duct. ^ to three hundred. Was Gideon to l^e pitied.'* One might so affirm; but God had said : '' By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Tvlidianites into thine hand." God cares for quality more than quantity. When God makes bare his arm, a few men become mightier than many thousands without his immediate presence and benediction. Only a slight difference marked the conduct of the rejected and the accepted soldiers ; but that slight difference indicated an important distinc- tion between these two classes. We may expect that Gideon soon would achie\e victories for God's Israel and for Israel's God. Encouragement from God. — At this criti- cal moment Gideon needed and received another encouragement from God. At this moment the jMidianites and Amalekites, and all the children of the East, lay sleeping in the valley, like grass- hoppers for multitude ; and their camels, accord- ing to the Scripture narrative, were without number, as the sand by the seaside for multitude. How may Gideon attempt to overconit one hun- dred and twenty thousand of these dashii:g war- riors with three hundred men? God recognizes » 1' 244 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES \ Ml' r I I u tlie necessity of interposing]^ for the encourag-e- nient of his noble servant. Yonder in the val- ley beneath sleep the hosts of Midian ; God com- mands Gideon to <;o down nnto the host, taking his servant Plinrah with him ; and God accom- panied the command by the promise that he had delivered Midian into Gideon's power. We now see Gideon and Phnrah goin-ation. Again, God can work with few as with many ; he re- gards character more than numbers. Unfortu- nately a small percentage in all our churches do the work ; but few are ready to respond to the blast of the trumpet for battle against the devil and all forms of evil. Many soldiers are heroic in sluim battles and on parade day ; but when war really comes, thousands are faint-hearted, and other thousands are self-indulgent, and still others lack common sense. Many are skulking in the rear, some are sulking in their tents, while an undue proportion are in hospitals or in ambulances. If tlie test were applied to churches to-day, perhaps as great a proportion as in the army of Gideon would be unfit for battle. Once more the trumpet sounds, summoning us to the conflict. Hosts of Midianites and Anialek- ites in the form of social, political, and personal evils are all about us. Let us sound the cry, " For God and native land," and rouse ourselves for duty. Let us, here and now, consecrate our- selves afresh to Christ and to his church ; but let us determine to undertake nothing in our own strength. We are unable alone to cope with our terrible foes ; but let us shrink from no duty to which we are clearly called of God. God will permit us to test him with the fleece ; and God will give us encouragement by con- fessions of weakness from the foe, as Gideon was encouraged by the dream regarding the cake of barley bread. 248 SUNDAY NIGHT LiTTURKS Let lis doubt nothing when God promises us his help. Forward, O church of the living God. Let us no longer sing, " hold the fort," but let ;is shout, "storm the fort." And let us, when the victory is won, take no glory to ourselves, but give it all unto God. God must strip us of pride that he may use us for work. May the God of Gideon be our God, our portion, our all, henceforth and for evermore. Amen. I i. h I I 't ii ii ri, us od. let len ^es, of the ill, I XXIII MOUNT GILBOA AND ITS BATTLE A/r ANY noted events occurred in this inime- IVX diate vicinity. Indeed, we are in the very heart of historical facts of thrilling inter- est. 1 hey occupy a large place in the Bible nZTZ""'''} o t\^^ ratings of Bible expositors. 1 he battle of Saul with the Philistines, because ot tiie dramatic events themselves and because of the death of Saul and his three sons, and be- cause of the relation of the battle to the historv ot Israel, is worthy of a prominent place in our discussion of these places which now we are visiting. One can ride in a few hours to all the more prominent places mentioned in these dra- matic histories. Very nearly on the same ground as that on which the brave Gideon had gathered his armies, strong ,n the Lord and in the power of his niiRht, near the fountain of Jezreel, Saul pitched his cam,.. The Philistines were en- camped yonder at Shuncni. The armies were in full sight of each other. Tlic spirit of Saul sankwithin liim : his lieart grentlv trembled at the sight of the ]osf of the Philistines. It was he great crisis In liis life; he had long been falling from God and from his earlier and nobler 249 250 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURKS self. Tlie end was now near. The measure of his iniquity was ahnost full ; he was rushin v and rejoicing. Then Saul was the chosen and goodly )Muth to whom "there was none like amonj^ the people." Now all is chanjTcd. Ikhold him now when he hears the prophet's judj^ment, as he fell and lay " the whole length of his gigantic statuie upon the earth, and was sore afraid and there was no strength left in him." Terrible were the words which he heard. The proud and reckless, the anointed and yet the fallen Saul heard his death-knell echoing from the world of spirits. These were the fearful words which he heard : " To-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me ; the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hands of the Philistines." Terrible words are these ! See the three men with this awful news pressing their way back to the camp. How heavy a load Saul had in his heart ; how terrible must the rest of the night have been ! How he must have longed for and yet dreaded the breaking of the day ! The day dawned. The Philistines soon poured down the valley. Yes, I can clearly see, standing here, where they marched. The Bible account of the battle is broken ; we get only glimpses of the fearful day for doomed 'K ^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) ^°^^e 1.0 I.I t 1^ IIM 1.8 1-25 1 1.4 1.6 -^ 6" ^ V] / °^i s* ^^ % '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation \ ■i^ ^c' i l>.i ui tlie olden time ; and all its elements are wonder- fnlly real as we study the natural scenery about Shunem. There is a restored house at Shunem which may be such as this " great woman " lived in. Examining t! is house we readily see how the ''chamber on the wall" was constructed. This house makes the present mud hovels seem all the more diminutive and unattractive. Shunem was on the road between Samaria and Carmel, and this was a road which Elisha had often to travel. In Shunem lived a woman who was known as a " great woman " ; her hus- band had a good estate and they lived in com- fort. It was impossible that a man of the name and fame of Elisha could pass and repass with- out attracting the notice of a family so prom- inent in the town ; and this pious matron de- sired him to dine at her home. Elisha was modest and humble, but finally he was induced to accept her invitation, and as often as he passed he enjoyed her generous hospitality. She con- sulted with her liusband as to the desirability of giving this man of God a room in her house as well as a place at her table. She doubted not that they would be edified by his wholesome in- structions as well as by his godly example. Current report may have taught her how well the widow of Sarepta was rewarded for her kind- ness to the prophet Elijah. She seems to have had no spare room in her house, or at least none sufficiently private for a guest who spent pre- sumably much time in contemplation and in secret communion with God. She, therefore, U\ SHUNKM — " DOUBLK RKSTlNfl-rLACE " 261 Iiad a little chamber constructed for him on the wall.' It was plainly furnished ; it had simply a bed, table, stool, and candlestick. But here he might find repose and opportunity for reading, thinking, writing, and praying. Klisha's gratitude for her kindness was great. He therefore urged Gehazi, his servant, to ascer- tain whether she wished to be spoken for to the king or the captain of the liost for an office, civil or military, for her husband. But she had no petition to present, no complaint to make, no ambition to gratify. Her answer is full of quiet dignity, "I dwell among mine own people." Later, as we shall see, she had occasion to be spoken for to the king, but now she has no such request to make. But Gehazi calls the attention of Elisha to the fact that the music of a child's voice has not been heard in this home. Blessed in so many ways as this woman had been, this joy has not been experienced by this dwelling. If Elisha may not use his influence on her behalf in an earthly court, he can offer his prayers for her to the court of heaven. Soon she stands modestly in the presence of the prophet and learns that the birth of a son would in due time gladden her home.'^ After the advent of the boy the prophet's wel- come must have been doubly warm. To Elisha this boy mi:st have been very dear. Touching is the glimpse which we thus get into this home- life, so far removed from us both in time and • 2 Kings 4 ; 8-10. 2 Kings 4 : i6. 262 SUNDAY NICIIT LKCTURKS P I m ' space. Three years pass. Tlie boy is prown sufficiently to j^o out with liis father to the fields where the reapers are at work. The perils of the child's infancy are past, but not those of his boyhood. He is the joy of his father's and his mother's heart we may be sure, (ireat jj^rain fields are still there near vShunem, lyin^ on the south slope of Little Hermon. Here this very day as we rode up we saw little boys barcheadecl, running about in these fields. To-day also the sun was hot ; so it was on the day when the son of the Shunammite woman had a sunstroke in the field where the reapers worked. We can almost hear his feeble, plaintive cry,' " My head, my head ! " We can see the perplexed, sorrowful, anxious, and helpless father, as he said to the attendant lad, " Carry him to his mother." The mother's arms and heart are the place for a sick boy or girl. Fathers can pity ; but mothers can comfort. God pity and comfort children who have no mother ! Thank God, he offers to us a father's pity and a mother's comfort. See this mother in tlie quietness and coolness of her home as she holds that sick boy in her lap until noon. What momen.ts of anxiety are hers. The father seems to have had little conception of the seri- ous nature of the boy's illness ; he knew that " mother " would somehow help ; that the boy would probably fall asleep in her arms and awake refreshed and recovered. How she watches him ! How her heart heaves and almost breaks ! ' 2 Kings 4 : 19. SlIUNKM — "DOl'HI.K RKSTINCMM.ACK" 263 Can it be that this cliild, perliaps of their old age, this cliild of prayer, this child of stich ten- der love, must die? Yes, he must sleep the sleep of death. The noon hour draws near ; his strength is failing. It is noon ; he is dead. Per- fectly well in the morning, he is dead at noon. This child of prayer, of promise, of love, is taken away ! How a few hours may change tlic whole course of one's life ! Draw the curtain for a moment over the scene and leave this mother alone with her dead boy. Hkr Application to the Prophet. — Glance again at the brave mother. Her conduct de- serves our approval. vShe utters no word of complaint under this terrible blow. It would seem as if she had a strong belief that this child should be raised to life. She is a true dau 2 Kings 4 : 23- *2 Kings 4 : 35. 266 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES W' Sorrow comes to the <;reate.st houses as to the humblest homes. God had but one sou without sin, but God did not have even one son without iorrow. Christ had to drink his bitter cup in vjethseniane and bear his cross toward Calvary. Gethsemane and Calvary lie evermore this side of Olivet. We may not expect God's people to be free fror. sorrow when God's divine Son had to bear earthly grief. But in all times of sorrow we can betake our- selves to God. It was a wonderful blessing to the woman of Shunem that the " man of God " should have made his home in her dwelling. It is worth much to us all to be in close touch with men of God. It is greatly wise in us to enter- tain God's servants, and often in our doing so we shall entertain angels unawares. The old-fash- ioned grace of hospitality is somewhat dying out in our city life. Some of us can look back to the visits of Christ's ministers in our quiet coun- try homes as times of a special family uplift, of intellectual inspiration, and of divine benedic- tion. The visit of Elisha to the home in Shu- nem was the bringing of a direct and marvelous blessing from God. The manner in which this miracle was per- formed teaches us that in lielping men we must come into close touch with them. It is difficult to understand what was Elisha's thought in sending Gehazi with the staff. This act has been interpreted in many ways, but no satisfac- tory explanation is given. We know that Gehazi afterward proved to be covetous and false, and !•? i tl'' ?p siiUNEM — "double resting-place" 267 that he was finally punished by the infliction of a perpetual leprosy ; but perhaps the failure in this case was not clue to an> fault in the char- acter of Gehazi. It certainly is true now that if we are to bless men we must come close to them. One of the beautiful thino^s recorded of Christ in connection with his miracle of hcalinj; the luna- tic child is that it is said, "Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up, and he arose." This sufferer was in a painfully sad condition ; manv thought he was dead. The evil spirit had beeli commanded to leave him, but so fearful was the paroxysm tliat all the powers of the child's life were exhausted ; but tlie touch of the hand of Christ gave him life anew. Christians are the salt of the earth, and if salt is to manifest its pre- serving qualities it must be mingled with that which it is to preserve. It will not do to put the salt and the meat into separate barrels. We must still take men by the hand. Many are ready to give a check to help the poor, but they will not give their presence, their hand, and their word in the poor home. They are willing to use charitable societies as a slot machine, they put- ting in the money and the poor taking out the benefit in some form. But we need that the rich come close to the poor in bestowing their gifts. The greatest men, even prophets of God, are powerless without God. Elisha must wait and pray, and pray and wait, before life can return to the dead boy. This restoration is prophetic of the conversion of our children now to God, and of their final recovery to life from the grave and SUNB/Y NIGHT LECTURES their eternal joy in heaven. This sweet instance is full of tender family suggestions and of im- portant spiritual significance. Long will the memories of the visit to Shunem abide. Sitting by one of its streams under the shadow of a tree, and thinking of its spiritual lessons, I realized the significance of the name Shunem — " double resting-place." 'f l'->. 111 I M I ' I iM If m I. !■'/ I ■- 1. ;' f \^nw tice im- thc ing :ee, zed ble XXV NAIN AND ITS WIDOW ; ENDOR AND ITS WITCH MOST refreshing was our halt at Shiinem, with its beautiful grove, its musical and delicious streams, and its tender memories of Elisha and the family in which he found a hos- pitable welcome. We resumed our journey, and turning the western part of Little Hermon, as this part of the mount has been called since the time of Jerome, and which ^ probably identical with the hill Moreh, we were in less than an hour at Nain. The word Nain, according to some, means green pasture ; but according to others, and with better reason, fair or graceful. The name is mentioned nowhere in the Old Testament and not elsewhere in the New. The name has always been preserved ; and it was often tenderly mentioned in the time of the crusaders, and the place is frequently visited by travelers of the present time. It is near Endor and about four miles southwest of Tabor. It is picturesquely situated on a low mountain spur, the northwest edge of Little Hermon, where the hill descends into the plain of Esdraelon. It commands a fine view of the hills of Galilee. Once it was a town of considerable extent, but now it is a poor village of wretched mud huts 269 270 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES \.' \ ' h. ■) * I li k m ill with heaps of rubbish and many old ruins. Its dwellings are few, only about twenty in number, and the population is correspondingly small. Its modern name, Nein, is identical with the ancient name, Nain. Its fountain has done much to per- petuate its existence. As the traveler approaches the village, he observes that above the town there are holes in the face of the hills ; these are, doubtless, rock tombs, and this was the old burial place. This fact gives remarkable inter- est to the tender, beautiful, and divine incident in our Lord's life which occurred here. That incident has made the place memorable forever ; and that incident is recorded with sweet sim- plicity and tender suggestion by the evangelist Luke, the only evangelist who does record this miracle. There is now no doubt as to the iden- tity of the location, with the tombs a short dis- tance east of the village. It was in this direc- tion that our Lord approached, and it was prob- ably to one of these tombs that the mournful procession, which he met at the gate of the town, was journeying with the bier on which lay the young man, who was "the only son of his mother, and she was a widow." Let us look for a little time at the account of the raising of the widow's son, as given in Luke 7 : 11-15. Our Lord now was probably going to Jerusalem to keep the second Passover of his ministry. It was a beautiful coincidence that our Lord should have met the funeral procession as it was going out of the town ; and yet it was quite in harmony with the custom of the Jews NAIN AND WIDOW ; ENDOR AND WITCH 2'Jl who did not bury within the walls of towns and cities. " Much people " followed the bier. The case called forth ,'• The name Scythopolis was received after the exile and under the Greek dominion, but the name has not survived ; the old name of Beth- shan, as already remarked, appears in the modern name of Beisan. The instances are but few in Palestine in which Gentile names survive the old Semitic names. We have an instance in the case of Neapolis, the modern Nablus. In the time of the Crusades both names were given to Bethshan. The site of the town is just at the descent where the great plain of Esdraelon runs into the valley of the Jordan. The al)ility of using their chariots, because of the level condi- tion of the ground, enabled the old Canaanites long to retain their hold on this place. But al- though the Israelites were not able to drive the Canaanites out, they had power enough to place them under tribute/ Saladin after much effort reduced the town and destroyed it by fire. When the Philistines came to strip the slain on Mount Gilboa, after the battle which had been so disastrous to Israel, we read that : " W^hen the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled ; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them. And it came to pass on the mor- row, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa. And they cut off his head, » Josh. 17 : 12, 13. BETHSHAN — " HOUSE OF REST n 283 and stripped off his armour, and sent into the hind of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people. And they put his armour in the house of Ashta- roth : and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan." * The armor of Saul was finally de- posited in the temple of Astarte, in this Canaan- itish city of Bethshan. It is plain that the head of Saul was deposited at Ashdod in the temple of Dagon. The Philistines found it difficult to forgive the Israelites for tiie death of their great champion Goliath. The contempt thrown upon Saul was also in accordance with the customs of ancient warfare. The Philistines, however, paid a compliment even to the dead Saul. Their fierce joy showed how great had been their fear of Saul and how powerful had been his influence in breaking their yoke from the necks of the Israelites. It was most unfortunate for Saul that he had previous to this battle broken with David, for if David had been with him, the Philistines might not have triumphed, and Saul would not have committed suicide. The men of Jabesh- Gilead heard of the indignity which had been inflicted upon the body of Saul. They had for- merly received kindnesses from him when be- sieged by Naliash, the king of the Ammonites. Their town lay beyond the Jordan in the land of Gilead ; they belonged to the half-tribe of Ma- nasseh, and once were banished by the Israelites because they refused to assist in the war against * I Sam. 31 : 7-10. / 284 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES f hm Benjamin. One of the first exploits of Saul after he had been elected king was to raise the siege which Nahash laid against Jabesh-Gilead. The inhabitants, seeing no hope, had agreed to sur- render. They also accepted the terrible con- ditions of having their right eyes put out, in order that tliey might be unfit for all forms of military service. They were, however, allowed seven days in which to ratify the treaty. Saul heard of their pitiable condition. He hastily collected a large army, and immediately went to the relief of the besieged town. Saul was then in the heroic period of his life. The elements of nobility in his soul were aroused and this act of generosity was the result. The people never forgot his kindness and bravery in delivering them from their horrible fate. Forty years passed, and the opportunity came for the men of Jabesh-Gilead to show their gratitude to the memory of Saul and his sons. Their bodies, a^ we have seen, were fastened to the walls of Beth- shan, and now the men of Jabesh-Gilead came heroically over the Jordan by night to carry off the bodies, which they partly consumed by fire, burying them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh. They then fasted seven days.^ They deserve all honor for this forced night marcli, and for their desire to give the bodies honorable burial. Saul certainly once possessed the power of attracting men. Bad men often have good qualities which call fortli gratitude and affection. * I Sam. 31 : 11-13. BETHSHAN — "HOUSE OF REST n 285 We have noted that these men partly cremated the bodies of Saul and his sons. Cremation was highly honored among some of the heathen nations. It is, however, here mentioned for the first time in the Bible. It was here resorted to, without doubt, to ensure the bodies against fur- ther maltreatment. If they had buried the bodies, the Philistines might have inflicted addi- tional contempt upon their dead foes. In the Talmud, cremation is condemned as a heathen practice. The prejudice which exists against it to-day doubtless existed in the minds of many Hebrews at that time. It was deemed a great dishonor to the body, and an irreparable injury to the soul, when proper burial was denied the dead. To be un- buried was the greatest conceivable indignity, according to the popular belief in the ancient East. Many passages of Scripture could be cited in proof of this statement. The hero of the apocryphal book of Tobit has his highest praise, because of his devotion to the solemn duty of burying the bodies of Israelites, when they were found unburied in the streets and other public places. The Assyrians were under the influence of this commendable principle, or popular su- perstition, whichever we may choose to call it. When an Assyrian king wished to inflict the greatest humiliation and indignity on a fallen foe, he refused his body burial. The popular conviction was that the soul of a person unburied wandered about seeking rest and finding none. When these Orientals wished to inflict vengeance 286 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES ' I l.h upon a foe after his death they left the body iin- biiried. A somewhat similar idea prevails to- day among the natives of India. According- to the popular belief, if a body is left unbu- ied, or is mutilated at death, the soul also is mutilated and in a sense unprotected in the spiritual world. This superstition led the Britisli government to the awful punishment of tying the rebellious Sepoys to the mouths of cannon and blowing them therefrom. The design was not simply to visit the body with punishment, but to take ad- vantage of the popular superstition regarding the relation bet'veen a mutilated body and an injured spirit, and so strike unspeakable terror into the hearts of the rebels. A similar superstition con- trols the Chinese to-day in their desire to be buried in the soil of China. Every Chinese re- turning to his own country makes a contract with the steamship company that, in the case of death while on board the ship, his body shall be carried back to China. It was this principle, coupled with the memory of Saul's kindness, which governed the men of Jabesh-Gilead in giving Saul honorable burial. It is interesting in this connection to see how kindness, exercised in time of prosperity, may be repaid by its recipients in the time of adversity to their former benefactors. This thought is a gleam of light in the dark story and time which we have been studying. It is delightful to see that Saul's former kindness was not forgotten when the day of his terrible misfortune, defeat, and death came. It often seems to us as if our tl II I be ill BETHSIIAN — " IIOUSK OF REST " 287 best labors for the j^ood of others were utterly unappreciated. Here is a striking instance of gratitude for former favors when their donor was silent in death. Let us give the men of Jabesh- Gilead all honor, and let their example stimulate us to acts of benevolence to-day. It is interesting also to see how David appreci- ated the heroism and gratitude of these men. He seems to have made inquiry concerning the body of Saul. When he learned that it had re- ceived honorable burial from the hands of these men on the opposite side of the Jordan, he asked the Lord to show them kindness for the kind- ness they had shown to Saul. This may have been a bit of good policy on the part of David ; but it was not that alone. Doubtless he wished to win the good will of all the adherents of Saul ; but the act was consonant with the spirit of David's pathetic and powerful lament over Saul and Jonatlian. The men of Jabesh-Gilead incurred danger of punishment at the hands of the Philistines when they took down from the walls of Bethshan the headless trunk of Saul. David honors their valorous conduct. He assures them that now that he is king he could render them aid, should their brave act subject them to danger. It is always noble to be loyal to friends and especially to show gratitude for former favors. Past all earthly friends our thoughts should go up to Christ as the Friend who died that we might live. There is a sense in which we now can stand beside his cross, sharing his reproach 288 SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURKS and Riorying therein. His cross is really his Zu ;> 1 his thought gives life o„e of its noblest inspirations. /j ( . ; ) :■ (I J J1 XXVII MOUNT TABOR — "HEIGHT n PRESSING on our way to Nazaretli, we rode for hours in sight of beautiful and historic Mount Tabor. Its configuration and location are peculiar; they are unique among the moun- tains of Palestine and, indeed, of the world. It rises like a dome, suddenly and alone, from the northeastern arm of the plain of Ksdraelon. It is one th ■)usand eight hundred to two thousand feet above the sea, and nearly one thousand four hundred feet above the plain. So striking is the mountain that it is a rabbinic saying that the temple ought by right to have been built there, but a special revelation required it to be built on Mount Moriah. The mountain stands isolated, except that on the west a narrow ridge connects it with the hills of Nazareth. Its appearance is truly beautiful, it is so symmetrical in its pro- portions, and so like a hemisphere in its form. Seen, therefore, at different angles it presents various aspects. It is studded with oaks, syr- inga, and other trees and bushes ; it has thick foliage on the sides, and a level tract on the summit. These trees afford shelter for wolves, wild boars, and lynxes. Mount Tabor lies six to eight miles nearly due T 289 .1 V h t<, 290 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES east of Nazareth. Its name probably meant " height." The Greek and Roman writers called it Itabyrion and Atabyrion ; its modern name is Jebel-et-Tnr. In shape it is like a sugar loaf, flattened at the top. From whatever point it is viewed, it is graceful and beautiful to an unusual degree. The dew is very heavy on the moun- tain ; it seems in the early morning as if a shower of rain had fallen in the night. Glorious is the panorama from its top ; there is nothing more beautiful in the Holy Land. Objects of natural beauty and of sacred interest abound. Take a glance about you as you there stand. Fifteen miles distant is the Sea of Galilee, glittering in the sunshine ; still looking east, the course of the Jordan for many miles can be seen ; still farther east, the mountains of Gilead and Ba- shan ; on the west, is the Mediterranean ; on the northwest, Carmel lifts its head. On the north and northeast, are the ranges of Lebanon, and still farther beyond the snow-capped Hermon, and nearer the Horns of Hattin, the reputed mount of the Beatitudes. On the south is Gilboa, made famous because of David's elegy. We can see Endor and Nain. Tender nicmories will ever cluster about this beautiful mountain, even though we cannot believe that it was the place of our Lord's transfiguration ; of that I shall speak a little later. With such views be- fore us, the language of the psalmist ^ appropri- ately suggests itself : I 'I I '! i. 1 rl ■ii, \i ^ Ps, 89: II, 12. MOUNT TABOR— "HKIGIIT" 291 The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine : The world and the fuhiess thereof, thou hast founded them Ihe north and tlic south, thou hast created them : Tabor and Hennon shall rejoice in thy name. The Instory of tlic iiiountain is deeply inter- esting. Tabor is not mentioned in the New Tes- tament, bnt it fills a large place in the old. It was here that Deborah commanded Barak to as- semble his army. The words of Scriptnre, in Jiidg. 4: 14, 15, are: '^So Barak went down from nionnt Tabor, and ten thonsand men after him. And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak." The incidents thus sum- marized well deserve our more careful study. About one hundred and sixty years after Josh^ ua's death, the people turned very generally to the worship of Baal. God punished them by letting loose an enemy among them. He de- signed in this way to drive them back to him- self. A century and a half before Joshua had overrun the pett>- kingdom of Hazor, but now it had recovered itself ; another Jabin reigned. He acquired a force of chariots even to the number of nine hundred. Thus he was able to over- power the Israelites of the north, and for twenty years he kept them in subjection. He had for- tresses at Taanach, :\Icgiddo, and Bethshan. These cut off help from the southern tribes, and he held the northern in his grasp. Trade ceased; the people went into hiding; the high- ways were neglected; and men who had to make journeys went by secret mountain paths. 292 SUNDAY NIGHT MXTl'RKS ■tA <''i I ' The people were cowed and fearful. They were an iniarnied ninltitnde ; they could scarcely boast of a spear or shield anion^ forty thonsand men.' Their enemies were nnmerons, well- armed, and confident of continuous victories over their feeble foes. In this crisis a woman comes forward as the deliverer of the oppressed people. She was the Joan of Arc of the time. She was fired with a noble patriotism and a lofty relij^ious enthusi- asm. She had lonj^ pondered over the sorrows of her countrymen ; she had mused until the fires of her zeal burned into a flame. Her he- roic soul was aj^low for (iod and country. She was indijriiant that cowardice kept the people from bravely strikiu}^ for liberty. She lived in the south in the hills of Kphraim, between Ra- mah and Bethel. She dwelt there under a palm tree. Her name, Deborah, is significant, it means a bee — and as a bee she gave honey to her friends and a sting to her foes. She was the wife of Lapidoth, whoever he may have been. His name means, " the torch." She was a poet as well as a patriot ; and her songs seem to have aroused the spirit of the people to a great pitch of natural enthusiasm. Hv.. fame for wisdom was so great that she exercised a sort of judicial power, sitting, for the sake of its shade, under a palm tree, which afterward bore her name. The whole country, from Benjamin to Naph- tali, caught the inspiration of her great soul, but •u ' Judg. 5 i 8. MOI'NT TAROR — " IIKIGIIT " 293 she needed a leader for tlic iiiovement. On the shores of the lake of (ialilee, south of wliere Tiberias stands, was Kedesli ; here lived the chief whom she chose. I lis name was liarak, nieanin^^ "the thnnderbolt," or perhaps " light- nin^^" She was the ruling,' spirit ; she com- manded him to march to Tabor, and she pron-- ised that Cod wonld deliver Sisera, Jabin's com- mander, with his horses and chariots,' into liarak's hand. lint still lUrak htsitatcd. He needed Deborah's faith, hope, and zeal. He insisted that she ninst \ro witli him ; she was ready to j;o. Ihit her i;ou\^ wonld take from him the victory ; it wonld be liers and not his. Ten thonsand men answered the messenj^ers sent far and near. They assembled at Tabor. Issachar, from the plains of Ksdraelon, sent bands of vohniteers ; Kphraimites jrathered from their hills; valiant crowds of Benjaniites, fierce, warlike, skilled with the bow, and so famons with the slinir that they conld throw stones to a hair-breadth and not miss, and able to nsc either hand with eqnal skill. Manasseh, on both sides of the Jordan, sent her chiefs. The national spirit was aroused aj^ain, as in the old days when Joshna was the chosen leader. Rnt the cowardly people of Meroz re- fnsed to help ; the clans of Renben stayed amoncr their shecpfolds. Gad refnsed to ^o\ and Dan stayed amono^ the boats at Joppa. Asher did nothing; and of Jndah and Simeon there is silence. Hanghty Ephraim remained aloof, bnt Zebnlun and Naphtali are to earn an illustrious name. 294 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES i* ' ' I To Tibor came the patriots. No place could be more wisely chosen. The people here were safe from the chariots of the Canaan ites. The summit furnished a view, as from a watch-tower, of all the movements of the Canaanites in the plain below. Sisera collected his forces in the plain of Esdraelon ; this was really the only place in Northern Palestine where chariots had space for their maneuvers. He 'vas about six- teen miles from Tabor, his headquarters being at the town and fortress of Taanach. We have already seen that in all a^^^es the plain of Ks- draelon has })een the battlefield of I'alestine. All was ready. Deborah cried to Barak, "Up, this is the day." Bravely down the mountain-side poured the ill-armed Hebrew host. The tv.o forces were about to meet. Just then a terrible storm of sleet and hail from the east burst over the plain. It was in the backs of the Hebrew.s, but in the faces of the Canaanites. "The stars in their courses fouj^ht aji^ainst vSisera." The rains descended, the floods came, the winds blew and beat upon the plain. The deep, red soil was soon turned into a quaj:jniirc. The rushing tor- rents filled the dry watercourses. The chariots were mired. The day was lost to the Canaan- ites. vSisera leaped from his chariot and fled on foot to the northeast, to the slopes of Tabor, and finally sought refuge in the tent of Jael Heber, who for the time was his master's ally. Jael, the sheik's wife, gave him lebben, a preparation of curdled milk, which is refreshing and which soon produces sleep. See him asleep! See her IV MOUNT TABOR — " HKICiHT " 295 Standing over him ! Shall she violate all the laws of Arab hospitality? He lies down with a feeling of perfect safety. He is, doubtless, in the part of the tent reserved for the women. She covers him with a cloak. Terribl'^ thoughts are in her heart. vShe is his ally ; but his race was the U)Q of her race. There he sleej^s before her. vShall she smite him? Could she not thus ren- der a great service to her kindred? vSee him as he sleeps. See her as she takes up one of the tent pegs ; in her other hand is the mallet. She stands over the weary sleeper. She raises her hand. The tent pin is at his temple; the mallet is uplifted. vShe gives the pin a terrible blow. It goes crushing through his temples and enters the ground. One convulsive bound and vSisera lies dead at her feet as she strode over him. Terrible was her treachery ! Deborah's victory was great. The Canaanites were defeated with overwhelming disaster ; and no battle afteiward was necessary to keep them in subjection. Israel also learned the great ad- vantage of national union. This was Israel's first great victory since the days of Joshua. The national degradation of Israel was ended when their idolatry was abandoned. God was recog- nized as the author of their victory. The mag- nificent song of Deborah, worthy to be ranked with the song of Miram, on the shores of the Red Sea, gives (iod the glory. It is for us also a two-fold record of the great battle and the sublime triumph of Israel. It scorches Meroz for not coming to the help of the Lord against 296 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES '.M 1} »'l t'^ t:l the mighty. We cannot praise the act of Jael ; it was a treacherous murder. But we must not judge that remote time and those rude nations by the standards of morality by which we now conduct wars and judge civilized peoples. The revelation of God in Jesus Christ has greatly ex- alted the standards of judgment on all questions of morals. The Bible really does not endorse Jael's deed ; although in the exaltation of victory and in the enthusiasm of poetry Deborah sings of the act, but only as it bore on the freedom and the fortunes of Israel. Tabor is referred to in the vars of Gideon. It is mentioned in the Psalms, as we have already seen, and elsewhere with beautiful figurative allusions. The Prophet Jeremiah refers to Ta- bor ; so does Hosea. Tabor, as has been said, is not mentioned in the New Testament, but a tradition, believed in for centuries, made it the holy mount, the mount- ain of our Lord's transfiguration. It is now clearly shown that the great event took place on one of the spurs of Hermon. Just before the transfiguration Christ was at Cesarea-Philippi, and after coming down from the riioinitain, he departed thence, and passed thronp,!. Galilee in order to get to Jerusalem. In our i.c d's day the top of Tabor was occupied by a strongly fortified town which had been there for more than two hundred years, and was there for sixty years after Christ's day, and probably much longer both before and after the birth of Christ. But the conspicuous position of Tabor led the ,M! :'\ MOUNT TABOR — " HEIGHT " 297 pilgrims to select it, and many visitors still cling to the old tradition. On the summit the broad plateau is covered with the ruins of buildings of many centuries; there are remains of houses, towers, cisterns, and vaults ; the last have been used as chapels and altars. These probably belonged to the time of the crusaders. Efforts are now making to erect a church on the summit. Latin priests come from Nazareth once a year to celebrate the mass. The Greeks aiso hold various services. Some monks and other religious enthusiasts have spent many years on the top of the mountain waiting for the second coming of Christ. In the gallery of memory Tabor will ever live as a beautiful picture. I still see it rising in its unique symmetry from the plain. It is a majes- tic witness to the truth of Scripture. It has looked down on the wonderful history enacted in that historic plain of Esdraelon. Its dews have moistened the battleflags of nearly all the great nations under heaven. It has seen glorious victories and terrible defeats; it has heard the shouts of the victors and the groans of the van- quished. The eyes of some of the world's great- est soldiers have been lifted to its summit. But most of all, is it beautiful to us because Christ saw it, perhaps rejoiced in its beauty, and drew inspiration from its sublimity. His presence gives beauty and glory to Palestine. His rela- tion to our world as its Creator, Preserver, and Redeemer gives our planet its chief dignity and charm. We do not know what honors may have [■J. ( lli 298 SUNDAY NIGHT I.ECTURKS been given to other worlds, but it is enough for us to know that in this world Jesus Christ was born, that here he lived, here he died, and from it he ascended to the vacant place by his Father's side. These great truths have made the whole world vocal with Christ's name, resplendent with his glory, and prophetic of his triumph. Superb, majestic, unique Tabor ! Thou wert beautiful to sight, instructive to faith, and in- spiring to hope, and thou shalt be forever fragrant in memory. Regarding Christ we shall ever say : " Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name." .1! ? I • It li !'' ii^ Ii for was from tier's hole with wert I in- rant say : tie, )) XXVIII NAZARETH — "THE GUARDED ONE" VERY tender thoii^g^hts come into our hearts as we ride toward Nazareth. The orijrin of the word it is extremely difficult to deter- mine. Some have supposed that it is from " Netser," meaning a sprout, but Dr. Selah Mer- rill, in his monograph entitled, " Galilee in the Time of Christ," gives quite a different interpre- tation. Admitting that none can decide defi- nitely as to its meaning, he proceeds to reject the explanation which derives it from the Hebrew word meaning consecrated or dei^oted to God ; also that which derives it from the word mean- ing my Saviour; and likewise the popular inter- pretation which derives it from a shoot or sprout. He believes that the hill behind the present town must always have had a name. This hill com- mands a wonderful prospect. He inclines to the interpretation of the word which makes it mean "one guarding." But the word may mean, as applied to the town, "the watched or guarded one." ^ He takes very strong ground against what is so often said regarding the absolute se- clusion of Nazareth as the home of Christ ; and he is also warmly opposed to the idea that Naza- reth, or Galilee, was really regarded with con. 299 300 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES \^l ^n\ 'ii a, r " fit 'i'» ' ■'■ i tempt by the people of Jerusaleni. He inter- prets the language of Nathanael, and other references to Nazareth, in such a way as to re- lieve the town of tiie unfavorable opinion which has so frequently been associated with the name. He calls especial attention to the fact that Naza- reth was not called a village, but a city ; and he endorses tlie opinion of Josephus regarding the extent of Galilee, and the great number of inhabitants to the square mile. He supposes that Galilee may have supported a population of three millions, and that it was a region of great natural fertility and richness. He claims that the Sea of Galilee was a focus of life and activ- ity, and that the Galileans were truly a Jewish people, and that religion, education, and morals, as well as poetic talent, had reached among them a high degree of development. He also makes the province notable for its material prosperity and wealth. If he has not entirely proved his points, he certainly has done something toward silencing his opposers. It is an interesting fact that the drift of scholarship in our times is in the direction of giving Nazareth a prominence long denied the town, and so greater honor as the place of our Lord's home in his boyhood. Dr. George Adam Smith, in his really great book, " The Historical Geography of the Holy Land," endorses the idea that Nazareth was not the secluded and dishon- ored village that many suppose ; and he quotes Mr. Walter Besant's lecture on the "Work of the Palestine Exploration Fund," as taking the NAZARETH — "THE GUARDED ONE" 3OI same ground. Mr. Besant says : " Palestine was not an obscure country. . . He who wandered among the hills and valleys of Galilee was never far from some great and populous city. . . It was not as a rustic preaching to rustics that our Lord went about." He shows how Christ was often in the midst of busy and populous cities and always surrounded by evidences of Roniaii civilization. It is likely that the investigations of the next few years will give new interpreta- tions to many Scripture references to Nazareth and to Galilee, and thus give honor to places long under the ban in popular opinion. None can read of Nazareth, and certainly none can visit the town, without emotions of great interest and tenderness. The chief interest at- taching to the place is that it was for thirty years the home of Jesus Christ. It is a city of lower Galilee about sixty-five miles north of Jerusalem, and belongs to the territory of the tribe of Zebulun. It is nearly six miles north- west of Mount Tabor, and about midway from the Jordan to the Mediterranean. IVIention is not made of it in the Old Testament, nor is it found in the writings of Josephus. The city overlooks from the northwest a rich and fruitful valley, while it is surrounded by hills between which there is a narrow opening to the plain of Esdraelon. The city clings to the eastern slope of the hill, which is one of the fifteen hills en- circling it, and almost hiding it from view until the traveler has actually come upon it. Some one has called the city a rose, and has spoken of ptULJUi 302 SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURKS '.t-l it! iiM I '11 tlie mountains around it as a part of ♦^he rounded leaves of the flower. The vale in which Naza- reth nestles is about a mile long by one-half wide, and resembles a circular basin shut in by hills, along the lower edge of which lies Naza- reth. The hills vary from four to five hundred feet in height ; and the valley is a rich and beautiful spot in the midst of barren hills. The town, especially as seen from the enclosing hills, is very picturesque. It is difficult to arrive at a correct estimate of the population. Some make it about five thousand ; while others say that it is at least ten thousand. Perhaps three-quarters of the population belong to various Christian communities. Its houses are white, and present an appearance of industry and prosperity rare in Oriental towns. Its streets are narrow and wind- ing ; convent buildings are numerous, the tall minaret of the mosque being conspicuous. Gar- dens of figs, olives, oranges, and pomegranates surround the village thus beautifully nestling among the sturdy hills, whose people certainly are more remarkable for kindness, intelligence, industry, and prosperity than are those of any other town or city in Palestine. The women are proverbial for their beauty, being with those of Bethlehem the handsomest women in Palestine. In this respect they are quite marked ; their complexions are fairer, their forms more grace- ful, and their whole address more attractive than those of any other women to be found in the land. Approaching Nazareth we notice the vil- lage of Iksal. This is supposed to be the Chis- ,1 NAZARETH— " THE GUARDED ONE" 303 loth-Tabor, meaning "flank of Tabor," men- tioned in Josh. 19 : 12. The hill here is precip- itous, and there is a tradition that it was from this point that the people wished to cast Christ down headlong ; but this is one of the most worthless traditions connected with any place in the vicin- ity of Nazareth. The history of Nazareth dates from the time of Christ, but until the time of Constantine it at- tracted but little attention. The modern name is En-Nasirah. Until the time of Constantine the town was inhabited chiefly by Samaritan Jews ; later it fell into the hands of the Greeks, Franks, and Arabs, and in it crusaders built churches which the Arabs destroyed. The Christians did not really get a foothold until the eighteenth century. Pasha Jezzar laid a plot to murder all Christians as soon as the French under Napoleon hat' evacuated the place, but an English admiral defeated his Satanic schem.e. Here lived Joseph and ]\Iary, and here was the scene of the annunciation.^ From Nazareth Joseph and Mary went up to Bethlehem to be taxed, and after their return from Egypt it was their home until Christ entered on his public ministry.2 From Nazareth Jesus went to the Jordan to be baptized of John when he entered his public ministry,*' and here he returned after these events.* Wiien the people of his own city rose up to thrust him from the brow of the hill. * Luke I : 26, 27. '^ Matt. 2 : 23. * Luke 4 : 16. Matt. 3 : 13. 304 SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURKS he passed through the midst of them and went to Capernaum.' Ever after liis rejection by his townspeople he considered Capernaum as his own city ; and so far as we know he does not seem ever again to have visited his early home, although he must often have seen it in the dis- tance while on his journey to Jerusalem. Places of Interkst in Nazareth. — The Latin convent is enclosed with high walls and contains the church of the Annunciation. The high altar is dedicated to the Angel Gabriel and below the altar is the chapel of the Angels, and near it is the chapel of the Annunciation. There is in this chapel a memorable altar with the in- scription : Hie vcrbiim caro factum est — " Here the Word was made flesh." Columns mark the supposed places where Mary and the angel stood. The column marking the spot on which Mary stood is broken ; and tradition affirms that this was the work of enemies, and that the column in a miraculous way retains its position. A door- way leads to the chapel of Joseph, and then a stairway to the kitchen of the Virgin. This kitchen altar, however, is a mere cave, the mouth being pointed out as the chimney. The Holy House of Nazareth is not here. Tradition tells us that it was carried to Loreto in Italy. This tradition affirms that the Casa Santa, or Holy House, was brought by angels to a spot on the coast of Dalmatia, that there it rested for three ^ Luke 4 : 29-31. ' , t ^ZARKTH— "TIIK GUARDED ONK " 305 years, and was then carried off at niVlit bv angels, to the property of a certain widow named Ivaureta, hence the name Loreto. This tradition was so generally believed by ignorant and super- stitious Romanists, that a church was built and a village CO lected at the place, and Pope Sixtus that a half-niillion pilgrims annually resort to this pace; which is thus one of the most fre- quent y visited places in Christendom. The legend, however, fails to tell how the white stone of i\azaretli vyas changed into the red stone of Loreto ; but if the transportation occasions one no difficulty of belief he should not stumble at the change of color. The workshop of Joseph is in the Moslem quarter, but is in possession of the Latins. The most credulous people, however, claim only a small part of the wall as that of the oriental workshop. What is called the table of Christ where he ate with his disciples, is also pointed out. The synagogue where he is said to have taught IS in the possession of the United Greeks I ^vent up with my dragoman the winding way which led to the top of the mount of Predpita- tion, and there is almost no doubt but that this IS the true location. The moment one sees this place he feels that it corresponds to all the de- scriptions given in the gospel narrative. The other place pointed out is at least two miles from the heart of the town, and is altogether an ini- probable site. There is no place in Nazareth more sacred in u 3o6 SUNDAY NIGHT I.KCTURKS 1 , •' all its associations than the fountain of the Virg^in, where is still a plentiful spring pouring out its water from three mouths. Above it there is another church of the Annunciation, which is the property of the Orthodox (ireeks. Arriv- ing at Nazareth soon after noon, I had time for needed rest before visiting its places of interest ; and I went several times to this fountain. A beautiful sight it was in the evening to see the mothers with their children, both boys and girls, gathered in large numbers, and in their strik- ingly picturesque costumes, at this well. Ciroups were waiting while others were filling their jars, which were then lifted to the head, while the women walked off with ease and grace, carrying their heavy load. Other' then step forward to fill their pitchers, and s< e process continues. The sight was most in.^..^ssive and beautiful. As one looked at these graceful women accom- panied by their children, he could not help feel- ing that often Mary and the infant Saviour had come to this well, had filled their pitcher, and had gone back to their home, as we saw mothers and children doing that evening. It was easy to feel that often the boy Christ stopped at this well on his way home after a day of rambling on the adjoining hills. Perhaps at no time thus far during my visit in Palestine was I conscious of coming into closer touch with the life of Christ than as I sat at evening's holy and beautiful hour at the fountain of the Virgin. Much excellent Protestant religious work is going on in Nazareth, the church being a hand- !M fl V NAZARKTH — *"riIK (IL'ARDKl) OXI-" 307 feel- had and thers Lsy to well the far .IS of Ihrist tiful \k is land- soiiie l)iiildinj^ under the direelioji of the Chnreh Missionary Soeiety, while the number of I'rotes- tant coniniunieants is considerable. The (lirls' Orphanaj^^e is in a llourishin^^ state, and the Christian atmosphere of Na/arelli is favorable to the development of tile nobler qualities of manhood. ^Iohammedanism and heathenism take the crown from every woman's brow. Christianity is the one faith which j^Mves her true dignity and becomiuj^ reverence and she is hon- ored just in proportion as it is believed and its precepts obeyed. I have had occasion frequently to speak of some of the ^rand prospects in Palestine. One of the most magnificent is from the summit of the hill on the eastern slope of which lies Nazareth. Never shall I forget the comming- ling of tender emotions as I thought of Christ's home in the town, and of the glorious view stretched out on every side. This view, doubt- less, our Lord often enjoyed. His nature was open to appreciation of the beautiful in all departments of his own creation. How his soul must have drunk in the beauties stretching out before him ! On the north were the ridges of Lebanon, and above all the majestic top of snow- crowned Hermon. On the west was Carmel, with glimpses of the Mediterranean. East and .southeast were Tabor and Gilboa. To the east of the Jordan were the heights of Bashan. On the beautiful plain were Nain, Kndor, and Jez- reel, and at our feet lay the town in which the divine Redeemer spent his boyhood. 3o8 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES WVi '■ ■■ 1, No one can mention the name of Nazareth in connection with the life of Christ without being reminded of the lesson of obedience which he rendered to his parents. For eighteen years the curtain does not lift upon his experiences in the quiet home in this city. One often wishes to know more thar. is revealed to us concerning his quiet life in Nazareth, but the hints which are given are profoundly suggestive. They teach us that he was willing to subject himself to the authority of his earthly parents. Here in this secluded home he had opportunities for studying the Old Testament Scriptures, for communing with nature, and for developing a life of self- reliance as he toiled at liie carpenter's bench. We cannot overestimate the value in the spirit- ual life of these years of retirement and silence. He sets before us an example of a life of humble industry. As he left his Father's house in heaven for earth, so after his visit to Jerusa- lem, when twelve years old, he left his Father's earthly house for his humble home at Nazareth. For eighteen years after his visit to the temple he lived there in obscurity until he came to the Jordan to be baptized of John. His was a per- fect childhood, and an olDcdient youthhood, as well as an ideal manhood. There is in many respects a greater charm about Christ as the per- fect boy than as the perfect man. He, no doubt, learned his fatlier's trade and humbly worked at it with his father, and possibly helped to support his mother after liis earthly father's death ; for it is altogether likely that Joseph died before Jesus NAZARETH— "THE GUARDED ONE" 309 entered upon his public ministrv. It is worth much that Jesus was born poor, and lived under the necessity of performing daily toil for daily need. This thought of Christ gives him power in the world to-day. He is the poor man's best friend. Had he come into the world rich he would be shorn of much of his power. He teaches us also to bide our time and thoroughly to prepare ourselves for our public duties. Dur- ing all these years he performed no miracle, that fact alone is almost a miracle. He learned much frou' his mother. It was his habit to attend the school of the synagogue, and on th. Sabbath to participate publicly in its services. He learned most from the immediate knowledge he had of his Father's will. In the depths of his soul he heard his Father's voice as truly as Adam in his innocence heard the voice of God in paradise. We are in too great haste to begin oi\T work, and so we neglect proper preparation. Evermore Nazareth shall speak to me with a voice of tc derness regarding all the relations of husband and wife, of father and child, and of both to the great God in heaven, Christ's Father and ours. XXIX CANA OF GALILEE WE left Nazareth early in the morninj^. Now, as ill the early days, travelers in the Orient are accnstomed to start early, before the sun reaches its great heat. The first village which we pass is Reiiieh, but it has no special historical associations. Near the roadside, how- ever, there stands an old sarcophagus ; once it was richly ornamented and traces of its former superior workmanship yet remain, although now it is used as the common water trough of the village. On the top of a hill on our left, as we ride toward Cana, is the village of Aleshad, as it is now called, supposed to be the ancient Gath- hepher. It belonged to the children of Zebulun, and was the birthplace of the prophet "Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath-hepher." ^ It lay not far from Sepphoris on the road to the south of Galilee, and here tradition locates the tomb of Jonah ; but of this there is no certainty. We soon reached Cana, so supposed, where Christ performed his first miracle by turning water into wine. Some travelers, and among them Drs. Robinson and Porter, object to this ' 2 Kings 14 : 25. 310 " CANA OF GAULEE 3" village as the site of the ancient Cana. They located it at Kana-el-Jelil near Sepphoris, and about nine miles north of Nazareth. It is by no means certain which is the true site. The name Kana-el-Jelil has the stronger probability ; but the location is in favor of Kefr Kenna. For some time after Dr. Robinson's day the other town was generally accepted ; but the former opinion is fast reasserting itself, and Kefr Kenna is coming to be very generally considered as the true Cana of Galilee. It is about three and a half to four miles east of Nazareth on tlie road to Tiberias. The tradition connecting this spot with Cana of Galilee is very ancient, it having been found in the eighth century. It is a small, neat-looking village, pleasantly situated on the descent of a hill looking to the southwest and is surrounded by olive and other fruit trees, such as figs and pomegranates. There is in the vicin- ity a large spring enclosed by a wall ; and, if this is the true Cana, as I think it is, the water used at the marriage feast at the time of cur Lord's visit was almost certainly drawn from this spring. Water-pots of compact limestone are still used in this neighborhood. There is a small Greek church, and it is declared that one of the very waterpots used at the marriage feast may be seen here. A house said to be that of Nathanael, who was a native of Cana, is pointed out. The church is said to stand on the site of the house in which the miracle of chan- ging the water into wine was performed. The Christians of the village are mostly of the Greek 312 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES Vi ; ! ■ •■ Church. It is said that in the time of the Cru- sades six of the waterpots were brought to France, where one of them is said still to re- main intact in the Mus^e d'Angers. Here it was that our Lord performed his first miracle/ and here also/ he healed by a word the nobleman's son. This nobleman was, in all probability, a Jew. He came not as did the heathen centurion, pleading for his servant, but for his son. By the record in John 4 : 46-54, we see that the nobleman himself came to plead for his son. He limited Christ's power to his actual presence. Some suppose that this noble- man was a civil or military officer in service of Herod Antipas. It has been suggested that he may have been the " Chuza, Herod's steward," whose wife Joanna afterward ministered to Jesus. His son was sick at Capt.naum, on the north- west shore of the Sea of Galilee, about fifteen miles away. The man was very earnest as he said, " Sir, come down ere my child die." In Christ's answer there was a mingling of rebuke and encouragement. Christ tried the noble- man's faith, but in the trial sent him away with this sweet assurance, "Go thy way, thy son liveth." The man's imperfect faith was answered, but in such a way as to humble him and honor Christ. Jesus answered this man of rank with calmness, dignity, and authority. He gave him no flattery ; he showed no obsequiousness. Jesus 11 I ' /'■ * John 2 : i-ii. John 4 : 46-54. ti t CANA OF GALILEE ^-^3 would not leave his appointed sphere or place of duty. He could and would heal the sick bov \yUhout seeing his face. Happy father, he be- heyed ! happy boy, he was healed ! See the fatlier going home, and his servants nieetincr him! K.'ar them saying, ''Thy son liveth." He earns upon inquiry that at the same hour at which Jesus said, " Thy son liveth," the fever left him. This miracle at Cana was, as we are here in- formed, "the beginning of miracles." It is a remarkable thing that Christ did not perform miracles until now. The Apocryphal Gospels represent him as having performed many niira- cles during his boyhood and early manhood. One has only to compare the accounts of those miracles with the true to see the difference be- tween inspired and uninspired writings. They are frivolous, puerile, and often ludicrous. They lack the majesty, dignity, and diviiiitv of the gospel narratives. Christ bided his time. This miracle began the series. This inauguration was as significant in its prophetic meaning re- garding his earthly ministry as was his first parable. The first parable was that of "The Sower." It suggests the whole work of our I.ord in his public ministry. He came to sow the good seed of the kingdom." Not less prophetic is this first miracle. It suggests the whole purpose of Christ's earthly life He came^ to ennoble, to transmute, to glorify, to divinize. As he now turned water into wine so his entire ministry was to be the turning i; of the water of earth into the wine of heaven. It is profoundly significant that he should have inaugurated his miracles with one which is so prophetic of his entire earthly work. The mother of Jesus was at this marriage feast, while it is altogether probable that Joseph was dead. He has at this time entirely disappeared from the history. He was last mentioned on the occasion of Christ's visit to the temple, now more than eighteen years before. The disciples who were present on this occasion were probably Andrew, Peter, Philip, Nathanael, and John himself. They had recently become attached to Christ as their Lord and Master. It is instruc- tive that they should be witnesses of this first miracle. It is not at all surprising that Jesus performed his first miracle at a wedding feast. He was not an ascetic ; he was a man among men ; he came to sanctify and glorify all forms of true and noble life. He was not a John the Baptist, se- cluding himself from the social festivities of life. He loved the homes and the innocent joys of the families with whom he associated. Jesus was for all times and all civilizations. He is the contemporary of all generations and individuals. This element in his life is absolutely imique. He belongs to the close of the nineteenth cen- tury as much as he did to the opening of the first century. He sanctifies our joy as truly as our sorrow ; but it is especially significant that he should have performed this miracle at a mar- riage feast. His example in this respect rebukes \m CANA OF GALILEE 315 now the teaching and practice of the Roman Clinrch to-day. He foresaw that the time wonl-'! come when in the church called by his name men would despise marriage. It was most important that he should rebuke this unchristian doctrine. All who so teach find no authority in the words or the example of Jesus Christ. He nowhere gives undue emphasis to celibacy. No church has a right to represent the marriage state as being less holy and beautiful than that of celi- bacy. By anticipation he rebuked many of the other doctrines also which are taught in the Roman Church to-day. It would seem as if he distinctly foresaw them and took pains to put upon them the stamp of his disapproval. It cannot be denied that he here seemed to put a certain slight on his mother. Romanist inter- preters have striven in vain to remove from his words, " Woman, what have I to do with thee ? " the element of rebuke which they contain. The mere word, " woman " has in it no suggestion of severity. When he was upon the cross and when he committed his mother to the care of the beloved John he said, " Woman, behold thy son." But when he said, at the marriage feast, "What have I to do with thee?" he distinctly gave his mother a slight rebuke. The words mean that now there was not the common ground between them which had characterized their former relations. She must understand that she is not to control his acts in this new sphere on which he has entered. Entire essays have been written on these words; but no 3i6 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES Ai>i M'l ,lij amount of exegetical acumen will remove from them the tone of gentle and needed rebuke which they suggest. His mother seems to have understood, partly at least, their meaning. She gave a right command to the servants, " What- soever he saith unto you, do it." Christ beautifully supplies the wants of others. This thought is clearly suggested by his entire conduct on this occasion. Perhaps he was influ- enced by the fear that the hosts might be humil- iated by the discovery that their supply of wine was exhausted. He also made most abundant provision for the wants of the waiting guests. It is not my purpose to go into the discussion of the question as to the kind of wine which Christ here made. It is sufficient to say that it cer- tainly was wine, and it was such wine as the governor of the feast considered remarkably good. I am well aware of the various interpre- tations that are given to these words ; but it does not seem necessary to go into the matter in detail. We are safe in saying that Christ did not make the poisonous stuff which is so often sold to-day as wine. The quantity was certainly very great. It is said that it was not less than one hundred and twenty-six gallons, or about four barrels. Perhaps this great quantity was needed to supply the wants of the company which probably was very large, as the fame of Jesus would doubtless bring the people from many parts of the country. If any wine were left over, this abundant provision would be in harmony with God's usual course, as he always CANA OF GALILEE 317 gives bountifully. Wine is not now extensively made or used in Palestine, and the influence of Mohammedans and ^lohaniniedanism is dis- tinctly against the making or drinking of wine. Nature is always changing water into the juice ot the grape ; and all that Christ did on this occasion was to hasten the process. This remark will apply to all of Christ's miracles. Health is the normal condition of the human body ; sickness is abnormal, Christ came to re- store physical and spiritual normality. Re- ligion is the restoration of spiritual normality. It is most interesting to see that in one sense miracles are not miraculous. Christ introduced in the performance of a miracle a higher law which for the time being held the lower law in check. It is a beautiful line given us by Cra- shaw : The conscious water saw its God and blushed. There was here, as in all of Christ's miracles, an acceleration of processes which are continually going forward in the ordinary operations of what we call natural law. There is a sphere known fully to God, but only partially to us, in which all natural law is supernatural and all super- natural law is natural law. Christ always gives the best last. This is a most sweet lesson which we learn from this miracle. This element in the miracle illus- trates the essential difference between all earthly things as compared with heavenly things. The devil gives his best first. The world smiles, and then it stabs ; the world has honey in its lip, and death in its heart. Relijjion may now have temporary sorrow, bnt it will soon have nnspeak- able joy. The first miracle of Moses tnrned water into blood ; the first miracle of Christ turned water into wine. Those who enter into the life of Christ shall find all human experi- ences transformed, by the alchemy of divine grace, into divine blessings, and earth itself shall at last be exchanged for heaven. . ''i\\ \ I kt ■yiMth I ?' lip, lave eak- 11 ed irist into leri- aiie liall XXX MOUNT OF BKATITUDES TOURNEYING from Cana of Galilee to Ti- J berias, we first enter a beantiful plain, pass a few villacres, one of which is Uibieh, at which there are some rnins and rock tombs, and then on onr left is the monntain known as Knrnn Hattin, or Horns of Hattin. Its name comes from the fact that it consists of two peaks, or horns, Knrun meaning "horns." The two horns, or monnds, are snpposed to resemble a camel's saddle, with its two horns or knobs. It rises with some suddenness from the fertile plain. We speak of the place as a mountain ; but it is really only a hill, as it rises only one thousand one hundred and seventy-eight feet above the level of the sea, and but' about sixty feet above the level of the surrounding plain. It is distant about three miles from the Sea of Galilee, and is about one-third of a mile in length. It is a con- spicuous object in the view, as one looks back after he has gone far beyond the head of the Sea of Galilee and is near the waters of Merom. A more careful view of tlie hill shows that on it there are two elevations, those which I have already called horns. It seems as if one of these was the place chosen by our Lord as a place of 3»9 320 SUNDAY NIGHT I.KCTURHS ni hh I 'J. y prayer. He then probably stepped clown into the open space, called in Luke 6:17 the " plain." This is a natural platform between the knobs, and capal)le of seatinj; many hundred people. Here it was onr Lord spoke his immortal words ; here it was also that he made his final choice of his disciples, although it is true that this place was not selected as the mount of Beatitudes until the time of the crnsaders. Some interpreters make this the place of the feeding of the five thonsand, as recorded in ^latt. 14 : 15-21, but a better location can readily be given. Is this the true site of the delivery of our Lord's wonderful sermon? While, as we have said, the tradition goes back only to the time of the crusaders, mucli may l)e said in its favor. It is quite certain that none of the other mountains in the neighborhood so well answers the descrip- tions given of the entire event. This mountain, to a noticeable degree, stands apart ; it rises at once from the fertile table-land. The other moi'-itains form a part of the range of hills which stan A about the shore of the sea. This hill is uninhabited ; it might well, because of its isola- ted position, claim a distinct name, as separate from neighboring barriers of hills. So far as its separateness from any range of hills is concerned, Tabor might be the monntain of Beatitudes ; bnt it is too remote from related events to answer the requirements which would give it the honor that attaches to the pulpit of our Lord when he de- livered the most memorable sermon ever heard or read by mortals. MOUNT OK BEATITUDES 321 Dean Stanley calls attention to Lhe fact that the sitnation of this nionntain so strikinjjly coincides with the gospel narrative as to oblige ns to believe that this is the trne place of the Sermon on the Monnt. From the Sea of Galilee no other height is seen in this direction. The table-land from which it rises is easily accessible from the lake, and the walk from the plain to the top of the monnt can be taken in a few minutes. The platform on the top is well adapted for the accommodation of a multitude ; and from one of the horns he could readily come down to address the people on the level place called the "plain," as already suggested. The mount is located so as to be central between the peasants of the Galilean hills and the fishermen on the lake. No place, as Dean Stanley suggests, could more fittingly furnish a solitary retreat for Christ and his disciples when they retired from the shore of the sea ; and no place could be more convenient for the crowds which gathered from " Galilee, from Decapolis, from Jerusalem from Judea, and from beyond Jordan." ^ The place, or its neighborhood, is famous be- cause of the battle fought between Sultan Saladin and the crusaders, July 3 and 4, 1187. This is called the battle of Hattin. It was the death- blow to the power of the crusaders in Palestine ; and virtually crushed all their hopes of being able to conquer the land. It was their last strug- gle. Dr. George Adam Smith has given a stii- * Matt. 4 : 25 ; 5 : 1 ; Luke 6 : 17-20. V 3-2 SUNDAY NIGII'T LECTURES ,"» ! ■ »■ <■! I I ' > ring description of this great battle. The cru- saders had neither shade nor water. It was a hot July day. Their enemy set fire to the scrub. The smoke blinded and choked the Christians. Their armor was heavy and hot. The foot- soldiers broke their ranks, dropped their wea- pons, and were finally ridden down by the Mos- lem cavalry. He also adds : " A militant and truculent Christianity, as false as the relics of the * True Cross ' round which it was rallied, met its judicial end within view of the scenes where Christ proclaimed the gospel of peace, and went about doing good." With the coming of night- fall the captive princes were brought to the tent of the victorious Saladin. Among them were Guy of Lusignan, Raynald of Chatillon, the grand master of the Knights Templar, and the bishop of lyydda, bearing the holy cross. Saladin received all but Raynald with the respect due their rank and their misfortunes. The knights were sold as slaves ; the Templars and Hospital- ers were executed. On Raynald he looked with scorn and hate ; and he himself slew him, as it was claimed that he had frequently broken faith with Saladin. This was a day of triumph for the Moslems. The power of the crusaders in the Holy Land was broken forever. A mighty army of noble knights and valorous soldiers, whose brave deeds have been honored in song and story, w^as captured and then imprisoned or slain. Nearly all Palestine, with the city of Je- rusalem, soon helplessly yielded to the Moslem yoke. nil MOUNT OK BEATITUDES 323 tent song led or )f Je- )slem Woriderfnl was the contrast ])et\veen the fierce battle of Saladin and the delivery of onr Lord's sermon on this mountain. Let us now study for a little this latter event which makes this moun- tain famous, and will make it immortal. L ho dis- course recorded by Matthew in chap. ^ 6, 'U d 7, and that recorded by Luke in 6 : 20-4^,, ntr- sup- posed by some to be distinct discourses and to have been uttered on different occasions. Those who hold this view affirm that they weie deliv- ered in different places, that by Matthew being on a mountain and this by Luke on a plain. They also hold that they were delivered at differ- ent times, and also that they differ so materially in themselves as to give sufficient grounds for supposing them to be different in time and place. It is true that both seem complete and connected throughout ; that the one in Mattii "^av has one hundred and seven verses, while the one in Luke has only thirty, and that about one-quarter of the latter is not found in the former. In Luke four " woes " are connected with four " beatitudes " ; and while many points are similar, there are often marked differences. I frankly admit that Jesus might have delivered two discourses so nearly similar on quite different occasions. We know that a comparison of many passages shows that he often repeated his great sayings ; and it certainly would be remarkable if he had not often repeated the central trutlis and the heav- enly thoughts contained in this great di:M^ourse. All wise and great teachers often repca*: them- selves ; it would be a reproach to a great l.hinker f li 324 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES ^i' !i f I if he did not consider his best thoughts worthy of frequent repetition in various forms of expres- sion adapted to different occasions. But I believe that the discourse recorded by Matthew and that by Luke are identical, or, at least, are two accounts of the same sermon. Augustine, and following him many writers of the Latin Church, held that they were distinct. Most of the writers of the Greek Church hold that they were identical. Perhaps a middle view can properly be held. May not Christ have delivered the longer discourse given by Matthew on one of the horns of the mountain, and then after descciiding into the level space a little lower he may have given a synopsis of that discourse to the people gathered there ? This latter group may have been composed, in part at least, of different people. This summary of the longer discourse seems to have been followed by the selection of the twelve apostles, and also by the healing of the centurion's servant. I well know that some regard our Lord's Ser- mon on the IVIount as a summary and sample of his teaching during the course of his public ministry. It is admitted that Matthew was in the habit of combining historical events and other matters which were of one kind, whether or not they were consecutive in time. It is readily admitted also that many of the sayings of this great sermon are found elsewhere in Christ's teachings. Clirist spoke usually to shifting groups who were in need of substantially the same kind of truth. He was not obliged, so MOUNT OF BKATITUDES 325 in to ally so as the The ') much as a settled pastor or lecturer, to utter new sermons or addresses on all public occasions ; he was neither ashamed nor afraid to repeat him- self. But he did not follow a slavish uniform- ity ; on the contrary, he introduced new matter as his wisdom suggested, and gave new forms to the truths he had already spoken. But the natural presumption is that Matthew is here re- cordino- what our Lord spoke on some particular occasion. Perhaps we might regard it '' ordination sermon " of the apostles simple historical form of the discourse, all infor- mation to the contrary being wanting, confirms us in the idea that it was delivered on some one special occasion. In this sermon we have a discussion of the nature, subjects, and principles of the kingdom of God. The time had not yet come for a state- ment of the full development of all these prin- ciples. But they were admirably adapted to produce repentance. They set up the high, t!ie divine standard of conduct. They receive their full lustre from the light which shines from the cross. The sermon is not a full system of Christian doctrine — such a system must have had the death and resurrection of Christ as its basis. Neither are we to find in it specific rules for every form of moral duty. It is a statement of srreat principles clothed in figurative and paradoxical forms of speech. We must not sup- post that it :s in contradiction to tlie fuller state- ments of doctrine given by the apostles. IMany errors were current as to the nature of Clirist's 326 SUNDAY NIGHT LFXTURES I ' kingdom. Christ teaches that the moral require- ments of law were not to be set aside, and the standard of duty was not to be lowered, but rather to be raised. He carries us back to the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. Doctor Alexander, in his commentary on Matthew, has well suggested that Christ corrects the ideas of the bigoted Jews, who thought the Gent les could not be saved ; and of the revolutionary Jews, who thought all distinctions would be destroyed ; and also of the censorious Jews, whose religion consisted in criticising the faults of others and in obeying outward forms of righteousness. Chapter five shows for whom the kingdom is designed. Chapter six shows us that great relig- ious duties must be performed as unto God and not unto men ; and chapter seven rebukes Phari- saical hypocrisy and exhorts us as to true self- denial. H^rc the Christ of the throne stands conspicu- ously forward. The old law took cognizance of outward acts ; this interpretation of the law takes cognizance of inward thoughts. He is a foolish man who says, thinking by so saying to despise thr doctrine of the atonement, that he wislus simply to live by the Sermon on the Moni.L. He v>as a wiser man who said : "God save me on the day of judgment from the Ser- mon on the Mount." Who can live up to it? Rightly understood, this sermon is an exhorta- tion to repentance, an exhortation to trust Christ, an e^ aortation to follow him in self-denial and finally to glory. ,1 J'' MOUNT OF BEATITUDES 327 iMarveloiis sermon ! It will outlive all other literature. Even that of the twentieth century will not come up to it. So we think and feel as we drive on with the Horns of Hattin behind us, and soon have before us our first glimpse of the sacred Sea of Galilee. Striking are the contrasts between the work of the crusaders on the one side, and that of Christ and his apo:]tles on the other. Tlie crusaders have gone from the sphere of acti\ ity, and are obscured in tlie shadows of legend and history. They never really accomplished the purpose which their fanatical zeal inspired. God, however, overruled their fanaticism and igno- rance for the progress of humanity. The min- gling of many civilizations and peoples resulted, ill many indirect ways, in the advancement of civilization and Christianity. But so far as its primary purpose was concerned, the Crusades were a gigantic failure. In Christ and his words, and in his apostles and their words, there is what has been finely called a " perpetual con- temporaneousness." Christ spoke for all cen- turies and climes. He and his apostles are more thoroughly living to-day than when they were on the earth. They are now moving irresistibly to the conquest of the world for truth and God. Christ spoke apparently unmeditated words to Galilean peasants on this Galilean mountain. Great orators, philosophers, and historians, have labored long on a few sentences that their words might be endowed with immortality. Christ spoke for the hour, the place, and the audience, '^tm 328 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES '•\\^ simple sentences ; but they will live when all other literature has perished. Never did man speak as Jesus Christ spoke in the Sermon on the Mount. To-day social scientists are striving to bring their systems up to the level of this marvelous discourse ; they are striving to incar- nate the teachings of this divine sermon in their systems of social philosophy. To-day a coarser grade of socialists, rightly or wrongly, hiss at the mention of the church ; but to-day this same class of socialists will cheer the name of Jesus Christ. He is the world's Prophet, Priest, and King. He sways the sceptre of unlimited power. That mountain in Galilee was a throne of potency and splendor. The most advanced thought of to-day has not come up to the simple and profound teaching of that discourse. In it Christ formulated some of the deepest principles that have ever occupied the mind of man. Be- cause of that sermon we crown him as the fore- most thinker the world has ever known. Amid the smoke of the battle of Hattin we see Saladin and the crusaders ; the smoke of battle clears away and Saladin and the crusaders, with all their pomp and glory, disappear. Looking to that mountain now, we see " no man save Jesus only " ; and when the smoke of all the battles of the wo*-id shall have cleared away we shall see Jesus Christ on his throne, regnant and glorious for evermore. i r ;l '^f I XXXI THE SEA OF GALILEE MOST deeply interestinjr was the ride from tlie^ mount of Jeatitiides to the Sea of Galilee. There is not a sheet of water on the globe which I so greatly desired to see as the Sea of Galilee. It rejoiced in tlie presence and submitted to the power of Jesus Christ. In its waters were mirrored the face and form of the Son of God. The hope of seeing it was in my thought for years, and it now gave zest and charm to this trip over the hills of Judea, Sama- ria, and Galilee. And yet, as I knew I was ap- proaching it, there was a sort of unwillingness to have the sight for which I had long waited. I refused to look up until a spot was reached where the view would be the finest. " Look now," said Abdallah, my excellent dragoman. At his words I looked with strangely com- mingled emotions, and had the magnificent view of the sea and its surroundings which all trav- elers in the Holy Land get who approach it bv this road. Some describe the view in terms of great ex- travagance; others equally depreciate it. The truth lies between the extremes. Many having in mind only the desolate wastes, the barren 329 330 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES ri- ll ^>ii « *■' .1 ::!;^ I hills, and the extent of the water, will tell you that lakes in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Switzerland, far surpass this view. In several respects they are quite right. But the thought of Ciiriat'3 presence glorifies mountain, shore, and sea, and makes this the most interesting and transcendently beautiful place on this globe. This lake, with this thought in mind, is not to be compared to any other water, nor this vicinity with any other region in the world. IMuch de- pends upon the traveler's point of view ; but even apart from the association of the lake with the name and work of Christ, its intrinsic fea- tures are such that one cannot but be charmed with them, or at least not disappointed, simply for their own sake. Permit me to paint the picture as seen from this vantage point. The lake, from the towui of Tiberias on the right to the ruins of Capernaum on the left, is distinctly seen. This clear blue expanse of water is very beautiful. Receding from the shore are banks, sometimes steeply and sometimes gently sloping. On the opposite shore are the irregular hills, now presenting pre- cipitous cliffs and now rolling backward more gently. They are, for the most part, bare and barren ; but they are variegated in tone and tint. Here are the mountains of Galilee, and away to the north, as the glorious limit to so many pictures in Palestine, is tlie magnificent Hermon, now looking grander, kindlier, and statelier than ever before. In the evening light this combination of water, verdant slopes, bold ■:!i THE SEA OF GAULKE 33^ hills, and the snow-clad Hennon, makes a rL-- tnre of loveliness rarely surpassed. Kverywnere the thoujn^ht of Christ is present to the Christian heart. He trod those waters, and they were as a pavement of adamant beneath his feet. He commanded these waves, and they obeyed his voice. He preached on these shores. Yonder the wretched maniac was healed, and down these ru^rcred hills the swine ran into the lake. All about these shores are some of the most sacred scenes in our Lord's ministry. The very air seems charged with his words. Hill and valley seem to be written over with memories of his blessed presence. A whole volume might be written in giving an account of his heavenly ministry along the shores of this divinely hon- ored sea. Never shall I forget tlie moment when my eyes first took in this sweet picture. I could almost see the King in his beauty ; I really saw one part of the land which to me so long had been so far off. The ride to the town of Tiberias was marked by the steep descent and by the sudden and great change in the temperature familiar to alftrav- elers ; and soon v;e were within the old and walled town of Tiberias on the shore of the his- toric Sea of Galilee. Let us get a clear concep- tion of the Sea of Galilee, or Kinnert, a name derived from the supposed likeness of the form of the lake to a lute. Its Various Names.— It is called Sea of Galilee because situated in the province of Gal- 332 SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURKS ' Ml ( » ilc'c. It is called Sea of Tiberias, because so important a city as Tiberias is on its shore. Its more ancient name was Sea of Chinnercth or Cliimcroth (Num. 34 : 11; Josh. 12 : 3), prob- ably from a town or district of this name on its border. In Luke 5 : i, we sec that it was also called the Lake of Ocnnesaret. This word means " Garden of the Prince " ; and was ap- plied to the crescent-shaped plain on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was about three miles lonnr and over one mile wide. Now it is surrounded by barren and rug^^cd hills ; but in Christ's time it was a fertile region, producing many varieties of fruits, and was the scene of man; )f Christ's miracles, and perhaps of the parable of the Sower. In Isa. 9:1, the Sea of Galilee is referred to simply as "the sea." Its local name now is Rahr Tabariych. It is about thirty-five miles south of Mount Hermon, twenty- seven miles east of the Mediterranean, and sixty- five in a straight line north of the Dead Sea. Its Description. — I saw it both at noonday, sunset, sunri.se, and moonlight. In the morning the surrounding hills were brilliant in color ; in the evening the shadows deepened until sea, hills, and sky were seen in the softest, sweet- est tones ; and in the nioonlight all inequalities were harmonized and the peace of Ciod rested on mountain and sea. Once I saw it ruffled in a slight storm and all the memories of Christ and his disciples filled my soul. Perhaps the best views are at Tiberias, looking to ..'ard Caper- THK SKA Ol- GAIJLKK 333 naiun. This view I luul for liotirs in the soft evening li<;ht as I sat alone hy the shore near tlie eenter (if the town of 'I'iherias. The lake is pear-shaped, the hroad end being toward the north, or we may say that it is liarp-shaped, with the hnlf^e to the northwest. It is between twelve and thirteen miles long, and between ^ix and seven miles wide, and is almost embosomed among the hills. The Jordan flows into it on the north, — a mnddy stream, — coloring the lake for a mile from its month, and out of it on the south, being then pnre and bright. It has been called " a sparkling diamond snspended by a silver thread." Its depth is about one hundred and sixty to two hundred and thirty feet ; its level varies at different seasons, but its depres- sion below the surface of the Mediterranean Sea may be put at six hundred and eighty-two feet, although often it is said to be seven hun- dred feet. Dr. (ieorge Adam vSmith calls atten- tion to the remarkable fact that the grenter part of our Lord's ministry was accomplished at what may be called the bottom of a trench six hundred and eighty feet below the level of the sea. The lake was really the center of the trade of the province. Here then was the touch with the connnerce, the industry, and the powerful Greek influences of the time. Near Tiberias the water is polluted with sewage, but elsewhere it is entirely fit for drinking purposes, although it is somewhat brackish, which brackishness is due to tlie salt springs on the shore. A bath in the lake is very enjoyable, as in it are many warm 334 SUNDAY NIOIIT IJ-XTUKKS Springs. Ivirtluinakes here arc not so frequent as ill Japan, but they arc not uncommon. In 1837 tiiere was one which did mucli damage to the town of Tiberias. Storms are still frequent; the mountains and valleys on the shore p^ive the wind the opportunity to sweep down and still to strike the sea with as much violence and as little warninpf as in the days of the disciples. The sea winds blow over this basin, and the sun beats down with j^reat power. Cold currents, as they pass from the west, are drawn to the sea tlirou|j|[h the funnel-like j^orji^es that open on the lake. Thus come the sudden storms which lit- erally smite the lake, as they are described in the Gospel narrative. The region is famous for such storms. The wind, the tempest roaring high, The tumult of a tropic sky. The SnoRKS. — The hills which enclose the sea are of limestone, basalt, and volcanic rock, and are from five hundred to seventeen hundred feet hi^"- Often they come near the water, leav- ing only a pebbly beach between their base and the water. On the northwest they recede so as to form the beautiful plain of Gennesaret, of which mention has been made. The outline of the hills, especially on the east side, is not broken by any prominent peak, and the eye sweeps north to Hermon which stands out so sharply in the clear atmosphere as to seem but a dozen, in- stead of thirty-five miles away. On the north the shore line, which usually is regular, is broken TIIK SUA OF OAI.IM'.K 335 into a scries of hays of rcmarkahlc beauty, but especially so at ( icnucsarct, where the white beach is covered with its myriads of shells. The town of Tiberias is in a recess of the hills on the western shore ; near the uionth of the Jordan is the svvanii)y plain of Ivl Halihah, now frequented, Captain Wilson informs us, by wild boars. This place was the scene of a naval battle between the Romans and the Jews, fouj^^ht on the lake after the takin_i>^ of Tariche:;e by the Romans, when Vespasian and Titus were victorious over the Jews, and in which Josephus was so injured as to necessitate his removal to Capernaum. The depression of the lake causes the tropical heat here experienced ; it also accounts for the semi- tropical vej^^etation on the shores. Excellent fish abound in the lake, including- several trop- ical species which now, as in Christ's day (Luke 5 : 6), are seen in large shoals. Great interest attaches to Chromis Simonis^ as they are called, the male of which carries the eggs and the young in its mouth ; and also to the Coracinus of Jose- phus and the Barbur of the Arabs, which gives out a sound. Boats abotmd on the lake. ^lany travelers, partly because of the sacred associations, prefer to j^o by boat from Tiberias to Capernaum. Boats can be had large enough to hold from ten to twelve passeng-ers in addition to the rowers. Both sides of the lake can, of course, be best seen from a boat ; and in this way the gospel scenes also can be made more real than when one rides or walks on the shore. But a careful , ^ttm^tmm 33^ SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES bargain ought to made as the charges are apt to be exorbitant. f' . It t, '!■' •I ) Large Population in Early Days. — In Christ's time the ships and boats on the lake were very numerous. Josephus uses the phrase "Climbing up into their ships," indicating that some of their vessels were large. At that time there were nine considerable towns on the shores of the lake. Among these were Bcthsaida, Caper- naum, Chorazin, Tiberias, and Magdala. These towns contained a large and busy population. Ur. Selah IMerrill endorses the strong statements of Josepiius regarding the great size of the popu- lation of Galilee as a whole, and also the state- ment mentioned above, that many vessels then enlivened the lake. Tiberias is now the only town visible, and there are only three or four small villages on the coast. Dr. Merrill also en- dorses what Josephus says of the beauty and fruitfulness of the plain of Oennesaret. Josephus gives Galilee two hundred and four towns and villages, the smallest of which had fifteen thou- sand inhabitants. But nearly all these towns are now indistinguishable masses of ruins, Gali- lee was only from fifty to sixty miles long and from thirty to forty wide, but it is believed that at least three millions of people lived there. The lake was then white with sails and plowed with thousands of keels. The shores of this sea were vastly different in Christ's day. Then there were great woods on the banks ; now there is not a tree. Then there were noble gardens ; ..^. Tin; si;a ok galilee 337 now there are only marshe^^lvTu^rc^were prosperous town, and eities ; now there are onlv nan,eless ru,„s. This beantifnl hike ehnrns a rest to the eye, coohiess in the heat, an escaoe f.om the erowd, and a facility of traververv V o do ;■': '", -'-"»""g - clinite. t^-en tho I who do not sliare its memories of Christ feel an p. hnsiasm for it. The rabbis said: • [eho l? ath created seven seas, but the Sea of Gen nesaret is his delight.' " CONN'ECTION' WITH On BIST n,,; n hallows the .sea and'Slirr-el"^:' ,:!:j.:ro" |ts qmet beauty ; he stilled its wild waves he glor,ned US rocky shores. On its bo.som 'ev'er.I apostles were called to be "fishers of me, " ?n Its waters Peter sank until Christ .saved him hmn a watery grave ; and on its shores Christ iiet 1 k disciples after his resurrection, in the < ray dawn the niorning, while a miraculous CalT, exeniiig as I .sat alone on a hou.setop in Tiberias after all others in the hotel had gone to be took ow Ln:r' "^' ■""^' associafious of thi^t' cembK,'?!:,, There was no spot in Palestine, ex- cepting Gethseniane, I more longed to see and 1 can sympatlme u-ith the pttre-soule d' Mc Cheyne as lie sines : How plensnnt o me thy deep blue wave. O Sea of (.alilec ! For the glorious One who cme to save Hath often stood by thee. W «M 338 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES Graceful around thee the mountains meet, Thou calm reposing; sea ; But oh, far more the beautiful feet Of Jesus walked o'er thee ! O Saviour, gone to God's right hand, Yet the same Saviour still, Graved on thy hcait is this lovely strand And every fragrant hill ! '1' ■';! i hi * ii I >n m 'ii m lii ■t«, li t, ii )i J I Ih ! XXXII TOWN OF TIBERIAS "pHE fact that CInist probably never visited t he mteicst whicli u would have if it were more closely assocated with his „an,e. The town s ^^ n.m.eT"'-'"";' '" "'^ ^'"^ 'J'-'-' ' ot to the town. It ,s interesting to observe tha the name is given by John only. Twns parfcularl;- forttnmte in having arrived in Ti benas on the first day of the feast of ' 'aber- naeles, wlueh chaneed to be October 3, i8q I saw honses and yards decorated with branches in rea:i to Safed, where his tlirone will he estahlishcd uid he will rei<^n forever in ^r,vut ^lory and splen- dor. Perhaps t'le reason wh- Christ avoided Ti- berias is that it was a lavorite residenee of the crafty and lui^crnpulous Ilcrod Anlipas, who sa\y Christ only a littk time before his ernci- fixion. We know tliat he n^cncrally avoided these lialf-C,reek cities, lie was more at home with the connnon people than with oflieials and courtiers. Capernanni and Hethsaida must have been far more healthful than Tiberias. I^.ut Ti- berias abides while these other cities have per- ished. Althous^h Christ paid no visit to the baths at Tiberias, as he did to the ])ool of Hethesda, there is no doubt but that many patients broti^rlit to the baths at Tiberias and who were not healed, were finally laid at Christ's feet and from him received healincr to body and soul. Be- cause of Christ's life and spirit there is now a hospital and a staff of physicians in Tiberias. Christ is still the inspiration to all noblest deeds in blessing men and honoring God. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) y 1.0 I.I 1.25 l^|2^ 12.5 ^ IM 1 2.2 ^ lis IIIIIM i£ 11116 V <^ /a Photographic Sciences Cbrporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4503 •sj \ iV \\ fv ^ ^ MP.. L^ XXXIII FROM TIBERIAS TO TEL HUM r ' ifl WE left Tiberias before the break of day. Soon it broke over the Sea of Galilee and its waters and snrrounding hills were figlow with the splendors of the morning snn. We conld go to the npper end of the lake either by boat or by the road, which is on the side of the hills, and is abont tliirty to forty feet above the level of the water. At times the space from the path to the shore is very steep and rocky. Soon Tiberias was hidden behind a rocky corner of the elevated shore ; but from our saddles, as we rode on the edge of the bluff, we enjoyed a su- perb view of the opposite shore, the head of the lake, and the country both to tlie north and the south. The twin peaks, or horns, of Hattin were visible on our left as we rode along. On our right were several warm and saltish springs, and we observed also arrangements for irrigat- ing portions of the land in the vicinity. Al- most opposite Tiberias are Wady Fik and the ruins of Gamala. A fortress once stood here which was garrisoned by Josephus, but taken by Vespasian, A. d. 69; and not fewer, it is said, than ten thousand perished when the garrison was captured, many of whom leaped from the 348 FROM TIBURIAS TO TKL HUM 349 walls and fell down the precipice. We reached on our left, about three miles from Tiberias, the peculiarly miserable village of Mejdel, which is identical with Magdala, the birthplace of Mary Magdalene, Mary of Magdala. Perhaps also it is identical with Migdal-el of the tribe of Naph- tali.' Some place Taricheac here, a town already mentioned as playing an important part in the war with Rome ; but others, and perh^ips-- witli good reason, place this town near the south end of tlie lake of Tiberias. Taricheae was almost of equal importance with Tiberias. In Pliny's day it gave its name to the lake. It was a center of industry and commerce. In the days of Josephus it was fa- mous for its Jewish patriotism. The only echo of the name now is found at the south end of the lake. It is a Greek word, and is said by Doctor Smith to mean "pickling places." It was a place famous for curing the fish which the lake supplied. These fish were sent all through the Roman world ; great quantities were taken to Jerusalem to the feasts, and were sent in barrels round the Mediterranean. Tarichere is not mer doned in the Gospels, but n'^' ; ^r is Tiberias, nor other places south of Gennesaret. It would seem that neither Christ nor the disci- ples ever visited this region at the south end of the lake. Mejdel, or Magdala, is now a wretched hamlet of some twenty mud or stone huts. On top of ' Josh. 19 : 38. ri i' Pi. I n A i 35<^ SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES these huts we saw the l^ooths built of poles and branches of trees, and placed about three feet from the roof of the huts, in order to protect the wretched peasants from the well-ni^h ubiquitous fleas and other vermin. Nowhere else in Pal- estine did I see more wretched-looking people than in this hamlet. But its connection with Mary has made the name innnortal. It is most unfortunate that the name Magdalen no v sug- gests elements of character, or want of charac- ter, '.vhich ought never to be associated with the name of this woman. There is not a word in the (iospels to justify this association with the name of Mary Magdalene, which simply means Mary of Magdala. A cruel wrong to historic truth and to womanly honor has been done to this woman and her place on the pages of the New Testament. There is a small plain below Magdala to whose vicinity our Lord proljably came when in Matt. 15 : 39 it is said, after the record of the miracle of the loaves and fishes, Jesus " sent away the multitude, and took ship and came into the coasts of Magdala." The connection of ]\Iark 8 : 10 with the passage just quoted, would seem to indicate that the village named Dalmanutha was near INIagdala ; and about a mile distant are copious fountains and ruins which probably mark the place where Dalma- nutha stood. The lake attains its greatest width at Magdala, being about seven, some say nearly eight, miles wide, and opposite Magdala is Khersa or Gergesa. A few ruined buildings are /.' FROM TIBKRIAS TO TEL HUM 351 here on the sliore of tlie lake. About a mile south of this place the hills approach within a few feet of the shore, although generally they are recessed from one-half to three-quarters of a mile from the water's edge. There is here the " steep place down which the herd of swine ran violently into the sea, and so were choked." It was at Gergesa that the men possessed with the devils, coming out of the tombs, met Jesus.' Of all our Lord's miracles but two were destruc- tive, those connected with the destruction of the swine and the fig tree. A careful study of both fully justifies our Lord's acts ; especially is this true in the case of the swine, the miracle which has excited the sh.arpest criticism. Near here Christ fed the five thousand, and from near this point seeing his disciples toil in rowing on the lake, "Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea." ^ The different readings in the tiiree Gospels regarding the locality of Gergesa have occasioned harmonists considerable difficulty ; but the similarity of the name Khersa to Ger- gesa gives us a strong reason for accepting Mat- thew's record as correct, when he speaks of Christ as coming into the country of the Ger- gesenes, while Luke and John say into that of the Gadarenes. Kusebius and Origen are authority for the statement that there was once a village called Gergesa on the shore of the lake. It has also been suggested by several writers that the apparent discrepancy may be removed » Mott. 8 : 2S-34. 'Matt. 14 : 25. 352 SUNDAY NltlHT LICCTURES by the supposition that Gcrgesa was under the jurisdiction of (iadara. A short distance beyond Maj^dala, and still on the left, the hills recede westward from the lake, and here is the Wady Hanian, or " valley of the doves." It descends from Khan Lubiyeh and from the Horns of Hattin, and it is crossed by the caravan route between Nazareth and Da- mascus. A mile and a half farther on are the ruins of the castle of Kal'at Ibn Ma'an, near which were the stronji^ly fortified caverns of Irbid, the ancient Arbela. The cliffs here are nearly one thousand two hundred feet high. The castle consisted of caverns in the rock ; here were connecting passages, protecting walls, and several cisterns. This unique castle was long a haunt of fierce robbers, and it was to them an inaccessible fastness. These robbers were long the terror of the whole vicinity. Herod the Great finally overcame them by let- ting down with ropes cages filled with soldiers, and the caverns were afterward occupied by her- mits. Irbid, or Arbela, is probably the Beth- Arbel, meaning " house of ambush," of Scrip- ture. It seems from early times to have been famous as a stronghold. In Hosea lo : 14, we read : " All thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Beth-Arbel in the day of battle." Land of Gennesaret. — Shortly after leav- ing Magdala we enter upon the tract of land now called El-Ghuweir, the " Little Ghor." It 1 -^ 1 ' FROM TIBERIAS TO TKL HUM 353 is ancient Cxcnnesarct. Tlic name is supposed to mean " valley of the flowers " ; or, as I have elsewhere sug^rcstcd, "gardens of the prince." The plain is about three miles lonjr and one mile ^yide. The soil is extremely fertile and the en- tire plain is copiously watered ; but the greater part of the plain is now overrun with nink weeds. The cultivated parts supply the markets of Damascus and IJeyrut with the best melons and cucumbers grown in Palestine. The banks of the lake and the brooks were fringed with oleanders and nubk ; and in some places these shrubs, and the cignus cactus, grow in such pro- fusion that traveling among them is well-nigh impossible. In the brooks there are tortoises and crayfish, and mussels are found in the lake. There are many large springs ; the most noted is that one whose name in EngMsli is "the Round Spring." It is partly conctiled among the bushes, but its basin is thirty yards in diam- eter and its water is abundant, clear, and cold. Many writers on Palestine quote the d(\scrip- tion given by Josephus ' of this plain. He rails it the "ambition of nature," and goes on to give a truly glowing iccount of the plain. He also informs us that "the people of the country call it Capharnaum," a remark which helps us as to the identity of the site of Capernaum. Probably it was on the beach of the plain of Gcnnesaret that in the gray dawn of the morning the disci- ples, having toiled all night and caught nothing, »Vol. III., Chap. X., Sec. 8. ; X 354 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 1 I r ij saw a dim figure on tl:e shore. Then a voice, strange and yet familiar, called to them : " Chil- dren, have ye any meat?" Then it was that the loving John recognized the Lord, and the im- petuous Peier leaped into the sea to reach the Master; aUv there on the shore the mysterious fire burned, the meal was spread, and the Lord bade the disciples to come and dine. Then and there it was that Peter made his three-fold con- fession, and was reinstated in the apostolic office. Beside a fire in the dawning of the mornl'^g he had thrice denied his Lord ; and at a fire in the dawning of the morning he thrice makes his confession, is thrice tested, and is restored to his old place of love and service. We ride along across the plain of Gennesaret ; our liorses now plunging in mire and no.; able to go forward at a brisk trot. Small flies annoy them and almost blind and choke the riders. We reach Khan Minyeh which is now a ruin, but which dates from the time of Saladin, and was doubtless built for the convenience of trav- elers from Damascus. Doctor Robinson con- siders that the ruins near here are the remains of Capernaum, and ^lacGregor, of the "Rob Roy," agrees with Doctor Robinson. Later we shall more fully examine this whole subject. We walked our horses in the ruins of a comparatively modern aqueduct which ran from A in et-Tabiyah to Khan Minyeh. Near here is Ain et-Tin, or the " Fig Spring," and a little beyond is the copious Ain et-Tabiyah, just mentioned. This name is equivalent to " Seven Springs," and the f- ( FROM TiniCRIAS TO TKL HUM 355 iieighborliood was once supposed to he the scene of the feeding of tlie five thousand.' South of this sprnig there is a small German colony, once under the auspices of the (k'rnian Catholic Palestine Society. This is by far the most copi- ous spring m the vicinity ; its water is brackish, and It rises to the surface with great force at a temperature of 86 y^ °, although this is not con- sidered warm in this climate. Some of its water IS carried off by an aqueduct to a mill owned by a nian of Safed, the only one now in use of five built by the great chieftain, Dhacr el-Amr. It IS certain from the remains of remarkable works that once the waters of this spring were raised high enough to irrigate many parts of the plain of Gennesaret. The piers of arches can still be seen showing that the aqueduct crossed the beds of two water courses ; it is evident that by an excavation in the solid rock, along which we rode, the water was carried around the cliff of Khan Miiiyeh. The remains of this great aque- duct arrest the attention of all travelers. We are now treading ground trodden by Jesus. There is the hallowed lake. It was the scene of the opening of our Lord's ministry. Its neighbor- hood was often his chosen retreat from the wrath of his foes. His sublime miracles and gracious parables have consecrated its waters and its shores. From a ship on its waters he spoke the many parables recorded in Matthew thirteen. Its waves obeyed his voice; its waters became a ' Mark 6 : 44. 35^ Sl'XUAY NIGHT LKCTUKKS pavement beneath his feet. When cast out from Nazarctli, he made his home at Capernaum on its shore, which then became "his own city." Here he called Peter, James, and John, the three chosen for the inner circle of his disciples. Hal- lowed lake ! Christ-visited shores ! The charm and j^lory of his presence are still on the land and sea. The parable of the Net, of the Lost Sheep, and of tlie Sheep-fold, carry us back to these sacred shores. If anywhere this side of heaven we may see Jesus as he is, surely it is here by the Sea of Galilee. XXXIV CAPERNAUM, CIIORAZIN, AND BKTHSAIDA WHAT can be said of the sites of these famous cities? That question all trav- elers in Palestine try to answer. Probably it will never be answered with absolute ..ertainty. We speak first of Capernaum. This name has a conspicuous place in the records of our Lord's life. It is not plainly mentioned in the Old Testament, but the passage in Isa. 9 : i is ap- plied to it by the evangelist Matthew. We know from the New Testament references to it that it was on the west shore of the Sea of Gali- lee ; but they do not enable us to determine its exact location, although we know that it was in the plain of Gennesaret, which all authorities of the time agree was one of the richest and most prosperous places in the entire land. It is called in IMatt. 9 : I and in Mark i : 33 a city ; and in its synagogue our Lord often taught.' We are distinctly informed that this synagogue was built by the Roman centurion who was quar- tered in the city; there were also stations there for the collection of the customs, both by sta- tionary and by itinerant officers. Capernaum, as we have seen, became our > Mark I : 21 ; Luke 4 : ^3, 38. 357 ;( 35« SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURI-S mi Lord's "own city." Perhaps while Jesus was walking on the the hcacli near the town he called I'eter and Andrew to become his disci- ples, and they heard the call and followed him as their Lord and Master. In Capernaum,' Christ wrouj^ht the miracle of healing on the centurion's servant. It was here that Simon's wife's mother was healed of her fever.' Other notable mira- cles were here performed ; and the son of the nobleman was a resident of Capernaum, although Christ was at Cana of Galilee when he spoke the words which brought the cure. And in the synagogue at Capernaum was spoken the won- derful discourse recorded in the sixth chapter of John's Gospel. Against these cities our Lord spoke words of fearful solenniity ; and his predictions have been remarkably fulfilled. Dean vStanley twice visited the region and studied it with the utmost care, but he says, " The disputed sites of the cities of Gennesaret must still remain disputed." It is not important topographically or spiritually that we should settle the question ; but, of course, a place so connected with the earthly life of our Lord as was Capernaum we would be glad to locate, if it were possible so to do. Some would place it at Khan Minyeh, as already suggested. This mound of ruins takes its name from the old khan of which I have spoken. It is close to the seashore, at the northwest extremity of the plain. The spring of the Fig Tree, Ain et- » Matt. 8 : 5. 2 Matt. 8 : 14. I . CAPr:RNAt^M,CI!ORAZIN, AND ni-THSAIDA 359 sus was own he is disci- t'cd him ,' Christ iturioii's mother le mira- i of the Ithoiijrh )oke the in the he won- ipter of 'ords of ve been ; visited >st care, :ities of ' It is lly that Durse, a of our ^lad to : would :gested. )m the is close inity of Ain et- Tin, which takes its name from the fact that it is overshadowed by a fig tree, is north of these ruins. Robinson, Porter, and MacCircjjor, of tlic •'Rob Roy," favor Khan iMinyeh as the site of Capernaum. IJut recent excavations of the Kn^rlish Exploring Expedition have brought to light nothing at Khan Minyeh but fragments of " masonry and pottery of comparatively mod- ern date." Doctor Robinson gives his argu- ments at length, but most recent investigations seem to weaken and not to strengthen his reason for choosing this site. My dragoman favored this site, and Dr. George Adam Smith favors Khan Minyeh, on the northern edge of Gen- nesaret. His words I do well to quote: The evidence is greatly in favor of the latter site (Khan Minyeh), and one may fix the house of Jesus, as Mark calls it, the birthplace of the gospel, at that northeast corner of fair (Icnnesaret, where the waves beat now on an abandoned shore ; but once there was a quay and busy town, and the great road from east to west poured its daily stream of life. Doctor Smith claims that Tel Hum is an im- possible contraction from Kephar-Nahum, the village of Nahum, and that there is no Tel at the place, and that Guerin is right in deriving the name from Tanhum, a Jewish rabbi buried there. The Round Fountain certainly answers better the description given by Josephus than docs the spring of the Fig Tree, which is so close to the shore. We have already seen that the Round Fountain is near the southern end of the plain 'Jt. w^ 360 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES of Gennesaret ; it is so named because enclosed by a circular wall of mason work. Canon Tris- tram claims that the Round Fountain furnishes niore authoritative marks of identification with what Josephus calls the fountain of Capernaum than does either of the other springs which have been named in this connection. He calls atten- tion to the fact that fever is very jirevalent even no^^* in the neighborhood of the Round Foun- tain, and that the dry, rocky ground near Tel Hum is comparatively free from it. This would make it the more natural that we should read, "Peter's wife's mother lay sick of a fever" at Capernaum.' But on the other hand, old itin- eraries of pilgrims. Doctor Thomson, Mr. Dixon, Captain Wilson, and the English explorers, favor Tel Hum. This place is between two and three miles southwest of the Jordan. It consists of about a dozen miserable huts, and is otherwise nov/ a mass of ruins. On the bank of the lake is the principal ruin, which is still partly preserved, which was, probably, once a Chris- tian church ; and on closer inspection *t is seen to bear marks of being composea of still more ancient materials. Some suppose that it enclosed the house of the Apostle Peter, described by Antonius, A. D. 600. There are also traces amid the ruins of another building. It was composed of white limestone, resembling marble, and was about seventy-five feet long and fifty- seven feet wide. It is called the " White Syna- ' Mark I : 30. CAPERNAUM, CHORAZIN, AND BETHSAIDA 361 » at gogue," because of its white material. Some of the stones which enter into its structure are very large. On the south side tlicp^ are three entrances. Beautiful fragments of corner capi- tals and bases are scattered amid the ruins. If Tel Hum be indeed Capernaum, these are doubt- less the remains of the synagogue built by the Roman centurion,' and this is surely one of the most sacred places in the world. It was in this synagogue that our Lord uttered his gr^at dis- course on himself as the Bread of Life," which discourse marked an era in our Lord's life. Cap- tain Wilson tells us that on turning over a large block he found a pot of manna engraved on its face, and remembered the words of Christ, " I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead." These ruins occupy a space a half a mile long by a quarter of a mile broad. It is thought by some that Tel Hum is a corruption of a place men- tioned by some Jewish authors as Tankhum or Nakhum; but is not safe to make any affirma- tion on that point. It is, however, thought that the ruins show that this was originally a place of great importance, and would thus be in har- mony with a city wliere there were custom houses, garrisons, and other prominent public buildings. It is certain, at least, that Christ and his disciples often looked out on the scene which greeted our eyes that morning as we rode among these ruins. How terribly were our Lord's pre- » Luke 7 : 4. 5- John 6. 362 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES \i 1> i !'(^' 1 ' 1''!' > i 1 ' ''k ' 1' if ^'1 I'll i ij 1 ^H ' li^. . dictions regarding this city fulfilled ! Read again his solemn words : " And thou, Caper- naum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell : for if the migiity works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day." Chorazin. — This is also one of the cities in which our Lord's mighty works were done, and which came under his righteous denunciation : " Woe unto thee, Chorazin ! woe unto thee, Bethsaida ! for if the ^nighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes." ' And, " Woe unto thee, Chorazin ! woe unto thee, Bethsaida ! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes." ^ Doctor Robinson makes Khan j^.Iinyeh, Caper- naum ; and et-Tabiyah, Bethsaida ; and Tel Hum, Chorazin. But it is now more common to find Chorazin about two and a half miles north of Tel Hum. We ride along a steep and very bad path until we come to the ruins of Kerazeh ; the name is nearly the Arabic for Chorazin. These ruins cover a larger extent than those at Tel Hum. They comprise the re- mains of a synagogue with Corinthian capitals in black basalt. There are also remains of pri- vate dwellings in a state of fairly good preserva- > Matt. 'I : 21. * Luke lo : 13. 1 ! Read 11, Caper- , shalt be ty works, II done in his day." cities in lone, and iiciation : ito thee, ich were d Sidon, ackcloth horazin ! mighty 1, which at while hes." 2 I, Caper- nd Tel ronimon If miles eep and nins of ibic for extent the re- "apitals of pri- reserva- CAPERNAUM, CHORAZIX, AND BETHSAIDA 363 tion, the walls bein' rl ter of the Emperor Augustus. Fhilip was buried here in a magnificent tomb. This was Bethsaida Julias and tliere, it would seem, the feeding of the five thousand occurred. It is remarkable that the two Bethsaidas should be mentioned in one narrative. This Western Bethsaida was the frequent residence of Jesus. Tlie site long eluded the search of travelers. The ingenious Reland helped greatly to remove difficulties of interpretation by suggesting these two Bethsa- idas, one on the east and the other on the west shore of the lake. If the name means a " house of fishing" nothing would be more natural than to give the name to more tlian one place, espe- cially where fishing was so common a business as on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. It is only fair, however, to say that Doctor Thomson be- lieves that there was only one Bethsaida, Beth- saida-Julias, and that it was built on both sides of the Jordan, and so was partly in Galilee. I am disposed, always, to attach importance to his opinion ; but this view does not satisfactorily meet the conditions of the sacred narrative. A day might well be spent in this vicinity if the tourist could spare the time. I was at times wearied with visits to improbable grottoes and to doubtful churches marking very doubtful sites ; but here one was absolutely certain that he looked upon mountains, sea, and sky, as Christ and his disciples saw^ them, and one could feel reasonably sure that he was treading in substan- tially the footprints of the blessed Master. The rest which might be enjoyed here, if it were not ' I CAPERNAUM, CHORA2IN, AND BETIISAIDA 365 the season of flies, would be grateful indeed. The bathing also, in the bay of et-Tabiyah, is said to be better than at any other bathing-place in Palestine ; and the moonlight on the lake, shores, and more distant hills, is delightful in the extreme. It would be difficult to find a place in any country where the moonlight effects are more pleasing than here. I can fully endorse the words of a recent writer who says : Never will the night that closed that delightful day in the environs of "his own city" be forgotten by me. It was brilliant moonlight, and standing upon the cliff above our camping-jdace, the white houses of Tiberias were distinctly visible ; the waters of the lake lay calm and placid as when he said : "Peace, be still, and there was a great calm" ; the inequalities and want of coloring in the hills, which had been noticeable in the broad sunshine, were not per':cptible now ; around us were the " desert places" and the "moun- tain-tops" which had been the scene of his resting and his prayers. Capernaum, Bethsaida, Chorazin — mounds of rubbish, tangles of thistles, heaps of ruins — these have been cist down, and have passed away; but the "mighty works" r.main, still powerful in blessing; and the "gra- cious words" are as fresh, as beautiful, and as life-giving as when he uttered them. Most solemn is the literal and terrible fulfill- ment of our Lord's words : " Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein mo.st of his mighty works were done, because they repented not." ' This was the dominant impression on mind and heart. Christ was a solemn preacher. He uttered fearful " woes," but he baptized them in 1 Matt. II : 20 24. ' ;< z(>(> SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES loving tears. All his other words must be ful- hlled ; not one jot or tittle shall fail. Let us be warned by his terrible threaienings ; let us be sweetly inspired by his blessed promises. Pal! ti^^lL^theS^'^'^^^^P^^^^^^ f>\ ^ XXXV FROM CAPERNAUM TO C/ESAREA-PHII.IPPI WE slowly climbed from the Sea of Galilee over the rough pathway; but horribly bad as is this road, it was the old caravau road betweeu Egypt and Damascus. On reaching the height, we could look backward to the whole of the Sea of Galilee and to Lake Huleh, or the waters of Merom, and farther on to Lebanon and Hernion. In due time we reach the Khan Yubb Yusef, or Khan of Joseph's Well. This name is given to this well because of the groundless tradition that into this well Joseph was cast by his brethren. The Khan is very dirty, and the well is not more attractive than the Khan. Safed is distant about an hour and a half from this Khan. Safed takes high rank among the places of interest in the Holy Land. It is one of the four holy cities in Palestine, regarding which it is said by the Jews that if prayer should cease to be offered in them the world would speedily come to an end ; the other three are Jerusalem, Hebron, and Tiberias. In the Talmud of Jeru- salem the name of Safed, or Safat, occurs ; the place was also known by its present name to the Arabian geographers. In 1140 the castle here 367 I 368 SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURES ' ( ( '( • ij was erected, and Saladin had ^reat difficulty in reducing the fortress. The sultan of Damascus, fcariu}^ that the Christians nii<(ht establish them- selves here aj^ain, demolished the castle in 1220; but the Templars restored it. In 1266 it sur- rendered to IJeibars, who massacred the surviv- An earthquake in 1759 proved very de- ors. structive, and in 1799 it was for a time occupied by the French. In the sixteenth century a Jew- ish colony was founded there, and a famous rab- binical school was org^anized. The earliest teachers were Spanish Jews. There were here eighteen synagogues, and all forms of learning of the time were pursued, and especially the cabalistic, which was much affected by certain schools. The town is still one of the chief seats of modern Judaism. U contains both the Ash- kenazim and Sephardim Hebrews, tlie two di- visions amounting to about four to five thou- sand. The majority, however, are Ashkenazim, or Polish immigrants, under Austrian protection. Polygamy is still practised among the Sephardim Jews. All the Jewish houses are very dirty, and the people are, in many ways, undesirable neigh- bors. But no earnest Hebrew visiting the Holy I^and would fail to visit Safed as one of the sacred shrines of the land. The whole popula- tion is about twenty-five thousand, of whom eleven thousand are Moslems. The Greek Christians have a church ; and there are here stations of the English and the Scotch missions to the Jews. The houses are built in terraces rising in succession above one another. To FROM CAPERNAUM TO C/KSARKA-PIIILIPPI 369 reach the higher tier the roofs of the next lower are used as a pathway. The lofty situation of the city makes it very healthful, especially when compared with the temperature of Tiberias ; its situation also has led many to suppose that our Lord had it in mind when he said : " A city set on a hill, which cannot be hid." ' JJut the refcr- enc*. is very doubtful, as probably there was no city here in Christ's day. The ruined castle built by the Franks during the Crusades stands on the highest part of the hill. The Turkish governor of the town had his quarters here as late as 1837, when the terrible eartliquake oc- curred. To the west rises the beautifully wooded Jebel Zebud, three thousand six hun- dred and fifty-six feet, and also Jebel Jermak, three thousand nine hundred and thirty-six feet. This is said to be the highest mountain in Pales- tine on the west side of the Jordan. The town itself is two thousand seven hundred and foity- uine feet high, being the highest in Galilee. Owing to the method of constructing the houses the earthquake, mentioned as having taken place in 1837, was fearfully destructive. l3octor Tlioni- son gives the thrilling account. It occurred at the same time as the one in Tiberias. Safed was dashed to the ground in half a minute. Each successive row of houses was buried deeper and deeper by the accumulated masses of the houses in the higher tiers. Doctor Thomson exclaims : :|! ,1 » Matt. 5 : 14. Y '>! i « I ( 370 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES O God of mercy ! my heart even now sickens at the thought of that loi.g, black winter's night, which closed around the wretched remnants of Safed in half an hour after the overthrow, without a light or possibility of getting one, four-fifths of the population under the ruins, dead or dying, with frightful groans and shrieks of agony and de- spair, and the earth trembling and shaking all the while, as if affrighted at the horrible desolation she had wrought. It is believed that not fewer than four thou- sand Jews and Christians and one thousand Mos- lems perished, being more than one-half of the population of that time. Some Other Towns. — It is not necessary to speak at length of other places in the neighbor- hood. Meiron is famous in Jewish literature and also as containing the tombs of celebrated Talmudists. It is supposed that Hillel, the grandfather of Gamaliel, at whose feet the Apos- tle Paul sat, is buried here. His tomb is cut out of the solid rock ; it is about twenty-five feet long, eighteen feet wide, and ten feet high. There are also many niches for bodies ; but no trace of any remains of the dead is now to be seen. There are here the ruins of a synagogue, one of whose walls is nearly perfect. Kefr Birim is about two hours distant toward the northwest. It is largely occupied by Maronites. Here also there are remains of a synagogue ; and here also came the Jews once, as this was a place of pilgrimage. Tradition asserted that Barak, Obadiah, Queen Esther, and others were buried here. But some of these historical per- FROM CAPKRNAUM TO CKSARKA-I'HILII'PI 37 1 souages have liad several burial places, and one is pu/zled to know how they furnished a body for each. Not f;'r distant is Kedcs, the ancient Kedesh-Naphtali ; another place on a hilltop is pointed out as the site of the ancient Hazor ; but this location is the subject of sharp controversy. It is affirmed that a rocky hilltop was not a suit- able place for the development of its power, which consisted largely in war chariots. We know that it was somewhere near Kedesh and the Lake Huleh, this much beinj^ clear from the narrative in Joshua 11, 12. Joshua took Hazor, smote the kinji^ with the sword, and burned the city. Hazor was rebuilt and finally became the residence of Jabin, the captain of whose host was Sisera, whom Deborah and Barak defeated and whom Jael slew. Lake Hulkh. — If we were to go back to Khan Ynbb Yusef and resume at that point the journey direct from Tiberias to lianias, we would reach the beautiful stream Nahr Hen- dah, and see on the hill above it the ruins of Kasyun, including, as it is supposed, remains of a temple, a synagogue, and two reservoirs. A charming spot for luncheon and sirs/a is Ain Mellahah ; this vicinity has been called " a land of springs and fountains." Here there is grass in abundance ; here an old mill, which was busily at work as we passed ; here welcome shade and many other attractions. But we pressed on to Huleh. In the Old Testament ' > Josh. II : 5-7. 372 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 7 I >» this lake is called "the waters of Meroin." Sonic have supposed that it is connected with the Araniiean Hiil,' hut better authorities deem this questionable. Josephus called the neigh- borhood Ulatha and the water Lake Saniachon- ites. IJut some doubt whether this lake is identical with Huleh and whether it is identi- cal with JVIeroni ; all these points are still in dispute. The lake is a triangular basin, about five miles long, three to four broad, and ten to fifteen feet deep, and lying high above the sea level. The size of the lake dififers much at dif- ferent seasons of the year. In certain seasons much ground about the lake is swampy. Water- fowl, including pelican and wild duck, here abound ; but marshes often render it difficult to approach the lake on the north side, especially as on this side there is a dense jungle of papy- rus. Much of the bed of the valley is a place in which the buffaloes of the Bedouins delight to wallow. The Bedouins spend much time in hunting and fishing in the vicinity of the lake, and are among the most peaceable of their class. It was at these waters that Jabin, king of Hazor, gathered all the kings of the snrrounding peo- ples; they were nnmerons as the sand of the seashore, and their horses and chariots were many ; and it was here that the Lord delivered them into the hands of Joshua.'' We spent the night in the new and prosperous town near the lake. This town is chiefly com- I ' Gen. 10 : 23. 'Josh. II :4-8. Meroni." ted with ics deem ; neigli- inaclion- lake is 1 identi- still in II, about I ten to the sea 1 at dif- seasoiis Water- \z, here iciilt to Decially f papy- )lace in ight to inie in e lake, r class. Hazor, g peo- of the i were livered perous / com- FROM CAPKRNAUM TO CKSARKA-PHILIPPI ;^7^ posed of Russian Jews, who through the kind- ness of Baron Hirsch and other benefactors have been able to secure land here, to build houses, and to organize various industries. The Turkish government is very jealous of these Jews ; and it has forbidden tlicin to come except in com- paratively small numbers. But still they come. Here they are irrigating the soil, planting vines, and engaging in the manufacture of silk. There is pleasure in seeing new buildings in this land of ruins. Here are signs of vigorous industry. In its newness and prosperity this town reminds one of some western town in the United States. The people we found to be intelligent, indus- trious, and ambitious. Many of them speak French and German, and a few of them Knglish. I cannot recommend the hotel at which we stopped. Too much in certain ways is given for the price charged ; there is unavoidably too much " bodily exercise " at night, and we have apos- tolic authority for saying that such exercise profiteth little. Tlie black bread and other table luxuries, except the grapes, 1 cannot recommend. But improvements are constantly going forward ; and, doubtless, one may before many years travel all over Palestine in a palace car on a good rail- way, and put up at first-class hotels. These im- provements will be welcomed by many, but they will take away something of the archaic charm of this ancient land. Tel el-Kadi, or Dan, "A Judge." — Before daylight, after a night's battle which made get- 374 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES ;■ !■!.■ m 'I P1C5 III ' 1 1 ting up a luxury, we started for Banias by way of Dan. Along the shores of Huleh we saw a large caravan approaching, men, women, drago- mans, servants, horses, and donkeys. From many we were soon saluted with a " Howdy," which led me to recognize the party as Ameri- cans from Lhe Southern States. I was expecting to meet a party of Southern Baptists, and I as- sumed this was that party. Soon my dragoman called out my name and residence, and we were shaking hands and exchanging Christian greet- ings and fraternal salutations. Meeting with this company of Americans, Christians, and Bap- tists in that far-off land, as I was traveling alone, was like a gleam of sunshine on a cloudy day. My heart responded with sincerity to the good wishes extended. Some of this party I have since welcomed in the Calvary Church, New York. So we pressed onward, and soon we were at Tel el-Kadi, the hill of the judge. No doubt this mound corresponds to the Dan of Scripture and the Laisli of the Phoenicians. The mound is nearly fifty feet above the plain ; it is about one- quarter of a mile in diameter. On the top, under a fine oak, is a Moslem tomb. Descend- ing a rocky slope on the west side of a hill a basin is reached from which bursts a copious and crystal spring. It is large enough at once to form a considerable river ; it flows off through the plain, and several sparkling rills soon join it, the course of the stream being marked by abun- dant vegetation. I dismoun*^?d, and leaning 'i FROM CAPERNAUM TO CKSAREA-PIHUPPI 375 over the blocks of basalt I drank out of the pool. I was drinking the clear, cold water of one of the sources of the Jordan. The union of these various streams is called El-Leddan. Jo- seplius calls it the "Little Jordan." Of the sources of the Jordan I shall speak more in de- tail in the next chapter ; but here I tnay say that this is popularly supposed to be the chief source of the historic river ; it certainly is much larger than the stream which rises under the rock at Banias. The stream at Dan is five hundred and four feet above the sea level. The Arabic word Kadi and the Hebrew word Dan are synonymous and mean, judge. On this mound, and on the other behind it, stood the ancient city and citadel of Dan. It marked the north boundary of the Holy Land. This fact gave rise to the expression " From Dan to Beer-sheba." Laish was the name of the place before its conquest by the Danites,' later it was conquered by Ben-hadad, King of Syria.^ A hurried glance at this history will give reality to this place. When Abraham followed the captors of Lot, he " went even unto Dan." This, as we have seen, was the most northerly city of Pales- tine. Painful is the story of the conquest of the Danites ; too often might made right in those lawless days. At Dan Jeroboam set up one of the calves of idolatrous worship, the other being at Bethel, as substitutes for the true worship of the true God. At the southwest corner of the 1 Judges l8 : 27. ' I Kings 15 : 20, 37^ SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES mound is pointed out the spot where the image was placed. In three-quarters of an hour, after passing many chimps of bushes, crossing many murmur- ing streams, and looking out over the hills of Bashan and the glorious mountains of the north we reached Banias, or Csesarea-Philippi, so ro- mantic m Itself and so fragrant with the memory of Christ and his apostles. 4^ I XXXVI BANIAS — THE ANCIENT C^SAREA-PHILIPPI HAD I been with a campino: party, doubtless we would have selected a place near the beautiful stream which flows from under the rock, and which is one of the sources of the Jor- dan, upon which to locate our camp. But as I was alone and without a tent, we sought the house of the chief man of the town. We were cordially welcomed and given the whole of the "upper room" — the entire upper story, which was all one room. IMats were placed on the floor and rugs on the mats ; the sweet fresh air was cool and most welcome. But notwithstand- ing the interesting secular history, and the most tender associations of Christ and his apostles which cluster about this town, I shall never for- get the trials of the night spent there. Occa- sional twinges of toothache did not sweeten the hours as I lay awake in vigorous and generally fruitless " bodily exercise " during the hours of what seemed to be the most trying night I ever spent. The whole town was in a state of feverish ex- citement over the expected outbreak of war be- tween the Druses and the Metawilehs. This latter tribe possesses many villages in Lebanon. 377 4) W 1 378 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES !i. i lU They have long been at war with the Druses, who for centuries liave held themselves aloof from the other inhabitants of Syria, although they are of mixed Syrian and Arabian origin. Did space permit, it would be interesting to give an account of the history and beliefs of these two tribes ; but those especially interested can elsewhere examine the subject. Terrible tales were being circulated through Banias at the time of our arrival. It was said that a party of three Englishmen had just been robbed of money, watches, horses, mules, and everything which they had on their journey, and that their lives were saved with difficulty. Other stories were told of a traveler who had been robbed and mur- dered, and his murderer had recently been dis- covered, but was not likely ever to be punished. It is well known that the Turkish Government has never been able to exercise more than a nominal authority over the wild tril^ - east of the Jordan and in the Lebanon district. It was said that thousands of both tribes were assem- bled near and that a great battle would probably be fought the next day. That day was Sunday, and we expected to spend it here ; but it seemed best to get a sAei'^ of the Druses as our protector and to continue our journey that day. Protest- ing against the imposition, my dragoman secured that evening the man to lead us over the moun- tains. We had to allow him to rob us of a con- siderable sum that he might keep his fierce peo- ple from robbing us of a greater sum, or perhaps taking all we had, if not our lives also. With 'J BANIAS — ANCIENT C^SAREA-PHIUPPI 379 this preparation, and not in the best of temper or spirits, we went ont in the bcantifnl afternoon to see Banias and its trnly beautiful environs. Historic Glances. — Names are thino^s. Whence comes the name Banias? It is just the Greek Paneas. But whence came the name Paneas ? The town was so named because here there was a sanctuary of Pan. This sanctuary adjoined the cavern whence flows one of the sources of the Jordan. When Herod the Great received from Augustus a territory which in- cluded Paneas, he erected over the spring a tem- ple in honor of Augustus Ccesar. His son, Philip the Tetrarch, inherited a district of which Paneas was a part, and he enlarged the town and called it Csesarea, in honor of Tiberius Ccesar ; but as there was on the ]\Iediterranean a town of this name, he added, as the distinguishing ap- pellative, the word Philippi. Agrippa H. named it Neronias, but this name soon passed away, and it came to be known as Ccesarea-Philippi, or Paneas, now Banias. Perhaps this place corre- sponds with Baal-gad, if Baalbek is not on that site, the northern boundary of Joshua's victories. It is also probably the most northern point which our Lord ever visited.' Almost without doubt Banias is in the immediate neighborhood of our Lord's transfiguration, and it was here that the Apostle Peter made his great confession of Christ. By a misinterpretation of this the Roman Church > Matt. i6 : 13 ; Mark 8 : 27. ■(', 38o SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES has given him a place which our Lord never in- tended, and which Peter would have been the first to reject. After the capture of Jerusalem Titus here celebrated that victory uy great gladi- atorial shows, in which many Jewish captives were obliged to contend, now with wild beasts and now with one another. In the fourth cen- tury a bishopric was founded here. Banias was surrended, after various changes in its owner- ship, to the Christians during the Crusades in 1230, an.d also the lofty fortress of Subeibeh, of which fuller mention will soon be made. / :', \'i Situation and Description. — The situa- tion of the town is exceptionally beautiful ; one will travel far before he will find a more delight- ful combination of mountains, groves, streams, rocks, and plains. It is in a nook of Hermon, one thousand one hundred and fifty feet above the sea-level, between two valleys, while a third valley opens to the north from a deep-wooded ravine. Streams flow in every direction, mak- ing the air cool and giving it the melody of their murmurs. The abundance of the water gives luxuriance to all forms of vegetation ; and the water is borne off in many channels to irrigate the fields far down the valleys. The villages consist of between fifty and sixty houses and a few shops. Into the walls of many cf these houses are built materials representing a former civilization and giving evidence of classic beauty ; this is especially true of the house of the sheik of the village, although it did not boast a table H' BANIAS— ANCIENT CESARKA-PHILIPPI 381 or chair or bed. Most of the houses are within the ancient castle wall ; there are remains of columns which show that the ancient city was much more extensive than the modern village. There is a rough bridge over the Jordan, com- posed of antique pillars. The parts of the ancient citadel, which can still be seen, show that its walls and towers were massive indeed. Parts of the corner towers of the walls arc still preserved, which show that they were round and constructed of great blocks. As in ]\Iagdala and elsewhere, we saw here on the roofs of many houses booths of green branches, raised several feet on stout posts, to protect the people from lizards, scorpions, and vermin of many kinds. From the bridge, the citadel, and other parts of the town and the vicinity, many most picturesque views can be had. But the most attractive spot in Banias is the rock from beneath which flows the copious stream which is one of the sources of the Jordan ; in- deed, the water bursts forth in a series of streams which finally make a copious brook. The mountain is immensely interesting. It ends here in an abrupt cliff of limestone ; perhaps it has been broken away by convulsions of nature through many centuries. In the face of this cliff is a cave or grotto which was once the sanc- tuary of Pan ; it was the Pancum, hence the name of the town, Paneas. On the face of the cliff are several votive niches, which doubtless were once much higher from the ground than they now are. The largest of these is the most ?'flg3attftg'j&!^gaf I 382 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES '/ 1 ) I ■r^: I northerly, and a smaller one farther up is seen. Some of these are hallowed out in the form of sliells ; over the smaller one to the south is the inscription in Greek : " Priest of Pan," while other inscriptions are now illej^ible. On the top of the cliff Herod built a white marble temple, and from this point a superb view of Banias and its environs is gotten, and one secures an accu- rate idea of the great extent of the ruins, and also of the beauty of the surroundings. Let us look once more at the cavern of the Spring, as it is called. Once it was much larger than now. A mass of broken rocks partly chokes the entrance to the cave, and from the midst of these rocks bursts forth the stream as a source of the Jordan, of which I have spoken. I knelt and drank of its cool, clear water, and it was an experience for which I had often longed. Shortly before going I wrote a paper which is contained in " The People's Pictorial Bible," and I had occa- sion to describe the sources of the Jordan, and nearly every foot of the country over which I have now gone. How I desired to have the trip now taken before that work was begun ; now that pleasure and profit were mine. No Christian can visit this rock and grotto, where perhaps Baal was worshiped in the time of the Phoenicians, and Pan certainly in the time of the Greeks, who always associated his wor- ship with caves and grottoes, without recalling the words of Christ in Matt. i6 : 13-18: ''When Jesus came into the coasts of CccsareaPhilippi, he asked his disciples, saying. Whom do men '^" kjt 11 BANIAS— ANCIENT C.^SAREA-PIIILIPPI ^^^ say that I, the Son of man, am ? And they said, Some suy that thou art Jolm the Baptist ; some, Elias ; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am ? And Simon Peter answered and said, Tliou art the C.irist, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona : for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee. That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church ; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." There came to me stand- ing by that rock new significance in our Lord's question, a significance which I have not noticed as 'T^iven with sufficient fullness by any writer. Did not the rock dedicated to different deities have some influence in giving form to our Lord's question ? That rock once stood for the worship of Baal ; it later stood for the worship of Pan. It seemed to me as if Christ asked, " Who, therefore, do you say that I am?" Perhaps this rock had some connection iu Christ's mind with Peter's name ; on Peter's confession and on Christ himself as the chief corner-stone, the church would be built. Behold this great rock, Christ seems to say, which has stood for ages as the symbol of false faiths. But here is a rock which shall stand forever as the symbol of the true faith ; and the powers of hades shall be powerless against the church which I found. The thought here suggested may have in it an element of truth. 3^4 Sl'NDAY NIGHT LECTURES •' I 'i ^l This place stands closely connected with our Lord's traiisfi<;uration. The best students are now virtually a unit in placing it on a spur of Blount Hernion. Immediately afterward Christ came into the parts of Ca^sarea-Philippi, some- where in this vicinity, "On the next day when they were come down from the hill, much people met him." Here he cast out the demon, although the disciples could not ; here also " he took a little child and set him in the midst " ; here he told the disciples of the end that before long would be his ; and soon his work in this most northern limit of his earthly labors being com- pleted, and feeling the pressure of his approach- ing baptism of suffering, he hastened to the in- evitable end : " And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem." The Huge Castle. — All travelers ought to visit the extensive ruins of the great castle of Subeibeh, KitPat cs-Subcibeh. The hill on which it stands is above Banias, and is about two thousand five hundred feet above the sea level ; it is, therefore, a most conspicuous object. It commands a marvelous view, certainly one of the most magnificent in Syria, taking in the hills of Bashan, the hills of Galilee, the slopes of Hermon, and the plain of Huleh, with its many waters, and the village of Banias at its base. If an excursion can be made to it in the early morn- ing the best results will be realized. The castle is one of the best-preserved ruins in Syria ; an 'i BANIAS — ANCIKNT C/KSARKA-1'IIILIPri 385 ») examination shows that it represents the arclii- tecture of nearly every age from the time of the PhcEnicians down to the seventeenth centnry. Its orijrin is lost in obscurity ; but it is known that much of it was built by the Franks, who held possession of it from 11 39 to 1164. The building follows the irregularities of its site. It is said by Bicdeker to be four hundred and eighty yards long, and at each end about one hundred yards wide, but much narrower in the middle. In speaking of it. Dean Stanley says : " The largest of its kind in the East, and equal in extent even to the pride of European castles at Heidelberg." The eastern part of the building was meant to be used for a distinct citadel, hav- ing several cisterns and being separated from the western part by a wall and a moat. The preci- pice at the southwest angle is of a dizzy height. The masonry is massive, the stones are beveled, and some of the arches and niches are extremely rich in their ornamentation. On some of the walls Arabic inscriptions are found, but they probably go no farther back than to some of the restorations of the remarkable structure. IVIany of the walls which once enclosed the castle are broken, and some of them have fallen over the precipice, hundreds of feet below. On the south- west overhangs a precipice, going sheer down a thousand feet into the wild valley. This glori- ous view is a memorable experience. The Sources of the Jordan. — Allusion has been made several times to this subject ; it is z 386 SUNDAY Nir.IlT UXTl'RKS ' I /'!' •/ S ? • worthy of more careful statement. The Jordan means " The Descender," and it is rij^htly named. It is well known as the chief river of Palestine. Running from north to south it divides the whole country into two parts, the most important part being on the west. Two streams are its chief sources, this one at Banias, and the other which we saw at Tel el-Kadi, about three miles west of Hanias. These two unite and so form a con- siderable river. There are also several mountain brooks on the west, many of which we crossed in coming to Dan and Hanias. But there is es- pecially a third and longer stream, the Hasbany, which rises beyond the northern limit of Pales- tine, near Hasbeiya, on the west side of Mount Hernion, one thousand seven hundred feet above the Mediterranean. It flows twenty-four miles to the south, and unites with the other streams shortly before they enter the Lake Huleh. Is- suing from this marshy lake, the Jordan flows about ten miles, during which space it falls six hundred and ninety feet, and enters the Sea of Galilee. Through it the river flows for twelve to thirteen miles, leaving there its impurities, as does the Rhone in Lake Geneva, and issues thence clear as crystal. For a distance of sixty- six miles, in a straight line, it pursues its sinuous way, making a distance of two hundred miles, and then it falls into the Dead Sea, which has no outlet, visible or invisible. From the snows of Hermon to the valley of Jericho the distance in a straight line is about one hundred and forty miles, and during that distance the river makes HANIAS — ANCII'XT CKSAUKA IMIIMI'PI 3.S7 a descent of nearly three thousand feet in its journey from the mountains of perpetual snow to the lake lyin;^' in one of the hottest valleys on the earth. The Jordan Valley is the most re- markable feature in I'alestine. There is nothing like it in the world ; it is a distinctive clmrac- teristic of the whole country. This river is associated with much that is grandest, most majestic, and most divine in the history of Israel. Its waters again and again felt the power and obeyed the voice of C'.od and his servants ; and finally they were in Christian thought forever consecrated when Jesus Christ was baptized therein. At few places in Palestine is the thought of Jesus more present, tender, and commanding than at Cicsarca-Philippi. The memory of its lofty hills, its murmuring streams, its luxuriant groves, its majestic hills, its thrilling historic scenes, but most of all, of its suggestions of Jesus the Christ, will never fade from the mind of the thoughtful traveler. Christ glorifies every place associated with his august and im- mortal name. XXXVII u I FROM BANIAS TO DAMASCUS iii (t a lit' :' As usual we started before dawn. We now had a s/iei'k of the Druses as an addi- tional guide. I felt humiliated in having to employ him, but it was certainly safer to pocket one's dignity and to unpocket some of one's money than to run the risk of being robbed by his tribesmen, or by some of the abominable Metawilehs. All along the way as we climbed the mountains, frightened peasants met us ask- ing foolish questions amid their hopes and fears. The sun rose as we climbed the mountain near the castle of Subeibeh. The sight was unspeak- ably grand ; no words of tongue or pen can do it justice. I rode along in silence drinking in the marvelous scene. Ever before us was glorious Hermou. It was one of the chief features in every picture of the Holy Land which I had for days. It is visible even from the depths of the Jordan Valley by the Dead Sea. One of its ancient names was " The Upraised," because it so grandly lifted its top aiiiid the surrounding mountains ; another was Sirion, " The Glitter- ing," as it was called by the Sidonians. It is now called Jebel-esh-sheik, the " Chief Mountain," or the "mountain of the White-haired." Some- 388 FROM BAXIAS TO DAMASCUS 3«9 ^e now 1 addl- ing to pocket ■ one's bed by linable limbed IS ask- i fears, n near ispeak- n do it in the lorions ires in I had depths One of ecause Hiding xlitter- is now itain," Some- times it is called Jebel-et-Tclt, "the Snow Monn- tain." Twice in Scriptnre the name of Baal Hermon is given to it, donbtless because of the worship of Baal in its high places. The Hebrews extolled Hermon for its majestic heights ; they valued it also as a collector of clouds. Its snow was used in ancient times, as now, for cooling the drinks of the rich. It is rightly called the Mont Blanc of Pal- estine. Three separate heights form the sum- mit, and they rise about three thousand feet above the main ridge. Around one of its peaks £ire large stones which once formed a circu- lar wall. There is also the fragment of a col- umn, and the form of a small temple can be traced. It was once a sanctuary of the Syrians, notwithstanding that for some months of the year the whole surface must have been covered with snow. We know that the Syrians selected the summits of lofty mountains as places for the worship of their gods. In summer the snow disappears from parts of the loftiest peak, and only a few white lines remain as the autmnn arrives ; but then it is covered again and lifts to heaven its mighty dome in its mantle of snow. Its chief glory will ever be its place in the Bible, and especially its association wHh the transfigu- ration of Christ, whose face was as the sun and whose garments were whiter even than Hermon's snow. These words of Dean Stanley, who more than any other writer catches the poetic, the his- toric, and the religious aspect of these scenes, are truthful : ' (, I :,•■ ■\i /" .> ' 1' ! -:/ mi I ii .:! So long as its snowy tops were seen, there was never want- ing to the Hebrew poetry the image of unearthly grandeur which nothing else but perpetual snow can give, especially as seen in the summer, when the firmament around it seems to be on fire. And not grandeur only, but fertility and beauty were held up as it were on its heights, as a model for the less fortunate regions which looked up to it. " His fruit shall shake like Lebanon."' The "dews" of the mists that rose from its watery ravines, or of the clouds that rested on its summit, were perpetual witnesses of freshness and coolness, the sources, as it seemed, of all the moisture, which was to the land of Palestine what the fragrant oil was to the garments of the high priest, what the refreshing in- fluence of brotherly love was to the whole community. It was Sunday moniiiig, but we were afraid to defer our journey lest we should be caught in the tribal conflicts of the two tribes already named. The paths up the mountain were very rough. We kept the castle in view until we passed the top of the hill, and soon were at the IJ)ruse village of Mejdel. Here we saw at the threshing-floor of the village large numbers of the Druses fully armed and preparing for the expected battle on the morrow. Constantly on our journey we met others hastening to the ap- pointed place of meeting. We felt quite safe so long as we had their s//r/k io\ our chief guide ; for they would not attack any Yonder is the great plain of Damascus ; it ■ \ U t FROM BANIAS TO DAMASCUS 393 over it is a sea of greenness and beauty. Soon we shall see the white minarets of the ancient cit\'. On our left are the slopes of Lebanon. All about us are streams of water, long lines of trees, abundant groves and gardens compared with the desolate mountains and dreary deserts, and the waterless and treeless wastes we have passed. The city of Damascus and its environs will be beautiful enough almost to justify the exaggerated language of the Arabian prince who is often quoted as fearing if he entered this earthly paradise he might lose the right to enter the heavenly paradise ; but to those who have seen the other places of beauty, Damascus may be something of a disappointment. We can, however, rejoice, and we do rejoice in the waters of Abana and Pharpar, which certainly are abundant and magnificent, while we linger for the night outside of Damascus, which, probablv, is the oldest city of the world. In this suburban town, as it may be called, there is a new khan ; Abdallah will test it. In the court are the horses, the sheep, goats, and dogs ; but around, and one story above the court, are rooms for human beings. The khan is new ; it is not yet furnished. It never will be, as we understand that term. Here is a room ; it has neither bed nor chair. Two chairs are found ; perhaps tli.ey will bear one's weight. For a bed two tables are found and placed in order; our own bedding is carefully examined, beaten and shaken, and che bed is made. How high can fleas jump? Not so high, it is hoped, as these 394 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES ^,1 tables. Blessed thought ! We can outwit them ; we can have a night of refreshing skep — a lux- ury not enjoyed for several long nights. Was I thinking less of PauPs conversion and of God's grace than of my prospective repose? Well, one's thoughts will wander from historic events to present discomforts; but the higher and holier scenes, it may honestly be said, were not forgot- ten. We had at this place an illustration of my dragoman's wisdom in securing the protection of the sheik of the Druses during the day. I was disposed to resent the apparent necessity of se- curing the services of this man. Was I not an American citizen traveling with an American passport? Did I not have a Turkish tczkcrch^ or permission to travel from one vilayet to an- other within the Turkish empire ? Was not this tezkereh properly examined, and did it not have the necessary police visa ? Had I not a right to demand the protection of the United States Gov- ernment and also of the Turkish Government ? But my dragoman reasoned that these bandits knew little of and cared less for the Turkish Government, and that they knew nothing of and so cared nothing for the government of the United States. No sooner had we reached the kahn than a local policeman appeared and ex- amined our tezkerehs ; he saw that mine was on an American passport. He immediately asked, "What is America? Where is it?" The dragoman replied that it was a great republic on the other side of the sea. The policeman r' FROM BANIAS TO DAMASCUS 395 then asked : " To what country docs it belong, to France, Italy, Spain, Germany, or Great Britain?" The dragoman informed him that it belonged to no country, but was itself a larger and mightier country than several other coun- tries roiled into one. The policeman seemed still doubtful, but finally admitted that possibly he had once heard of that country. I\Iy Ameri- can dignity was considerably decreased by such monumental ignorance ; and I immediately saw that if a policeman in a suburb of Damascus showed such ignorance, I could expect nothing of the highwaymen of the deserts and the hills. The Oldest City.— The night's repose was truly had, and early the next morning we were riding, at times galloping, toward Damascus. To enter this city is an experience which no one who has ever enjoyed it will forget. For miles we rode by groves and gardens, and soon the white minarets rose out of the green groves and I had my first sight of the famous city. I was reminded of the description of it which I read some years ago when it was compared to "a pearl surrounded with emeralds." Doctor Pusey says of it : "Its white buildings, embedded in the deep green of its engirdling orchards, were like diamonds encircled by emeralds." The Arabs say : " If there is a Garden of Eden on earth, it is Damascus ; and if in heaven, Da- mascus is like it on earth." As already sug- gested, however, its beauty is great only by con- trast with the bleak deserts near it, but in any 396 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES i.'i other light the descriptions of its beauty are scarcely pardonable exaggerations. We can- tered through its gates. If there was a grateful man in Syria, I was that man. We made the trip from Jerusalem in seven and one-half days ; usually it takes ten for the journey, and many persons occupy twenty days in making it. It might be made without much difficulty in six days — we would have done it in that time — but the fact that it is impossible to find stopping- places for the night at convenient intervals when one is traveling without a tent.^ Wel- come was the sight of Damascus; welcome its streams, groves, and gardens, and welcome its clean and excellent hotels. A good hotel is one of the high-water marks of civilization. What is even the oldest city in the world with- out a good hotel? Good hotels have made many places more famous than great battles, heroic endeavors, and knightly achievements. Were we grateful for a clean room, a good bath, and what, by contrast with the past few days, was an Epicurean table ? We were ; and no apology is made for the gratitude experienced. Any student of etiology, or of theology, will appreciate the reasonableness of being grateful for a good hotel. All Damascus was stirred by the tribal trou- * It is customary for dragomans and the traveling agencies, like Cook and Gaze, to take much more time than is really neces- sary ; and it is inevitable that they will all charge more than double what would be a fair profit on the expense they incur and the service they render. These remarks are made with absolutely certain knowledge of their truth. . I ', \ FROM BANIAS TO DAMASCUS 397 bles of which mention has been made. In conn- tries where law and order are the exception, where reliable information is impossible, and where snperstition is dominant, the people are excitable and utterly unreliable. Here we found four Americans who were pastors of churches or editors of religious papers, and who were de- tained from goin^i;' over the route by which we had just come. They entered Syria at Beirut, and so were reversing^ the journey I had taken, or was yet to take. Tlieir dragoman would not start because of the rumors ; and he was charg- ing them eight dollars per day each, they being able to do nothing and he reaping an enor- mous profit. There ought to be a limit to the fleecing to which one will submit even in Syria and Palestine. There is a grand chance for some enterprising American to make a hand- some profit and yet t < carry travelers for half the usual rates. Tliis clerical party tried hard to be happy and grateful, but they did not suc- ceed to a degree which would warrant the vera- cious chronicler in giving them credit for eitlier virtue ; indeed a little wholesome indignation on their part was a virtue which they properly pos- sessed and partly exhibited. I had the opportunity of seeing a Syrian wed- ding party at the hotel. The hotel keeper, who was once, so rumor said, engaged to an American woman, had just been married at Beirut to a Syrian. The wedding party arrived in the evening. They left the railway at the station next to Damascus, and entered the ancient city 398 SUNDAY NIGHT I.KCTURKS ■ I in carnao^es MAI riie hotel was in a state of great excitement on tlieir arrival, all parts of it being decorated with flowers and all the servants being in their gayest attire. The Christian women of Damascus were on hand to give their congratu- lations. The bridal party soon came, reminding one of the descriptions in the Bible and also in the many accounts of customs and manners in the Hast. I had the honor of being invited to give my congratulations in the hotel parlor. A goodly company was assembled. The language of the people among themselves was Arabic, but to outsiders it was French, and some in the com- pany could speak English. Then there was a wedding dinner, congratulatory speeches, and vigorous cheering of the same. In this last exercise the clergymen mentioned and myself participated, assuming that the sentiments ex- pressed were appropriate and the wishes cordial. Some Damascus people in the company, learning that I was from New York, immediately asked me about merchants of that city who deal in Oriental goods, and by me sent messages to some of them. The world is very small. Two men who were met in Damascus immediately called me by name ; they had once lived in New York. In three cities visited on this journey some members of the Calvary Church are now living. Thus it came to pass that the first half-day in the oldest city in the world, in its wedding fes- tivities, its business interests, and its fraternal greetings, was not unlike half a day in the larg- est city of the New World. t , XXXVIII DAMASCUS THE ANCIENT BITS OF HISTORY.— Before going through tlie streets of this very ancient city, it is necessary that we familiarize ourselves with parts of its history and of the country to which it belongs. Damascus is well known as one of the most ancient cities oi the world. It is first mentioned in Gen. 14:15; 15:2, and it has been frequently asserted that it is the oldest city on the globe. Josephus considers that it is older than the time of Abraham. Shakespeare locates here the murder of Abel by Cain. (King Henry VI.) Nay, stand thou back, I will not budge a foot ; This be Damascus, be thou cursed Cain, To slay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt. Its name in Hebrew is Dammesek ; in Arabic it is Dimeshk; but natives of to-day call it Esh- sham. It was formerly the capital of old vSyria, and now of a Turkish vilayet of Syria. There are many legends, both Jewish, Christian, and Moslem regarding its origin. Josephus supposes that it was founded by Uz, the son of Aran, and grandson of Sliem. It seems at least to have been a Semitic settlement. But little, however, is known about Damascus 399 400 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURKS until the time of David. He conquered the town after a bloody war, it hc'uv^ the ally of his enemy, the kin^ of Zobah. David placed a gar- rison in the town. An adventurer called Rezin made himself the master of Damascus during the reign of Solomon. Its history during this period is closely associated with the lives of Naaman, lien-hadad, Hazael, and Rezin. We see by 2 Kings 16 : 7-9 that it was subdued by Tiglath- Pileser. It occupies no small place in the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, H/.ekiel, and Amos, and we know that it became subject to the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Seleucidce, and Romans. In New Testament times it was held for a short time by Aretas, king of Arabia- Petrtea, under th 'Romans. At this period Josephus affirms , there were ten thousand Jews in Damascus put to death by the hand of Nero. We know that Jews so abounded in the city that the statement of Josephus does not seem to be improbable. It is memorable to all Christians because of its connection with the conversion of the Apostle Paul. Civilization, it is very evident, reached an advanced position in the early day in Damas- cus. Its mercantile greatness is clearly indicated by Ezekiel in the words addressed to Tyre, which was then the port of Damascus, as Beirut is now. It was an important commercial and manufac- turing city, and is the starting-point of the cara- vans in their traffic with the East, and especially with Persia. The language of the city in the early day was Syrian, and the religion seems to DAMASCfS TIIK AN'CIENT 401 have been the worsliip of Astartc. Damascus became important as the residence of Cliristian bishops, who ranked next to the patriarchate of Antiocli. The Emperor Theodosius destroyed the lieathen temples in vSyria, and transformed the great temple of Damascus into a Christian church. Of course one of the brilliant periods in the history of Damascus begins with the introduc- tion of Mohammedanism. Damascus fell into the hands of the Arabs after the battle of Yarnuk, and under the great princes of the Ommiyadcs attained great splendor. These were the greatest princes that Arabia has produced. It is not possible, however, in this lecture to trace this history in detail ; but it mav be said that in 1 126 the crusaders under Baldwin gained a victory over part of the city, but were finally obliged to withdraw. In 1148 Damascus was besieged by Conrad III., and in 1260 it was taken by the Mongols, who favored the Chris- tians; but it was finally recaptured by Kotuz, the Mameluke sovereign of Egypt. The cit ' was plundered by the Tartars in 1300, and in 15 16 the Turkish Sultan Selim took possession of the city, since which time it has been one of the provincial capitals of the Turkish Empire. ^ Sl,AUGHTER OF CHRISTIANS.— In 1S60 about six thousand nominal Chri.stians were slaughtered in the city. A massacre of the Christians in Lebanon by the Druses took place, and many Christians in the villages near Damascus fled to 2A 402 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES in ^ mi' r .1 , , 't. !. the city for refuge. The Mohammedans there, on a general signal, rose and began a general massacre. This is one of the most cruel trage- dies of modern times, exceeded only by the re- cent barbarity of the Turks and Kurds in Armenia. The Christian quarter still bears traces of these awful cruelties. Colonel Churchill has graphically told the story as to how on the 9th of July the whole Christian quarter was in flames. The entire water supply was cut off, and the hopeless people were shut in by an en- closure of fire and steam. Abd-el-kader, the exiled chieftain of Algiers, then living in retire- ment in Damascus, heroically rescued all the wretched sufferers, so far as it was possible for him so to do. Hundreds were escorted to his house ; and many repaired to the British Consulate ; but all through the awful night, and during the whole of the following day, the terrible massacre continued. One reason for the massacre, it is believed, was an article in the treaty of Paris in 1856, which it was thought excluded foreign intervention in the affairs of Turkey, and by this interpretation placed Christians at the mercy of the Moslems. The insurrection against the English in India also inflamed the minds of tiie Moslems against Christians in Syria. It is said that Ahmed Pasha gave the Druse assassins the signal to begin their awful work ; it is known that the Druses, the Turkish soldiers, and the populace of the town all united to murder the Christians and to devastate their quarter. The bodies of murdered Christians were piled up in i ) DAMASCUS THE ANCIENT 403 trage- up in enormous heaps in the city. Some of the clergy were slam beside the altar to which they liad gone for refuge. In the mountains a siinilar slaughter took place, when the Druses vented their wrath on the Maroiiites. The whole num- ber of the slain in the country districts is said to have been at least oue thousand four hundred. All Europe finally became aroused, and not until then did the Turkish government attempt to stop the terrible slaughter. A number of the leaders, including Ahmed Pasha and several Jews, vvere arrested at Damascus and beheaded ; and_ ten thousand French soldiers were se"t to Syria, and they succeeded in restoring nominal peace; but the relation between Moslems and Christians is still very insecure, and an outbreak at any moment would not surprise those who are familiar with all the facts. Location and Description.— Damascus is situated in a vast plain of extreme fertility, lying east of the great chain of Anti-Libanus'on the edge of the desert. It is nearly circular, and is about thirty miles in diameter. Its shape and fertility are due to the river Barada, which is supposed to be the Abaua of Scripture. This liver rises on the western flank of Anti-Libanus, and finally turns suddenly its waters through the plain. Seen from the mountains, Damascus ap- pears beautiful in the extreme. One can readily understand how it has come to have so conspicu- ous a place in the history, the traffic, the poetry, and the legends of Syria and the Orient. For 'a 404 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES '" ! .sj. long period it was the solitary place of civiliza- tion in Syria, and it will doubtless retain its great influence and power in all coming genera- tions. In the midst of the plain, surrounded by trees of many kinds, this city rises from the mass of foliage. Its white minarets are in striking contrast to the rich green by which they are sur- rounded ; snowy Hermon overlooks the beautiful scene, while many bare and barren mountains form a background the better to display the charms of the city and the plain. The Barada is carried by many streams into cisterns, baths, and fountains ; it thus irrigates city and plain, turning a desert into a garden. Damascus has always demanded and always received the homage of the Orient. She is a city of eternal youth, and many have striven to discover the secret of her perpetual vitality. Dr. George Adam Smith, in his volume to which I have several times referred, tells us that if we look eastward we can understand Damascus. He further remarks that we might as well ques- tion the site of New York, or of Sidney, or of San Francisco. Beyond and immediately behind Damascus there is nothing but deserts. The river Abana bursts full-born from the heart of Anti-Lebanon ; after running a course of ten miles in a narrow gorge it flings itself in sudden streams abroad in the plain, and finally dies away in a large marsh. The river does not waste her waters, but expends them on a broad sweep of territory. This river transforms a desert into a garden of beauty, and it virtually DAMASCUS THE ANCIENT 405 creates this marvelous city. Damascus eudures, although often conquered. Nineveh, Babylon, and Memphis mastered her ; but, as she probably preceded, she certainly has outlived these cities. She is endowed with perpetual youth. She will ever charm the visitor, and will be a great city for trade, and also a headquarters of Islam in her pilgrimages to and from Mecca. However fascinating the sight of the city is as one approaches it, a nearer view shows that, like most Oriental cities, it contains much that is offensive to every sense, as well as repulsive to every moral instinct. It is interesting chiefly because it is the most purely Oriental city still existing of all those mentioned in the Bible. The cloth still known as " damask " is believed to have originated here ; and the Damascus steel was long unequaled in any part of the world. The knowledge of this steel, and of the manner of manufacturing it into blades, w^as carried from Damascus to Toledo in Spain ; and the Toledo blade now probably surpasses the blades of Da- mascus in the earlier day. An extensive trade is still carried on in silks, fruits, sweetmeats, etc., and great caravans assemble here as in the olden time. It is also a point of meeting and departure of enormous pilgrimages to Bagdad and Mecca. As the meeting-place of so many nations of the East, Damascus is a peculiarly important station for mission work. Bazaars of Damascus. — The bazaars of Da- mascus are celebrated all over the world ; they 4o6 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES V ! \'y S * 7 i are perhaps more extensive and imposing than those of Cairo, although Cairo is a much larger city. Damascus supplies not only its own in- habitants, but also the population of the Hauran, as well as the Bedouins of extensive districts east of the Jordan and in many parts of Syria. ^Many of the bazaars are in the streets, carefully covered with wooden roofs, the light struggling through small windows. The bazaars are also classified, there being the Saddler's Bazaar, the Silk Bazaar, the Fez Bazaar, where all sorts of turbans, caps, and Oriental headgear can be bought ; the Greek Bazaar, which is most attractive for its antiquities of many kinds and its Damascus blades ; the Tobacco Bazaar, with all kinds of mouth-pieces ; the Booksellers' Bazaar, where only Mohamme- dan books can be bought ; the Coppersmith's Bazaar, with its wonderful dishes and culinary utensils ; the Boot and Shoe Bazaar, where dec- orated slippers of marvelous shapes and colors can be secured ; and still other bazaars of many kinds, with their proprietors seated behind their wares apparently indifferent to the intending purchaser, but ever ready to ask about four times as much as they will finally take for their goods. In wandering through the streets at night, the old law, not yet entirely obsolete, requires you to carry a lantern. If found without one, arrest may follow. The lanterns are not unlike those of the Chinese, common among us to illuminate gardens and lawns. If a gate in a street is closed the traveler shouts : " //ia ya Haris^'''' which be- ing interpreted it, " Open, O watchman." Here, DAMASCUS THE ANCIKNT 407 as in almost all other parts of the world, a little silver to cross the palm of the watchman secures at once the desired opening of the gate. The population of Damascus has been placed at various figures. It is extremely difficult to be certain in a matter of this kind. Perhaps we are safe in saying that it is at least one hundred and fifty thousand ; and perhaps one hundred thou- sand are Moslems, six thousand Jews, and about eight thousand are Christians of ditTerent vari- eties. There are also Armenians and Maronites, Latins, and a few Protestants; it is computed that the Moslems have nearly one hundred and fifty mosques and colleges in Damascus ; seventy- one of these are the large mosques in which sermons are preached on Frida>s. Others are chapels and schools for instruction in the laws and prayers of the Moslem faith. The Moslems of Damascus are notorious for their fanaticism. This city was once a great resort for scholars, but now Cairo enjoys the fame which has de- serted Damascus. The Jews are chiefly descend- ants of those settled in this vicinity in ancient times. Christians within the last few years have made great efforts to establish Protestant mis- sions in Dntnascus. The efforts of the English missions to the Jews have not been very success- ful, but services are still held in English and Arabic. Our American missionaries have estab- lished schools in Damascus, and their labors are attended with considerable encouragement. Both the Franciscans and the Jesuits have schools, or- phanages, and other religious establishments. 4o8 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES |i I The Damascones are, as is to be expected, very proud of their city. The pride of the Moslems is exceeded only by their ignorance. They vig- orously oppose the spirit of progress introduced from the West, and consider themselves superior to all other nations. In walking through the streets one is constantly exhorted by street ven- dors to buy various meats and drinks. The street-boy mingles a strange sort of religious ear- nestness with his appeals for trade. As he rattles his copper cups, the drinkseller shouts, "O cheer thine heart," and the bread boy cries, " O Allah, who sustainest us, send us trade." Friday is the market day and then the crowds are enor- mous in size, and dangerous in their fanaticism. On these days especially one may see Persians in gorgeous silks, Nubians in black and white, Jews with and without ringlets, and also the Bedouin of the desert in his cloak of black and white, or of some gorgeous color ; and in the fearful crowds occasionally strangely dressed pil- grims on their way to Mecca are seen. The confusion is indescribable — every one shouting at the top of his voice. Dogs are to the right of us and to the left of us ; they are sweetly sleep- ing on the pavements during the day, and the traveler must step over them carefully. They largely sleep by day, and they howl and prowl by night. They are the scavengers of all Oriental cities ; but for them many of these cities would be hotbeds of cholera and typhoid fever. They are, therefore, treated with a certain sort of kind- liness as friends of humanity. Through these .1; DAMASCUS THE ANCIENT 409 crowded streets carav^ans of camels and donkeys are driven, some of them carrying tonrists or sailors who have jnst arrived from JJeirut. In the midst of all this excitement, in tiie bazaars the richly robed merchants smoke their tchi- bouks and sip their coffee, or with endless chat- ter wait on their customers. In the khans whole- sale trade is conducted. These khans are usually owned by wealthy merchants, and here carpets of Persia, muslins of India, and the prints of Manchester can be bought. P1.ACES OF Special Interest. — The Great Mosque was recently burned. I could only gaze upon its majestic ruins. Until a short time ago, no Christian was permitted to enter its portal ; but previous to its destruction by fire Christians could be admitted, going in parties not larger than twenty persons and by having made appli- cation to the consul. The mosque stood in a spacious quadrangle ; it is larger than the mosque of Omar and has had a remarkable history. Once Christianity was a mighty power in Damascus. The metropolitan bishop of Damascus with seven of his suffragans attended the council of Nice in 325 ; but Islam gained power, and Christianity was placed under the ban. Once the temple that had been sacred to Jupiter was consecrated to Jesus, and dedicated to John the Baptist ; but this Christian church became a Mohammedan mosque. Strangely enough, however, although the crescent usurped the place of the cross, until the recent fire this inscription was on a minaret : 4IO SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES ) 1 f.n .'■' "Thy kingdom, O Christ, is a kingdom of all ages, and thy dominion lasts tlironghout genera- tions." That inscription seemed prophetic of a time when Christ shall reign over the hearts of the people of Damascus. In earlier days the pul- pit, the court, and the minarets of this mosque attracted much attttition. There was a minaret called " Madinet 'Isa," meaning the minaret of Jesus. This minaret was so named from the tradition that when Jesus comes to judge the world, he will appear first on this minaret. It is believed by some that this mosque was on the site of the temple of Rimmon. If this is so, then it was here that Naaman reared his own altar and deposited the " two mules' burden of earth," according to the account given in 2 Kings 5. In the presence of the ruins of this mosque and under the influence of tnese traditions, one certainly feels that he is in the atmosphere of ancient history. It has also been suggested that it was in this temple that King Ahaz saw the altar which so pleased him that he had it repro- duced in Jerusalem.^ All Christian travelers are especially interested in the localities which are connected with scrip- tural events. "The street called Straight," every traveler will wish to see, and to travel through- out its entire length. This is doubtless the street named in the New Testament. Mark Twain puns on the word " called " in connection with the name of this street. It must be admitted I • 2 Kings 16 : 10-12. ) i DAMASCUS THK ANXIENT 411 that the street is not very straii^ht, ncitlicr is it architecturally beautiful ; but traces are found of the colonnade which once adorned the street, and which perhaps gave it beauty in the early day. The natives called it the '\strect of Bazaars." The street is at least a mile long, and runs across the city from west to east. It certainly was much wider at one time than it is now. The house of Judas is also shown, but it is not in the "street called Straight." The tombs and mausoleums are a marVcd feature of Damascus. The gates also attract the attention of all visitors. The " East Gate " bears memorials of Roman masonry ; near the closed gate Bab Kisan, — it has been closed for about seven hundred years, — is the Christian cemetery. It is a matter of great interest that Buckle, the famous English historian, is buried here. His pathetic regret that his book was not finished as he felt the approach of death, has touched the hearts of all familiar with the circumstances of his death. Near the "Little Gate" is a great Moslem cemetery in which it is claimed that three of the wives of Mohammed are buried. One still sees houses upon the wall which will illustrate the story of the escape of the Apostle Paul as given in the Acts of the Apostles. The house of Naaman is pointed out. It is now ap- propriately a leper hospital. I visited the so- called house of Ananias. It is now used as a place of prpyer, and is under the control of the Latins. Tne "suburb of Meidan " consists of a broad and badly paved street about a mile long. 412 SUNDAY NIGHT LKCTURES •V •Ml I Here motley crowds are constantly seen. The environs of Damascus are deeply interesting, and at least a day might well be spent in making them a visit. We know that at least four differ- ent places have been pointed out at different times as the place of the conversion of the Apostle Paul. One place is near, or a part of, what is now used as the Christian cemetery ; but it is easy to see that this cannot be the place, as it is on the eastern side of the city, and we know the apostle approached the city from the north or west. It is much more likely to be the place outside of the city, near which the writer spent a night, and which is mentioned in the preceding chapter ; but there is no special objection to the place pointed out in the walls as that where the apostle was let down by a basket.' For two days I walked through the streets, bazaars, markets, baths, and other places of in- terest in Damascus. The visit to this ancient city will never be forgotten. It was the realiza- tion of a long-cherished desire. The streets are as thoroughly ancient as those of Cairo. In this city the traveler can thoroughly learn the char- acteristics of the Orientals. Two busy days may well be spent here ; but thoroughly to enjoy the city, a larger stay would be necessary. I have striven to describe the city fairly, without the exaggerated appreciation of some travelers, or the equally exaggerated depreciation of others. It must be judged purely as an Oriental city ; V T' ' Acts 9 : 25. DAMASCUS THE ANCIKNT 413 otherwise one's jiuljjnicnt would be conspicu- ously unfair. After the days spent in climbing barren hills, and the nights in wretched hotels, the beauty of the city was great by comparison, and judging by the same standard the hotel was excellent. Forever will the memory of Damas- cus, the metropolis of Syria, " the eye of the East," and the dream of the ages, live in my memory. a ii : m ,r CHAPTER XXXIX BAALBEK — " CITY OF THE SUN " EARLY ill the iiioriiing we left Damascus by railway for Beirut, taking in Baalbek on the way. It was with reluctance that we took our last views of the ancient and beautiful, the romantic and dreamful, city of Damascus. The hope of visiting Baalbek led us to hasten our journey from Jerusalem to Damascus ; and so having gained at least a day on that journey it became possible to take in Baalbek, and yet get to Beirut in time to take the steamer on the in- tended date. Travelers with great ambition and limited time learn largely to gratify the one, and correspondingly to economize the other. Trains had but recently begun to run on the railway between Damascus and Beirut ; but one trip each way each day was made. The fares were high and the track was far from .smooth ; but one was glad enough to avail himself of more modern methods of travel for loi.g distances than on the back of a horse. ]\Iy contract with the drago- man ceased at Damascus ; but, as I had to pay his fare to Beirut, he readily entered into a satis- factory arrangement to go with me to Baalbek. The morning was hot, and the air lifeless as we started from Damascus. We wound slowly up 414 baalbj';k — "CITY oi- TiiK sun" 415 l» fiscus by Ibek on we took iful, tlie s. Tlie iten our and so irney it yet get the in- ion and ne, and Trains 'ail way ip each c high ne was iiodern on the drago- to pa)' I satis- albek. as we r'iy up the sides of Anti-Lebanon to its top, and slowly down its opposite side. Cilorious views greeted us in whatever direction we looked. We passed many small villages, saw everywhere the trans- formations produced by the streams, which in the Orient are literally waters of life, and re- joiced in the charming vistas furnished by rocky glens and wild ravines. The railway was still a novelty in these mountain regions, and the country people came in numbers to gaze upon this marvel of our time. Places of historic interest and ruins worthy of study were passed, and in about four hours we were in Zahleh. This is the largest town in Lebanon, as it has a popula- tion of nearly sixteen thousand, nine-tenths of whom are nominally Christians. A mem- ber of the Calvary Church lives here. The town has an air of comfort, cleanliness, intelli- gence, and prosperity very rare in Palestine. Christianity brings intelligence, and so prosperity. Here one saw women without the distinctive dress of the IMohammedan women, women of more beauty, intelligence, and character than those we had been seeing for wet1:s, women with hope in their faces and some degree of joy in their lives. Christianity is the one religion which really exalts woman. It was a joy to be in an atmosphere more Occidental than Oriental, more Christian than IMohammedan. Many of the people about us had been students in Protestant and other Christian schools in Beirut ; and their appearance testified to the value of the instruc- 4i6 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES mt I ;!/ tion they had received. During the fearful mas- sacre of i860, of which mention has been made in the chapter on Damascus, the town of Zahleh suffered terribl}'. The Druses captured and burned most of it to the ground ; but now it is rebuilt, and signs of prosperity are everywhere manifested. Miles of vineyards are seen, and in the town and vicinity there are many thriving manufactories. In Zahleh we hired a carriage to take us to Baalbek. The numbers, volubility, and per- tinacity of tlie drivers of carriages at this station are alarming to contemplate. Those of them who could speak English bombarded our ears with their badly fractured sentences, and they all surrounded us with almost threat- ening attitudes. But " cabby " is virtually the same fellow in all lands and languages ; and those who remember the attitudes, and the " keb," " keb," of our New York cabmen will not be greatly astonished at the nearly equally good English, and perhaps little greater impor- tunity, of the Syrian Jehus. Some travelers en- gage in Damascus carriages for this journey ; but they can be had at Zahleh for less than half the amount demanded by the hotel keepers in Damascus, — that is to say, for four to five dollars, with two horses and driver, goings to Baalbek in the afternoon and returning to Zahleh the next morning, the driver " finding " himself and his horses in Baalbek. Charming was the ride up the broad, rich valley between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon. One 11 It- ,'11 BAALBKK— " CITY OF THE SUN >) 417 fearful mas- s been made '11 of Zahleh ptnred and lit now it is everywhere 5een, and in ny thriving to take us y, and per- :es at this te. Those bombarded sentences, lost threat- irtnally the lages ; and , and the bmen will rly equally iter inipor- avelers en- s journey ; ; than half keepers in ve dollars, Baalbek in 1 the next If and his road, rich non. One f feels all the time that he is nearer Europe than he hr.s been at any time since he entered the East. The valley is fairly well cultivated, and is smooth and for the most part level. Yonder on our right is pointed out the reputed tomb of Noah. Somehow it seemed .strange to learn that Noah had a tomb ; it had not occurre 1 to us ever to think about his tomb. But realr w': should he not have a tomb? Worse men hnv he have several tombs. Now that a tomb has been given him it certainly is large enough to satisfy a reasonable ambition in that respect. It is said to be between fifty and sixty yards long. The most probable supposition, however, is thai it is simply a disused aqueduct. As we ride we see here and there villages beautifully situated, sur- rounded by groves and orchards, and in the midst of fertile fields ; off in the distance we see rising before us the world-famous ruins wiiich we have come to visit ; and here on our right as we ap- proach the town, are the quarries, whence the great stones used in the enormous temple of the Sun and other gigantic structures were taken. We leave the carriage to examine one stone which has long been the wonder of all travelers. Mark Twain speaks of it as being as large as an American railway car ; and his description of it is scarcely an exaggeration. It is put down in the guidebooks as being seventy-one feet long, fourteen feet high, and thirteen feet broad. Its i'Stimated weight is one thousand five hundred tr>ns. It still lies where the PhaMiician work- men left it, perhaps four thousand vears ago. It 21i 4i8 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES ■I' bears locally a suggestive name, but one which our sense of propriety will scarcely permit us to quote and explain. We are now in the historical city, and are located with reasonable comfort at one of the several hotels, and are ready to master some historic facts before going out to visit the magnificent ruins. N\ME AND History. — The ancient Syrinn name was Ba^aldach. The Graeco-Roman writers called it Heliopolis, City of the Sun, and the modern name is Baalbek, spelled differently by different writers. " To the great gods of Helio- polis," is a part of the inscription in the giand portico of the temple still existing. John Malala, ,of Antioch, a writer of the seventh century, states that "^lius Antoninus Pius built at He- liopolis of Phoenicia, in Lebanon, a great temple to Jupiter, which was one of the wonders of the world." The first part of this inscription shows that this temple was originally a Pantheon. It also stated that coins of an early date show that there were two temples at Baalbek, the smaller of which was probably the temple of Baal. Ir. Hebrew this word means lord ; it was the name, as we well know, given by the Phoenicians and Canaanites to their chief deity, the sun ; this deity shared with Astarte, the moon, the honors of their worship. Baalbek in Arabic means *' The City or Place of the Sun " ; it has been suggested, with probability, that Baalbek cor- responds with Baal-gad, " the troop of the sun," mentioned in the book of Joshua more than tt i < BAALBEX — "CITY OF THE SUN 1) 419 once.* These references may locate this place where the ruins of Baalbek stand to-day. The Greeks naturally translated the word into their own tongue, hence the name Heliopolis, " City of the Sun," the name which Alexander the Great gave to the city of On, in Egypt. When the Romans were in possession of Syria, they would naturally dedicate this temple especially to the worship of Jupiter. I had the good fortune to have here a local guide who has made a careful study of every- thing connected with the history of this famous place. He has published the results of his in- vestigations, and lias been in constant communi- cation with learned men in different countries ; but many problems are still unsolved, and some of them are probably unsolvable. There are certain evidences that Astarte, and later Venus, as well as Baal, were revered at Heliopolis. Con- stantine, it is believed, erected a Christian church here, and it is known that about his time Chris- tians' were persecuted here. Between 379 and 395 Theodosins the Great destroyed the Trilitnon Temple, and transformed it into a Christian church. The Arabs finally conquered the place. They attributed all the antiquities to Solomon. They soon converted the acropolis into a citadel, and as such it occupied an important place in the wars of the jMiddle Ages. In 11 76 the cru- saders, under Raymond, went to Baalbek, de- feated Sa^jdin, who came into possession of the ' Josh. II 17 12 : 7; 13 : 5. miowHww w T i jat) m S I i 420 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES city the preceding year, and returned with much booty. After many changes in its ownersh^'p the ruins of Baalbek were re-discovered by Eu- ropeans in the middle of the sixteenth century ; it has suffered severely from earthquakes, and especially from one in 1759. The town lies three thousand eight hundred and forty feet above the sea level. Its popula- tion is put down as two thous nd, and at least one-half are Christians of some sort, many of them probably of a very poor sort. It contains two Greek and two INIaronite monasteries. The English Mission conducts a successful girls' school, and there are other forms of Protestant mission work. The tourist in Baalbek is con- scious of an atmosphere of antiquity and mys- tery as he gazes on the ruins of past civiliza- tions, walks under the shadow of the trees and by the streams of this interesting city. The great temple is now a mass of ruins, but it is easy to see that it was a peristyle, a temple with columns running around it. Only six columns now remain, which are about sixty feet high and have Corinthian capitals. In order to secure the iron clamps the Arabs have greatly injured these columns, and it would surprise no one who had seen them to learn that they had fallen ; and so the superb ruins of perhaps the grandest temple the world has ever possessed, would be entirely destroyed. It is clear that originally there were seventeen columns on each side of the temple, and ten at each end, thus making fifty-four in all. The building thus enclosed was two hun- 1 ■■ i 1 iii BAALBEK — "city OF THE SUN" 42 I dred and ninety feet long and one hundred and sixty feet broad. The temple of the Sun stands on a lower level than that of the Great Temple. Nineteen of its forty-six columns remain; these columns were sixty-five feet in height, inchiding base and capitals, and they are six feet three inches in di- ameter. More than a century ago one of these columns fell against the cella, and in that posi- tion it has lemained ever since. The portal of the temple is exquisitely beautiful, its door posts being monoliths, and richly ornamented with foliage and genii. With my guide I walked several times around the walls, and studied with wonder its Cyclopean masonry. The stones are of enormous size ; everything is vast in concep- tion and execution. The temple was called the " Trilithon " ; a glance at this word shows that it means three-stoned, and probably the name was given because of the three vast stones on which I gazed with constantly increasing won- der. They are near one another and attract and chain the attention of every visitor. One is sixty-three feet long, anotlier is sixty-three feet and eight inches, and tlie third is sixty-four feet long; each stone is thirteen feet high and thir- teen feet thick, and their present position in the wall is about twenty feet above the ground. After ail these years they fit to one another so perfectly that I had to look closely to discover the seams. The question is often asked, how they were raised to that position ? My guide seemed to think that the ground was once suffi- 422 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES ciently high to bring these stones near the ap- parent foundation ; but the question may still be asked, how were they ever brought from the quarry ? That question the science of our day fails satisfactorily to answer. Some say a chan- nel of water was dug to the quarry and they were floated on boats ; others that an inclined plane was constructed and that the stones were canted over and over by enormous "jacks," and perhaps partly by the aid of elephants or some other powerful animals. The fact is that we know nothing about the matter. Our boasted progress is brought to a condition of complete humilia- tion, if not to entire silence. The exterior of the Circular Temple is very fine. It is surrounded by eight Corinthian cap- itals and each is a monolith. Seldom does a traveler so fully feel his littleness, or the small- ness of our boasted civilization and irreverent spirit of progress, as he does at Baalbek. One almost feels that he is surrounded by the evi- dences of a civilization of Titans, or by the re- sults of the labors of a race of gods, or by the works of nature, as an immediate creation by God, rather than in the presence of the works of men's hands. The words of M. Pressense, though somewhat long, are truthful and eloquent and may be here reproduced : n Baalbek, or Heliopolis, was an insignificant town of small note, except in the time of the decline of the Roman em- pire. One may judge from the remains of this inglorious city, with what a pride of pomp paganism arrayed itself be- fore its death. The temples of Baalbek date — at least as BAAI.BEK — "CITY OF THE SUN " 423 the time of their positive erection — from the reign of Anto- ninus Pius. The acropolis of the town was entirely isolated, and placed on an eminence, surrounded with gigantic walls, the stones of which belonged to that Phoenician architecture, which, by its colossal genius, has earned the name of Cyclopean. Three ttinples rose on this acropolis : a circular temple, of which then; remain only a few highly decorated chapels ; a temple cf Jupiter, which has pre- served a great part of its portico, and its cella quite entire, with its architrave ornate to excess, its fluted columns, and a rich profusion of decoration ; and a temple of the Sun, the remains of which clearly indicate its former grandeur. A peristyle led to a vf ;"t hexagon surrounded by niches and columns ; a large square court conducted to the sanctuary. To this edifice belonged the five splendid pillars which rear to such an astonishing height an enormous mass of stone, as finely carved as if designed for a temple of miniature proportions. The peculiar characteristic of this architecture is precisely this combination of the immense and the graceful, of Cy- clopean vastness with the refined elegance of an art already in its decadence, but still in possession of most marvelous processes. Nowhere is the Corinthian acanthus carved with more delicacy than on these gigantic blocks. After study- ing these three temples in detail, the mind must be aban- doned freely to the impression produced by the magnificent whole. The fallen fraginents heaped on the ground are as wonderful as the standing remains. While the five pillars of the cella of the great temple rear themselves grandly to the eye, the earth around the foot of the isolated columns still standing is strewed with enormous debris, which form a magnificent pell-mell, dis- playing all imaginable forms of Grecian architecture. It is the ruin of an entire city, the ideal ruin of a dream, full of disorder, poetry, grandeur. This is the sublime cenotaph of two distinct but blended civilizations ; the old natural religions, which so long held Asia captive, mingle the wrecks of their colossal architecture with the exquisite forms that the genius of Greece threw off as if in sport. Spring casts the garland of her perpetual youth over this thrice 424 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES dead past — a smiling irony ; camels and sheep graze on the grass which grows over columns and capitals. Picture the white chain of Libanus looking down on this overthrown city ; embrace in one comprehensive glance of thought all the contrasts blended here, and the thrilling effect of such a scene will be understood. And the words of another recent traveler in Palestine and Syria exactly expressed my feel- ings as the next morning we rode away, and I took my last look, perhaps forever, on the gigan- tic ruins of Baalbek. .v.: There are many things to wonder at and admire in Baal- bek. One never wearies of gazing upon those graceful ruins, beautiful from every aspect and in every light ; but it is not "on holy ground" that we are standing, and with the influence upon us which the ruins of Palestine have cre- ated, we forget the might of Phoenician strength, the poetry of Grecian architecture, the pomp of Roman power, and sigh to think that all this magnificence was pride, this wor- ship pagan, and all this skill and grace and beauty defiled by voluptuous and soul-destroying sin. I climbed a wall and sat upon a richly sculptured parapet, watching the sun- set. To the left was Hermon, to the right Lebanon, and at my feet the whole vast area of ruins. It was an hour full of suggestion, and one could not fail to trace how the word of the Lord was receiving its fulfillment ; how the false systems were lying in the dust and darkness, while his own prophetic proclamation was gaining daily new force and power : "I am the light of the world. ' * The Phoenician heathenism, the Greek and Roman heathenism, have passed away. Jesus Christ is king. Over the ruins of every heathen faith his kingdom will rise. !. • « \ XI, BEIRUT THE carriage ride from Baalbek to Zahleh was most enjoyable. At noon we took at Zahleli the train we had left the day before, and started for Beirut. The day became very warm and the journey was peculiarly tiresome. It was thought by many before the railway was built that the people would not ride in the trains ; but now they are often very much crowded. It was so on this occasion ; the cars of all the three classes were packed for the greater part of the journey. The track is rough, the trains move slowly, and they stop frequently. After days spent on horseback, our limbs were stiff when we arrived at Damascus ; but our positive fatigue was far greater when we arrived at Beirut after riding in crowded cars and under a burning sun. Although it was now about the middle of Octo- ber, the ride to Beirut and the night spent there were the hottest experiences which we had after leaving the Red Sea. Tremendous were the noise, confusion, and ex- citement of every sort on arriving at Beirut and getting our baggage through the custom house. The Orientals love noise ; it is a form of their chosen enjoyment. Business of many millions 42s 426 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES % :1 ' ' '■( ^■'i of dollars might be transacted in Europe or in America with less confusion and noise than we had in the tedious delay of getting our baggage examined and in securing carriages to drive to our hotel. The arrival by sea would have had much more noise and confusion still. It is almost as much as a traveler's life is worth to land by boat at an Oriental port. I was now near the end of my fifteen days in Palestine and Syria, and was not sorry to leave for " The Isles of Greece,'' and finally for Great Britain and home. My face was now distinctly turned homeward. Never did Europe seem so much like home as when I reached it from Asia. I was weary of the noise, of the dogs, and of the dirt of Oriental cities. The night spent at Beirut was very imcomfortable. It was ex- tremely hot ; bands of some wild sort played most of the night, and mosquitoes — which are rare in Palestine, owing to the coldness of the nights — sang their songs and worked their lances and their pumps all night. There are good hotels and almost all modern and European conveniences and comforts in Beirut, so far as Oriental conditions will admit ; but certainly I have no very pleasant memories of my night there. On the train to Beirut, and in the city itself, we found French constantly spoken. Few stop to think of the hold the French have in Syria. In connection with the settlement of the troubles in Damascus in i860, and with the build- ing of the railway. Frenchmen, French capital, and French influence in many ways, are felt in ,t -\ii« BEIRUT 427 )pe or in than we baggage drive to lave had s ahnost land by days in to leave )r Great istinctly seem so m Asia, d of the pent at vas ex- played lich are 3 of the d their lere are Liropean ) far as tainly I y night the city 1. Few liave in t of the ebnild- capital, : felt in Syria. If Palestine and Syria should be divided among the nations of Enrope, France wonld be sure to get a large slice in this vicinity. Indeed, a knowledge of the French tongue greatly facili- tates trivel in Syria. English is also spoken by those who have attended the schools at Heirut, and altogether one feels here almost as if he were in Europe ; and the more he can so feel the better he will like this old and interesting city. There are here good shops, baths, pho- tographers, and PyUglish, American, French, German, Austrian, and Italian physicians ; there are also good dentists of different nationalities, besides bankers, consulates, and steamboat agents. Altogether the town is quite modern, but there is still room for improvement. It is the princi- pal commercial town in Syria. Bits of Eari^y History. — It was originally one of the two towns of the Canaanitish " Gib- lites," or dwellers on the mounts ; these towns were Berytus and Biblus. Some derive the name of Berytus from its fountains, " bccrot " ; others from " berosh," a pine tree. The town is mentioned by the Greeks before the time of Alexander ; but it is not named in c'^niection with his campaigns. As the consequence of a rebellion against Antiochus VII., Berytus is said to have been entirely destroyed ; but the Romans rebuilt it and named it Augusta Felix, in honor of the Emperor Augustus. Herod Agrippa, to please the Romans, built here baths and theatres, and organized gladiatorial combats. At Berytus, 1^1 :l f^ 428 SUNDAV NIGHT LECTURES as at Banias, Titus, after the destruction of Jeru- salem, caused many Jews to fight against one another in the arena. In the third century Herytns with Tyre furnished silk fabrics to the Roman markets ; and later this trade was ex- tended to Cireece and was continued for several centuries. This port of Syria was thus long famous for mulberry trees and for silk culture. As the result of terrible earthquakes Berytus long lay in ruins. In 635 it was easily captured by the ^loslems ; but in 11 25 it was taken by the crusaders under Baldwin, and held by them until they were practically driven out of the land by their defeat at the battle of Hattin. For a time in the sixteenth century it was the resi- dence of the Druse Prince Fakhr. He banished the Turks, favored the Christians, and promoted trade. Beirut was for a time his favorite resi- dence. On his return from Italy he undertook to introduce many innovations. Finally both he and his son were taken by the Turks and slain. After the usual changes of dynasties and owner- ships characteristic of Oriental towns, Beirut was in 1840 bombarded by the English and cap- tured for the Turks. Rapid Increase ok Population. — After the massacre of so many Christians in Damascus in i860, large numbers came to Beirut to make there a home. Since that date the prosperity of Beirut has been greater than ever before. There are not, however, many places in the city for the tourist to visit. The bazaars are almost as much HIilRUT 429 of Jeru- nst one century s to the was ex- scvcral us lon^ culture. Berytus aptured iken by )y them he land For a he resi- anished 'omoted ite resi- dertook both he d slain, owner- Beirut nd cap- fter the iscus in ) make erity of Tliere for the s much European as Oriental. The ancient tower near the harbor is interesting because of all that it suggests regarding past liistory. The town occu- pies a part of the southein side of St. Ckorge's Bay, and the interior of the bay oflcrs partial protection to ships which are in the harbor against stormy weather. A very consideral)le amount of s\\\[)- ping enters Beirut, and when the new harbor, par- tially completed, is ready for occupation, Beirut will be the only safe landing-place along the coast. There are in the city official representa- tives of the Greek Orthodox Church, the United Greeks, the Maronitcs, and also the Roman churches. The plain on which the town stands is covered with luxuriant gardens, while behind it the mountains rise to a good height, and snow- covered summits are seen still beyond. The hills are cultivated to a considerable degree, and an air of prosperity marks the whole neighborhood, and the tints of the mountains contrasting with the blue sea make a charming picture. The heat is often great, but is usually tempered by the refreshing sea-breeze. It was a matter of re- gret to me that I visited here at a time when many of the Europeans, and especially our American missionaries, were absent, having gone to the heights of Lebanon for the summer. As already intimated, the population of the town has grown rapidly since the slaughter of Christians in Damascus in i860. Previous to that day the population was about twenty thou- sand ; now it is more than one hundred thou- sand. The religious community is of varied .^/'i i'( I < i;l'< . ! 1 ; i 1 i 1 i- ■ lit 430 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES complexion, the Moslems, however, predomi- nating. It is a great comfort to know that they are rapidly decreasing, while Christians are con- stantly increasing. The Christians have the reputation of being very industrious, enterpris- ing, and prosperous, and in this respect have been compared to the ancient PhaMiicians. Busi- ness houses are found in Beirut with branches in England, France, America, and other countries. These merchants are doing a good business, and are not surpassed in success by European mer- chants doing business in Syria. As already re- marked, French is becoming the common lan- guage next to the Arabic, having in this respect taken the place formerly held by the Italian tongue. Romanist schools have done mucn to disseminate the knowledge of the French lan- guage in this part of Syria. The number of persons in Beirut who can neither read nor write is very small compared with most Syrian cities. Beneficent Influence of Christianity. — Christianity has shown its beneficent influence here by exalting woman in the social and intel- lectual scale. The church of Scotland has a Jewish mission in Beirut which was begun in 1864, and it does admirable work ir educating the Jewish youth. St. George's Ir..->titute, under the direction of Scotch ladies, is rendering ex- ceVent service for IMoslem and Druse girls. The British Syrian Alission began its work here with tlie special object of caring for the orphans whose parents were slain in the Damascus massacre. BEIRUT 431 There are also schools for the blind. Excellent Christian work is done by German mission or- ganizations. The Kaiserswerth deaconesses con- dnct a large orphanage and boarding school, which school stands high as a college for yonng women. Reference has already been made to the French institutions belonging to various bodies in connection with the Roman Church. The Italian government is also making efforts to found schools for boys and girls ; and the Greek Orthodox and Maronite churches, as well as Jew- ish synagogues, are conducting schools with vigor and success. To American Christians Beirut is especially interesting as tlie seat of the American mission which entered upon its work in Syria as early as 182 1. From it have gone out Christian influences which have affected all Syria. Much has been done by distributing Bibles, organizing schools, and preaching the gospel, and the good work permeates the whole country. Among the American names deserv- ing of great honor are Messrs. Parsons, Fiske, Goodell, King, and Bird ; between the years 1819 and 1823 these gentlemen were the pio- neers of missions in Syr"a. The places made vacant by the early death of Parsons and Fiske were filled by other noble Christian workers. These men then were and others to-day are striv- ing to rekindle the light of Christianity in lands made sacred by the work of Christ and his apostles. The labors of Doctor Thomson, so widely known as the author of " The Land and the Book," as well as those of Drs. Vandyck, 432 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES I 'il Calhoun, Bliss, and Eli Smith, are worthy of all honor, as are also the names of the men in the field to-day. Distinguished scientific men have been connected with thi.s mission. The univer- sity in Beirut has a theological seminary and a medical department, as well as courses in science and literature. Its buildings are excellent and well adapted to their various purposes. A four years' course of training is giv^en to the pupils in the medical department, and those who re- ceive degrees greatly surpass the native physi- cians. The girls' seminary is an important part of the work of the American mission. It is stated that the number of schools of this mis- sion in 1889 was one hundred and forty-one, with over six thousand pupils of both sexes. It also publishes a weekly newspaper, and in a great variety of ways is laboring to diffuse a knowledge of Christianity in this dark country. 'if i t Visit to Palestine Ended. — The time has now come when I must leave this land which I so longed to visit and through which I have passed rapidly, experiencing no little fatigue, but very much pleasure and profit. It is with mingled joy and sorrow that I now prepared to leave Palestine and Syria. God has marvel- lously preserved this land as a truthful witness to the teaching of Holy Scripture. I now part with my faithful Abdallah, who had been my devoted attendant and instructi^ guide from Joppa to Jerusalem, to Damascus, and to Beirut. He comes with me to the boat which lies in the i i •t« BlilRUT 433 thv of all en in the nen have le uni\er- iry and a in science llent and A four lie pupils : who re- ve physi- rtant part n. It is this mis- :orty-one, exes. It md in a diffuse a country. time has which I 1 I have fatigue, t is with epared to niarvel- [1 witness now part been my ide from o Beirut. :es in the harbor wai'. ^ ^^ carry me away from these his- toric shores, perhaps never to return. As I think of this land over which the baleful shadow of Islam falls, I can say with Doctor Fish, that the significant prophecy, perhaps but little under- stood by the Moslems, which so long was over the portal of their great mosque at Dainascus, gives me cheer and hope as I leave this dark country: "Thy kingdom, O Christ, is an ever- lasting kingdom." May God speed the day whcn'Christ shall reign in all parts of Palestine and throughout the whole world ! I now turn away to sail to lands visited by apostles as the first preachers of Christ, and to lands and to islands made famous alike by the missionaries of the cross and the immortal poets of classic Greece ; the isles which live in our memories as synonyms of art and literature, of song and story, the isles of which Lord Byron sang: The isles of Greece, the isles of Greece ! Where burning Sappho loved and simg, Where grew the arts of war and peace, — Where Delos rose, and I'hccbus sprung ! Eternal summer gilds them yet, Put all, except their sun, is set.