UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO 3 1822 02707 3865 X / A /N, / / / q^ / '^ 1 I R .V„/„m<\n vtry '■'^^'V^ /Av I 3 1822 02707 3865 ]^ARRATIYE OF A YISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, AND MISSION OF INQUIRY TO THE JEWS. EEV. ANDREW A. J^qNAR, D.D., AND REV. R. M. M'CHEYNE. " He caused me to pass by them round about, and behold there were vtry many in the open valley, and lo ! they were very dry." — Ezem. xxxvii. '2. THIRTIETH THOUSAND. EDINBURGH: WILLIAM OLIPHANT & CO. MDCCCLXXVIII. nf EDINBUKGH : I'RINTEU BY lOHN GREIG AND SOM n ^ PREFACE. This work was undertaken at the desire of the Committee of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for the Conversion of the Jews. The writers had only one object in view during their journey, namely, to see the real condi- tion and character of God's ancient people, and to observe whatever might contribute to interest others in their cause. Desiring to keep this single object in view in their Narra- tive also, they have not recorded many particulars of import- ance in regard to the general history of the countries which they visited, except in so far as this was likely to forward their main design. The same reason, however, has led them to dwell somewhat minutely on the scenery of the Holy Land, and the manners of its inhabitants, because, any thing that may invest that land with intei'est, will almost necessarily lead the reader to care for the peculiar people who once possessed it, and who still claim it as their own- It is meant to be a plain narrative, so that the most un- learned reader, if only familiar with the Scriptures, may fol- low the writers in their visit to the lost sheep of the Housp of Israel. We have had specially in view the people of the parishes of Scotland, feeling it our duty and our privilege, as minis- VI PREFACE. ters of Christ in the Church of Scotland, to promote the cause of the Jews among our brethren. If the Church of Scotland in these perilous times, " take hold of the skirt of the Jew," God may remember her for Zion's sake. The work has been long delayed, longer than was desir- able, but this delay was unavoidable. During at least twelve months after returning home, scarcely a week passed wherein we did not receive some call to visit this or that other pa- rish in order to tell orally the things we had seen and heard. And even now, when at length we have found time to sit down and write these records of our journey, it has been amidst the incessant demands for parochial labours, to which every pastor is daily subjected, and which he feels to be im- perative. May the God of Israel, for his ancient |>eople's sake, make this work useful in kindling a brighter flame of love to the Jews in the bosom of all who are " the Lord's remem- brancers" in Scotland, and may He grant " that this ser- vice which we have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints." ANDREW A. BONAR. ROBt. MURRAY M'CHEYNE. Id May 1842. PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION. It will not diminish the interest of this Narrative to know, that one of those who had so large a share in all that it re- cords is now in glory. Four days ago, while this edition was passing through the press, it pleased the Lord to call Mr M'Cheyne home to himself. At the very moment when we thought him most needed in Scotland, and when lie himself was looking forward to the honour of bearing a testimony for the Crown-rights of Christ in the day of our Church's calamity, he has been taken to his reward. It was his meat to do the will of his Father, and to finish his work. He carried about with him a deep consciousness of sin, and rested with steady confidence in the righteous- ness of Immanuel. Those who knew him most loved him best ; and all who knew him at all felt that the secret of the Lord was with him. During the six short years of his ministry, he was the instrument of saving more souls than many true servants of God have done during half a century. But as, in our journey to Jerusalem, he hastened before us all ' to get a sight of the city of the Great King, so now he has got the start of us all in seeing the New Jerusalem that is to come out of heaven from God. O that the Lord God Vin PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION. of Elijah may cause his mantle to fall upon the many sons of the prophets who loved him as their own soul ! Some of us truly feel, that his removal has made the blessed hope of " the Coming of the Lord, and our gathering together unto Him," sweeter than ever to our weary sonJs. Collage. March 29. 1843. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. TBANCE ITALY MALTA GREECE. Origin of the Deputation... Preparation for their Departure. ..Sail from Dover... Boulogne. ..Prevalence of Popery... Protestants. ..Jewi ...Interview with a remarkable Jew. ..Proceed to Paris. ..Pass through Montreuil, yl66ew7fe, i?AeZa... Villages within view...Ashdod...jFZcM- %keropolis...Safeen...Bethcar...&'^a,Tm& of Flics. ..Valley oi Zephathah... Return of the Ark ...A'owtecn ...J/e«»iJeA. ..Threshing-floor ...Oxen... /Iscnifcfca... Large Fields of Thistles... Prophecy fulfilled. ..Jjrnw... Hulda...An African playing on the Pipe... Prophecy illustrated. ..Vil- lage of iatroort... Encamp in HiLLS OF JuDAH...Terriices... Briars and Thorns. ..Prophecy fulfilled. ..Pass up the Defile. ..Distant View of Ratnla and Plain of Sharon... A'uwA, or Kirjathjearim... Vine-terraces ...El Kustul... Valley of Ulah... David and Goliiith...A'aZo«2e. .Approach to Jerusalem. ..Solemnitv of the moment 86-126 CHAPTER III. JERUSALEM HEBRON. Enterthe City. ..Kindly received by fellow-countrymen. ..Mr Nicolay- 8on...Walk at sunrise outside of the gate. ..Remove to the Mission- house on Mount Zion...View from it. ..Proposed Hebrew Church... Stones from Anathoth... Prophecy fulfilled, ..Plague in the City... In for- mation in regard to tae Jews -.Character. ..Schools. ..Hope of Messiiih xn CONTENTS. ...Wretched state... Evening ride outside the Walls. ..Tomb of Da'id... Mount Zion... Graves of Missionaries. ..Prophecy fulfilled... FaZZ«_vo/^'>*- nom. . . ValUij and Pools of Gihon.. . Valley of Rephaim.. .Extent of the An- cient City. ..Bezetha... Scopes. ..'F\T&i Sabbath in Jerusalem... Services ol the Sanctuary.. .Lord Hamilton.. .Bedouin Chief.. .The Kangfud of Isaiah ...Gazelles... Church of the Holy Sepulchre. ..Site of CaZt/ary... Mourn- ers in the Streets... Roads. ..JjrooA; C'edron... Passing View of Gethsetnan, ...The Road to Bethany... Mount of Olives.. .Sir Moses Montefiore. . View from Mount of Olives. ..iVefco and .4 fcaWm... Scripture illustrated. . View of Moriah, and site of the Temple... Prophecy fulfilled... FaZfey <), Jehoshaphat... An eccentric Resident. ..Illustration of Scripture. ..Visit to the Consul.. .Jews. ..Statistics of the Jewish population of Palestine ...Treatment they receive from the professedly Christian sects. ..In- fluence of the British Consul among them. .. Gihon. ..Hinnom... Hill of Evil Counsel... FaZZ«!/ of Rephaim... \ie\y a... Valley of Hinnom. ..Acel- dama. ..Valley of Jehoshaphat. ..Yalley of Cheesemongers. ..OpA«Z...J5^M TJogreZ... Harvest operations. ..Place where Isaiah was sawn asunder... Pool of Siloam, and Fountain. ..Hjinn.. .Jewish Graves... Absalom's Pil- lar.. .Place where Jesus wept over the City. ..Bethany. ..Tomb of Lazarus... Scenery... Church of the Ascension. ..Tombs of the Kings... Illustration of Scripture... Morning visit to Gethsemane... Associations of the spot.. .PooZ o/iJetAcscZ^t... Jews. ..Information regarding the Jews in Palestine. ..Their Numbers. ..Their feeling toward their Land... Means of Support. ..Communication with their Brethren. ..Countries whence they come. ..Rabbis. ..Feelings. ..Success of Missionary efforts ...First attempts to settle a Mission. ..First Conversions... A Mission- ary's mode of operation. ..Climate. ..Expense of Living... Evening Walk ...Shepherd going before his Sheep.. .Illustrations of Scripture, 127-174 Excursion to Hebron. ..Well of the Wise Men. ..Rachel's Sepulchre... Bet-Jalah... Solomon's PooZ«... Barley Harvest in the Fields of Beth- lehem. ..,S'?)>7teer... Caleb's Daughter... Well of Sirah... Approach to He- bron. ..Vineyards. ..Fine Scenery... Hebron. ..Hospitality of the Go- vernor and an old Jew. ..Stars. ..Cave of Machpelah...The Mosque. ..Re- mains of Solomon's works. ..Spot where Abraham interceded... CarjncZ ...Pool. ..Jews. ..Spanish and Polish. ..Interview. ..Abraham's Oak... Return by Bethlehem. ..iJei/t-Aaccerew... Bethlehem. ..David's Well... Latin Convent. ..Stable where Christ was born. ..Field of the Shep- herds. ..TeAwaA.... Jerusalem seen from this side... Letters from Home... Sabbath. ..Communion of the Lord's Supper in an Upper Room. ..He- brew Service. ..Castle of David. ..Spina Christi... Temple Wall. ..Rem- nants. ..The Bridge... Place of Wailing. ..A Jew praying there. ..Syna^ gogues in Jerusalem... Literary Qualifications of Missionaries. ..Fare- well visit to Bethany. ..View from Mount of Olives. ..Bethphage... /yftAaJiy... Return by Siloam, . . 174-197 CONTENTS. XIU CHAPTER IV. GIBEON SYCHEM SAMARIA CARMEL. Leave Jerusalem. ..Pass Tomb of the Judges... Naby-Samuel...Rotmah .Scripture diflBculty cleared up. ..View of Country. ..Prophecy in re- lerence to Infants of Bethlehem. ..£^)nmaus...6ri6eon...>.4_;a/oi(n. ..Beauti- ful Scenery. .. Vineyards. ..i?a^,iaJ... Portion of Benjamin... Reach Beer ..Journey to north-east. ..Bethel. ..Ruins at Bethel... Associations... Prophecy fulfilled... VLUage... .4m Yebrud...Geeb... Moviiit Ephraim... Enter by a Defile into a fertile plain... i(rTj«» — Hot Baths of Tiberias. ..Petrifactions. ..7'aricAacia,. Manners and Cus- toms. ..Notice of the Province.. .Boyards...Zingans or Gipsies. ..Ga^ti... Vjai; i...Infci'^ift««jts...The Jews. ..Their state. .Ride to Ibraila...Aj> XVI CONTENTS. pearance of the Country. ..Post-carts. ..Cross on Greek Churches... Wal lachian Dress. ..Conversation with Jews...Set out in a iJras/to«/awca. Mode of travelling. ..Peasants. ..Remnants of the Latin Language.. Crosses. ..Wells. ..Only two Villages. ..Bucarest.. .Jews at their devo» tions...A Khan. ..Consul. ..His attention... State of Wallachia... Immo- rality of all classes.. .New Year among the Jews. ..Ceremonies.. .Support of a Missionary. ..Rabbi Bibas...rete of the Prince. ..Superstitions... Second Interview with Rabbi Bibas... Jewish Con vert. ..Accident to our vehicle...£useo...^o.j;5Aany...Jews...Day of Repentance. ..Scenery on thu way to Birlat...BlRLAT.. .Greek Churches... Jews... Conversation with them. ..Oxen and their yoke. ..Khan... TFiisZut... The Cipporah. ..Ceremo- nies. ..Jassy... Day of Atonement... Visit to Synagogues at evening... Deep devotion... Jewish Statistics. ..Their state... Evening of the Day of Atonement. ..State of the Country. ..Anecdote. ..Treatment of the Jews ...Jewish School.. .A Jew of the New School... Jewish Marriage. ..Con- versation with Jews. ..Ride to Botouchani/..J^yvs...Teshawitz... Jewish Innkeeper and family. ..QuararUJne... General View of the two Provinces as a sphere of Missionary labour, 366-426 CHAPTER VIII. AUSTRIAN POL.VND. Quarantine at Bossanze... Conversation with an Hungarian. ..Leave (iuarantine...(SoM£c/tai;a...Its inhabitants... JEWS, interview with... Scenery. ..Town of 5eref... Conversation with the Jews... C'^ernomt*... Interesting conversation with Jews... Their condition... Cross the Pruth ...ffertsmaw... Appearance of ConntTy...Zalesky... Baron Brownowitsh ...Number of Jews. ..J'a^Zz»wA;i/...S*bbath... Native Churches and Con- gregations. ..Appearance of Peasantry. ..Conversation with Jews.. .Ce- remony of the Joy of the Law. ..Interview with Rabbi. ..Pass Zadcow ...Copockinsky... Scenery on road to Trembowla...Pass Guhnitsky... Arrive at TARNAPOL...The Synagogue of New School. ..Chasidim and Rabbinical Jews. ..Procession, or Last Day of the Feast. ..Dance in Honour of the Law. ..Second visit to Jews of New School... Their opi- nions... Visit to Rabbi Rapaport... Conversation with a young Jew... Jewish Burying-Place...The Gymnasium. ..Leave Tamapol... Appear- ance of Country... Pass Zalosc...SereUky...Potkvhite cliffs — its chalky hills—were left behind, and after three hours' sail over a boisterous sea we lauded in BOULOGNE— KOPERY — PROTESTANTS. H Bou}.ogne. We felt, as the shores of Albion faded from ou riew, that we needed, in our circumstances, the faith of Abra- ham, when it was said to hiia, " Get thee unto a land that i will shew thee ;"^ for we knew not what was to be the result of our journeying among the seed of Israel. A pillar to the memory of Napoleon, upon a height nea» the shore, attracts the eye in approaching the harbour 0/ Boulogne. No sooner had we landed, than the demand for our passports, the pacing of the gens d'armes along the shore, and the general aspect of the people, reminded us that wc were in a less favoured land than we had left. We wished to press on to Paris that night, as we were afraid of not reach- ing Marseilles before the 21st, the day when the Alexandrian Bteamer was to sail, but we found that there was no diligence till next morning. In this there was a kind design of Pro- vidence, intended both to encourage and teach us, as we found before the evening had past. Boulogne is said to contain 25,000 inhabitants, of whom 5000 are English visitors. The Leanne, a small stream, flows through it. Popery is strong here, and to meet with so many ensigns of the " Man of Sin" on our first arrival, did not make France the more agreeable to us. In an elegant recess of the Cathedral, which is rebuilding in a splendid style, stands a statue of the Madonna and her Child, with the iiiscription, " Mater patrona singularis ;" the Son of God thrown into tho shade, and the Virgin declared to be their " special Patroness." On the wall and on the roof is delineated the supposed mira- culous cross seen in the air at Poictiers in 1827. In order to raise the sum required for rebuilding this cathedral, the expedient was adopted of levying an additional soti on every chair used in the churches of the town. A ship close by inti- mates that the Virgin Mary is patroness of seamen ; and out- 'lide of the town, on a hill, stands a very large cross, with a full-length figure of the Saviour, erected by some fishermen who had narowly escaped shipwreck. We learned that the sailors' wives often come from the town to this cross to pray foi their absent husbands. In respect to Education, the children of the town are under the special care of the Priests, and there is a college where 300 students receive instruction. The English Protestants here are much divided among 1 Geo. J.JI. 1. 4 BOULOG?rK — JUW-S. themselves, and true religion does not seera to "be in a healthy state ; — but we had not time to ascertain particulars regard- ing any native Protestants. In walking through the town, we began to notice the common continental fashion of hang- ing lamps over the middle of the street by ropes stretching from side to side. The old wall forms now a part of the fort, and the tower of the town-house is used for alarms in case of fire. There is an extensive view from the heights above the town. It was not till evening that we were able to ascertain any facts regaxding the Jews here. We had been told that two Jews had lately come from Dover, who resided near our ho- *el, but that they were men of the world rather than devout Israelites. In the evening, however, we were visited by a very interesting Jew, a person of education and agreeable manners, who spoke English fluently. He told us his history. — Originally possessed of a small fortune, he had exhausted it in travelling for the sake of his brethren, having gone to North America, to investigate the question whether or not the Indians there are really the descendants of the ten tribes. He had lived a year among the Winebegos and Micraacs, learned the Cherokee and Oneida languages, conformed to their manners, often living almost naked, all in order to ascertain that question, which he did not hesitate to decide in the negative. He was now spending his time in retire- ment, with the v)5w of being able to recruit his resources, so as to undertake new journeys among his brethren in other parts, and especially in Palestine. The circumstance of our being on our way to Palestine had chiefly induced him to visit us. In the course of conversation, we stated the feel- ing of love to Israel which had led us to go forth on this jour- ney ; and Dr Keith, with great fervour, pictured the outcast state of Israel, and how plainly it seemed to be on account of some sin lying at their door, urging him to consider what the sin could be. In reply, the Jew spoke of God's general love and mercy ; and when we in return exhibited the way of pardoi and acceptance, he became much afl^ected, — " chiefly," he said. " because we manifested such interest in him, and such kind- ness." He added, " he wished there were more of the Church of Scotland's Missionaries ;" and thcJn immediately explained himself, " that it was only in one sense he could express sucfi a wish, for he could not desire our success in converting his JEW AT BOULOGNE ROAD TO PARIS. 5 brethren, — but if any should accomplish this, it would be in the way of kindness." He had been long seeking the truth, and thought he was still doing so, but was not con- vinced that it lay with us. He argued that the Jews had got their laws "/or ever ;"" but was silent when we pointed to the new covenant promised in Jeremiah.^ In speaking of Jesus, he made some interesting admissions. " The charac- ter and doings of Jesus Christ were most wonderful, and the success of Christianity in the world was the doing of God, in order to alleviate the misery of men ; for had Christianity not existed, he shuddered to think what might have been the state of nations." When pressed with the question, " Would Jesus, so excellent a character as he admitted him to be, de- clare himself Son of God, if he were not really so ?" he was again silent, and seemed confused. He thought that God may possibly have prospered Christianity for the sake of the Jews ; for tme Christianity had never persecuted them. He had heard of Dr Keith's work on Prophecy, — expressed delight at meeting with the author, — and on being presented with the Doctor's last work on the Evidences, requested him to write his name upon it. When presented with a Hebrew New Testament, on which we had written that we would often pray that he might be brought to light and peace, he shewed much emotion. Once or twice, after rising to go away, he resumed his discourse. On finally taking leave, which he did with tears running down his face, he said with great emphasis, " If you wish to gain a Jew, treat him as a 'brother,'" From him we learned that there were only eight families of Jews here, and that the children of one of these attend a Christian school. This being the first night of our inquiries after the scattered sheep in a foreign land, we could not but feel peculiar en- couragement from this interview. It seemed as if the Lord was in haste to give us a token of his presence. (April 13.) Next day at ten o'clock we started for Paris, a distance of 140 miles, in the diligence, a cumbrous, heavy waggon, enormously loaded with passengers and luggage, and boxes of treasure — postilions cracking their whips most vigor- ously. Beyond the town, we found a peaceful scene, the river Leanne flowing gently through the vale. The hedges were sprouting, and gardens farther advanced than in Eng- 1 Jer. XXXI :&. 6 IfONTREUIL ABBEVIT.I.E BEAUT.US. land. Part of the road was lined witli willow trees, cut across, so that they looked like columns, the branches having been striped off for basket-making. From time to time, in the fields we saw the plough drawn by four horses, and mov- ing on wheels. The sight of many retired, beautiful villages surrounded by rich fields often called forth the prayer, " Thy kingdom come" — when these spots shall all be seats of holi- ness. The cross is here a never-failing object in the churches and church-yards, and occasionally by the way-side. Many people were returning from a neighbouring market, and Avomen riding on donkeys and ponies. We passed through Montreuil, an old town, defended by a wall and fort, which again are surrounded by a moat, with a considerable extent of marshy ground in the vicinity. Several times as the diligence moved slowly up a hill, or cautiously descended, children from the villages came round with bou- quets of flowers, which they threw into the vehicle, chanting at the same time very sweetly in their native patois. We next passed through Abbeville, with its fortified en- trance. It has a fine old Cathedral, and the houses are built in an old fantastic style. Here we had our first speci- men of a Tahle d'hote, with the music of a company of harp- ers to entertain us. About two in the morning (Sabbath), the diligence arrived at Beauvais, where we were delayed for some hours. Our information had led us to expect that we should have been in Paris before Sabbath morning broke, and we felt this vio- lation of the Holy Day very painfully. As morning advanced, we saw the people of the villages going forth to labour just as on other days — ploughmen in the fields, women at their cottage- doors, children at play. We soon found that buying find selling, and every sort of amusement, were the chief occupations of the people of France on the holy Sabbath. Many of the horses wore tinkling bells as they went out to the fields ; but the prophecy is not yet fulfilled, when '' there fchall be upon the bells of the horses holiness unto the Lord.'" In passing through St Demjs, we found that all was bustle and activity — vehicles of every kind coming along the road, and every one engaged in the pursuit of pleasure. A band of shildren, and a few women, chiefly old people, were on their way to church. 1 ZtH^lv XI 7. 20. FRENCH SABBATH — PAHIS. 7 On reaching Paris, we refresned ourselves, and set out for ytarhceuf Chapel, where divine service is conducted in English. The streets presented an endless scene of gaiety and show. There was scarcely a shop shut, and the people literally thronged every street, all in their best holiday dress. Our •w&j led through the " Champs Elysees," crowded with people of aU ranks ; each determined to find their Elysium in every form of pleasure, and openly defying the words of the H0I3' One of Israel.^ Even children were there, — boys and girls skipping at their games, and amusing themselves on gaudily painted swings. The well-conditioned and fashionable were parading up and down ; many eating and drinking ; the no- blesse riding in all kinds of vehicles. It might be a scene like this that was witnessed in the days of Noah, or when Lot went out of Sodom — eating, drinking, planting, building, &c. Even now the day of Christ would " come as a snare" upon all the earth !^ We felt the contrast when we got within the walls of the Chapel. While worshipping there with a devout band, we seemed to have exchanged the din and confusion of Babel for the peace and stillness of the Holy Place. In the even- ing we heard a French sermon from Frederic Monod, in the upper chamber of the Oratoire, on Paul being sent " to open the blind eyes :" the assembly W5,s small, but lively and fer- vent, and the singing of the Psalms iu French was very sweet ; it seemed to be with all the heart. In canonical hours the French Protestants use a short liturgy ; they have also a short extempore prayer. Out of a population in Paris of 800,000, only 2000 attend regularly any Protestant place of worship. Still the state of Protestantism is much improved. Not long ago scarcely one faithful sermon was heard in Paris, now four- teen are preached every Sabbath-day ; and there are Protes- tant schools, attended by 800 children, two-thirds of whom are children of Catholic parents. None of the Protestant clergy in Paris are Neologian. The Popish party are active, bringing to the city some of their best preachers, who have increased the attendance at their churches, but made scarcely any impression on the infidel part of the population. No city seems more to resemble Sodom.^ Even in our way from the church, we saw some of the horrors of a Parisian Sabbath evening; gambling and other scenes of profligacy being plainly visible from the street. Isa. LMiL 13. • Luke xvii 26. 30. e Rev Xi. 9. 8 JEWS IN P.VRIS. (April 15.) This morning (Monday), Mr Evans from Edinburgh, and other excellent friends to whom we were In- troduced, assisted us in our inquiries and forwarded all our arrangements. In regard to the Jews, we found that the}' are not numerous, and are mostly infidels. They have a sy- nagogue, and it is here that Rabbi Cahen has published his translation of the Old Testament, a work so imbued with Neology, that many even of his own congregation are disgusted with it. Frederic Monod said, that there had been elForts made for the conversion of the Jews, but with no success. He knew of no instance of real conversion among them in Paris. They are scattered through the mass of the population, and thus are lost to the Christian eye — and hence, in some degree, we may account for the comparatively little interest taken in this people by Christians here. The eye of the Christian in Paris rests on the masses of infidelity, and when he sees these, " he is moved with compassion," and can look no farther. Paris is by many supposed to be " the street of the great city," re- ferred to in the Book of Revelation.' Its daily scenes of open iniquity, as well as the tremendous crimes of the past, well known throughout the world, may entitle it to this awful pre- eminence. We were struck with the luxury and thoughtless- ness of this great city. In its commonest hotels are seen in- dications of plenty ; and the piled up rolls of white bread often reminded us of that feature of Sodom, " fulness of bread and abundance of idleness was in her ;" " therefore, they were haughty, and committed abomination before me.'"^ We saw some splendid buildings. The Church of the Mag- dalene — The Palaces — The Pillar in the Place Vendome, and many others. We had time to walk round the city and see some of its magnificence. But even had this been Babylon with its hanging gardens and walls of brass, we would rather have found out Israel by the river-side, hanging their harps on the willows, than gazed on the trophies of Atheism and the abodes of guilt. (April 16.) On Tuesday afternoon we set out for Chalons- sur-Saone. While riding up the banks of the Seine and across the Marne, the country was very pleasant. Beautiful villages seem to be characteristic of French scenery. One or two handsome chateaux appear, with gilded railings according to French taste. Such country-seats, however, are few, a fact 1 Rev. XI. 8. 2 Ezek. xvi. 40. M. TROVES — CHATILLON — DI.TOV. 9 that quite accords with the national gaiety, to which rural calm would be a burden. When we awoke next morning, we were approaching Troyes, a decayed- looking town, containing 28,000 inhabi- tants. The white and red blossoms of the cherry, the apri- cot, and the peach trees, met the eye in every garden we passed. Vineyards were now more frequent, the vines just beginning to bud. Bundles of sticks were lying ready to sup ■ port them, when they should begin to sprout. In the plains, a field of vines and a field of wheat generally alternate, af- fording the necessaries and luxuries of life,' corn and wine. Some of the fields are ploughed in the circular manner, as in the Carse of Gowrie. We then came to the Aiibe, another tributary of the Seine, within view of some gently rising hills. There were with us in the diligence two young Roman Catholic lads, very open and amiable, with whom we got into free conver- sation. As we were distributing tracts from the windows to the people that passed by, one of them ofifered to join us in our employment, and both seemed happy at being presented with tracts for themselves. Indeed, one of them took a good supply with him to distribute in Lyons, where he resides. About sunset we reached Chatillon-sur- Seine. Walking onward beyond the town, while the postilions were changing horses, we found it a quiet peaceful spot, — the scenery re- sembling the banks of the Jed a little above Jedburgh. In this district, and indeed along all our journey, we observed how carefully in France a church has been attached to every small village. Popery has here allowed none to escape its grasp, nor grudged to bring its ordinances to the door of the poorest villagers. We reached Dijon about half-past six in the morning, and made up for the uncomfortable rest of the diligence by a few hours' sleep at the Hotel de la Galere. The town is marked out by a remarkably slender, tapering spire shooting up from the cathedral. About midday we called upon the Protestant clergyman, M. Alfonse Frontin, a young man labouring pa- tiently for the truth. He has the charge of the Protestant po- pulation, who amount to 200 souls, but they are very lifeless. He told us (and we found his information verified by an in- telligent member of his congregation), that there are about 400 Jews here. None of the French Protestants in the town I >»sa. IV. 7. 10 JEWS IN DIJON — ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIK.ST, have ever turned their attention to Israel, but M. Oster> the Jewish missionary from Strasburg, has visited the place. M. Frontin went with us to the house of Moses Israel, the Rab- bi, a feeble old man, of no education, and very poor. A young Jew was our guide, who at first bitterly opposed all we said on the subject of religion, but soon became interested, and at parting took some tracts, at the same time positively refusing any remuneration for his trouble in going about with us. When M. Oster was here, he visited the synagogue, desiring to speak in a friendly way with the Jews ; but they treated him very ill, and many even followed him through the streets and threw back his tracts. In the evening, while preparing to set out, one of us met a pleasant little boy, looking at the diligence, who eagerly accepted the offer of a book suited to his age. Soon after he returned, bringing with him an old man, dressed in a blue frock, for whom he asked a tract. This old man was his father, and the father and son were Jeivs ! The father looked at our He- brew Bible, and read some verses aloud. We gave him the life of Dr Cappadose and a New Testament in French — both of which he took with as much joy as his little boy, shaking hands with us more than once at the window of the diligence. At the same time, another man came forward and asked one of our Hebrew tracts : he proved to be a Jew going to Lyons, but sceptical in his views, like most of the Jews in France. With him we had some conversation at va- rious periods of our journey, and gave him the Life of Cap- padose on leaving his company. At the Table d'hote, the young Roman Catholic had men- tioned his conversations with us, and recommended the tracts which we were giving away. The consequence was, that be- fore the vehicle had started a person came running down froip the inn, to get some for the use of the company. At length, fairly seated, we found a Roman Catholic priest in our company. With him we conversed sometimes in French, sometimes in Latin, on various topics, chiefly, how- over, on the subject of peace luith Ood. He received from us, and read the tract " La bonne Nouvelle." At sunset, taking out his prayer-book, he requested to be left to himself for a little, and having completed his evening devotions, con- versed with us for nearly two hours longer, occasionally with eome warmth. CHALONS — SAIL ON THE SAOXE. 11 At half-past five next morning, we were at Chalons, whero we had to wait two hours for the steam-boat at a miserable inn, " Hotel des Diligences." We heard that there are a few lively Protestants here. At seven we embarked on the Saone, a river that flows so quietly, that it is difficult to tell which way it runs. Our voyage from Chalons to Lyons cost no more than 2^ francs each, though the distance is about 100 railes — there being an opposition steam-boat on the river. The group on board was interesting. There were peasants from Grenoble with broad straw hats, frocks, and wooden shoes ; soldiers in the showy uniform of France ; sailors with the Italian cap, brown or red ; three Roman Catholic priests with the three-cornered hat, black bands with white edge, black cloak and sash, and buckles in their shoes ; and women with the Swiss bonnet, that seemed to be falling over the forehead. The sail was delightful, the day warm and clear. Many of the sloping vineyards on the banks reminded us of Isaiah's expression/ " My beloved hath a vineyard on a horn the son of oil ;" i. e. a little hill projecting like a horn, with its soil rich and fertile. Tournou is a picturesque lit- tle town, on the right bank of the river, having a cathedral with two fantastic spires. We afterwards learned, that the Spirit has lately been quickening a few souls there. Maqon, half-way down the Saone, is a large town with a handsome bridge over the river. It was after leaving this town, that we first saw the snowy ridge of the Lower Alps, and part of the Jura range, in the direction of Geneva. We next sailed past Trevoux, romantically situated ; its old walls and battle- ments hanging over the river, and the church perched upon a rock. The banks are beautifully lined with white stone. It was once the resort of a famous literary society. About five o'clock, the boat reached Lyons. The approach is very picturesque, and becomes at last magnificent. The river seems to run along a passage cut through high solid rocks into the heart of the town. On one of the high rising grounds that meet the eye in sailing up, stood the Roman amphitheatre where Blandina was put to death. Some re- mains of it stUl exist, and the house of Pothinus is pointed out in the city. We took up our abode in the Hotel de VEurope, and were soon visited bj M. Cordes, the devoted Protestant minister, 1 ]ba. V. 1. 12 LYONS — JEWS — SAIL TO AVIGNON. who invited us to spend the day with him. M. Cordes, in going through the town, pointed out the market-place, where the five Swiss young men were burned at the tune of the Re- formation ; and showed us Peter Waldo's street, which is still called " Maudite" i. e. accursed. Some streets of lofty houses reminded us of the venerable piles of building in the old town of Edinburgh. There are 200,000 souls here, and the trade is very great. There are 6000 Protestants, and several Protestant clergy ; but none evangelical or orthodox except M. Cordes. M. Adolphe Monod, now professor at Montauban, was once pas- tor here, but was expelled from communion by the Neologian pastors. M. Cordes succeeded, and has now a church of his own. He has 400 hearers, very lively Christians ; and there have been many conversions under his ministry. God re- members his ancient witnesses in Lyons. " This Mount Zion ivherein thou hast dwelt,"^ is not an unmeaning or unavailing plea, whether offered for the land of Israel, or for other places once visited by the Spirit. There are about 400 French Protestant clergy in the kingdom, but of these scarcely half are orthodox. Of late, faithful pastors have been on the increase, and Evangelical Protestant congregations have been formed at Chalons, Ma9on, and Trevoux, the places we passed to-day. The Jews have a synagogue here. Mr "Wilson, a Christian friend of M. Cordes, told us that he went round with M. Oster, and found tifty Jewish families, most of whom were sceptical in their opinions. He knew of only one con- vert, a young man, who had gone to Montlimart to follow a trade. There are, however, some Jewish children at the Protestant school, eight at the week-day and three at the in- fant school. If they had means, the number might be in- creased. Next morning (Saturday, April 20) we sailed down the rapid Rhone for Avignon, a distance of about 100 miles. Again the Lower Alps appeared on our left — beautiful in the light of the morning sun — some of them snow-clad at the summit. The scenery on the river is exceedingly beautiful, and continues full of interest, until the frequency of similar views makes the eye weary. There is more majesty in the scenery of this river than on the Saone. Hills and rocks en- close it. The vineyards on its banks are very frequent, raised 1 Psa. Lxxiv 3. THE RHONE AVIGNON — BEUCAIRE. 13 on terraces, liie the steps of an amphitheatre. Sometimes the hills are bleak and wild, reminding us of Glencoe and others of our native mountains. Sometimes there is a tine open country, studded with towns and villages, villas, and gardens. Next to the city we had left, we felt deepest interest in sailing past Vienne, close to the river-side on the left, early renowned, along with Lyons, for its martyrs, and its devoted Christians, whose calm and heavenly spirit is so beautifully manifest in their letter to the Church of Smyrna. An intel- ligent passenger pointed our eye to a very precipitous hiU among the Al2ys : " It is at the foot of this hill that Provenc* begins." "We passed the mouth of the Isere, flowing into the Rhone, and came to Fa/e»ce, pleasantly situated — a place where Napoleon spent a great part of his youth. We next passed in sight of Montlimart, a town resembling Abernethy on the Tay. We were continually sailing under bridges, of which there are seventeen across this river. One of these, called Port Saint 1' Esprit, is a ycry splendid one, and has eighteen arches, each large arch including in it a smaller one, that the water may flow through unimpeded. It spans the river at a very broad point. We often met long trains of horses or mules, perhaps sixty in a train, dragging a chain of boats laden with merchandise up the river; and once or twice an immense hay-stack was conveyed up the stream in this manner. It was five o'clock when we reached the celebrated Avignon, an ancient palace of the Popes of France. Indeed, it seems a town of ruined palaces and towers. Every thing combined to make us feel the exquisite beauty of its situation. The evening was calm, the air soft, the sky clear ; the trees, in which the town is embosomed, wore their most refreshing verdure ; the clock sounded from the tower amidst the still- ness, reminding us of the, vesper-bell. The Alj^s in the dis- tant background, and the splendid river, completed the scene. But our object was not to linger over scenery, or enjoy his- torical memorials. We needed to be self-denied. Accord- ingly, we sailed on to Beucaire, and there during night ex changed our vessel, and moved onward to the mouth of tne Rhone. In the vessel, we found that the hell had a cross on it with this inscription, " Situomen Dei benedictum," (Blessed be the name of God). It was one of the baptized bells of Popery. We soon reached Aries, an old town, full of anti- quities, though none are of much importance. After that 14 ARI.es — ISLAND AT MOUTH OF RHONT!. point, the scenery becomes totally uninteresting. Our En- gineer was an Englishman, who seeing us distributing tracta to the passengers, became very zealous in the same work. He was a steady Protestant by profession, though it was now ten years since he came to this station, and during all that timo had been only twice in a place of worship. When nine leagues from Aries, and as many from Mar- seilles, at the mouth of the Rhone, about nine o'clock a. m., the steamer was completely stopped in its progress. A wind, called the Mestrael, which had not retarded the boat foi eighteen months before, met us in the face ; and the current joining with this adverse force, made the vessel unmanageable. It was immediately resolved to cast anchor close by an island at the mouth of the Rhone — a small, flat island, very barren and sandy. This done, we all landed, waiting till the wind should change. We found no cultivation on the island. About twenty asses were feeding on rushes. The inhabitants consisted of twelve or sixteen families of fishermen ; their huta were formed of rushes, each hut surmounted by a cross on the roof, as a protection from storms and other accidents. A few of the huts had vines (though not luxuriant) growing at the door, and forming arbours. There was also one fig-tree on the island, a proof of the mildness of the climate. The language used by the people is neither French nor Italian, but a mix- ture of both. They have no church nor school nearer than Aries or Marseilles. Only a very few could read French and understand it ; however, as these few might be readers to the rest, we were anxious to leave tracts among them. The Engineer made his appearance, offering to go to every house with them. One tract, " Religion de V Argent'" (the Money- Religion) — a satirical exposure of Popery — was got hold of by a French captain, who read it aloud to a crowd of by- standers. The Engineer, not content with his day's work, asked us to send him more from home, and he would distri- bute them at various times in the course of his voyages. " What would it be to England (said he) to send a man to preach the truth in every village of France ?" Some of us went apart among the grass and rushes for prayer and read- ing the Scriptures. We did this in the forenoon, and again at evening, with the Rhone at our feet, in the soft air, with a clear sky above, and perfect stillness round. That night we had no other couch than the floor of the cabin. MARSEILLES — JEWISH RARBI. 15 Before morning the wind changed, and by half-past eight ire reached Marseilles, where we fcand rest at the Hotel dii Pavilion. The approach to the city from the sea is magni- ficent — high hills or rather rocks form the west side of the entrance, and deep blue waters — deep even in the midst of the harbour — floated up the vessel to its anchorage. The harbour is formed by the sea running into a natural basin, which is always full, the ebb of the tide being less than six feet deep. It is defended by very strong fortifications, and these are splendidly built. Ships from all nations ride at anchor in the harbour, and people of all countries are found in its streets. The population is 150,000 — of these only 2000 are even nominally Protestant. They have, however, three evangelical pastors, with a Sabbath school attended by 60 children, and a week-day school attended by 50 girls and 40 boys — both of very recent origin. This information was given to us by one of the pastors, M. Monod. We found time to call on the Rabbi, a smart Frenchman. Though a Jew, his opinions are those of the Neologians. He denies the fall of man, believes that the curse on the ground was a blessing, and that a new heart means the improvement of the mind. He rejects the Talmud, and though he does not avow his rejection of the Bible, yet denies the restoration of Israel to their own land ; and disbelieves the promise of a Messiah, on the ground that the good of the universe, and not of one nation, is what we are to look for. Most of the young Jews here are quite given up to the world, and cherish infidel views. The Rabbi was willing to take tracts — was proud to shew his synagogue — and said that there were about 1000 Jews in the town. We got more information in the evening ; but there is very little to interest a friend of Israel here. We had by this time ascertained that a steamer had sailed for Malta the day before, and that we must wait ten days for another. We resolved, therefore, to spend the time in visit- ing as much of Italy as we could. A boat was about to sail for Leghorn called the " Sully," in which we embarked, en- joying a most beautiful day, and smooth sea. The vessel coasted the shore, which is bold and precipitous. We had a near view of Toulon, the bay of the French navy, and the place where Napoleon first pointed the cannon. Its harbour is shut in by hills, and strongly fortified. The Isle of Hieres next came in sight, whose salubrious cli- 16 SAIL TO LEGHORN — ALLASIO — GENOA.. mate draws invalids to its shores. The scenery continued rocky and picturesque — the waters deep blue, and calm — " a glassy sea." At night the moon rose clear, and the stars were very brilliant ; the waters glittered with peculiar bright- ness under such a firmament. We united in prayer in the cabin, and " slept in peace, for God sustained us." At seven next morning we were on the coast of Italy. Nu- merous villages attracted tht eye, built of stone that seemed remarkably white and clean, especially under the morning smi. Otneglia, Allasio, Albcnya, were all successively pointed out close to the waler-edge ; — the olive-clad Alps [Alpes mari- tiniae) pressing hard upon them in the background. Allasio stands on a hill, and the spire of its church is a fine object. The hills round these towns are dotted with villas, and this continued to be the aspect of the coast till we reached Genoa. Italy is indeed a beautiful region, but " gross darkness covers its people." The Engineer of our vessel, a pious Presbyte- rian of the Synod of Ulster, agreed to circulate tracts on board, if we would send a supply ; and proposed to give them to the other engineers along this coast, all of whom are EnglishmeS' and Protestants. We entered the splendid bay of Genoa about midday. The finest view of Genoa is from the sea. The eye is almost dazzled in wandering round the bay, by the irregular tiers of marble palaces, fantastic towers, and spires, the remnants of ancient days. The whiteness of the marble and the bright colouring of many of the houses, has a very striking appear- ance. Steep sloping hills enclose it from behind, and it is walled and fortified on every side ; the cannon pointing down upon the town. Entering the harbours, the galley-slaves loaded with chains attracted our attention. They work in a floating machine, like the tread-mill, used for bringing up the mud of the harbour. They are sentenced by fiction of law, not for life, but for 120 years. On landing we were examined by the Police. Our nameti and the place where we meant to lodge in the city were de- manded, betraying a jealousy which made us feel that we were no longer in a free country. We took up our residence at the Hotel Croix de St Malte. The streets of Genoa are very narrow, and delightfully cool. Originally carriages could not go along them, but now some of thorn aro made a little broader. Most of the houses have pilas- GEJrOA POPiJRT. 17 ters and entrances of white marble. Some are entirely built of marble. One lately built by Paganini was pointed out to us. It is very common to see pictures fixed into the walls on the outside of the houses, in the porches, and even in the in- terior of hotels. Among these, the picture of Andrea Doria frequently occurs. The appearance of the inhabitants attracted our notice. The females wear a beautiful veil, which covers the back part of the head and the shoulders, meeting over the breast. Some wear it of a fine white, some of bright variegated colours ; to ail it gives a clean, tidy appearance. The number of Ecclesiastics here is remarkable. We met twenty-eight in the priests' dress in a ten minutes' walk. Of these many are not priests, but all are connected with the ecclesiastical office. We here also, for the first time, met with sandaled Monks, bare-headed, rough- looking men, the Dominicans in a brown, and the Franciscans in a black dress ; the rude cord round the waist and pendent crucifix, the bare head, and cowl, marking them all. It was new to us to see oranges growing in the open air, often in flower-pots set upon the terrace or balcony, and everywhere in the gardens. In the evening we enjoyed a walk in the promenade, adorned with shady trees, marble seats, and a fine jet d'eau, while hoarse croaking frogs re- minded ns of Virgil's " ranae raucae." We ascended a forti- fied place, and looked down upon the town. We observed the olive, the vine, and the lemon, in the gardens, and the dark shady cypress in the church-yards. The evening bells were ringing, and every tower seemed to send forth a sound. Re- turning, we saw the fine effect of moonlight on marble build- ings, giving them a soft and pleasing tinge. At the corner of every street a lamp was lighted up before a picture of Ma- donna, and an offering of fresh flowers laid before it. We also met the fashionables issuing forth to the spectacle or theatre, a page lighting their steps with a bright silk lantern, all as in- tent on pleasure, as if the day of Babylon's doom was afar off. " They glorify themselves, and live deliciously ; they say in their heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow."^ (April 25.) We began our inquiries yesterday, but received fuller information this day. We called upon the Swies Pro- testant minister, who received us kindly\ Genoa contains Rev. xviii. }. 18 JEWS IN GENOA. from 90,000 to 100,000 inhabitants. Of these, only 25 arfl British residents, and 150 Swiss, and these have one place of worship between them. He told us that they are allowed to worship only by the sufferance of Government : they are strictly watched, and no Italian would be allowed to join their communion, even tliough convinced of the truth. He ap- peared to be sadly disheartened. Happy day when Evangel- ists shall be permitted to stand and proclaim the truth in the streets of Genoa ! We waited upon the English Consul, who introduced us to Signor Becchi, the vice-consul, a Roman Catholic, but a very mild, candid, amiable man. He and a young English gentleman, a merchant from Ancona, gave us information regarding the Jews. They have a synagogue here, out there are only about 250 residents. The reason of there being so law. is said to be, that " one Genoese has cun- ning enough to eucat two Jews." So they say of Lucca, that " one Luccese can overreach three Jews." The Jews here are not strict in their religious observances, but often do business on their Sabbath, and several of them have become Roman Catholics. Only three or four months ago, a family of seven were baptized with great pomp, simply for the sake of worldly gain. There was also recently a Jewish child baptized in the Protestant church ; but the reason was, that the mother was a Protestant, and had made that agree- ment at her marriage. There are not more than four or five Jewish families of wealth and respectability in the town. Signor Becchi introduced us to a Jew from Gibraltar, named Moses Parienti, an elderly man, of an amiable disposi- tion, and one who was well acquainted with his nation. His beard was undressed, which he begged us to excuse, as he was then mourning for the recent death of his wife. He told us, that in Genoa there are few learned Jews, and most of them are poor. He reckoned about fifty families ; but many move from place to place. They are not now, he said, admitted to the casinos (clubs), although formerly they were ; at which exclusion many of the citizens expressed regret. He knows that, in Italy, Roman Catholics are willing to receive Jewish children and baptize them, if the nurses do (what is some- times done) carry them off, and take them to a priest ; and, according to his statement, throughout all Tuscany, the Jews enjoy perfect freedom. He represented Leghorn as the chief place in Italy for them, and thought that there were nearly JEWS IN YTALY. 19 14,000 there, witli forty managers to take charge of their invil concerns, and a flourishing school for boys and girls. He offered us letters to Signore Abodram and Franchetti, who are at the head of the nation there. There are no Jews at Civita Vecchia. The King of Naples allows none to dwel'. in his dominions. There are none in Sardinia, because that island was part of the Spanish kingdom of Arragon, from which all were expelled. Not long ago, a Jew named Israel went there in disguise, but was at last forced to flee. There are none in Corsica. The French do not forbid it, but the native population are bigoted to excess. At J/iYan there are 1500, and some have property in land. At Verona, Pavia, Padua, Parma, and Venice, a good number are found. At Florence and Modena, there are a few ; and at Pina also ; but the families there are chiefly from Leghorn. At Fer- rara, Becchi reckoned about 4000 souls. At Tiii'in there are 50 Spanish, and 1500 German Jews ; the latter of whom have a fine synagogue, and use a different liturgy from the Spanish. At Nice there are 400 or 500, and many of them from England. Nine months ago, an order was issued by government to put them in ghetto ; but the Prussian Consul there being a Jew refused to go, and his remonstrances had the effect of leaving the matter undetermined. At Lucca none are allowed to settle, but many reside for a short time. Every three months they must get from the Duke a new per- mission to remain. Through all Piedmont they enjoy con- siderable liberty ; and hence Jews are found at Trieste, Cas- sagli, Asti, Alcssai^dria, Acqui, and Cuneo. At Rome, there are 5000 or 6000 who live in ghetto ; and though much op- pressed, yet still remain, because they make money. At Gib- raltar there used to be 6000 families, but these are now re- duced to 2000. At Corfu there are many. A few at Athens. The Portuguese consul-general there. Signer Pacifico, was a Jew from Lisbon. Signer Becchi spoke of the contributions made by the Jews for the Holy Land. They keep boxes in the syna- gogues, over which it is written, " For Jemsalem" or, " For Saphet," &c. ; and at a certain time, a commissioner is ap- pointed to see what these contain, and to send the contents to the Holy Land. The Jews of Italy write pure Hebrew, and not Italian in Hebrew characters. He said they write really li'lpil pub (lashon hakkodesh), " the holy tongue." 20 LEGHORN. The English gentleman from Ancona gave us much infor- mation regarding the Jews of that city. He thought that there were about 4000 there, or nearly one-fifth of the whole population, which is 24,000. They are scrupulous about en- gaging in business on their Sabbath, and as fair in their deal- ings as any in the town. At Lent and Good Friday, they are "iliut up in their houses ; and their quarter of the town is called ghetto, &S at Rome. There are other oppressions to which they are subjected ; yet still they continue in the town, be- cause they make money, the native population being stupid and indolent. They are not allowed to visit casinos, nor to buy land ; but many of them have villas. Mr Lewis Waye spent six or eight months there, and often visited their syna- gogues. Most of the young men are deists, and devoted to the world. It is said that occasionally Roman Catholics get hold of their children and baptize them, and then they must be brought up as Christians, "We afterwards mounted up a steep path to the north of Genoa, and came upon a fine view of the Liguriaia Hills. A lovely valley watered by a rivulet lay beneath, the hills on all sides terraced for vines. Villages were scattered here and there, and six churches were in sight. At six in the even- ing, we bade farewell to Genoa. It is a lovely town, but the shadow of death rests upon it. Popery reigns undisturbed, holding all in chains. (April 26.) Early this morning, we cast anchor in the harbour of Leghorn. The morning was misty and rainy, un- like the sky of Italy, and the town appeared flat and cheer- less. Sailing up a canal into the heart of the town, we soon after found ourselves comfortably settled in the San Marco Alb&rgo, a hotel kept by a Scotsman, Mr D. Thomson, Avell known to us for the kindness which he shewed to our country- man, Rev, Mr Martin, minister of St George's, Edinburgh, dur- ing his last illness. He and Mrs Thomson received us most cordially, and we found their house a home indeed. Hearing that Leghorn was a free port, we thought that it might be free to receive the gospel ; and accordingly, without reserve, gave tracts to each of the eight men who carried up our lug- gage, and to some bystanders. Scarcely, however, had an hour elapsed, when an officer appeared at tlie inn, making inquiry if we were the persons who hud been distributing books. Our box of books and tracts, and our bag of Hebrew LEGHORN — REV, MR MARTIN. 21 hooks, were immediately sealed up and carried off, and tlie two elder members of the Deputation summoned to appear before the Commissary of Police without delay. After a long examination, it was decided that the books and tracts be sent to the Censor at Florence, and that until his report be made, we be dismissed. Sitting at table in the afternoon, Mr Thomson gave us some particulars of Mr INIartin's death. He had said, that he wished to die at home, or if not at home, in such a house as this, for his own father kept an inn, and it reminded him of home. The Sabbath before he died, when told that it was Sabbath, he said, " Yes, this is the day that the Lord hath made ;" and turning to Mr Thomson, " This is your Communion — you will tell me at night what you hear." In the beginning of the week he asked Mr T. to read to him. He read John xiv., and had scarcely finished the chapter, when he asked, " What is a free port ?" On its being explained : " Is there any difficulty, then, in landing 100 Bibles ?" This was among the last things he said. His desire was complied with. Another interesting case occurred here, of a young man named Kennedy from Glasgow, travel- ling for his health, and who had been visiting Rome. He was thoughtless in the extreme ; but his gay companion, on leaving him said, that now he had better turn to his Bible. This remark led him to the Scriptures. When he arrived at Leghorn, he seemed to undergo a completo change of heart, and died here full of peace and joy. We had an opportunity the following day of visiting the English Cemetery. It is filled with many beautiful monu- ments of the purest marble, and is kept like a garden, pro- fusely planted with the rose, the cypress, and the weeping wil- low. We visited the graves of Smollett and Horner, at a little distance from which, a palm-tree guides to the spot where the remains of Mr Martin are laid. There is a plain marble monument over the grave", with an inscription written by Dr Chalmers. The tomb of J. Wentworth Murray, who died at Florence in 1821, has this simple inscription, full of meaning to surviving friends, " For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee." Leghorn is a flourishing commercial port, visited annually by 300 ships from Britain alone, but the state of religion ^s very low. There is a handful of Swiss and German Protes- 22 LEGHORN I'OPERY. tants ; but not a single instance has occurred of a native Ita- lian openly renouncing Poperv. One reason for this may le found in the law of the country, which strictly forbids apos- tacy from the Romish faith. And another reason, no less powerful, is to be found in the licentiousness of Protestants in Italy. The English in that country are generally gay and dissolute, regardless of all religion. One of the most profli- gate Italian towns is Florence, and the English residents take the lead in dissipation. Hence it has become an almost uni- versal impression, that Protestantism is the way to infidelity. It is to be feared, that a great number of the young Romish priests are infidels at heart, and many are great gamblers. On the other hand, some appear to be conscien- tious men, and exemplary in their lives, and several private persons of their community seem to be really Christians. The sincere priests preach most vehemently against prevailing vices. We were told of one who a few days before, preaching against breaking the Sabbath, spoke in this way : " Some of you will say, I have a dispensation from the Bishop or from the Pope ; but I say this is the word of God, and the Bishop or the Pope is nothing to the word of God." "We heard of another priest who began with the sins of the government, and then spoke of the sins of the priesthood in a most severe man- ner. He said, '' Ye should be the light of the world, and what are ye but darkness ? Ye should be the salt of the earth, and what are ye but salt without savour, ruining your own souls and the souls of others ?" The priesthood in Italy are in a great measure losing their hold upon the people, and confession is greatly neglected. We were told of a priest a fortnight before, who preached to the people, that it was lawful for a wife in certain circumstance?' to steal from her husband ; if he was a spendthrift and ne- glected her, she should take what she needed. On being after- wards asked by a Protestant gentleman how he could preach such doctrines to the people, and if it would not be better that the wife should tell her case to the church ? " Tlie church !" 6aid the priest ; " they care as much for the church as you do." We heard of another priest preaching in this manner : " Confession is so neglected among you, that you are a mock- ery to the Jews. A Jew the other day missed some money : he knew that none but a Catholic had been near him, so ho Wcat and charged him witli i The man denied having LEGHORN — SABBATH IN ITALY. 23 touched the money. ' Well,' said the Jew, ' when do you go to confession ?' ' Confession !' said the Italian, ' I never confess.' Ah, then,' said the Jew, ' I will neve^' see my money again.' " If any thing is done to overthrow Popery in Italy, it must be done through the priesthood ; for if books are introduced among the people without their knowledge, they soon find it out, their jealousy is set on fire, and their enmity increased. We heard here, that many of the Romish Clergy have ex- pressed great joy at the spread of Puseyism in England. During the time of our visit, the canonization of four new saints expected shortly to take place at Rome, engrossed much of the public conversation. At Monte Nero, three miles from town, there is a famous shrine of the IMadonna, to which pil- grimages are made at all times. Tlie Dominicans lately found an image of the Virgin there, which has brought their order into great repute. When the Pope visited Leghorn several years ago, the great square of the town presented a scene worthy of being noticed. An immense multitude crowded the square to excess. The Pope appeared, and all fell on their knees. His holiness then stood over the kneel- ing multitude and pronounced his benediction. It was one of those scenes which irresistibly led the spectator to the pro- phetic words regarding the Man of Sin, " He, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God,"' We spent the Jewish Sabbath in making acquaintance with some intelligent Jews, of whose information we hoped to avail ourselves in the beginning of the week. On our own Sabbath (April 28) we attended service at the English Chap- laincy. In the evening, Dr Black preached in the hotel, in the large room, next that in which Mr Martin died, to a nu merous audience, chiefly of our own countrymen. All the day long, the town was full of bustle and gaiety. The ringing of bells, and the music of the military, dissipated the Sabbath stillness. Popery has abolished the fourth commandment, as effectually as it has done the second. Instead of teaching '• Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy," they teach by precept and by example, " Remember to keep holy the festivals."^ I n Thess. ii. 4. » In the Italian Catechism, composed by order of Clement VIII., entitlea * Dottrina Christiana breve," republished at Rome 1838, whicli we bought ai Civita Vecchia, these words are given iustead of the fourth conimandmeu« ** Ilicordati di santiticare le Teste." 14 lEGHORX — JEWISH SYNAGOGUE. In passing along the streets to the Chaplaincy, we observed with a shudder criminals at work cleaning the streets, chained one to another, and having their crimes stamped upon their backs. One was marked, " Furto violento" (robbery); another, " Uxorcidio" (killing his wife) ; another, " Omicidia in rissa" (manslaughter in a quarrel). On Friday evening, and frequently during our stay, we visited the synagogue. It is a large handsome building, and reckoned the finest in Europe, with the exception of that of Amsterdam. There are two galleries for women, one above the other, the lattice-work of which is beautiful. The place of the ark is lined with variegated marble ; the door veiled with a curtain of black velvet, flowered with silver, and having a motto from the Psalms. The reading-desk is also of marble : — the velvet cloth bearing the motto, •' The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul." There were perhaps 500 Jews present, but few seemed to take any in- terest in the service. Close by the ark stood two Orientals, dressed in eastern costume, venerable men, with long grey beards, lately come from Jerusalem. Many came to them to kiss their hand, and get it laid upon their head. Others also gave this benediction. Near the two Easterns, stood another Jew of some emi- nence from Saloniki. Jews from Greece, Barbary, Turkey, Syria, and Arabia, are often here, as we learned from an English Jew whom we met in the synagogue. At the door, for the first time we observed the box for alms, having the word npl2i (tsedaka), " alms," over It, and another with this Ir II inscription ^^iri ^i^lli'^ Vn{*?i t^^* ^^ — " ^^^ ^^^ \xcl^ of Israel, let it (the temple) be built and erected speedily in our days." The whole population of Leghorn in 1835. including the suburbs, was 76,397, and the Jews at that time in all Tus- cany were reckoned at 648G. Now (1839), in Leghorn alone there are 9000 or 10,000 Jews, some of them among the most wealthy men in the land. They have much influence over the ofoverHment, and most of them are very liberal in their religious opinions. From the printed statistics of the Tuscan States, we ga- thered the following facts. " The Papal States having dis- couraged the Jews, they have flocked into Tuscany. The KABBI BOLaFFI. 26 Duke of Tuscany granted land to the Jews in a marshy dis- trict, called Maremne, on condition of their cultivating it. About a thousand siccate of land were taken by the Jews for the purpose of colonization, near the town of Follonica, and nearly 300 labourers employed in clearing away brushwood, trees, &c. It was proposed to divide the district into twelve podere or separate estates, and erect a villa, or fattoria, to superintend the whole." The Jewish schoolmaster at Leg- horn informed us that this project had not succeeded, and that very few Jews had offered to settle there. It seems vain to try to plant Israel any where till they be planted again upon their own land.^ There are occasionally conversions to Popery among tliem from interested views. But about three years ago, there oc- curred a sincere and somewhat singular conversion. A Jew of influence and education declared that he was led to em- brace Christianity in a manner that resembles Dr Cappadose'e account of his change. lie immediately renounced the world, and is now in a monastery at Sienna, where he occasionally preaches. On the forenoon of Monday (April 29), we visited an Eastern Rabbi, named Bolaffi, whose acquaintance we had made on Saturday. He was seated on a sofa in the Eastern fashion. His dress was that of the East — his appearance im- posing, and his action and elocution were very striking. We found him frank, intelligent, and learned. He liked better, however, to speak on general subjects than on religion ; but at length did enter into some religious discussion. We spoke of the nature of Messiah. Bolaffi said, " He is to be a king, and a prophet, but not a priest." We quoted Psalm ex. He denied that to be spoken of Messiah ; and thought that David was meant. We maintained his divine nature, and among other passages quoted Isaiah ix. 6. He admitted that the rendering " Mighty God" was justified by the Hebrew, but evaded the application, by bidding us notice that the Prophet says only, he shall be " namccV^ so. He argued that the Pro- testants ought to return to the observance of the seventh day aa their Sabbath, because the change was an act of the Romish church. We came back to more vital questions, and referred to Psalm LI, " Purge me with hyssop." He got away from this by turning his remarks to pl^T (ruach), " Spirit," arguing that I Amos !X. la. 26 LEGHORN — JEWISH LIBRARY AND SCHOOL. the word applied even to beasts. As to the way of pardon, he maintained that repentance was all that was needed, quot- ing 2d Samuel, where David said, " I have sinned," and Na- than answered, " The Lord hath put away thy sin."' He had read the New Testament, and his knowledge of it enabled him to object that Christ was not Prince of peace, because he himself says, " I am not come to send peace, but a sword." He contended that the Sabbath should be so kept that a fire ought not to be lighted on that day even in Siberia. At part- ing, he said, " Christians shut us out of Paradise, but we think that all who do good works may enter, whether they be Catho- lics, Mahometans, or Protestants." Each of us in turn had joined in the conversation ; but Dr Black was the chief speaker, being able to use the Italian language very fluently. We left him and went to see the Jews' Library. Seve- ral volumes lay open on the table, and many Jews were in the room. Those present vied with each other in shewing us He- brew works upon geography, mathematics, and the sciences. They brought out a Hebrew copy of Euclid, and a Hebrew translation of Philo, and said that they had Josephus also translated into Hebrew, When we had taken a sufficient survey of their books, they led us to their School — a large, commodious buUding. The classes are arranged after the Lancasterian plan, and there is a regular gradation from those learning the letters and the sound of the vowel-points, to those who translate Hebrew into Italian. There are masters to teach drawing, music, history, geography, and writing. Eng- lish and French are given in the upper classes. Each teacher has a large black board, and the alphabet, syllables, vowel- points, and short sentences are taught from large sheets hung up on the wall, exactly as in our own schools. We found 180 Jewish boys and 80 girls attending the school, all educated free of expense. The advanced boys and girls translated Ita- lian into Hebrew, and vice versa, in our presence with great ^uency. The young men in tlie Talmudical class read and vranslated the 1st chapter of Isaiah with Aben Ezra's Com- mentary.^ Next day we paid Rabbi Bolaffi a second visit. He was affable and polite as before. Six or eight Jews were present in the room. One of us hajjpening to sneeze, he immediately exclaimed, '* Santa !" and another Jew " Felicita !" that is, 1 u Sam. xiL 18. t See Appendix, No. L RABBIS BOX-AFFl Ai*D PIPERNO. 2? good lucJc. After a few remarks on a book whicli he had ii his hand, he stated some of the objections he had to tht New Testament. They were such as tliese : — Paul advisee a man to remain in the religion wherein he was found, where- as he himself circumcised Timothy, contrary to his own ad- vice. And again, Timothy's mother could not have been a pious woman, for she had married a heathen. He told us he had himself written against Voltaire's works ; and brought out a map to shew us the absurdity involved in Voltaire's hypothesis of Israel crossing the Red Sea at low tide. His map and his argument were alike curious. "We brought him back to the great question. He argued that a man is free in his will, otherwise he could not be judged for sin ; and assert- ed, as before, that repentance is the method of procuring par- don, referring to God's promise, that as soon as the seed of Israel repent He will bring them home. Another of his ob- jections to the New Testament was, that " First-born" and " Son," to which terms much importance is there attached, are no more than names of affection among the Jews. He understood Zechai-iah's words, " The man that is my fellow," in the same sense ; and Micah v. 2, as proving no more than that Messiah was to be of David's line. "NVe said, " He has come of that line." " No ; even the New Testament does not say that Christ's genealogy can be traced to David ; it only gives Joseph's line." " The genealogies were fully known in Christ's time, and publicly appealed to by the Evangelists. Are .there any in existence now ?" " Yes ; there are some who know their genealogy." "Are there any of the line of David now known ?" He replied with a look of dignity, " Jo sono" — " I am one." Thus ended our interview with this interesting man. He is a fine example of the Jewish Rabbi ; a subtle sophist in argument, — deeply read in the literature of the Hebrews, yet so ignorant of general know- ledge, that he soberly estimated his nation now scattered through the earth at thirty millions. After leaving him we sent for his acceptance several tracts, such as '' The City of Refuge," and " The Life of Cappadose," along with the Ita- lian edition of Dr Keith's work on Prophecy. In the evening we returned to the Library to meet a polite, active, young Rabbi, Abraham Piperno. He shewed us a copy of Elias Levita, dated 1541, and Zemach David. Ho brought out a Hebrew copy of Euclid ; and a Hebrew En- 28 LEGHORN — JEWISH BURYING-GROUNt*. cyclopaedia in five volumes, some of its articles written by liimself. He told us that they have three printing presses in Leghorn. In the course of conversation, we spoke of Isaiah liii, and Daniel ix. His answers were very brief, and consisted of little more than a reference to what we would find in a book called " |"73r);2}>} p'ln" (bizz^k emunah), " Defence of the Faith." He believes in the restoration of Israel to their own land. He was not aware of any Jews from Leghorn having gone to Palestine ; but Chancellor Uzzielli afterwards told us, that occasionally some of the poor and illiterate do so to die there, believing that thus they shall escape imrgatory. Returning to the hotel, another Jew, a teacher of music, waited upon us, bringing with him a servant, who carried for his master a heavy MS. It turned out to be a work written by himself against Voltaire and Volney. We soon began to see that he had some selfish object in view, and that he was more anxious to sell his MS. than to buy the truth as it is in Jesus. Next morning we visited a rich merchant, named Abodram, from Spain, with whom and his family, Mr Neat, once Jewish missionary here, had been on friendly terras. He had heard of our discussion with the Rabbi, which had indeed made a stir throughout the Jewish quarter. He received us politely, and accepted a Spanish copy of Dr Keith's work, but did not seem to care much about the object of our journey. We then proceeded to the Jewish burying-ground, .jy^'2 D"'''rin (beth hahaim), " house of the living," as we found written over the gate. It is large and extensive, and requires to be so, for it is considered unlawful to lay two dead bodies in the same grave. It is a bare, level enclosure ; no cypresses wave over the tombs ; a few goats were skipping through the grass. The Jews are compelled by law to bury their dead either in the morning, or at night by torch-light. The older part of the burying-ground, lying toward the west, is fuUof tombstones, bearing Spanish inscriptions, for the Jews of Leg- horn came originally from Spain. With some natural pride, they point out not a few of these monuments having a coronet graved upon them, which they believe to be the tombs of those among their brethren who were Spanish nobles. L^pon 6ome of the tombs are carved hands spread out to bless — • JEWISH BURYING- GROUNB. 20 marting the grave of a priest ; upon otners a nand pouring water out of a cup — marking the grave of a Levite. At tlu head of almost every gravestone are these expressive letters, pf^j^^jl, that is, " Let his soul be bound up in the bundle q life." Some of the monuments are truncated pillars, which ara intended to point out the grave of a young man cut off in his vigour. One Italian inscription runs thus : Xm VERO SAGGIO ^"^ DALIiA GIGVENTU BELLA POVERTA FORTE SOSTEGNO ISACCO FRANCHETTl QUI RIFOSA. O GENTI, PIANGETE LO, IMITATE LO. MORE DI A. LXX. IL DE XXX APRILS DI 1832, ^&; i. e. one truly wise, the firm stay of W' poverty, lies here. Lament him — Imi- tate him, &c. On the other side, the Hebrew begins thus : " This is the peaceful rest of Signore Isaac Franchetti," &c. On another grave at the east end of the burying- ground, are these simple words in Hebrew : " Funeral Pillar. The pleasant girl of Signora Reigna Andricas, a child of 12 years of age, died," &c. Another epitaph, probably over a rabbi, runs thus : mii^ '\^^ .-rnDn by it: 12V ^iJ3 r\'\^r\ 'hv 1TI3 " Lament over wisdom, which is perished ; Lament over the law, which is a clod of dust ; Lament over light, which is darkened," &c. In our way home, an opportmiity occurred of calling upon a Rabbi from Barbary, who had a large collection of Hebrew books. Most of them were commentaries of obscure Jews, and not in good condition. His wife wore the high, sugar- loaf cap peculiar to the Barbary Jewesses. The Jew who ac 80 LEGIIOr.y JEWISH rOLlTT. companied us shewed us a Hebrew MS., which he says is pro- hibited by the K-abbis, containing the theory that, when Christ conies again he will be Messiah. We had some rea- son to suspect that this was an imposture, and did not pur- chase it. The Chancellor Uzziolli very kindly called upon us, and ^ave us information regarding the civil affairs of the Jews. Of such importance are the Jews here, that their feasts are marked in the Almanac, and if a bill falls due on any of these days, they are not required to pay on that day. They are governed as a community or corporation by forty men, called " Elders." These Elders manage any assessment laid on the nation by government, gathering it from their breth- ren in equable proportions. They also manage cases of di- vorce, which are not frequent. Napoleon allowed polygamy among them, but it is a thing unknown in their community. The office of elder is hereditary in certain families ; and when a vacancy occurs, they select two individuals, and pre- sent their names to the Grand Duke, who chooses one of tha two thus nominated. The Jews of Leghorn send about £800 to Palestine every year. This sum is gathered in the boxes at the synagogue- doors, and sent to the four holy cities, Jerusalem, Hebron, Saphet, and Tiberias, sometimes by individuals going to Pa- lestine, but more frequently through their mercantile corres- pondents at Constantinople, where there is an agency appointed to manage such sums sent from any part of the world. The Jews in Leghorn believe in the restoration of their nation to the Holy Land ; but, added the Chancellor, it is '^ piu cre- denza, che desiderio," " more a belief of the head, than a de- sire of the heart." A Jew who had been our guide, Jacob Mossias, in prospect of our departure, asked us to give him a Hebrew New Tes- tament, which we did, along with some tracts. We bought several books from him ; among others, Abarbinel on the Passover, containing a Jewish map of Palestine, and some singular Jewish wood-cuts. " Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live."^ We had now taken our passage for Malta, and were pre- paring to sail next day, when all were summoned to appear 1 Ezck. KxXTii. 9. POPISH ALARM AT THE LIGHT. 31 before the Police to receive tho sentence passed upon ns and our books. The Censor had examined and condemned our books. The two elder brethren \rere therefore commanded to leave Tuscany without delay ; the two younger, being sup- posed to act under their direction, were not commanded but requested to do the same. !Many of our tracts were restore(^ to us, but all the copies of Dr Keith's work on Prophecy were detained ; because it contained interpretations opposed to those of the Church of Rome. And thus we were dis- missed. We afterwards learned that a sentence of perpetual banishment from Tuscany had been pronounced against us all — a sentence we could easily bear, but one that proves Po- pery to be still the silencer of the witnesses, and the deadly enemy of the truth. The Jews were considerably interested in our case ; and perhaps it was permitted in order to shew them that Popery is equally the enemy of Protestantism and of Israel. The return of the Jews and the fall of Popery are two events that seem intimately connected in prophecy. It was therefore well ordered that, in seeking the lost sheep of the house of Israel, we should meet with treatment at the hand of their oppressors, iitted to awaken in us the cry, " How long, Lord.'^' On calmly reviewing all that we had seen of Israel iir France and Italy, and considering what might be done to carry the gospel to them, we came to the following conclusions. In France, the state of the Jews seems to call for the la- bours of an evangelist or itinerant Missionary, for the Jews are not gathered together in great numbers in any one town, but distributed among many.'" Such a Missionary would not require a great knowledge of the Talmud and of Jewish learn, ing as in other countries, but rather a mind capable of grap- pling with the sophisms of infidelity ; above all, the power of simply and affectionately urging the gospel upon them. Having the command of the French and Hebrew languages, he might be an eminent blessing to the Jews scattered over the towns of France. With regard to Italy, there can be little doubt that Leg- horn affords the most promising station. The Jews are more 1 Pea. Lxxxix. Vi: Rev. vi. JUk 32 VOYAGE TO MALTA — ELBA. numerous there than in any other Italian town, and it seenxs probable that the government would not interfere with tho labours of a prudent Missionary, if these were coniinad to Jews and Protestants. It appears as if God had shut the door upon our f.fforts to carry the gospel to the poor blinded Papist, but left the door open to carry the message of mercy to the poor despised Jew. If our Church were to maintain a Chaplain for tlie benefit of our own fellow-countrymen resi- dent in Leghorn, — a measure which would be hailed with de- light by many Presbyterian families there, who sigh for the privilege of pure gospel ordinances administered in the same form as in their native land, — it occurred to us all that this labourer might also turn his efforts toward the Jews. If he were to become intimately acquainted with the Jewish fami- lies, which he could easily do, he might, by the blessing of God, caiTy the sweet savour of Christ into many a domestic circle of Israel, in that land of the shadow of death. In the afternoon of Friday (May 3), we embarked in the Lycurge for Malta, our kind friends accompanying us to the boat. Upon the deck of the vessel we met with individuals from many viirious nations. Besides French, English, and Italians, there were an American traveller, a German, and a young Greek, known by his horizontal moustache and the fantastic dress of his native mountains, full of spirit, and proud of his liberated country. In addition to these, we had the newly appointed Bishop of Tripoli, of the Graeco-Romish church in Syria, a mild-looking man, with very fine long hair, beard and moustache, marked features, and a pleasing expression, dressed in a brown mantle over a red gown, with a purple sash, gold chain, and cross. Two younger priests and a servant accompanied him, all of the same pleasing ap- pearance. We had also several soldiers on board, a Romish priest, several monks, and three veiled nuns from Spain, all on their way to Rome. We sailed over a calm unruflied sea, and passing the small island of Gorgoujia, coasted the more celebrated Elba. A white cloud was leaning on its heights as we passed. Had Napoleon never been tliere, that island might often have been seen with no more notice than an inquiry, What is its name ? Now, however, every eye gazes on it with interest as the ve*- CTVITA VECCHIA POPERY. 33 sel passes by. Formerly it was kno\Yii for its mines, of which Virgil sings — " Ilva » Insula inexhaustis Chalybum generosa metallis :"i (" The rugged Ilva, Rich in her endless beds of steely ore.") A devout superstitious Roman Catholic, come from Hol- land on a pilgrimage to Rome, entered into discussion with us. His pronunciation of Latin nearly agreed with ours, so that we were able to converse freely till night separated us. We spoke also with one of the monks from a Spanish monastery, and found him a most bigoted, ignorant devotee. The party from Syria spoke Arabic and a very little Italian, so that our intercourse was limited though interesting. The bishop ac- cepted from us a very small Italian New Testament, raising his eyebrows in astonishment that the whole could be com- prised in so small a compass. But when we told him that in our country we were Bishops, his wonder almost amounted to incredulity, as he eyed us from head to foot, observing the youthful countenances of some of us, and our simple attire. The young Greek spoke freely with us in Italian. He is employed as a guide to lead travellers through the scenes of ancient history in his native country. Full of vivacity, his tongue seemed never to rest, but was either singing the songs or describing the romantic scenes of Greece till night came down. Then he spread out his mat on the deck, and after going through his evening devotions, wrapped himself up in his rough, shaggy capote, and resigned himself to repose. When next morning dawned, we foimd ourselves not far from Civita Vecchia, where we anchored for two hours. We landed and rambled through the town. The country round appeared to be very desolate and mostly uncultivated. The town itself is wretched in the extreme, and the streets art gloomy and dull ; the only objects to attract the eye being the carts in the market drawn by oxen, and the cross sur- mounting every dwelling. Entering a bookseller's shop, we purchased several Popish Catechisms and Tracts, believing that we would here find a specimen of Popery undisguised. We were not deceived in our expectation. In one of the catechisms, the second com- I ^11. X. 173. Ill 84- VOYAGE TO MALTA — GOZO. raandment is altogether excluded, while prayers to saints anil directions as to the worship of the Virgin, are given at full length. We next wandered into an open church, and after examining the usual crucifixes, paintings, altar-pieces, and confessionals, found our way into a curious side-room, or ra- ther vault, a mortuary adorned with human skulls. In the niches round stood skeletons, some of which held a cross in their bony hands, others a scythe and hour-glass. Mottoes such as these were affixed, " A»pice in ine et miserere mei — Breves dies hominis sunt" (Behold and pity me — Few are the days of man). These are meant to excite spectators to pray for the dead. Another skeleton had this motto, " Expecto donee venerit immutatio mea^^ (I wait till my change come). Another referred to purgatory, " Non exies inde donee red- dis novissimum quadrantem" (Thou shalt not come out hence until thou pay the utmost farthing). One in particular drew our attention. The skeleton fingers held a bag open for any visitor to drop in money, and over it was written, " Elemosina for i poveri morti di campagna" (Alms for the poor dead of the country). This town is the *' Centum Ccllce" mentioned by Pliny,' and was in his day a port of Etruria. Re-embarking, we soon lost sight of the Italian shore. Next day was the Sabbath, a silent Sabbath, far from the assemblies of God's worshippers. (May 6.) No land appeared till Monday morning, when we obtained a distant view of Sicily. Mount Eryx might be one of the heights we saw. At all events, we were now viewing hills of which we used to read in our earlier days, " Mille meaB Siculis errant in montibus agnae ;"« (My thousand lambs roam the Sicilian hills ;) and were traversing the very sea of which Horace sang in aU the pride of a Roman citizen, when he looked on its dashing waves. '' Nee durum Hannibalem, nee Siculum mare, PcEno purpureum sanguine."3 (Nor dreaded Hannibal, nor the Sicilian Sea Dyed red with Punic blood.) By sunset the same evening we came in sight of Gozo, rocky and steep, and as we looked round upon the blue waters, » Epist. VI 31. I Virg. Eclog. 2, 2L s Od. 2 12, i ISLAND OF MALTA — VALETTA. 35 without a Ijound but the horizon, remembered Paxil, having no doubt that this is the part of the sea at the mouth of the Adriatic on which he was tossed. About ten in the evening, we drew near Malta, and soon sailed far up into the splendid harbour of Valetta, formed by one of the creeks in which the island abounds. We cast an- chor in the smooth deep water, near some of the ships of war stationed here. The lights twinkling on the heights shewed the direction of the town, wliile the solemn bells toUed the hours of night. A small boat came alongside, and a voice hailed us in English. It was some individual who held office in the place. He inquired if we were all " en pratique " i. e. free from plague, — if we had brought any news, — and if there were any individuals of rank on board. Sitting on deck, and feeling joy and gratitude at being thus far brought on our way, we remembered that this island once sent up its hymn of thanksgiving, when Paul, and Luke, and Aristarchus stood on its shore and praised their Deliverer. Perhaps they sang Psalm cvii, 23-30. Whether or not the spot pointed out on the other side of the island be the real place of Paul's shipwreck, it is difficult to say ; but certainly many spots, and the harbour of Valetta among the rest, cor- respond to the brief description given. Acts xxvii. 39, " xoXvoi de Tivot, xanvoouv syovra a/y/oAoi'" (a certain creek with a shore). Early on the Tuesday morning (May V), we disembarked amid tumult and confusion that baffles description, arising from the greedy anxiety of porters and miserable-looking beggars, all striving to the utmost to obtain a pittance by seizing on the luggage of strangers. Valetta is certainly a singularly-built town. Several of the streets are little else than so many flights of steps, steep and slippery ; yet up these the mule can climb with ease, a feat that no horse in our country could accomplish. The heat was very great, so that we were quite oppressed by walking under a burning sun. Strangers from every country under heaven seem to meet here ; — the Greek gracefully attired, and the turbaned Turk ; — the dismal priest, and the monk with shaven crown ; — English sailors next, and then an Eng lish officer ; — the Maltese peasant with ornamented vest, and ^(irdle round the waist ; and then the Maltese lady wearing the onella (perhaps a remnant of the eastern veil), a black 86 M.VLTA — JEWS — MR FREEMAN TLB. silk scarf drawn over the head, forming an arch, which re- veals the face half in the shade. The state of morals is fearfully corrupt all over the island. The natives are proverbially deceitful and avaricious. They possess lively passions, and are tenacious in their love and in their hatred. Popery is their curse ; churches and priests abound ; and our government has hitherto done too much tc countenance the Man of Sin in Malta. Queen Adelaide's Pro- testant church had not yet risen above its foundation. In Malta there are very few Jews, and these few move from place to place : not many have wealth, and most of them are wretchedly poor. There is one convert employed in the print- ing establishment of the Church of England Society's Mission. We called on Mr Schlienz, of the Church of England Mis- sionary Society, from whom we received useful information ; and at the quarantine station we conversed with the Rev. Mr Freemantle, a minister of the Church of England, who, with his wife, had just returned from Palestine. They had travelled by way of Cairo to Mount Sinai, and thence to Jerusalem. SAJL FOR AL£XANDR1A. 37 He told us that we would find far fewer Jews in the Holy Land than is generally reported ; and all of them poor and wretched. He stated that the fearful corruptions of the professedly Chris- tian churches in those countries are the most effectual stumb- ling-blocks to the Jew, and that the exhibition of a pure and holy faith would probably be one of the chief advantages of building an English Protestant Church upon Mount Zion. Riding out in the evening to St Julian, a village some few miles distant from Valetta, to visit Dr Clarke, who once labour- ed among the Jews, we had an opportunity of seeing a little of the scenery of the island and the manners of its people. The conducteur of our vehicle, instead of riding, ran all the way by the side of the mule, urging it on by his voice, and setting an example by his own indefatigable speed. No road could be more irregular, and it is impossible that it should be other- wise, for the shore is indented every few miles with inlets of the sea, round which you must wind your way. Often it be- came steep and narrow ; and often it was made of solid rock. We noticed the beautiful appearance of the western sky at sunset for which the island is remarkable. The rocks and buildings appeared to be tinged with a yellowish pearly lustre, which added a singular beauty to every object in the scene. We required to be ready to sail early next morning in the French steamer " Eurotas" for Alexandria ; and though the tardiness and greediness of porters and boatmen very nearly disappointed us of our passage, we at length succeeded in get- ting off. It vvas a bright and beautiful morning when we sailed from the quarantine harbour. Occasionally the reflec- tion of the sun's rays from the smooth surface of a bending wave was like the gleam from a mirror ; and the playful glance of the beams on this splendid sea, brought to our mind the expression, (The countless playful smiles Of ocean's waves,) which JEschylus^ used in regard to those very waters as they laved the shores of Greece. A few small white clouds appeared in the horizon, but not a speck in the sky above us. Malta was out of sight in a few hours, and during the rest of the day we saw nothing but fields of level water. I ProiD. Viuct. S9. 38 VOYAGF TO ALEXS'JDRIA — COAST OF GREECE, At evening, the few clouds on the horizon seemed like the hills on some distant land. There was no peculiar beauty in the sunset— only the sun himself appeared remarkably brilliant, " Not as in northern climes obscurely bright, But one unclouded blaze of living light." The swallows kept flying about the vessel till darkness came on ; and then the stars shone out singularly bright. The planet Venus was reflected on the water quite like the Moon in brilliancy. Coming down to the cabin, the young American travellei described to us some of the scenes which he had witnessed at Rome during Passion-week. He told us of the Pope blessing 150,000 people, all kneeling before him^ in the great square of St Peter's, and of his riding into the city in imitation of Christ's entry into Jerusalem. The night was perfectly serene. We experienced nothing of the " Dux inquieti turbidus Adrise fe (The blustering south wind swaying Adria's waves;) though we were passing over its waters, or at least over the " lonmm Mare,''' where it joins the Adriatic. All the next day, the sea presented the same glassy smoothness. Two vessels on the distant horizon were lying quite motionless, there being not a breath of wind. The Greek sung many of his national war-songs, and his patriotism seemed to rise higher and higher as we sailed towards his country. Next morning (May 10) about sunrise, we came in sight of Greece, opposite Cape Gallo (the ancient Acritas). Crossing the Gulf of Coron (anciently the Sinus Messeniacus), we sailed slowly past Cape Matapan (the ancient Tcenarus), where the cloudcapt hills of Laconia terminate. These hills form the range of Taygetus — " virginibus bacchala Lacoenis Taygeta:"3 (Where Lacedemon's \irgins kept their revelry:) and the cape is the most southern point of Europe ; the " in- visi horrida Tcencsri sedes"* (the seat of hateful Taenarus), of which we used to reaa in the classics. The young Greek guide proudly pointed to the mountain range as the seat of the unconquered Mainotes, and to the far distant hills at the 1 II Thess. It. 4. 2 Hor. Ode iii. 3. 5. 3 Virg. Georg. 2. 483. t Hor. Ode i. Ai. 10 ISLANDS OF GREECE — SYRA. 39 top of fhe gulf (the Sinus Laconicus) as marking where Sparta stood. Many of the summits were capped with snow. The heights of Taenarus were obscured by morning clouds — while their bases reached down to the water edge. Through the glass we could descry many hanging villages with terraced fields and gardens. Passing the island of Elaphonesia and Cerigo (the ancient Cythera), and the promontory Malea, we entered the ^gean Sea. The numberless islands of the Archipelago now came in view one after another. We remembered that the Psalmist spoke of all this great sea, and may have known something of the islands and countries which it washes. The expres- sion appeared very appropriate, " this great and wide sea,"' or more literally, " this great sea which is hroad in its arms" (□">!'• ^H^ rehav yadaim), an epithet which seems to refer to the waters clasping round these innumerable islands, and pouring themselves into these thousand creeks and bays. Our first sight of those beautiful islands, and the whole of their appearance afterwards, under so bright a sky, made us un- derstand the language of the Latin poet, ^'nitentes Cycladas"^ (bright-shining Cycladas). Nor is Virgil's description of this sea less accurate, — " crehris freta consita terris"^ (liquid fields sown thick with countless isles). Our vessel was now directing its course north-east for the island of Syra, the ancient Syros. At a distance, Spezzia was pointed out to us, and a little farther off rose Hydra, famous in the warfare of modern Greece, reminding us of our own Bass Rock. Next we passed near Falconero, an uninhabited rocky islet. Melos and Anti-melos then came in sight ; the former a large island with a fine harbour, and marked by two lofty hills ; the latter bold and precipitous, descending steep into the water. Far to the south we saw Dipsis, almost a bare rock, and toward evening Seriphos. The sun seemed to sink down behind Falconero, leaving a calm sea and a beau- tifully spotted sky behind, tinging all the western horizon with a glorious red. At two next morning (Saturday, May 11), we cast anchor before the town of Syra. The coast of the island forms a na- tural harbour. The town rises up from the shore, and seems entirely to cover the conical hill on which it is built. The 1 Psa. CIV. 25. a Hor. Ode I. 14, 20. s ^,n. iii 127 40 SYRA — POPULATION — LANGUAGE. castle or Acropolis is on the top, keeping watch over houses that seem to creep up the hill toward the Acropolis for shelter. All the buildings are of a dazzling whiteness, and the hills around green with olives. We could imagine ourselves riding in the harbour of one of the ancient cities of Greece, the town Bmiling below, and the Acropolis frowning defiance from above. The chief town of Syra was anciently called Hermopolis, and the books printed here by the Church of England Missionary Society bear this name on the title-page. It was a place of •ittle consequence till some of the Sciotes who escaped the mas- sacre in which their brethren perished, fixed on it as their re- sidence ; but since the settlement of the new kingdom of Greece, and especially during the last fifteen years, it has rapidly in- creased. The mail-packets of the French and Austrian companies use Syra as their station, and from this place vessels are ready to carry the traveller to Athens, Egypt, and Constantinople. We witnessed much activity in the harbour, boats loading and un- loading. The water was so clear that we could see the pebbles at the bottom. In the docks we counted thirteen small vessels on the stocks. The town has a population of 20,000. A hardy Greek rowed us to the shore, when, after being examined by the Board of Health, we found our way to the " Hotel de Gr^ce," or " Sivodo-^nov rrig EXXadog " (the Greek inn). It was a wretched inn, but the people were anxious to shew us every kindness. Instead of butter they brought us Grecian honey. In walking through the streets it was interesting to find the language of ancient Greece moulded to express modern in- ventions. There was the " BadiXiMv d^ofLnov Su^ag" "the Royal Post-office of Syra ;" and again, a board, marking the sailing of the steamers, was headed by the word " Arixora- ^WTrXoia.^' We met asses carrying in panniers the ancient a/j.(po^a, a two-handled jug. A little child came begging for bread, and his cry was " -^ufLi ■^utijji," [i. e. bread). We came upon three booksellers' shops, in one of which we found " Ta ^avfj^adiot, du/xZavra tou Fo^ivsc/jvog K^ouaov," " the won- derful adventures of Robinson Crusoe," with a recommenda- tion of it by some of our countrymen : — " O rroXvfJ.adrii XaXfii^og, xai TauoXgoj," " the learned Chalmers and Tay- lor." We saw with greater joy the whole Greek Bible for sale ; though beside it stood one of Sir Walter Scott's novels. Occasionally m the streets tumblers of clear cool SYKA MISSIONARY SCHOOLS. 41 water were set in rows upon a marble slab for sale, and it is no small refreshment in such a climate to receive even a cup of cold water. ^ Looking down upon the harbour from above, the white cotton sails of the small vessels seen upon the deep blue sea appeared very beautiful. We visited Mr Hildner of the Church of England Mission- ary Society. He and his wife are Germans, and have laboured here nine years. Miss Wilcox had lately joined them, her de- partment being to teach the Grecian girls English, drawing, singing, and needlework. As yet they have seen little fruit in the conversion of souls, but wait for it. Their eiforts have been confined almost entirely to teaching the young : in doing which they adopt the Lancasterian system. In the school-rooms, which are pleasantly situated, we found the whole apparatus of an Infant and Juvenile school. On the walls were boards for the multiplication table, entitled " Tlivaxig A^i^/Mrinxai.'' Others had the elementary syllables, TLivaxsg AvayvuSius ;' and others the picture of some object of natural history, " Anrog," " eagle :" " Ovog," " ass ;" " Auxog," " wolf;" with the de- scription below. There were present 300 boys and 300 girls, aU busily engaged. It was curious to hear the boys reading the Cyropedia in ancient Greek, and rendering it into Romaic. The girls were writing, and they formed the Greek letters beautifully. Some of them were learning English. Young Greeks are very clever, and anxious to acquire knowledge. Want of perseverance is their greatest fault. They read the New Testament daily, and almost every child possesses a copy. On Sabbath mornings, after they have been at the Greek church with their parents, they are assembled for two hours in the school, learn a Bible lesson, and are addressed by the Mission- ary ; but many do not attend, as the parents are anxious only about their temporal welfare, and the acquisition of secular knowledge. The American ^Missionaries at Athens conduct a school in all respects similar to this, and some of the inferior clergy there, who seem to be pious men, take an interest in its prosperity. The London Society maintain a similar school at Corfu. This visit to Syra served to awaken in our bosoms new feel- ings of interest in behalf of Greece. On our way back to the harbour, observing the rising spire of a new building, we asked what it was, and were told that it was a Roman Catholic 1 M.itt. X. 42. 42 RE-EMBARK FOR ALEXANDRIA. church. Popery seems determined to assert her right to the name of Catholic, by her untired zeal and universal enter- prise. The same day we left the island with regret in the " Leoni- das," another French steamer, which was to convey us to Alexandria. On leaving the harbour we saw the hills of the island Negropont (the ancient Euboea), to the west ; and near us on the left lay Tinos. Before us were Delos and Mycone ; on our right Andros and Xiphos. We could see the general aspect of all these islands. Summer clouds rested over the summits of their hills. On board our new vessel we found a change of company, several passengers having been waiting at Syra for a vessel to carry them to Egypt. Among others were four Eastern Jews, and a tall strong Albanian, who spoke only Romaic, but whose gestures were as significant as language. There was also a Turk, of a mild pleasing countenance, and his wife with her face muffled in a white veil. We passed by Naxos, with its town of the same name, of a marble whiteness. Opposite to it lie Paros and Olearos.' We stretched our eyes in the direction of Icaria and Naxos, that we might obtain a glimpse of highly-favoured Patmos ; but in vain. We could only see the waves that were rolling on to break upon its rocky shore. About sunset, when we were leaving Naxos and Paros be- hind us, and had left off gazing on their hills, we found the four Jews^ seated together, finishing their Sabbath prayers. At the moment we had first spoken to them, one was reading Psalm Lxxxv. 1, 2, "0 Lord, thou hast been favourable to thy land," &:c. They told us that they had come from the Dardanelles, and were now on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, meaning to return home in the course of three months. Two of them were men of learning, and all seemed to know Hebrew well. They spoke Spanish with each other, but understood Italian. In order to gain their confidence, and engage their attention, one of our number brought out Abarbinel on the Passover, and shewed them its map, vignettes, and figures. At the foot of one of these pictures, the abbreviation 2,317^^ *^*^ 1 " Olearon, niveamque Paron." — Virg. ^n. iii. 126. > Their names were, Solomon Japhe, Solomon Peshuto, Abraham JosepL. oimI the mildest and most simple of all, Nasim PaltieL » See p. 24. INTERVIEW WITH FOUR JEWS. 43 # curred ; at another ■)>3Ji^.' These we explained to their great surprise: and when one of us added, iqj,^ □''"IDJ^ "l^HJi^ DJi *' We too use the word Amen" — they looked at each other, and began to smile and talk. Our friendship was now esta- blished, and opening our Hebrew Bibles, we got into close conversation. One of them, at our request, read aloud Isaiah Liii, and then listened to us, when we applied it to the aton- ing Saviour. On telling them that we believed a first and a second coming of Messiah, they spoke of it to each other, but made no remark to us. A little after we joined them again, all sitting upon the deck. We opened out a map of their country, and as we pointed to the most remarkable places, named them in Hebrew. We had in our hands a small pub- lication of the Tract Society, entitled " Manners and Cus- toms of the Jews." In explaining to them some of the wood- cuts, we took occasion to let them know that we were not Ro- man Catholics, and had no images in our churches. Of this also they spoke to one another. A little after, opening our Italian New Testament, we read the quotation from Isaiah in Matt. IV. 15, 16, " The people that sat in darkness," &c. — saying, " The great Light is ]\Iessiah." One of them replied, " We believe it is." They continued for some time looking at the pictures in the book already mentioned, till coming to a representation of Paul preaching to the Jews from the stairs of the Temple,^ they asked wliat it was. This led us to explain, and again taking up the Italian New Testament, we read Paul's address. Every thing in the passage was suited to awaken their attention. Paul's reference to the law, to his sitting at Gamaliel's feet, and to the traditions of the fathers — the people keeping silence because he spoke in Hebrew — and then the full narrative of his former life, and his conver- sion to Christ. It seemed a message directed to them by the Lord, and they listened with deep attention. But as soon as it was ended, first the one that seemed most learned, and then another, rose and left us, apparently somewhat displeased. Two still remained, and continued to examine the other pic- tures, such as the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Deluge, which afiforded us further opportunity of speaking to them. Observ- ing one of Peter and John healing the man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, one of us said it was the gate Nicanor ; they immediately looked to each other and said "^jjp] "l^tt? 1 This means, "Amen — «o be the will of God " 2 Acts xxii. 41 " THE FAIR havens" ^ACRED RECOLLECTIONS. (Saar Nicnor). After which, we read in their hearing the passage where the miracle is described.^ During the conver- sation, they were not a little pleased by our remarking, in re- ference to there heing four of them, and /our of us, travelling to Jerusalem, !|3n3i>J DTIM (acheem anachnu), " We are brethren.'"* The two who had staid witb us, then bade us good night with great cordiality. We learned from them that Jacob Baal T^trim, a well-known Jewish commentator, is be- lieved to be buried in the island of Scio. The captain of the steamer informed us, that from Novem- ber to February he has often on board sixty or seventy Jews at a time, going up to visit Jerusalem. Of these not many are wealthy, and they return in the course of a few months. During night the wind rose and the sea became boisterous, eo that we experienced the tossings of the " CarpatJiium Mare" (Carpathian Sea), to which we had now come. About sunrise next morning, which was Sabbath, we were passing the eastern point of Crete, opposite Cape Sidro, anciently called Samo- nium or Salmone.^ A ledge of rocks ran along the shore, behind which the country was bold and mountainous. Over all a lofty peak rose in the distance, which may possibly have been Ida. About an hour after, we obtained a view of a part of the southern coast of the island, where, in the days of Paul, waa " the place called the Fair Havens, nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea." The recollections of the sacred history were a thousand-fold sweeter to us than all our classical remem- brances. It was interesting no doubt, to look upon the island of which Virgil sung, and whose inhabitants Homer cele- brates — 01 KjHTjjv ix.aT0fx.7riiXiv a,/u,ftys/xo*Tt * —(Who people hundred-citied Crete). But a far deeper and holier feeling of interest was awakened in our breast, when we looked upon it as a region where the Cross of Christ was once so successfully lifted up, and salvation preached with power to the debased idolaters. We read over with a netv relish, the Epistle to Titus, who was " left in Crete, to set in order the things that were wanting, and to ordain ei- ders in every city," We remembered how frequently Paul must have visited this island, .='iiling over the very sea we had lActsm. 2 Quoting Gen. xiii. 8. a Acts XX VII. 7. 4 Houi. 11. ii. CW. INTERVIEW WITH A YOUNG FRENCHMAN. 46 been traversing ; and we thought of Apollos tarrying at Crete, on his way to his native Alexandria (whither we were bound), along with Zenas, the lawyer, a scribe, well- instructed unto the kingdom of heaven.' Next day (Monday, May 13) the sea was calm, and we had some farther conversation with the passengers. We otferea an Italian tract to a poor monk, a pilgrim on his way to the Holy Sepulchre ; but he civilly declined it, saying, " he had a pain in his head whenever he attempted to read .'" One deeply interested person on board was the medical attendant belonging to the vessel, a young Frenchman named Darnel Last evening when nearly all had gone to rest, one of us was led into a close and earnest conversation with him on his hope for eternity. The ship was rolling very heavily, but he lay down on the floor of the cabin, and in broken English on his part, and broken French on ours, we spoke on divine things till past midnight. This morning the conversation was renew- ed. The doctor declared that religion was dead in France ; the follies of Popery had led men of reason to despise all reli- gion, and he believed that there was more morality now than when Popery reigned. His idea of duty was, that it consisted in the practice of such virtues as, concern for the public good, faithfulness to the marriage relation, and charity to the poor. He had no idea that a regard to the will of God was the rule of a man's duty, and honestly confessed, that he had not the least feeling of sin — " Philosophy," said he, " has taught me all that is needful for man." He acknowledged that he was not happy : — he ate, drank, slept, and rose every day to his work, yet still was not so happy as he wished to be. " But where am I to find happiness ? The St Simonians say they are quite happy in their brotherhood, yet their system is absur- dity." We said that we had found happiness, and pointed out the foundation on which it rested, and urged him to put to the proof God's promise through his Son, '• Come to me, and / will give you rest." He put us off by saying, " he could not pray unless he believed." We rejoined, that he refused to turn' the mind's eye toward the object to be believed, and there- fore could not rationally expect to embrace the truth. Upon this he argued that a man was no more to blame for his hard heart, than for a diseased member of his body ; nor could he see the evil of being born in sin, and having a wicked nature. 1 Titus III. 12. 46 APPROACH TO EGYPT — HARBOUR OF ALEXANDRIA. We shewed him God's solemn declarations of man's awful guilt, and the free ofter which he makes to him of pardon and a new heart. He was a kind, feeling, amiable man — one who seemed truly sincere, yet one who felt, like the young ruler, an invincible repugnance to the demands of the gospel. We gave him a French Bible, writing his name upon it, and our heart-felt desires for his salvation. He received it freely, and " went away sorrowful." The heat was now very oppressive, and the cabin at midday was like an oven. About two o'clock in the afternoon, we came in sight of the low-lying shores of Egypt. The coast is very low indeed ; and the country, as far as the eye can reach, flat and sandy. A land-mist arose over the sky as we ap- proached the shore, drawing a veU over the sun, and thus moderating the intense heat. Our Albanian friend pointed to a row of buUdings indistinctly visible, which he said were " AvsA(,o//,Li>.a/," i. e. windmLlls. Sailing past the ancient Pharos, now no longer an island, we entered the harbour. "We counted twelve ships of the line, belonging to the Pacha's fleet, resting majestically on the waters. They seemed to be beautifully equipped and fully manned. The appearance of the marines was striking, with their white cotton dress, red sash, deep brown faces, and glancing arms — and martial mu- sic resounded from every vessel^ The crescent and star upon the red flag reminded us that we were now among the fol- lowers of the false prophet. Turning towards the shore, our eye rested with quickened interest on the graceful palm-trees, the camels slowly moving along the beach, and other indica- tions of an Eastern clime, as the anchor dropped, and we prepared to laud. 47 CHAPTER 11, EGYPT THE DESERT — SOUTH OS PALESTINE. " Set thee up way-marks make thee high heaps: set thine heart towrard tht high-way, even the way which thou wentest : turn again, O virgin of Israel, lura again to these thy cities."— Jebem. xxxi. 21. When about to land, we were told that the plague had that very day made its appearance in Alexandria. This was by no means welcome news, for we saw that in all probability we should now be subjected to the delay of a quarantine before en- tering Palestine. Meanwhile, however, having no alternative, we disembarked. The quay exhibited a strange scene of con- fusion and noise. A crowd of rough half-naked men and Arab boys, some with asses, some with camels, lined the beach, all screaming and quarrelling, determined to press their services on every passenger, and to take no denial. With some ditfi- culty we got our luggage satisfactorily disposed of, and then each of the company mounted on an ass, and guided by an Arab boy, scampered through the gate of the city, and through the narrow bazaar, till we came to a pleasant square in the other extremity of the town. Here we took up our abode in an inn kept by a Frenchman. With calm delight we were now able to look round upon the land of Egypt, while many scenes of its eventful history rose up before us. It was here that Jacob and Joseph sojourned, with their families, for iOO years. This was the land of Moses and his wondrous deeds. And, more interesting still, this was the land that gave refuge to " the holy child Jesus," when com- pelled to flee from the land of Judah. It was the cradle of Israel, and the cradle of Israel's Saviour, — as it is written, ^ out of Egypt have I called my son."^ This city Alexandria was the birth-place of ApoUos,^ that pattern of burning zeal, and scriptural eloquence — the city, too, of Athanasius — and the scene of the labours of the se- venty translators of the Old Testament. Alexander the « Matt. a. Ilk t Acts svii.'. L'4. 48 ALEXANDRIA— DRESS OF THE WOMEN. Great, Cleopatra, Caesar, and many other names, are asso- ciated with the name of the once illustrious Alexandria. With still deeper interest we now pondered over the future history of Egypt, as disclosed in the record of prophecy, and prayed that the time may be hastened, when " Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands to God"' — When " the Lord shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord" — " And the Lord shall smite Egypt, he shall smite and heal it ;" " Saying, Blessed be Egypt my people."^ (May 14.) Every eastern city is infested with dogs that prowl about the streets for food ; and during all the night their ceaseless howling reminded us of David's description of his enemies : " They return at evening ; they make a noise like a dog. and go round about the city."^ Before breakfast, Bome of us rambled out to Pompey's Pillar. The only thing remarkable about it is, that the shaft is one stone, a solid mass of red granite, 90 feet long, and 9 feet in diameter. The capital is Corinthian, indifferently carved. The traces of many a traveller's visit are to be found scratched upon its pedestal. The Marcotic Lake lay east of it, but is now dried up, affording no moisture to water the Mareotic vines that oi'ce regaled Cleopatra and her luxurious coHrt. The ground around it swarmed with small lizards, and the surface is bro- ken with innumerable holes made by the jerboa. It was curious for us to observe for the first time women wearing the veil that hides the whole face except the eyes. Some carried the earthen jar upoi? their head in a very graceful mannAr. Some also were car- rying their children on their shoulders, as referred to by the prophet, when he says of re- turning Israel, " thy daugh- ters shall be carried on their shoulders."* Some carried ~' them in a still more singular manner, upon their side, a cus- J Psa. txviTl. 81. 2 Isa. xtx. 21. 22, 25. » Psa. IJI. 6. 4 Isii. XLl\ 22. JEWISH SYNAGOfJUE JEWS. 49 torn also referred by the prophet, " Ye shall be borne upou her sides. "^ Passing through the bazaar, one of the Pasha's Beys rodf past us, fully armed, mounted on an Arab steed. An Egyp- tian clothed in white cotton ran before him at full speed, clearing the way with voice and arms. This vividly recalled to us, Elijah girding up his loins and running before Ahab's chariot to the gate of Jezreel.^ In the forenoon we arranged our money-matters, and vi- sited several individuals to whom we had letters — especially Mr Larkins, the English consul, and Mr Todd, from whom we received great kindness. In the evening we visited the Frank Synagogue. We were guided up a dark stair in an obscure street, and through a long narrow ill-lighted passage into a small room, not more than thirty feet long and ten broad. At the door stood the usual box for alms, and another for " *^1h}^7 !Dti'" (shemen limor), " olive-oil for the lamps." There were only ten per- fcons present ; three of whom were natives of Egypt, dressed in the common oriental costume ; the rest from Leghorn, Trieste, and other mercantile towns of Europe. They shewed little feeling of devotion ; except at one point of the short ser- vice, where there was a pause in the reading of the prayers, and all seemed to pray in silence for four or tive minutes, turning their faces towards the ark. Before concluding, a box was car- ried round for contributions. There was not one interesting feature either in the worship or in the place, with the exception of a large frame suspended on the wall bearing these words, — ^3"*I2^^," " May the merciful one bring hack the service oj the house of the sanctuary to its place, speedily, in our days.'^ This was like one of the groans of Israel for deliverance in " the house of bondage." As soon as service was over, the Jews spoke freely to us — opened tlie ark, and shewed us their copies of the law. On* of the best of these we spread out for examination on the reading-desk ; and out of their own scriptures discoursed to them of sin and atonement for sin. We told them that we had come from Scotland out of love to their souls. "VVe spoke ut' Messiah, how he came the fii'st time to die for sin, and is 1 Isa. Lxvi. 12. 2 I Kings xviii. 46. D 60 ALEXANDRIA. — PREPARATION FOR JOURNEY. coming soon the second time to reign in glory. They said that there are about 100 families of European Jews in Alexan- dria, who have only one synagogue ; and that there are about 300 families of native Jews who have two, and these they .called the Arab synagogues. One Jew who had resided much at Cairo, told us that in that city there were 300 families of Jews, of whom one-third were Caraites. We afterwards learned from English residents that this information was not very accurate, and that there are more Jews in Cairo than in Alexandria. In the latter, there may be about 1000, and in Cairo about 2000. The Jews of Alexandria are mostly of the third class in trade — the richest of them are all sarafs, oi money-changers. We were occupied all next morning (May 15) in preparing for our journey through the desert. The plague having ap- peared in Alexandria, we could not enter Palestine by Jaffa or Beyrout, without submitting to a long and unwholesome quarantine. We therefore resolved to proceed by the way of El Arish; and to do this without delay, as in the course of a few days, orders were likely to be sent to establish a quaran- tine at El Arish. The Consul's trusty janissary, Mustapha by name, born at Thebes, a useful, clever person, busily en- gaged himself in providing us with needful articles. We had already furnished ourselves with light dresses at Marseilles, and straw hats at Leghorn — and now we purchased travelling implements. We went to the bazaar, and bought carpets to lie upon at night, and a thick soft coverlet to wrap ourselves in. We next procured with some difficulty two tents, neither of them large, one round, the other oblong. Cairo is the proper place for obtaining such articles. An Indian gentle- man's canteen and cooking utensils, with a stock of remaindei provisions, fell into our hands at a cheap rate. Mustapha procured two Arab servants to attend us, Ibraim and Ahmet, the former able to speak Italian and English, the latter only Italian. They had often journeyed through Syria, and Ibraim had been lately there with Professor Robinson of America,. When they came to be hired, Mr Todd said to them in the- eastern manner — " I am as they are," pointing to us. " Of- fend them, offend me." They replied, " Their comfort shall be on our heads." Mustapha added, " If they do not do what is right, they shall never drink water in Alexandria again." The two tents cost us 340 piastres (about £3, Os ) ; for our TURKISH BATH — GOVEUKOIl's GARDEN — WELLS. 51 beds, canteen, and provisions, we paid about £14. Our ser- vants were to accompany us for three months at the cost of 36 dollars each, exclusive of 30 dollars to each on their leaving us, to enable them to return home. In the afternoon we tried the Turkish bath. The attend- ant first laid aside our clothes, and put one towel, wrapt like a turban, round our head, and another round our waist. Then he conducted us into an inner apartment, the atmosphere of which we could scarcely breathe at first, on account of the heat and vapour. Our feet, shod with wooden sandals, slid on the smooth marble floors. Next he laid us down on our back upon the smooth marble divan, in the centre of the apart- ment, washed us with soap, and poured hot water over our heads. All this was done by an Egyptian almost naked, armed with a rough glove of camel's hair. It was not without a shudder that we felt ourselves in such hands, amidst about twenty others, all Mahometans with shaved heads and black skins. We were then led to one of the side baths, where the hot water was allowed to pour upon us. The pores being abundantly opened under the operation of so many causes, we were conducted back to thfe room where we had undressed, laid upon our backs, covered over with a warm quUt, and shmnpooed — the soles of our feet being scraped with an instrument for the purpose, and every joint in our hands and feet made to crack. Lastly, we were otFered coffee, and a glass of sherbet ; after which we were allowed to dress, and come away, not a little amused, as well as refreshed. The custom of passing from the bath to the dressing-room, during which the feet might easily be soiled, reminded us of the true rendering of the precious words of our Lord, " He that has been in the bath needcth not, save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit.'"' Before dinner we had a pleasant ride to the gardens of the Governor, about a mile from town. Passing out of the gate, we observed that every man who went out shewed his hand to the sentinel, This is to prevent desertion from the army, every soldier bearing the Pasha's mark on his right hand. We passed a grove of palms and observed the flowermg pomegra- ates — vines also and figs, tamarisks and banians. We stood a little to observe the common manner of draw- ing water at the wells. A wheel is moved round by oxen or buffaloes, whose neck is yoked to a pole. Every where we sawthe slow-pacing animal moving round, and heard the creak- 1 Juan tiu. '(X 52 ALEXANDRIA — FULFILMENT OF PKOPHECY. ing of this clumpy apparatus. By the road-side an old sarco- phagus was lying in fragments. We alighted and walked through the gardens, laid out with straight walks, after the Egyptian taste. The flowering oranges were beautiful and fragrant, and the vines luxuriant. The grapes are said to be watery. In returning we visited the site of the lake Mareotis, Pompey's Pillar, and the Mahometan burying-ground. We then proceeded through the extensive ruins of the old city to Cleopatra's Needles, two beautiful obelisks, one lying flat, half sunk in the ground, the other still standing erect. Both are covered with hieroglyphics, fresh and unchanged by time. Near the Coptic Convent we examined with much interest the site and remaining traces of the church of the great Athanasius, who was Bishop here a. d. 326, God's witness for the truth against many kings and people. Some broken pillars and fragments of the foundation are all that remain. Not far from this is the ancient Jewish burying-ground ; but the Jews are now forced to bury outside the walls. Tn the course of our ride, one of our friends, who had re- sided long in Egypt, stated a remarkable fulfilment of pro- phecy. — Scarcely any of those reeds for which the Nile was once famous are now to be found upon its banks. The lotus in particular has disappeared, so that it is nearly unknown ; and the papyi-us is very rare. Now the words of Isaiah are these : " The waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up."^ This has literally taken place. In the days of the prophet there were seven mouths of the Nile ; there are now only two ; the rest have been wasted and dried up. But farther he predicts,^ " They shall turn the rivers {i. e. the canals) far away, and the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up : the reeds and flags shall wither. The paper-reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more."^ These words have come to pass, while at the same time it is interesting to remark, that Egypt is as famous for its melons and cucumbers, its leeks and onions, and garlick, as it was in the days of Moses.^ The reeds were com- manded to wither, and they have fled away ; the other produc- tions, against which no word of threatening went forth, have 1 Tsa. SIT. 5. f Verses fi. 7. « Some have rendered verse 7 — " NaUedness on the river, on the mouth of the river." which would he a striking reference to the five dricdup branchei TN^ -IS ^p -liK^-^y nny *Num.xi.5. ' ' c ' T :v DEPARTURE FOR ROSETTA. 53 been left luxuriant as before. The shelving banks of the river, down which Pharaoh's daughter went with her maidens to bathe, have been much elevated, owing to the vast deposits of alluvial soil which the Nile is making every day. We returned about sunset, — one of the Mosleto hours for prayer, — and observed for the first time the Mahometans bending to pray on the deck of the ship, the retired corners, and even in the streets. The same evening, in the Bazaar, we met two of our Jewish friends who had sailed to Egypt with us. They were kinder than ever, and told us that they were going to sail for Bey rout. Next morning (May IG), before dawn, we were awakened by the arrival of the asses and drivers, that had been engaged to convey us as far as Damietta, the sand of the desert being so far hard and suitable for the asses' feet. Notwithstand- ing the continued knocking of these drivers, we refused to start so early ; and it was not till seven that we were fairly mounted on the nimble little animals, our carpets serving the purpose of a saddle. Our train consisted of sixteen asses. Our servants Ibraim and Ahmet rode by our side, and ten Egyptian lads ran beside the asses that bore the luggage. Soon after, our train received the addition of two more asses, one to carry the water-skins, and another to be ready for ser- vice in case of any of the rest becoming exhausted. We soon passed through the Rosetta gate, and bade farewell to Alex- andria. It was the morning of the day on which our General As- sembly was to meet in Edinburgh, an Assembly in which the important question of the Spiritual Independence of our Church, and the privilege of its Christian people, were likely to be keenly discussed. As we rode along the sands, some- times meeting the palm-tree, sometimes a cluster of lowly shrubs, with flocks of goats browsing near, we spoke to each other of the day, praying that the crown might be set on the head of the Anointed One, and that the dry land of our pa- rishes might be turned into water-springs. We thought of the Judges of Israel riding on asses,' and of the many references to this custom in the Bible. We re- membered above all that Zion's King came thus to Zion, " Meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass."^ The palms seemed frequently to spring up immediately from I J uiVji. V. 10. • 2ili.tu S.3S. & 54 JOURNEY TO ROSETTA — THE MIRAGE. out of the sand, their root no doubt being nourished by unseen moisture. Does the Psalmist refer to this circumstance, when he says, " The righteous shall flourish as the palm-tree ?"' At all events, there is reference to its regular, steady growth, year after year, marked by a new circle upon the bark. The beautiful waving of the branches also, when moved by a pass- ing breeze, shewed us how they came to be so frequently used in triumphs ; a custom alluded to in Revelations,'- where the great multitude who have overcome all their enemies and stand before the throne, are clothed in white robes and hold " palms in their hands." Lizards were every where basking in the heat of the sun ; and sometimes in the distance a group of camels were seen feeding on the stunted shrubs of the desert ; while the only sounds that broke on the ear were the cries of the driver, *' jtcac/i," " get on," and " uzbel," "stop:" or some- times the voice of the older men calling " tualed,'^ " boy," to the younger lads. The boys took great delight in teaching us the Arabic for the numbers one, two, three, &c., and for some of the common phrases of life, interpreting them by signs. Dt Keith engaged himself in questioning our servant and guide Ibraim about Petra ; for he had been there with Dr Ro- binson of America. From him we learned that a rough, hairy animal, which we understood to be the porcupine, abounds in Wady Mousa, and that the Arabs call it " kangfud," which is evidently the Hebrew T)2p (^ippod), the word used in Isaiah,^ though translated '' bittern" in our version. Our course lay across the head of the ancient Lake Mareo- tis, and some other salt-lakes, now dried up by the sun. A white crust of salt often covered the hard sand. In the dis- tance, we observed the well-known phenomenon of the mirage, to which the prophet Isaiah is supposed to allude, " The parch- ed ground shall become (really) a pool."* At one time, we saw what seemed to be a calm flowing water, reflecting from its unruffled surface trees growing on its banks, while some ob- ject in the background assumed the appearance of a splendid residence amidst a grove of trees. At another time, there appeared castles embosomed in a forest of palms, with a lake of clear water stretched between us and them. Generally the 1 Psa. XCTI. 12. « Rev. vii. 9. s Isa. xxxiv. 11. « Ifa, XXXV. 7. Tho Hebrew word (^H!!?) employed in this passage fo/ T T " ffHTched p-ound," is exacUv the Arabic name for V'a unragc, viz. strab. BAY OF ABOUKIR ARRIVAL AT ROSETTA. 55 mirage may be known by its continually shifting the view, and by the hazy movement of the atmosphere over the apparent waters. Suddenly wc came upon the Bay of Aboukir, and were re- freshed by the cool breeze from the Mediterranean. This bay is famous in the warlike annals of our country, and here the Ganopic mouth of the Nile used formerly to empty itself into the sea. About one, we rested, taking shelter from the heat under the walls of a wretched khan, which was so small that we pre- ferred putting up our tent, while the Arabs opened their sacks and gave the asses provender, — reminding us of Jacob's sons.' At three, we resumed our journey, enjoying the pleasant air from the sea till toward evening, when we left the shore. The road was now marked by pillars, composed of heaps of brick, at distant intervals. The Arabs call these " Ahmoud," that is " pillars." They are peculiarly useful to the traveller, for it is as easy for one to find his way amidst drifted snow that has covered the tracks and lines of a road, as to find it in this sandy desert ; — and no doubt, to these allusion is made by the prophet,'^ " Set thee up way-marks, make thee high heaps," When a hurricane has passed over the desert, the traces in the sand are easily obliterated, which may be alluded to by the prophet,^ " my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy (swallow up) the way of thy paths.'* We descried Rosetta about two hours before we reached it, at the extremity of a long flat valley of sand. The rays of the setting sun gave a red tinge to the surface of the desert, and as we approached the town, we entered a beautiful grove of palms, growing luxuriantly out of sandy hillocks. Some of our attendants had got before us, and were waiting for us, in eastern style, at the gate — " El Bah Rashid," the gate of Rosetta, as they said. All was now truly oriental, and the scenery of the Arabian Nights occurred vividly to our mind, as we rode through streets silent as the grave, with not even a solitary lamp to cheer the eye. The houses seemed nothing else than lofty walls of brick or red granite. Many of them appeared to be wholly deserted, though sometimes a turbaned head was dimly seen at the narrow windows of these ominous- I Gen. XLii. 27. t Jer. XXXI. 21. The Hebrewword is D^.'^'inDrij "obelisks or coluuins." •i Xsa. III. 12 56 ROSETTA — LATIN CONVENT — AN EASTERN MARRIAGE. looking dwellings. The darkness of evening, the gloom of the buildings, and the silence of the town, made our entrance into Rosetta peculiarly sombre. We lodged at the Latin Convent, wearied with our journey, having travelled thirty or forty miles in nine hours. This Convent was erected about thirty-five years ago, chiefly with the view of accommodating travellers, and is a large brick building, in the form of a square, ivith a court in the midst, like all eastern houses. We were guided by the aid of a lan- tern up a dark irregular stair to the highest story, where we found the apartments for strangers far from being either airy or clean, but very acceptable after a day's journey in the wil- derness. There are about fifteen Roman Catholics in the town, and a superior (who was absent at Jerusalem) generally resides in the Convent ; but at the time of our visit, there were no inmates except a solitary IMonk, — an amiable Italian, with a little native boy attending him. We were refreshed by a draught of the water of the Nile. It is certainly peculiarly sweet and soft — ver}"^ palatable at any time, and not less so after the heat of the day. Perhaps the peculiar pleasantness of these waters is referred to by Je- remiah, " Now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor ?"' We had scarcely sat down when we heard the sound of music and mirth, and running to the window observed the glare of torches in the street. We were told that it was "the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride. "^ Some of us instantly set out to witness the spectacle of an Eastern Marriage. We wished to see the Parable of the Ten Virgins illustrated, and our wish was gratified. The bridegroom was on his way to the house of the bride. According to custom, he walked in procession through several streets of the town, attended by a numerous body of friends, all in their showy eastern garb. Persons bearing torches went first, the torches being kept in full blaze by a con- stant supply of ready wood from a receiver, made of wii'e, fixed on the end of a long pole. Two of the torch-bearers stood close to the bridegroom, so that we had a view of his person. Some were playing upon an instrument not unlike our bagpipe, others were beating drums, and from time to time muskets were fired in honour of the occasion. There was much mirth expressed by the crowd, especially when the procession stood 1 Jer. II J8 « Jet. xxx.iu. U. JEWS — FRANCISCAN MONK CONVERT LIBRARY. 57 still, which it did every few paces. We thought of the words of John, •' The friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice."^ At length the company arrived at the entrance of the street where the bride resided. Immediately we heard the sound of many female voices, and observed by the light of the torches, a company of veiled bridesmaids, waiting on the balcony to give notice of the coming of the bridegroom. When they caught a sight of the approaching procession, they ran back into the house, making it resound with the ci-y, " Halil, halil, halil," and music both A'ocal and instrumental com- menced within. Thus the bridegroom entered in, " and the door was shut." We were left standing in the street with- out, " in the outer darkness." In our Lord's parable,^ the virgins go forth to meet the bridegroom with lamps in their hands, but Lere they only waited for his coming. Still we saw the traces of the very scene described by our Lord, and a vivid representation of the way in which Christ shall come to his waiting Church, and the marriage supper of the Lamb be- gin. In India and other parts of the East, it is the custom for the friends of the bride to go oxit to meet the company. There are a few Jews in Rosetta, but no synagogue. The whole population of the town consists of 6000 inhabitants, and about 3000 soldiers. The ancient Canopus stood near the site of the town, but Rosetta is believed to be the ancient Bolbotine, and the branch of the Nile that flows past Rosetta is the Bolbotinicum ostium. The Monk in the Convent proved very affable. His name was Jeremiah Galazzo, a Franciscan, from Italy. He had ne- ver read the New Testament in any language but Latin ; and when we offered it to him in Italian, received it with a smile of delight. Shortly after he came back to us, and asked if we really meant to make the book his own ; and then re- quested us to write our names upon it, mentioning that it was our gift to him. This we gladly did, and also left some Ita- lian tracts in his library. Perhaps the Lord may some day make these seeds of divine truth to spring up in his heart, an they did in Luther's within the walls of a monastery. At one end of the room where we slept, there was a small library, containing such books as these : — " Officia Sancto- rum ;" " Co^yus Christi ;" *' Scopa ;" " Grammatica Fran- I I John III. 'Jt. « Matt. xxv. 1. 58 ROSETTA — THE NILE — RICE-MILL. cese ;" Jerome's Epistles in Latin ; " La Dotti-ina" of Bcllar- mine; Antoine's " Theologia Moralis ;^'' " Pictavii Compen- dium Historiae Universalis." There was a work on the In- carnation, in Arabic ; a copy of Bellarmine's " La Dottrina" in Arabic and Latin, and Missals in abundance, two large folio copies in Latin, and one in Arabic ; — but no Bible among all ! In the corner of the room was a small cupboard, neither neat nor clean. On the table stood a tinder-box, a vessel of olive-oil, and some cups. On the wall hung a rosary, with the image of the Virgin, bearing this inscription, " Maria concepta senza peccato originale precate pro noi che a voi recoriamo ;" i. e. " Mary, who wast conceived without origi- nal sin, pray for us who betake ourselves to thee." On the back of a chair hung a monk's brown, dirty dress ; and a skull- cap lay on a shelf above. (May 1 7.) Next morning when we rose we gazed for the first time upon the river Nile ; and in the forenoon walked along its banks, drinking of the " water of Sihor," those plea- Eant waters that were once turned into blood. The fact that these waters were so highly prized must have made that amazing miracle to be the more deeply felt, and gives singu- lar force to the words, " The Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water of the river."' So much is the water esteemed down to the present day, that tLj Turks say, " if Mahomet had tasted this river, he would have prayed for a temporal immortality that he might enjoy it for ever." We visited a rice-mill which is in the course of erection ; and found that tlie principal workmen in it were four Ameri- cans employed by the Pasha. They were very happy to meet with us, and invited us to their lodging. One of tliem begged lis to leave any English books which we could spare, as they had read over all their store. They said they kept the Sab- bath every week, for when engaging with the Pasha, he al- lowed them this privilege, that they might take either their own Sunday or the Mahometan Friday for rest. We next went to the Bazaar, a strange scene of filth and wretchedness. The shops were poorly supplied, except in the article of cu- cumbers ; but the miserable objects that were crawling about, — sore-eyed children perched on their mother's shoulder, with faces half devoured by flies, — old men half blind, — and all filthy in the extreme, presented a scene that cannot be de- \ &JLO(y »T.I. 13. THE MUEZZIN — A CEREMONIAL PROCESSION. 59 scribed. Water is universally carried in siins of animals, sewed up in the form of a bottle. The women always carry their burdens, however light, upon the head. At twelve o'clock, the Muezzin, who were standing on the minaret of the Mosque, called the people to prayer, for it was noon. The deep-toned and prolonged cry of these watchmen is heard over the whole city, and if it were a call to the wor- ship of the true God, would have a solemn effect. It is re- peated at set hours every day, and is to be heard in every Mahometan town. Did Mahomet think upon the words of the Psalmist when he instituted this practice, " Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud ; and he shall hear my voice ?"' As it was Friday the Mosques were all open. Looking into one of them, we observed a row of turbaned worshippers all kneeling at the same time. On ap- proaching too near the door, we were warned* to withdraw. Looking into another, we observed a man in a kind of pulpit addressing the worshippers, who were seated in a row upon a marble floor, with their eyes directed toward the preacher. The attitudes of devotion in the East are singularly beautiful. In returning to the Convent, we had an opportunity of wit- nessing the procession that takes place upon the event of a Circumcision. The Arabs, with a reference to their progeni- tor Ishmael, circumcise their children when thirteen years old, and perform the ceremony with great porap.^ The boy, on whose account the ceremony was to be performed on this oc- casion, was handsomely dressed, and seated upon a white horse, with his head garlanded with flowers. The attendants stopped every now and then, and were entertained with mu- sic, firing of muskets, and merriment of various kinds, as in the marriage procession. The women wearing the veil seated themselves on the ground, and sang with shrill voices : some- times they threw a fragrant liquid over the boy, reminding us of the words of the Psalmist, " All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, -where- by they have made thee glad."^ We observed more narrowly the bracelets and ornaments on the forehead worn by the wo- men, and their eyes painted with stibium, and also the silver anklets worn by the children. The men together played at single-stick, keeping time to the music in a very dexterous manner. 1 Psa. LV. 17. 2 Gen. xvii. 25. ' Psa. JU-» 8. 60 DEPARTURE FROM ROSETTa — EASTERN PLOUGH. At four in the afternoon, we took leave of Rosetta and of our friendly Monk, and crossed the Nile, which is here 1800 feet broad. We and our servants were a sufficient load for one small boat ; our luggage occupied another ; and our asses a third : — and thus we floated slowly to the other side. A rice-field was near the spot where we landed ; the rice was springing up through the water, which still drenched its sur- face. We saw a man ploughing with oxen ; — the plough seemed nothing more than a piece of wood, shaped so as to be flapable of piercing the ground. Some of the women of the villages were using the distaff, and the children were gather- ing mulberries. We had now a pleasant ride down the right bank of the Nile, among very rich gardens of melons and cucumbers, with figs and mulberry trees, and the finest palms we had yet seen. The croaking of frogs in all the rice-fields was incessant, and the pigeon, called by the Arabs Tur, was cooing among the trees. From time to time we had to cross little canals formed to carry water from the Nile, and supplied by the oxen turn- ing round a wheel. Into one of these one of our baggage asses was pushed headlong by his fellow ; and the patient ani- mal lay quietly at the bottom till it was lifted out. One of our attendants went to drink at a tank by the road- side. At all these tanks there is a small pitcher for the ac- commodation of travellers ; sometimes fastened by a chain, and sometimes without it, but even if left loose it remains un- touched. The villages are wretched. The people seem al- most naked, and excessively dirty ; most of them, too, are old people ; very rarely did we meet any healthy young men. The reason is, that all such are obliged to enter the army ; and Egyptian villages and lands are left to the care of women and old men. It seems still the case that taskmasters rule over Egypt — it is a " house of bondage" at this day. God remembers how Egypt kept his chosen Israel 400 years in DAKCE AND SONG BY THE ARABS, 61 slavery, and therefore has poured out upon it the fulfilment of that humiliating prophecy, " It shall be the basest of king- doms." ^ If God fulfils so accurately the threatening against the enemies of Israel, will he not as literally fulfil the hlcs&imj which he has promised to i\\e friends of Israel? And has he not said, " Blessed is he that blesseth thee ?"^ About sunset, we left the rich banks of the Nile, and en- tered again upon the pathless desert. We could not observe so much as one foot-print of man or beast upon the smooth sand. Soon we came upon the sea-shore, and rode along the margin, the waves washing the asses' feet, while the moon rose to light us on our way. At one point, our drivers being weary, proposed encamping for the night ; but Ibraim advised us to advance a little farther. Upon this the young Arabs proceeded without a murmur, and in order to cheer the way commenced a native dance and song. One of them, advancing a little be- fore the rest, began the song, dancing forward as he repeated the words, when the rest, following him in regular order, join- ed in the chorus, keeping time by a sbnultaneous clapping of hands. They sang several Arabian songs in this way, respond- ing to one another, and dancing along the firm sand of the sea-shore, in the clear beautiful moonlight. The response, the dance, and the clapping of the hands, brought many parts of the word of God to our minds. We remembered the song of Miriam at the Red Sea, when " the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances ; and Miriam answered them,''^ that is, " Miriam sang responsively to them ;"^ and also the song of the women of Israel after David's victory over the giant, " They answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands,"* The words of the Psalmist were likewise brought to mind, " clap your hands, all ye people ; Shout unto God with the voice of triumph ;"^ and again, " Let the floods clap their hands ; let the hills be joyful together"^ — i. e. in full choir. The re- sponsive form of the 136th Psalm, and others of a like kind, was fully illustrated by this interesting scene. We slept this night on the sea-shore. And in putting up 1 Ezek. XXIX. 15. '' Basest of kiiiKdoms," is every where seen fulfilled in the fact, that native Egyptians have none of the power or wealth of the lanrL Every .appearance of power or greatness in it belongs to its foreign governor and his officers, not to natives. The Pasha is the gulf in which the produce oi Egypt is swallowed up. * Numb. xxiv. i). 3 Exod. xv. L'O. 4 i Sam. xviii. 6, 7. 6 Psa. XLVii. L a Psa. xcviu. & f)2 JOURNEY TO DAMIETTA — TENTS — BOURLOS. our tents, we began to understand better the circumstances attending this manner of life. We learned how to " enlarge the place of the fcnf,"' by '' stretching out the curtains." We saw how by " lengthening the cords," we drew wider the co- vering ; and as we drove in the pins " or stakes" into the Band, we learned the necessity of " strengthening the stakes," if they were to endure the tugging of the wind and weight of the canvass. Israel is yet to dwell at large, under a tent widely spread ; but not a temporary abode, shifted at next morning's dawn. Jerusalem is to be " a tabernacle that shall not be taken down, not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken."^ There may be a reference to the falling of the tent when its cords are loosed, in Job, " He hath loosed my cord and afflicted rae."^ And perhaps also in the Epistle to the Corinthians, ■' If our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved,"'* where the original word is '/caraXudi^, " loosened." Then verse 4th has this meaning, " We groan, not to be left without a ta- bernacle altogether, but to have the glory enveloping our tent, to have an additional and far more glorious covering." Jael's tent-nails and hammer^ could not fail to occur to us. When Zechariah says, " out of him came the nail,"'' he refers to the fixing of the tent. And when another prophet says, " the nail that is fixed shall be removed,"^ he may allude to the tent-pin pulled up when the tent is shifted. (May 18.) We started early next morning, and were soon on our way. We had already learned how natural were the words, " Take up thy bed and walk ;"* our simple beds cost- ing us no trouble, and serving us for a softer seat on the asses' back. About one o'clock we reached the lake Bourlos, anciently lake Buteo, where the Sebennctic branch of the Nile once dis- charged its waters into the Mediterranean. It is a fine ex- panse of water, communicating with the sea by a narrow out- let. Multitudes of large porpoises were swimming about, whose playful motions amused us as we sailed across. They repeatedly darted out of the water in pursuit of smaller fish. The fishermen on shore were using the a/xp/CX'/joT^oi/, a 1 Isa. Liv. 2. 2 Isa. xxxiii. 20. a Job XXX. 11. The Hebrew is ^^^l^• •> II Cor. v. 1, 4. » Judg. V. ao. u Zcch. X. 4. » Isa. XXII. 25. The nail is iu Heb. "JJl^- » John t. 8. BALTEEN — SABBATH. 63 net resembling the poke-net used in the isles of Scotland. It is circular, and weights are placed round the circumference. The fisherman holds it bj the centre, gathers it up in his hand, and casts it into the water : he then draws it slowly to shore by a line fastened to the centre. This is probably the very kind of net used by the disciples.' Leaving Bourlos, we rode through a pleasant wilderness abounding in palm-trees. Passing a garden of melons and cucumbers, we observed " the lodge" in the midst of it, a small erection of four upright poles, roofed over with branches and leaves, under the shadow of which a solitary person may sit and Avatch the garden. To this desolate condition the daugh- ter of Zion has come as the prophet foretold, " The daughter of Zion is left as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers."^ In two hours we arrived at a paltry village named Balteen, whose wretched houses appeared externally to be masses of brick or of mud. They are built in squares, and the windows look in- ward. Several families occujiy one of these square edifices. At this spot our guides refused to go on, because they said that there would be no more water till four hours more of our jour- ney, and the road was too bad for travelling m the dark. Without any altercation, therefore, and being glad to rest, we pitched our tents in the middle of this village about seven o'clock. The day had been exceedingly sultry ; and the faces of some of us were blisteied by the hot wind and glowing sands. We had scarcely sat down in the tent-door to enjoy the cool air of evening, when our attention was painfully ar- rested by the screams of one of our drivers. We rushed to the spot in time to save the poor fellow from a repetition of the unmer dful blows which the chief driver had been inflicting on his head with a staif. Some disobedience in drawing water was the cause of quarrel. We took him into our tent, and Ibraim applied some coffee to the bleeding wound, laughing all the time at his piteous cries. Truly the tender mercies of the heathen are cruel. (May 19.) This morning was the Sabbath, and we rested according to the commandment. After worshipping together, we spent the forenoon in a grove of palms. The heat was great, the thermometer being 84". We soon left the shade of the palm, and seated ourselves under the deeper shade of the fig and tamarisk. A fox started from his lair at our approach, 1 Matt. IV. 18. We saw the same afterwards at the lake of Galilee. • 'sa 1 a 64 BALTEEN — VISIT FROM THE SHEIKH. and the native pigeons hovered around us. A thrashing-flooi was in sight ;- — for our resting-place was on a rising ground — and here the men were busy bruising out the corn, with an in- strument which we afterwards found very common in the East. It was no more than a flat board teethed with rows of sharp stones, on one end of which sat the man driving the oxen round and round over the straw. It brought to mind, " Neither is the cart-wheel turned about upon the cummin," and " Break it with the wheel of his cart."^ Some of the villagers found us thus seated. About twenty half-naked, wretched-looking people, gathered round, to gaze at us and our clothing. We felt it painful to be among these ignorant, miserable people, and not able to tell them in their own tongue one word of the great salvation. It stirred us the more to cry, " Thy kingdom come !" They kindly of- fered us some fresh garlick, and then their long pipe to smoke. One of them brought a vessel of water, and tasted it first him- eelf to induce us to drink with confidence. In the evening, the Sheikh or Governor of the place came down to our tent, attended by his Secretary — whom we found to be an Arabic Christian — and by his Pipe-bearer. They drank tea and ate sugar with great gooa nni±^^ui, and seemed delighted at the attention paid them. They gladly accepted a pencil-case and knife, and promised to Dr Keith to take Arabic tracts if he would send them. The Governor's brother was next introduced, that we might heal him of blindness. We found that one of his eyes was obscured by cataract, which we assured him it was beyond the reach of our skill to remove. Upon their leaving us, we received a hint to give a small bac- ehish, or present, to the Pipe-bearer, as a token of respect to the Master for the honour he had done us in visiting our tent. (May 20.) Owing to the restless impatience of our guides and servants, we were obliged to strike our tents at midnight. The moon was nearly full, and the sky without a cloud as we travelled onward for some hours through a much richer and more undulating country than that which we had passed. The palms and other trees of the desert gave beauty to the scene, while the hoarse croaking of the frogs told us that water was plentiful. Sometimes we came upon Arab huts made of branches of the belach or palm, and were saluted by the angry howl of dogs. Arriving at the sea, we rode along the shore, the wave* I Isa. sxviil. 27, 2a. A.SSOUM — SENNA PASHA'S TROOPS. 65 frequently washing the asses' feet. We now felt great diffi- culty in preventing ourselves from falling asleep, and were often on this account precipitated to the sand, to the great amusement of our Egyptian attendants. Frequently we were roused by the vivid flashes of lightning, which played beauti- fully from the bosom of the dark clouds above the sea. After riding ten hours in this manner we came to Assoum, an unsheltered village, consisting of a few wretched huts, and with very bad water. To save time, our tents were not erect- ed ; but we cast ourselves down, wearied and sleepy, upon our mats, under the shelter of the coverlets thrown over us, and tried to find a little rest under a scorching sun and upon glow- ing sand. It was easy now to understand the murmurings of the children of Israel in the desert ; for heat, thirst, and a long journey over burning sands, made us experience feelings of misery which we had not known before. After two hours of repose, a dip in the sea, and a sparing meal of rice and dates, we resumed our journey, being anxious to reach Damietta this evening. About three o'clock, as we left the sea-shore, the Minarets of the town appeared in the distant horizon. We rode through an undulating pass of low sand-hills, the air re- sembling that of an oven. Coming in sight of a weU, our guides ran to quench their burning thirst. To us, however, this only afforded a trial of patience, for the water was so muddy that we could not drink. In a little time we arrived at Senana, a village on the west side of this branch of the Nile, where the Pasha has barracks for some thousand troops. The troops were exercising as we passed by : — some were in drill, and some shooting at a mark. They wear a white cotton dress, with a deep red sash, and are far from being a bold-looking set of men. The Nile here is 800 feet broad ; and this was anciently called the Phatnitic or Bucolic branch. We sat down upon the bank, and drank freely of the water, which, when passed through a filter, was pure and delicious. An Egyptian officer brought us out chairs, and sat down with us in the shade of his house. He spoke with deep admiration of Mehemet Ali, and told us anecdotes of his unwearied activity. The houses and mosques of Damietta looked very beautiful in the evening sun on the opposite bank of the river, — a sad contrast to the filth, poverty, and guilt, to be found within. This is the ancient Tamiatis ; it occupies a fine situation, and has well cultivated lands in its vicinity. We had sent Ibraim 66 D.ViMlETTA — INTKODUCTION TO VICE-CONSUL. across the river with a letter to the Vice-Consul, the only re- presentative of England in this place, to make known our ar- rival. He returned with a message from the Vice-Consul in- viting us to his house ; upon which we immediately embarked, and were soon rowed across the gentle stream, and up one of the canals, till we landed in Damietta, immediately under the Consul's garden. We M'ere received into a large hall, with a stone floor, and a broad divan at the far end. In the one corner,' which is the place of state, we found the Vice-Consul, a smart-looking Egyptian, in a Greek dress of dark green, with yellow sli2:)pers. He received us very graciously, and made us sit beside him on the divan. Long pipes, highly ornamented, were immediately brought to us by the attendants. We felt it not a little teazing, after all our fatigues and sleep- lessness, to be compelled, out of politeness, to go through these eastern formalities, and to recline with him for nearly two hours, until a repast was prepared such as he thought suitable for British travellers. However, we were deeply interested by observing many eastern customs, which we had read of from our youth. We were introduced also to the Consul's brother and nephew; the latter a fine-looking young man, with a pointed moustache, who had singular command over his fea- tures. He sjjoke to us in the Italian very freely ; told us with great sangfroid of the poverty and misery of the inhabitants of Damietta ; and when we informed him that we were Mi- nisters of Christ, said that he admired our religion very much, because it appealed to reason. An old Bedouin sheikh was brought before us, who promised to do his best to procure camels for our future journey through the desert. At last the repast was served up. It was much after the English fashion, our host shewing us the greatest kindness. After all was over, we were guided by the janissary, carrying a silk lantern, through the dark streets, to rooms belonging to the British consulate. Our mats were spread upon the floor, and we slept soundly, although the mosquitoes annoyed us not a little. A locust also dropt in at one of the lattices of the room. Our chamber was fitted up in the true oriental style, for the part of the room assigned for the bed was about a foot higher than the rest of the floor. We saw the meaning of " going up to the bed."^ The windows were completely shaded by a wooden lattice-work on the outside, which we found universal in I Am''^ III. 12, and Zech. x. 1. ' • Psa. czzzii. & VICE-CONSUL GOVERNOR OF THE PROVINCE. 67 Egypt. It is probably the same thing that is spoken of bj Solomon, " shewing himself through the lattice."^ (May 21.) Early next morning, we settled accounts with the Egyi^tian donkeymen who had brought us thus far on out journey. Soon after which the Consul's janissary, dressed in white, with red shoes, came to invite us to our forenoon's re- past. We then found that it is the custom in the East, to send for the guests when the feast is prepared, saying, " Come, for all things are now ready."^ The Consul was sitting as usual in the corner of his divan, along with some Egyptian friends, among whom was the Governor of the province — a rough- looking man, with a grisly beard, snow-white turban, « Luke XIV. 17. Esther vi. W, 68 DAMIETTA — DINNER AX VICE-CONSUI/S. and piercing eye. He was very kind to us, and examined all our clothes, even the pockets and lappets of our coats, our watches, outside and inside, with uplifted eyebrows, adding " Buono, hxiono,^^ at every discovery. The coUazione was in the English fashion for our sakes, and the Governor for the first time, as he told us, attempted the use of the knife and fork. After the repast, the servants carried round a brazen basin, and out of a jar poured water on the hands of every guest. We remembered Elisha pouring water on the hands of Elijah.i Returning again to the hall, and squatted once more upon the divan, coffee was brought in very small cups, each cup being enclosed in a small silver case. The long pipes were next carried in by six attendants. Each servant stood at a reverent distance, and kept his eye fixed upon the hand of the guest whom he was serving, watching the slightest notion. This v^i- vidly recalled the allusion in the Psalms, " Behold as the eyes of servants look imto the hand of their masters."'^ While we were thus seated, a tall old man came in with a petition in his hand. He took off his shoes, and approached the Governor barefoot.^ The great man glanced rapidly over the paper, and without speaking a word, gathered his brows into a terrible frown ; whereat the poor man retired as if from a serpent. At parting, we were invited to return to the evening meal. No hour was fixed ; but towards evening, we were sent for by the secretary, whose name was Salvator Strigelli, an inteUigenfc young Italian, fantastically dressed, with long black hair curling upon his shoulders. We asked him when his master usually dined ; he said, " About half an hour after sunset," which proved to be half-past seven. We had an opportunity of speaking to this Secretary very directly on the necessity of a personal interest in Christ. He seemed, however, to have a strong leaning to scepticism, and was of a romantic turn of mind. At the door of the Consul's house were many poor and dis- eased, hanging about in expectation of getting help from those who visited him. We remembered Lazarus laid at the rich man's gate.* At dinner we were still more interested in ob- serving a custom of the country. — In the room where we were received, besides the divan on which we sat, there were seats all round the walls. Many came in and took their place Jn 1 II Kings III. 11. f Psa. cxxiii. 2. * Exod. m.i. 4 Luke zvi. 2Qk ILLUSTRATIONS OF JEWISH CUSTOMS. 69 those side-seats, uninyited and yet unclaallenged. They spoke to those at table on business or the news of the day, and our host spoke freely to them. This made us understand the scene in Simon's house at Bethany, where Jesus sat at supper, and Mary came in and anointed his feet with ointment ;^ and also the scene in the Pharisee's house, where the woman who was a sinner came in, uninvited and yet not forbidden, and washed his feet with her tears.^ The chief dish at the table was a highly-seasoned pilau of rice ; but the Consul pressed us much to another, which he described as a dish peculiar to Egypt, made of an herb like clover, called melahieh. It has a saltish taste; as its Arabic name indicates. Several armed Arabs were serv- ing us, but the favourite attendant was Hassan, who was al- ways summoned into the room by a loud call " Wa-hassan" accompanied by clapping the one hand very sharply on the other. The conversation was of a more serious cast than pre- viously. The Consul, whose name is Michael Suruff, is by birth an Egyptian, and his father was a native of Damascus. He is a Greek Roman Catholic, but so liberal, that he declared he believed our Protestant worship to be much nearer the form which Christ would approve. He thought that there were no traces in Scripture of any such orders in the church as their bishops. At the same time he reckoned it a disgrace for any man to change his religion. (Wednesday, May 22.) In the pleasant air of morning the flat roof of our house afforded us an opportunity of realiz- ing Peter's position in Acts x. 9, and of imitating his exam- ple. Immediately below our apartment was the Grseco-Ro- mish chapel, a very small apartment, filled with the fragrance of incense. Two priests stood at the altar and two monka were reading the Arabic service. Two little boys also were assisting ; but we were the only auditors. The half of the population of Damietta is professedly Christian, but most of 1 John XII. 1—8. « Luke VII. 36—38. We afterwards saw this custom at Jerusalem, and there it was still more fitted to illustrate these incidents. We were sitting around Mr Nicolayson's table, when first one and then another stranger opened the iloor and came in, taking seats by the wall. They leaned forward and spoke to those at table. No\v, in the case of the woman that was a sinner, Christ is dining at a Pharisee's table. As the feast goes on, the door opens, and a woman enters and takes her seat by the wall just behind him. The Pharisee eyes her with abhorrence ; but as custom permits it, he does not prevent her coming in. After a little time, as Jesus is reclining, with his feet sloped toward the back of the couch, the woman bends forward, pours her tears on his feet, and anoints them with precious ointajent. , 70 SCHOOLS — DEPARTURE FROM DAMIETTA. these belong to the Greek church. In one of the streets wo were attracted, by the sound of bawling voices, to a native school. Eight children were seated on the floor, with their books placed before them, not on a desk, but on a sort of hur- dle. The children kept up an incessant rocking motion of the body backward and forward at every word they repeated, and all seemed to speak at once at the pitch of their voices. At the corner of another street we were attracted by a similar sound to a school up a stair, attended by about thirty children, with two teachers. They sat in regular rows on the floor, with their books, which were aU Arabic, in their hands ; their shoes had been left in a heap at the door. Three repeated their lesson at once, rocking to and fro. Quickness and loud- ness of utterance seemed to be aimed at as the chief excellence of the scholars. We visited the Consul once more, to thank him for all his kindness and bid him adieu. The common salutation at meet- ing and parting is to put the hand first on the breast and then on the lips, as if to intimate that what the lips utter the heart feels. ^ But no custom of the East struck us more than their manner of squandering away time : drinking coffee, smoking, and sitting indolently on a couch, seem to occupy many hours of the day. In the forenoon, our arrangements for traversing the desert being completed, we set out for tlie lake Menzaleh, about a mile from Damietta. Many of the people whom we passed on the way were preparing chopped straw and camel's dung mixed with earth for fuel,^ Many of the children were ab- solutely naked. Reaching the lake, we embarked in a large open boat, spread our carpets on the floor, and formed an awning with our mats. A large sail was raised, and a gentle breath of wind carried us slowly along ; the sail and ropes were well patched, and would have fared ill in a gale. Lake Menzaleh is the ancient Mendcs, and is in general four or five feet deep. The bottom appeared to be a very rich alluvial soil, and were the lake drained would form a splendid plain. The banks are all cultivated for rice. In the middle of the deck of our boat stood a large earthen jar vf'.i\\ water, of which the sailors drank from time to time. The Bedouin sheikh, Haggi Mater, sat beside us. He was an elderly man, of a 1 See Job xxxi. 27, " My mouth hath kissed my h%u(i." • This may explain what is said in Ezek. iv. 14, 15. I,AKE MENZALEH BEDOUIN SHEIKH — VILLAGES. 71 very mild and pleasant countenance, and yet it was easy to trace beneath the numerous folds of his turban the cunning of his nation. He was in great good humour when we gave him dates and other fruit, and still more in the evening when we offered him tea and sugar. The thermometer was 74r° under our awning, and the vessel moved very slowly, so that we found it pleasant to bathe in the lake. We sailed past two villages that lie close to each other, Ughieh or Menzaleh, and Matu- rieh. The former is on the neck of land, and both had a lively appearance, presenting the aspect of more industry than any Egyptian town or village we had yet seen. There were many boats at the quay ; some carrying lime, others rice, others fish. The Mosque, rising over the houses and palm- trees, and seen against the deep blue sky, gave a truly pictu- resque effect to this quiet but busy spot. Towards evening, we observed the shore covered with immense reeds, from ten to twenty feet high ; the water-fowl, and the fish leaping out of the water, seemed to be innumerable. The unbroken stillness of the evening scene was strangely solemnizing, and after singing the 23d and 121st Psalms, we committed ourselves to repose in the bottom of the boat. (^lay 23.) We were roused before sunset. Our boat had reached during the night a narrow embankment, which divides this part of the lake from the next. The part we had sailed over was anciently the Mendefian branch of the Nile : and the part we were now to enter upon was the Tanitic or Saitic branch, now called Moes. The p.ace was called Sid, perhaps a remnant of the ancient Sais. While the men were transporting the luggage over the slender isthmus, we wandered along the shore. It was a beautiful morning, and the air was soft and balmy, — ^just such an atmosphere Joseph used to breathe when he was governor over the land of Egypt. We came upon two Arabs sitting by a smouldering fire of camel's dung. The quern or hand- mill, made of two granite stones, was lying by a large cruise of 72 MODE OF DRAWING WATER — ZO.^Jf. water, and a round iron plate for baking. As we sailed on, the banks on either hand presented fields of very large onions watered by human labour. A half-naked Egyptian stood by a well, into which he dipped a bucket, which was attached to a transverse pole. By means of a weight at the other end of the pole, the bucket was easily raised and emptied into the ditch, which conveyed it over the field. ^ There were also many " sluices and ponds for fish," similar without doubt to those referred to by Isaiah,'^ which were once numerous on all the branches of the Nile. About ten o'clock a.m. we landed at the village of San, anciently called Tanis, and in Scripture Zoan, one of the most ancient cities in the world.^ The fine alluvial plain around was no doubt " the field of Zoan,"* where God did marvellous things in the days of Moses ; and it is by no means an unlikely opinion, that the well-known Goshen^ was in this region. We pitched our tents upon the bank to shelter ourselves from the rays of an almost vertical sun, while the wild Arabs came round, some to gaze upon the strangers, and some to offer old coins and small images for sale. In the cool of the day we wandered forth for solitary meditation, and Mr Bonar, passing over some heaps of rubbish a few minutes' walk from the vil- I Some such custom is alluded to in Deut. xi. 10: "Not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and waterodst It with thy foot as a garden of herbs." 3 Isa. XIX. 10. 3 Numb. xin. 22. 4 Psa. LXXTlil. 12. 43, » Gen. xlvi. 29. RUINS OF ZOAN. 73 lage, started a fox from its lair. Following after it, lie found himself among low hills of loose alluvial matter, full of frag ments of pottery, while beyond these lay severa. heaps o\ large stones, which on a nearer inspection he found to Toe */ ' ^^::^WiS^^ 74 ZOAN- -FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY. broken obelisks and ruins of what may have been ancient temples — the relics of a glory that is departed. But dark- ness came on, and obliged him to return to the tent. It was a lovely moonlight night, and very pleasant it was to unite in prayer and in singing psalms amid the wild Arabs, in the very region where God had wrought so many wonders long ago. We read over Isaiah xix. " The burden of Egypt," in our tent, and when we looked out on the paltry mud village of San, with its wretched inhabitants, we saw God's word ful- filled before our eyes. " Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish :" " Where are they ? where are thy wise men ?" " The princes of Zoan are become fools. "^ The people of the modern village are extremely filthy and ignorant, famous for pilfering, and not to be trusted. Our sheikh and servants were a little afraid of them, and insisted on making one or two discharges of fire-arms, to instil a salutary awe into the villagers. They also kept watch round our tents the whole night, (one of them with a naked sabre, which lay by his side gleaming in the moonlight,) keeping one another awake by a low Arab chant. (INfay 24, Friday.) At sunrise, we took a full survey of all that now remains of ancient Zoan. We found that the large mounds of alluvial matter which cover the ruins of brick and pottery, extend about two miles from east to west, and one mile and a half from north to south. The whole country round appeared to be covered not with sand, but with soil which might be cultivated to the utmost if there was water. The most remarkable relics of this ancient city lie at the western extremity. We came upon immense blocks of red granite lying in a heap. All had been hewn, some were carved, and some were still lying regularly placed one above another. Here probably stood the gi'catest temple of Zoan ; and there seems to have been an open square round it. Pos- sibly also a stream flowed through the very midst of the city, for at present there is the dry channel of a torrent. Far- ther to the north, we found ten or twelve obelisks, fallen and prostrate, and two sphinxes, broken and half sunk into the ground. The finest of the obelisks was thirty feet long, the culmen unbroken, and the carving unimpaired. All were covered with hieroglyphics. Several had the symlcl of Ibis, RUINS OF ZOAN — LOADING THE CAMEL. 75 others of Anubis and Osiris. One of tlie sphinxes was thirteen feet long, and nearly perfect, the other was a fragment. Towards the south were the re- mains of two columns having capi- tals of the Corinthian order, though in the form of the shaft there seem- ed to be an imitation of the lotus- leaf. Among the mounds we could clearly trace buildings of brick, the bricks still retaining their original place. The remains of pottery, how- ever, were most remarkable, consist- ing of jars of the ancient form without number, all broken into fragments, many of them bearing the clearest marks of the action of tire, shewing that God has literally fulfilled the word of the prophet, " I will set fire in Zoan."^ Returning to our tents, we found eight camels waiting for us, each attended by a Bedouin. This was our first trial of " the ship of the desert." The loading of the camel is a sin- gular scene. At the word of command the animal sinks down upon the sand with its limbs crouched under it. A wooden frame is fastened on the highest part of the back, to which a net-work of ropes is commonly attached, for the convenience of enclosing luggage. A carpet and covering are then placed above, and form a soft saddle, upon which the rider must sit either astride or sideways, without stirrup or bridle, and ba lance himself according to the best of his ability. The camel often moans sadly during the time of mounting, and sometimes tries to bite. When it rises there is much danger of being thrown over its head, and then of being thrown the other way ; and the Arabs are very careless in warning, for they say no . I Ezek Kxx. U. .Se« Dr Keith's Endences of Prophecy, p. 380, last edition. 76 JOURNEY IN THE DESERT — MENAGHElii one IS hurt by a fall from a camel. All things being ready, we proceeded forward at the slow rate of somewhat less than three miles an hour. The long step of the camel causes a con- stant monotonous rocking of the body, which is very fatiguing at first, and our patience was tried by their incessantly bend- ing down their swan-like necks to crop the dry prickly herb- age of the desert. The Sheikh presented us with some fresh cucumbers to keep us from thirst, and we listened with inte- rest to the short plaintive song of the Bedouins, who responded to one another while they urged on their camels. We passed a small hovel in the sand, where the Arabs made a curious sound expressive of superstitious reverence. They told us it was the dwelling of a dervish. Coming upon the dead carcase of a camel, Avhich two men were flaying for the sake of its flesh and skin, our guide remarked that, besides these, the hair also is valuable, being used in making rough cloaks for the Bedouins. No doubt these are the same as the hairy garment worn by Elijah,^ and the " raiment of camel's hair" worn by John the Baptist.'^ All the Arabs wore also a broad " leath- ern girdle about their loins." We frequently experienced an interesting illustration of a passage in the prophet Isaiah.^ About midday, when the heat was very oppressive, a small cloud, scarcely observable by the eye, passed over the disc of the burning sun. Immediately the intense heat abated, a gentle breeze sprung up, and we felt refreshed. " Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers (enemies) as the heat in a dry place (a sandy desert), even the heat with the shadow of a cloud ; the branch (the palm branch waved in supposed triumph) of the terrible ones shall be brought low." The immediate relief afforded us by the in- terposition of a small and almost imperceptible cloud, taught us the lesson of the prophet — with what divine ease and speed God can relieve his suffering church and bring low her proudest enemies. Again and again in the course of our journey we had occasion to quote the words, and in the spirit of Bunyan's pilgrim when refreshed, said one to another, " He bringeth down the heat in a dry place with the shadow of a cloud." In four hours and a half we arrived at Menaghee, a poor village, where every house was built entirely of mud,* but 1 11 Kings 1. 8. a Matt iii. 4. » Isa. xxv. 6. 4 Perhaps Ezekiel refers to such mud walls as these, xiii. lO-.and our Lord Matt, VL 19 (Greek), " where thieves dig through and steal." ACCIDENT TO DR UI.ACK. 77 ^rhere tnere was a --vood of fine palm-trees and three wells of good water, so that as vve pitched our tents we were reminded of Elim.i The evening was pleasant, and we bathed in a part of the old Pelusiac branch of the Nile. The river no longer flows to the sea, and its reeds are " withered, driven away, and are no more."^ We concluded that tro must be near Sin or Pe- lusium, the key of Egypt in ancient days. Beside this stream, we saw great numbers of ravens, called by the Arabs oiirab,^ and many a vulture, called daiah,^ hovered over us as if de- sirous to feed upon our flesh. A fine moonlight night succeed- ed. The Arabs and camels formed a circle round our tents. They fed the camels with chopped straw and bran ; in refer- ence to which common food, Isaiah speaks of a better time that is to come, when the provender shall be " winnowed with the shovel and the fan."^ Talking to Ibraim about the Bedouins, we asked if the Arab sheikh could read. " No, no (said Ibraim), Bedoiiin-man neither read nor write ; Bedouin-man just like donkey." There was something in this rude testimony that irresistibly reminded us of the word of God concerning Ish- mael, " He will be a wild man" — or more literally, " He will be a wild ass man."® (May 25, Saturday.) We were mounted on our camels by sunrise, and bade salaam to the old sheikh and his black at- tendant, who now took leave of us in a very kind manner, committing us to the care of the Bedouins. The sunbeams glanced along the level plain of the wilderness, scorching our hands and faces, for we were journeying nearly due east. Every hour it became hotter and hotter, and this, along with the slow rocking motion of the camel, often produced an irre- sistible drowsiness — a feeling indescribably painful in such cir- cumstances. About half-past nine o'clock, a loud cry from the guide aroused us all. Our friend Dr Black had fallen suddenly from his camel. We immediately slipped down from our ca- mels and ran to the spot. For some time he remained nearly insensible, but by the use of such restoratives as we had, at last began gradually to recover. It was a truly affecting scene, which we can never forget. Far from our kindred, in the 1 Exod. XV. ir/. » Isa. xix. 7. a Heb. y^"^ (oreb> * No doubt the Hebrew n}>J7 (daiah). » Isa. xxx. 24. T T . Gen. xvr. 12. Q-I^^ ^'^^. 78 GOMaTTER — A SABBATH IN THE DESERT. midst of a vast solitude, no living being near except our little company of Arabs, not knowing what might be the extent of the injury received, we felt how completely our times were in God's hand. The Arabs cheerfully erected the tent, and though the water in the skins was scarce and precious, they sprinkled some over the tent to keep it cool, — for the thermo- meter stood at 89 ° in the shade. The camels couched on the sand under the burning sun, and each of the Bedouins made a little tent of his cloak and lay down beneath. "We were thank- ful to be able to resume our journey, and proceed onwards tc the next stage towards the cool of the day, intending to spend the Sabbath there. The desert now presented an unvaried circle of sand as far as the horizon, sometimes gathered into little hillocks, sometimes covered with stunted thorns, " the heath in the desert" of which Jeremiah speaks.^ The sun went down in the same manner as at sea, and bright moonlight fol- lowed. Very weary we arrived at Gomatter about ten o'clock at night, A small fort, or post-house of the Pasha, and a deep well of cold water, were the only objects of interest in this desolate spot, where we pitched our tents and sought rest. (May 26, Sabbath.) The Sabbath dawned sweetly upon us, but soon it became very hot, the thermometer being 92" in the shade. We rested in our tents, and found many of the Psalms, such as the 63d, full of new meaning and power. Dr Keith went up to the Post-office, and finding the mas- ter very friendly, sat down with him in the shade of his house. Our Arab attendants also seated themselves beside him, while he read several passages of the Bible, Ibraim being interpreter. They listened with the utmost attention, putting in a note of approbation again and again. But in the midst of his occu- pation, Ibraim could not refrain from making his remarks on the Bedouins. Pointing to one man who was staring with an unmeaning countenance, he whispered, " Look, look, now, is not Bedouin-man just like donkey V'^ In the evening we invited the Governor to visit our tent, and seated him on our best carpet in the corner, the Bedouins being all gathered round the tent-door. Dr Black was so far well as to be able to address this interesting congregation. He went over seve- ral Scripture narratives, and ended by reading part of John III. He spoke in Italian, and Ibraim interpreted, but evi- dently not so willingly as in the forenoon. The constant re- 1 Jw. svu. 0. CONVERSATION WITH IBRAIM AND AHMET. 79 mark of tlie auditors — often, it is to be feared, out of mere courtesy — was " Taib, Taib," " good, good," or " Saheia, Saheia,^' " very just." Ibraim and Ahmet spoke to us when the rest were gone. One of their great stumbling-blocks seems to be the profligate and irreligious conduct of professing Chris- tians. Ibraim related the shameful manner in which a gen- tleman at Cairo had treated him. Ahmet started some specu- lative questions regarding Providence, and mentioned some Frenchmen who believed in no God. We explained the dif- ference between nominal and real Christians ; and Ibraim re- marked that he had met with good Christians, mentioning with great affection and respect Professor Robinson from Ame- rica, with whom he had travelled about two years ago. Both of them had met with Joseph WolflP in Mr Gliddon's house af Alexandria, and remembered him with much interest. When left alone we were led to meditate on that happy time when Israel shall *' arise and shine," and the sons of Isl mael, the untamed wanderers of the desert, shall share in the blessing, " The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah ; all they from Sheba shall come ;" " all the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together ur.to thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee."' (May 27.) We were up with the sun, and soon on our way. Ibraim told us that we were not many days' journey from Mount Sinai ; and remarked, that the desert of Sinai (which he traversed with Dr Robinson) is very diflferent from that which we were now travelling, for it has trees every now and then. He described a tree very common there, of which the Bedouins make charcoal, and which grows in clusters, called Santah. May this not be the Shitta-tree, or Shittim-wood of the Scriptures ?^ 1 Isa. Lx. 6, 7. » Exod.xxv.5,10. Isa. XLi. 19. The Dagesh in the T) of HD^ (shittah) r • evidently points to a letter which has been dropped, which may be the nun ct Santah. By the way we asked Ibraim many questions about the names of objects round us. He pointed to onions and said the name was " basel," which resemble» veryclosely the Hebrew 7i{^ (batsel); gai-lick he called touni, which is the same as the Hebrew n^jJ^JjVy (shoumeem), with only a change of the sibilant The melon is in Arabic botiach, an abbreviation of H^tS^^? (abatiahh). All these are mentioned together in Numb, xi. 5, " We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely ; *he cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and tb« onions, and the garlicJK.* 80 OESERT OF SUITE TAHPANHES. This is the extreme part of the desert of Shur, wherein Ha- gar wandered.' It is still overspread with stunted bushes and shrubs ; and it was no doubt under one of these that she cast her child.^ The most common bush is called ^' atel" or " athle," " the tamarisk." Not far from this point of the road stood in ancient days Tahpanhes, or Daphne, and Migdol, whither the rebellioua remnant of Judah carried Jeremiah after the destruction of Jerusalem by the King of Babylon.^ At a distance on the left, we saw ancient remains, which the men said were the ruins of a city. The infallible word of God has been fulfilled. " At Tehaphnehes (Tahpanhes) also the day shall be dark- ened ;" " a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity."^ We met the Pasha's dromedary-post, tra- velling at the rate of six or seven miles an hour. We were told that, if he be a few hours beyond his time, he is in dan- ger of losing his head. A little after we met some Bedouins travelling on foot. Our guides recognised them, and they kissed each other several times with great affection, reminding us of the meeting of Jacob and Esau.^ Before midday we came to a resting-place called Duadahr, which means " the Warrior," and our camels kneeled down beside a fine well, out of which the water is drawn by a large wheel. This resting at wells called vividly to mind many Scripture events. Jacob found Rachel, and Moses found Zipporah at the well.^ It was by a well of water that Eliezer, Abraham's servant, " made his camels to kneel down at the time of the evening ;"' and many a time did we realize that scene. On resuming our journey, the character of the desert was altered. Instead of a level plain, our route lay over sand hills, with considerable valleys between. The setting-sun, casting his rays on these, had a peculiarly pleasing effect ; and especially when the palm-trees adorned the heights, a mild desolate beauty was added to the landscape. We understood that we were approaching the range of desert mountains, an- ciently called Mount Casius. The moon rose in clear, un- clouded splendour, and under its light we often seemed to be journeying over drifted snow. Late at night we reached Catieh, very weary, having spent about twelve hours on the camel's back. J Gen. XVI. 7. s Gen.xxi. 15. a .Tor. XLiii. 7; xi.vr. U. « Ezok. XXX. 18. « Gtn. xxxiit. 4. , « Gen. xxix. 'J^ Exod. IL IG » Gen. XXIV. U. CATIEH — OSMAN KFFENDI. 81 Catieh is the anclen Catrlum, and not far from the sea. Like Elim it has many wells of water, and many palm-trees ; though very sandy, we thought it the most engaging spot w€ had yet seen in the wilderness. Some have supposed that several of the stations of the wandering Israelites were along this track. For example, they say, that Rissa was probably El Arish, and if so, Kehelathah must have been near this place. ^ (Miiy 28.) In the morning, while we were seated at break- fast, the postmaster, Osman Effendi, visited our tent. He willingly drank tea, and asked for a little to present to his wife, who, he said, had learned how to make it. Seeing that our bread was very old, he sent for some new bread from his own house, and presented it to us. He gave us also a quan- tity of salted milk, which, however, we could not drink. We afterwards visited him in return at his house, and found him seated on the ground among some of his younger servants, teaching them to read. His whole manner and appearancti recalled to mind the patriarch of the desert. He inquired very kindly into Dr Black's fall from the camel, and asked if he should order the Bedouin to be bastinadoed. When we told him that we had no such desire, and that our friend had recovered from the accident, he said that when we arrived at the first town, our friend should give something to the poor out of gratitude to God, without letting any one know. While we were thus seated with him, he had ordered his wife to bake some very nice sweet cakes, which he presented to us with cof- fee in truly patriarchal style. It reminded us of Sarah mak- ing cakes upon the hearth, for her three heavenly visitors.'' He told us that he received from the Pasha twelve dollars a- month, sufficiency of provisions, and perquisites. His house was wretched, the floor being loose sand, but the cool shade of the stone walls was pleasant. We remembered with fresh interest the words of Isaiah, " the shadow of a great rock in 9 weary land."^ Near this spot are two monuments raised over the graves of two Marabout Sheikhs. The bodies of dead saints are en- tombed within, and a shell of a building with a white cupola is erected over them ; within this the friends of the departed frequently meet for prayer. These are the " whited sepul- chres, which appear beautiful outward, but are within full of t Nunit). zxxiii. 22. 2 Qer. x:iu. t » Isa. xxxu. 2. 82 JOURNEY IN THE DESERT — '' HILLS OF SEIR.'' dead men's "bones, and all uucleanness."' The only remnants of antiquity here are a marble pillar lying in fragments among palm-trees, and several heaps of brick. The ex- tensive ruins of Tel Fararaah lie about three hours' journey from this station, and near to the Salt Lake. We noticed here that most of the green patches in the sand are the pro- duction of the beetle's industry. The beetle with amazing labour drags the camel's dung into its hole in the sand, and thus a fruitful soil is formed ready to receive the seeds of plants. To this small insect probably we owe the greater part of the verdure of the wilderness. We had rested the first part of this day in order fully to recruit our strength. Towards evening we were agaio mounted, and bade farewell to Catieh. Our last view of our kind friend Osman EfFendi was when he was kneeling upon the sand near the tombs, and praying with his face towards Mecca. The desert was now of a more verdant character ; and as we proceeded, many flocks of goats were feeding by the way, some of which had sheep mingled with them ; forcibly re- minding us of our Lord's parabolic account of the great day.' At present, the thoughtless and the hypocrites feed side by side with the children of God in the pastures of this world's wilderness, but the day is coming when He shall separate the righto^ms from the wicked, " as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats." The long curling hair of these goats was of a beautiful glossy black, shewing us at once the beauty ani^ propriety of the description in the Song, '' Thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Mount Gilead."'* Sometimes our way was through " a salt land and not in- habited."^ The face of the desert in these places was white with the incrustations of salt. This made us understand the expression, " He turneth a fruitful land into barrenness," li- terally " into saltness."" After six hours' journey we en- ramped at Beer-el-abd, " the well of the slave," a desolate ppot. Next morning (May 29) we saw at a distance a range of liills running north and south, called by the Arabs Djebel Khalil. They form part of " the hills of Seir." After wan- dering so many days in the wilderness, with its vast monoto- 1 MaCt XXIII. 27. a Matt. xxv. 32. « Son^ iv. L 4 Jer XVII. 6. i p«a. ovu. P/t. SIRBONIAN LAKE. 63 nous plains of level sand, the sight of these distant moun- tains was a pleasant relief to the eye ; and we thought we could understand a little of the feeling with which Moses, af- ter being forty years in the desert, would pray, " I pray thee, let me go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain and Lebanon."^ Before noon, the sudden sight of the sea, or rather of the famous Sirbonian lake, and the sea beyond it, made us cry to one another (in language we had learned from our guides), " El Bahr, El Bahr,'" " the sea, the sea," like the joyful Bhouts of the ten thousand Greeks, " '^aXXadifa, ^aXXatfCa." The lake is referred to by Milton, " A lake profound, as that Serbonian bog Betwixt Damiata and Mount Casius old, Where armies whole have sunk.": The lake is connected with the sea, but the drifting sands keep it in the state of a morass, a sandy morass. It was very shallow at this place ; and at the time we bathed in it the water was tepid. When we came out, the salt of the water appeared on our bodies in the form of a thick crust. Returning to our tent, we gathered specimens of the few flowers of the desert, and in our search found the ground overrun with lizards and beetles. While seated at our mid- day meal, a company mounted on camels came past us from another quarter of the desert. One of them rode up to us, his face scorched with the sun and his mouth parched, his only cry being, " 3Ioie, 7?ioie," *' Water, water." Towards evening we journeyed forward through a more verdant part of the desert, cheered by the view of the distant hills, and by the chirping (for there was little song) of the lit- tle birds which, for the first time, we observed among the bushes. The moon rose "upon us in glorious brightness, and late at night we pitched our tents in a place called Abugil- bany. (May 30.) In the morning, the desert was really enlivened by the chirping of birds. As a single note of a sweet song will often revive a sad heart, so it seems as if the lively note of these birds, in a place so desolate and far from the dwell- ings of men, were a kind arrangement of Providence in order to refresh the weary traveller. 1 Ueut. u* « Paradise Lost, B. ii. 84 JOURNEY IN THE DESERT.^ We found the heat more oppressive this day thin we had yet experienced it. The hillocks of sand, between which we were slowly moving at the usual camel's pace, reflected the Bun's rays upon us, till our faces were glowing as if we had been by the side of a furnace. The hills of Seir occasionally reappeared, and on the left the lake stretched out in full view. At one time a fox started from the bush and fled before us. It was to such an animal the prophet Ezekiel referred " Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the desert,"^ hungry and anxious to find a prey. Our track now lay amidst unusual plenty of herbage and tufts of verdant plants, a change which became the occasion of considerable annoyance ; for the camels were continually bending down their long necks to crop the shrubs, especially some species which seemed peculiarly succulent. We saw in this an illustration of the description given of the wild ass, " He searcheth after every green thing."^ Here, too, the sand was occasionally covered with a crust of salt, as if a salt- lake had once been there. This also is mentioned in the same passage as a feature of the scenery, " Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land (in Hebrew ' the salt place') his dwelling,"^ Our guide now directed us by a road a little nearer than that by the sea-side ; though much more irregular, and over endless hills of sand. We found the way to be a gradual as- cent, and saw the minute correctness of the Scripture narra- tive, " a chariot came vp and went out of Egypt. "^ And again, *' Who is this that cometh tip from the wilderness ?"^ In like manner, when we met any travellers going the other way, they were, like Joseph's brethren, " going down to Egypt."^ Perhaps it was through this part of the desert of Shur that Hagar wandered, intending to go back to her na- tive country f and it may have been by this way that Joseph carried the young child Jesus when they fled into the land of Egypt.* Even in tender infancy the sufferings of the Re- deemer began, and he complains, '' I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up."^ Perhaps these scorching beams beat upon his infant brow, anr'i this sandlader breeze dried up his infant lips, while the heat of the curse ' f God began to melt 1 Ezrk. xrii. 4. sJobxxxix. 8. a Job. xxxix. 6. « I Kiiif^s X. 29. 6 Song viii. 5. • Gen. xlii. 3; xlvi. L r Gen. XVI. 7. a Matt IL 11. t I'sa. Lxxxviii. 15. WEILS — OSTRACTNB. 85 his heart within. Even in the desert we see the suretyship of Jesus. All this day our guides would not suffer us to pitch our tents. They were anxious to reach the first town on the Sy- rian frontier before nightfall, and our store of provisions being now exhausted, Ibraim urged us forward, in spite of heat, fatigue, and faintness. One half hour alone we rested, and sought shelter under some of the low bushes of the de- sert, while we satisfied our hunger with a few raisins and a morsel of Arab cheese. The heat was very oppressive. Even the Bedouins begged us to lend them handkerchiefs to shield their faces from the rays of the sun ; and often ran before and threw themselves beneath a bush to find shelter for a few minutes. How full of meaning did the word of the prophet appear, " There shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day- time from the heat."^ And again, '' A man shall be as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land."^ In the afternoon, we came in sight of three wells, situated in a lonely valley. On getting near the spot, there was a ge- neral rush down the slope to reach the water. The camel- drivers ran forward to be first there, and we all followed, and even the patient camels came round the wells eager to drink. But to us, the water was Marah ; we could not drink it, for it was muddy, and bitter too. We tried to get a draught by straining it through a handkerchief, but all would not avail. Thus sadly were the Israelites disappointed, for when " they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marab for they were bitter."^ The Bedouins seemed to care nothing for the impurity of the water, for they drank largely and greedily. We imagined that thus eagerly Israel rushed for- ward to the clear, cool waters of the Smitten Rock.* We now passed over a sandy soil, in which small ."shells abounded, and occasionally heaps of stones that appeared to be ruins of ancient buildings. In these stones also small shells were imbedded. It was near this that Ostracine once stood, an an- cient town, so called^ from the circumstance of the shells found in the soil. The setting sun was pouring its last rays upon the bare and desolate sand-hills, as if in vain attempting to clothe them with beauty, when we came in sight of El Arish, the frontier town between Syria and Egypt, the spot we had I Isa. IV. 6. a Isa. xxxn. 2. s Esod x v 2& « Exod. xviL 6. » From i&reuK-ft, a shuU. 86 ARRIVAL AT EL ARISH. 50 anxiously desired to reach before any quarantine should be established to delay our progress. We passed the remains of an old city, the foundations of which we could distinctly trace, though. half-buried in the sand. This we supposed to be the ancient Rhinocolura. In a little while after, our camels knelt down outside the gate of the small town of El Arish. We encamped under a tree, with a cluster of palms near, and not far from the burying-ground on the N. W. of the town, and on the road to Gaza. The town is situated on the gentle slope of a sand-hill about two miles from the sea. The castle, a square building, not very formidable to an enemy, stands on the highest part, and the houses, dingy, monotonous-looking buildings, with flat roofs and scarcely any windows, slope down from it. The population of the town cannot be more than 600 inhabitants, many of whom were enjoying the cool breeze of eyening on the roofs of their houses. The quarantine estab- lished here for all who come from Syria going down into Egypt, prevents the increase of traffic, people being unwilling to come to it from Syria, since they must tarry so long in the Laza- retto near its walls. We were told that, at one time, El Arish was surrounded with beautiful gardens, but these have been completely covered by the desolating sand, and now the only remains of fertility is a grove of young palms which shelter the eastern side of the town. We were rejoiced to find that the quarantine was not yet established for those going to Sy- ria, 60 that we had attained the object of our journey through the desert. This was a new and special call upon us to give thanks and praise, especially now when we were in sight of the Promised Land, and our eyes rested on some of the hills given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We were outside the wall, but we heard the call to prayer from the Mosque, whose minaret rises conspicuous above the common dwellings. The cry of the Muezzin was louder that evening, and more prolonged, because it was Thursday, the commencement of the Mahometan Sabbath. The Mahometans begin their Sabbath, like the Jews, at six o'clock in the even- ing, and Friday is the day which they keep sacred. The call to prayer is certainly one of the most solemn and affecting parts of their worship ; but the Mahometans themselves seem not at all affected by it. Indeed, their whole religious services a ppear to be empty forms, all voice and gesture, and no feel- ing. VISIT FROM THE GOYERNOK. 87 (May 31.) In the morning, the place was enlivened "by the multitude of little birds that chirped and sung among the trees near our tents. So small is the traffic existing at present be- tween Egypt and Syria, and so little plenty is poured over the borders of the Promised Land, that no articles of food were to be had in the town, except milk and Arab bread. How- ever, in the midst of our difficulties, Ibraim came to tell us that a man had brought a sheep to the tent-door, wishing to sell it to us. We gladly bought it for twenty-five piastres, about five shillings of our money. Our servants appropriated the skin and wool ; and what became of the head and feet we know not, only they were not served up to us as they would have been in Scotland. A more serious difficulty than want of food presented itself in the want of camels to carry us on our way. Our Bedouins had bargained to carry us to El Arish, and this they had faith- fully performed. But nothing would persuade them to carry us farther. In this dilemma the Governor of the town sent us word that he would come and visit our tent. There is a de- ^ee of real authority suggested by the dress and air and at- tendants of such a man. He came riding upon a cream-co- loured Arab horse, small but fleet, with silvery mane, flowing tail, and rich caparisons. His attendants rode by his side, and even they assumed an air of importance with their orna- mented girdles, crooked scimitars, and elegant eastern attire. Their favourite feat of horsemanship was to gallop at full speed along the sand or among the palms, and then suddenly to draw the rein and stop, making the sand fly in all directions. When the Governor was fairly seated in the corner of our carpet, he evidently wished to shew his authority and importance, and to get money from us by pretending causes of delay ; but after much arguing and annoyance, he at last agreed to arrange with the camel-driver who had brought us thus far, to take us to Gaza for 600 piastres (about £6 Sterling) — a price double what ought to have been charged, but demanded at present as necessary to remunerate the men who would be kept in quaran- tine on their return. Part of the price was accordingly paid into the Governor's hand, and the interview ended. He after- wards sent us a jar of cold water as a present ; for " a cup of tcld water only"' is a real gift in this country. In the after- 1 la-i'.t. I 12. 88 EL ARISH. noon he visited us again, to announce that the Bedouins refused to observe the contract, but that he himself would provide us with camels to-morrow. We suspected some fraud in this, but had no remedy. One of the Bedouins on taking leave of us, shewed a good deal of feeling, and while all of them kissed our hands, Ibraim was treated in the true oriental style, being kissed on the cheek half a dozen times ere they part- ed. The sight of these poor ignorant Arabs, often deeply im- pressed us with wonder at God's kindness to ourselves. Here is election ; — sovereign grace alone makes us to differ from them ! Although our desert wanderings had delayed us longer than we could have wished, yet we could see a kind Providence leading us this way to the land of Israel. We were made to sympathize far more than we had ever done with the trials of Israel in the wilderness, and to understand better how they were so much discouraged because of the way, and how they were so often tempted to murmur against God. How great a blessing " the pillar of the cloud" must have been ! Towering over the camp, it cast a delightful shadow upon the sand over which they moved. But still more, what a gracious pledge it was that their heavenly Guide would lead them in the right way to the place of rest. Now, too, we were taught the meaning of " dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob. "^ Such a life is one of constant depend- ence and faith. In the morning when the tent is struck, the traveller never knows where he is to pitch it at noon or even- ing ; whether it is to be beside the palm and springs of water, or in solitude and sand. The description of the joyful state of the redeemed given in the Apocalypse,^ seems to be formed in reference to such a life as this. There shall be no more hunger, thirst, nor burning sun, but green shady pastures and living fountains of water, and the Lamb shall dwell as in a tent^ among them. And all this because they have reached the promised inheritance, — their desert life has ended, and the Promised Land begun. We noticed that when camels are sent out to feed they of- ten stray over a wide surface. At the place where we now were, the reason alleged for keeping us till next day was, tha; the camels had been sent out to feed and could not be found. 1 Heb. XI. 9 a Rer m. 16, 17. t ffxntufu. EL ARISH. 89 A man had been sent upon a dromedary to look for them, but eould not discover what direction they had taken. This cir- cumstance reminded us of Saul being sent to seek his father's asses, in days when the pastures of Israel may have been equal- ly free.' The evening was beautiful. Indeed, morning and evening here, day after day, have a brilliance such as we never see more than once or twice in a year at home. The flood of light that pours out of the clear, unclouded skies, reminds us of the last words of David, where he compares the reigning of the coming Saviour " to a morning without clouds,'"^ and also of the language of the Psabnist, " Day unto day ^jours out speech."^ The heat having abated, we wandered towards the town. We observed two very deep wells, arched over to keep out the sun and the sand. Two marble columns were built into one of them, and broken pieces of marble pillars of the Doric or- der were lying scattered in various places near the town. To the east a kind of garden, surrounded with a hedge of prickly pear, and planted with palms, aloes, and melons, seemed to struggle with the sand for existence. In the town several women in the streets wore the anklet, " the tinkling ornament about their feet."* We heard its sound as we passed along. Most of their children had their heads adorned with pieces of money. The EiFendi's child was carried at the side, having six or eight gold coins, called hanch, strung together round the front of its cap. Most of the houses are built completely of mud. At present they are as hard and as dry as stone, but we could readily imagine how easily the overflowing shower would destroy them, and the stormy wind rend the wall.* The roofs of the houses are all flat, and communicate with one an- other. Often they are made of the branches of the palm and other trees, with the leaves remaining on them, and coated over with mud. If the house mentioned by Mark^ had a roof of this description, how easy it would be to break it up. In the court of one of the houses (for every house, however I 1 Sam. IX. 3. i n Sam. xxiii. 4. y^3^ (yabbia). Psa. six. 2. Keble expresses the ilea ivlicn he says, th.-U lay after day is a " gushing fount of praise." « Isa. lu. 18 « Eztk. xii'. IX. « Mark ii. 4. 90 EL XniSH ARAB OVEN. humble, has its court^), we examined the Arab oven, a rude and simple contrivance. It is made of clay like their houses, quite dry and hard. The lower aperture is to ad- mit the fire, a few cinders of charcoal, or some heated stones. Over the fire there is a floor of clay, where the dough is fired. The upper aperture is for putting in the dough when it has been kneaded and divided into cakes. The roof of the whole, surrounded by a parapet, af- fords a convenient place for the bread gradually to cool. The kneading trough is a large wooden bowl, not unlike that used in our own country. In the middle of the town there is a very fine well, the wa- ter of which is drawn up by a wheel. We drank freely for the first time since entering the desert. No one who has not wandered in arid regions, can imagine the delight which cold water gives to a thirsty soul.^ Toward sunset, two of out number crossed the hills of sand which enclose El Arish, tUl we came to the ancient bed of a broad river, about half a mile east of the town. The channel is about two hundred yards in breadth, distinctly marked by banks on either side. The bed was perfectly flat and dry : but in other days, when Ju- dah's rivers flowed with water, it must have been a majestic stream, not unworthy to form the boundary of the land, if in- deed (which is doubtful) this was " the river of Egypt," so of- ten referred to as the limit of Israel on the south.^ A little way farther inward, the channel seemed to be filled up by sand drifted from the hills : but from the spot where we were down to the sea, a distance of two miles, we could distinctly trace its ancient course. We stretched ourselves under one of the bushes that still overhang its banks, and remembering with gratitude that we were now within the border of the Promised Ijand, united in prayer for Israel, our Churcli, our distant flocks, and our own souls. We then wandered homewards, tiiat is, to our tents — our only home in this strange land. The hills of El Khalil were full in sight, and toward the sea I II Sam. xvH. 18. a Prov. xxv. 25l a Gen. xv. 18. AitAB SCHOOL — THE FORT — THE GATEWAY. 91 the Lazaretto attracted our notice by the patclies of verdure roimd it. A few palms, fig-trees, aloes, and Lushes of prickly pear, also relieved the eye. Darkness came on before we reached our encampment. Next morning (June 1), we found that our patience must be still further tried, no camels having arrived. We visited an Arab school, and found it very clean, being all white- washed within, though built of mud. Nineteen boys were present, dirty and ill clad, several of them affected in the eyes, and one blind. Two or three had Arabic books in MS. ; the rest sat in groups, cross-legged, upon the ground, rocking to and fro as they bawled out in one shrill voice words and syllables, which they were reading from a board held in their hand. No master was present, and all went on repeating without any one superintending. One boy brought in a jar of water, from which all in turn drank greedily. On the wall were slates of tin with Arabic traced upon them. This being Saturday, we remembered in looking across the bed of the ancient river, that on the other side in farmer days, Israel would have been keeping their Sabbath, and Egypt would hear the praises of Jehovah floating across the stream. Entering the Fort, we examined an old trough of very hard granite, quite covered with Arabic writing, well engraved,' At midday, we went to the gate to enjoy the coolness. The arched roof affords a complete shade at all times, and often a pleasant breeze passes through. Under such a gateway pro- bably Lot was seated, for coolness' sake, when the angels came to Sodom ;' and for the same reason, the people of old used to resort to it, and it became the market-place.^ We saw bow the gate became the seat of judgment,^ when a little af- ter the Governor and his Effendi appeared. His attendants having spread a mat and a carpet over it, and a cushion at each corner, he took his seat, inviting us to recline near him. We took off our shoes and sat down. Our conversation was very limited, as Ibraim was not with us to interpret, but we partook of coffee together, served up in little cups, which are every where in use. The Governor was interrogating a native Christian who stood by. This man was a Christian Copt. He told us in broken Italian that he was rejoiced to meet us, be- cause, being almost the only Christian in the place, he is raucK 1 Gen. XIX. 1. 8 Ruth iv. 1, 11. Psa. txix. 12. Jer. xvii. 19. B Job V 4. Je". xxzviii. 7; xrsfX 3. Amos v. 15 Matt. xvi. 18. 92 EL ARISH — INK HORN — CHRISTIAN COPT. despised. He wore " a writer's inkhorn by his side,"^ which intimates that the person is so far superior to the generality that he can at least read and write. The inkhorn has a long shaft which holds the reeds, and is stuck into the girdle, while the place for the ink forms a head at the one end. At our re- quest the Copt took out his reeds and wrote very elegantly. On one of his arms, he shewed us the figure of Christ on the cross and the Virgin Mary, punctured apparently either with henna or gunpowder. This is a remnant of an ancient cus- tom (common even among heathens), by which men would shew their anxiety to keep a beloved object ever in mind. There is no doubt a reference to this custom in the beautiful words, " Behold I have graven thee on the palms of my hands ; thy walls are continually before me •,"^ and also when it is said, " Another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord," or more literally, " Another shall write upon his hand, To the Lord,^'^ — words intended to express the complete surren- der which a believer makes of soul and body to the Lord that bought him. This day we experienced the effect of the wind raising the sand. The wind was not remarkably strong, but the sand was so fine that it penetrated every where. No tent nor portmanteau could shut it out. Our clothes, our food, the water we drank, all were filled with sand. At length eight camels arrived. We joyfully struck our tents, and were con- veyed to the Lazaretto close by the shore. In our way down we passed the rude booths of palm-branches which we had elsewhere seen, and heard the sound of the mill stone, coming from one of them, it being now near sunset, the time for the evening meal. In the dry channel of the River many fine palm-trees were growing, and several luxuriant plants, cultivated in holes dug for the purpose. Several gar- dens also were laid out with small canals intersecting them, 1 fizek. IX. 2. t Isa. xlix. US. »i«a.xuv.5. rvfrb IT ahj** LEAVE EL ARISH — CAMEL AND DROMEDARY. 93 SO that streams of water might he conducted to the different beds when needful. These are the '' rivers of water" men- tioned by the Psalmist.' Nearer the shore we saw rushes, a proof that the bed of the ancient river is still occasionally moistened with Avater. The Governor of the Lazaretto, a pleasant Arab, wearing the hyke or wide mantle, came an6 conversed with us. We now exchanged the camels which had brought us from the town for seven camels and a dromedary belonging to the quarantine. The camel and dromedary resemble each other in appearance, but the difference between them is not, as com- monly stated, that the one has two hunches on its back and the other only one. It is like the difference between a heavy cart-horse and a swift riding-horse. The dromedary is much lighter, swifter, and quicker in its motions ; but the Arabian camel and dromedary have both only one hump, though the camel of Bactria and other regions is said to have two. One of our camels had a young one running by its side. Under the conduct of IMustapha — another Bedouin with fine Eastern features — Mahommed, and a boy, we proceeded across tho bed of the River, and ascended the opposite bank, entering with joy the Land of Israel. The country was now very different from the desert. A range of low sand-hills lay between us and the sea-shore, ready to fulfil God's work of desolation on the land within ; but the valley through which we were passing had verdure and pastu- rage, and opened into other vallies of the same character. The ground was full of holes, which we were told were made by the jerboas. Darkness soon came on, and we rested a short time at the command of our Bedouin, who wished to feed his camels. We kindled a blazing fire in the manner of the Bedouins, whose fires we saw in several places round about us. The moon !• ose most splendidly as we proceeded, and the birds in the bushes round about began to twitter and sing, as if mistaking the bright moon for the rising sun. Though much oppressed with sleepiness, and often in danger of falling from the camel's back, yet the pleasantness of the air, the change of scenery, and the knowledge that we were now traversing the portion of the tribe of Simeon, made our journey comparatively easy. We arrived at Sheikh Juide, once a village, now only a station and a burying-place, marked by the white tomb of a Maho- ' D''Q y)B Psa. I 3. Also Prov. xxi. 1, 94 STATION OF SHEIKH JUIDK. metan saint. It has a good well, some fields of tobacco, and several palm-trees. We pitched our tent under a nahbok- tree, resembling a plane-tree, and felt how naturally it is re- corded, " Deborah dwelt under the palm-tree,"' " Saul tar- ried under a pomegranate-tree ;"^ and of Abraham, who had received the three angels into his tent, that " he stood by them under the tree."^ We spread our mats and fell asleep, think- ing over the Promised Land, and how in some part of this very country, God had said to Jacob, as he was stretched out for rest with a stone for his pillow, " The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it."'* (June 2, Sabbath.) Awaking, we felt the solemnity and privilege of spending a Sabbath-day in the land of Israel. We had worship together in the tent, and sang with joyful hearts, " In Judah's land God is well known, His name 's in Israel gi-eat," &c.s With what appropriateness we could look round on every plain and hill within our view and say, " There arrows of the bow He brake ! The sword, the shield, the war — More glorious thou than hills of prey, More excellent art far." We had leisure to meditate on those portions of Scripture that peculiarly refer to God's wonders done here. Between us and the range of hills to the east, we had reason to believe, lay the valley of Gerar, the valley where Abraham dwelt,* the land where Isaac sowed, and received in the same year an hundred-fold, and where he digged so many wells.^ In this region, too, the Avims dwelt till they were destroyed by " the Caphtorims out of Caphtor,"^ the ancestors of the Philistines, who in turn yielded to Judah and Simeon. This is the high- way down into Egypt ; so that by it the Ishraaelites would carry youthful Joseph into Egypt, with their camels bearing spicery, and balm, and myrrh f and by this way Jacob would come down with the waggons which Joseph had sent to carry him,'" This tract was in the portion of Simeon. Seventeen eities with their villages are recorded as belonging to it." But, 1 Judg. IV. 5 2 1 Sam. xi>. 2. a Gen. xviii. 8. « Gen. xxviii. 13. sPsa. Lxxvi. L «Gcn. xx. 1. T Gen. XXVI. 12, 18. e Deut, n. 23- » Gen. xxxvii. A 2& ' o Gen. XLVi. 1 1 1 Josh. xix. I— » FIRST SABBATH IN HOLY LAND — COLONY OF ANTS. 95 where are they now ? The answer is to be found in the words of Jeremiah, " Oh, thou sword of the Lord, how long will it be ere thou be quiet ? Put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still. How can it be quiet, seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against Ashkelon, and against the sea-shore ? there hath he appointed it."^ The day was very warm, but far pleasanter than in the de- sert ; the lareeze not having that dry, scorching feeling which is so overpowering amid the sands of the desert. We observed fields where barley had been cut down, and found ten or twenty stalks which appeared to grow out of the same root. We learned that this is the way in which they frequently sow the barley, making a hole and putting in many seeds together. When the heat of noon abated, we walked to a grassy emi- nence to the eastward, and found that the country rose into a series of gentle elevations, bounded by a range of hills run- ning parallel to the sea. Herds and flocks of goats and asses were feeding in several places. It was pleasant to think of Isaac and his herdmen having wandered here. We came upon an immense colony of ants, all busily employed. They had made a highway from their dwelling of about forty yards in length, and this was literally covered with a black dotted line of these moving insects. Those going out carried nothing, but hurried along with great speed. Those returning carried a seed or piece of straw. Another band were employed in carrying out a grain of the soil from the camp, making room for the new supply. The Arabs caU them by the Hebrew term nimla. We read over Proverbs vi. 6-11 ; and thus got a Sabbath lesson applied with power even in the wilderness — a lesson of constant untiring diligence in the work of the Lord. We prayed together, feeling that the land was fitted to make us ask much, for from these heavens the Holy Spirit had de- scended on many a prophet and many a saint. May such men be raised in our day, and Israel be so blessed again, and the same Spirit who visited them visit our land ! The evening closed calmly round us in our tents. (June 3.) We left Sheikh Juide before 6 a. m., pleasant clouds veiling the sun. Our course lay northward on the road to Gaza. The same low sand-hills were still between us and the sea, but there was considerable verdure on the un- dulating plains through which we passed. The road is not I Jer Xivn. 6, 7. 96 nOAD TO GAZA — KHANOUNES. like a king's highway with us, made before it is travelled, but is made by the feet of the animals that travel it; and as camels generally follow one another, it consists of many nar- row paths in one broad way. We counted fifteen or twenty of these narrow paths mingling with each other, in a breadth of thirty or forty yards. Verdure and wild genista often oc- <'urred between the paths, so that the camels were frequently bending their long necks to feed as we journeyed. We no- tice this, because it seems to illustrate the description of wis- dom in Proverbs, " She standeth by the way in the places oj the patlis} Hence also the expression, " Hold up my goings in thy j)aths;'"^ and in the 23d Psalm, " He leadeth me in the patht of righteousness ;"^ and the declaration, " Broad is the way which leadeth to destruction,"* hints at its many paths. The country we passed through this day was a light pasture landj with plains and straths of vast extent. We observed all the animals mentioned in Scripture* as belonging to the original inhabitants, — sheep, oxen, asses, and camels. In some places the divisions of the fields were marked out ; a bunch of broom tied up formed the landmark. Some fields had been ploughed in a very slight manner. These signs of ap- proaching cultivation were pleasant as we came up from the wilderness. Our guides pointed out the site of Rapha, the ancient Ra- jihia, on our left near the sea, hid from our view by mounds of sand. At midday we arrived at Khanounes, the ancient Jenysus ; — its Scripture name is unknown. We had expected to find rest and refreshment here, but a complete hurricane of wind blew the small dry sand full in our faces for about an hour. 1 Prov. VIII. 2. t JIatt. VII. 13. » Pfa. XVII. 5. » 1 Sam. xxvti, 9. 3 Psa ixiii 3. A HURRICANE BaZAAR INHABITANTS. 97 It was vain to attempt putting up the tent, so that we were forced to shelter ourselves from the combined heat and storm of the sirocco, by wrapping ourselves in our carpetF, and lying on our faces at the roots of some large sycamore-trees, till it abated. We thought of Isaiah, " A man shall be as an hiding- place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest ;"^ and " a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall."^ An old Arab took special charge of us, asking our names, and leading us through the town in a most friendly manner. Khanounes is beautifully situated amidst many trees, chiefly of the species called " Djumaiz" or sycamore, which bears a fruit very like a fig, while its leaves are like those of the mul- berry-tree. The village is surrounded by fields of tobacco planted by their ]\Iahometan possessors, and this is one of the commonest productions of the Holy Land, shewing that it has become the heritage of the heathen, who sow Israel's fields. The houses were as substantial as mud-brick walls can be sup- posed to be. The old fort seemed to be a place of distinction, having a long hiscription in Arabic round the interior of the porch. The bazaar consisted of a small row of wretched shops ; whose owners were squatted each before his door, smoking his pipe, and selling barley, beans, apricots, cucumbers, raisins, charcoal, pipes, and a few trinkets. We sat down in the shade, and all the inhabitants, young and old, gathered round ; but un- able to speak their language, we could only minister kindness to them, allowing them to examine our veils, straw-hats, and watches, which were subjects of endless wonder. One man wore two or three beads pendant from his forehead. He said it was a charm to keep his eyes from blindness. Another came with a diseased neck, to which he pointed in silence with his finger, intimating that he desired to be healed. This brought JTesus and his wonders of mercy to mind in a most affecting manner. We assured him that we had no gift of healing. Meanwhile Ibraim had searched the town to find substantial provisions, but in vain ; he could not even procure a cake of bread. We were offered unground barley, which a native could have used without much trouble by means of the hand-mill ; for we learned by experience that it is the custom in the East to grind morning and evening just as much as serves for daily use. Hence the necessity of the law, *' No man shaU « Isa. xxx.li..;' • Ua. xxv. 4. G 98 VILLAGE OF BENMSHAIL. take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge, for he taketli a man's life to pledge."^ We learned also that this country is not now what it once was, " a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, and not lack any thing in it."^ In the market the people were using stones instead of regular weights, according to the ancient mode.^ The writer's inkhorn was worn by two or three at the bazaar. At the entrance of the town stands the chief object of interest, the public well, at which we drank large and refreshing draughts of delightful water. A camel turned the wheel, and the water M'as brought up in small earthen jars, which emptied themselves into a trough. This is called the Persian wheel. The well is evi- dently the rendezvous for idlers, gazers, and talkers, and as much a place of public resort as the market. Old and young, cattle and camels, were gathered tliither. The coolness of the spot, and the prospect of meeting others, no doubt induces many to take their seat by the well's side. A little way out of the town was the burying-ground. Some men were digging a grave. One man dug with a pick-axe, then took a basket and with his hands scraped into it the earth he had loosened, and handed up the basket to those above. At the same place, one of our attendants was met by an old acquaintance, a Be- douin. They saluted each other kindly, kissing three times. After partaking of some rice and ripe apricots, we resumed our journey about six o'clock in the evening. The camels moved on through a very level and broad plain, which retained more of its grassy verdure than any we had yet passed through. The descending sun shone mildly, the stormy wind had fallen, many flocks were browsing on each side of the road, and there was reviving freshness in the evening breeze. About half an hour N.E. from Khanounes is a small village called Bennishail, 1 Dcut. XXIV. G. 2 Dent. vin. 9. 3 Deut. XXV. 13. Prov xvi. 11. See margin. ROAD TO GA/A — STCAMORES. 99 built apparently of mud bricks, but embosomed in trees, among which a solitary palm raised its head. The name of the town is taken from the Arabic name of one of the constellations. It stands upon the summit of a rising ground, and the channel of a stream, which at one time had watered its gardens, but is now dry, can be plainly traced. It may occupy the place of some of Simeon's cities, " Hazar-Susah," or " Baalath-beer, Ramath of the south. "^ Some, indeed, have supposed Kha- uounes to be " Ramath of the south,'" but the word " Ramath" means " high ground," a name which could not apply to Kia- nounes, but would suit well the situation of this pleasant vil- lage, for the towers (Ramoth) on that slope would glance beautifully in the setting sun, even as do now its figs and so- litary palm. The birds were singing very sweetly. Many old and verdant sycamores, with gnarled trunks and branches spreading out toward the east, adorned the plain. If the sy- camore of Zaccheus was like these, we see how easily he could climb it, and how safely he could lie upon its branches, and see Jesus passing beneath.'^ The height of it, also, (for it is among the highest trees in Palestine), may have afforded an- other reason for his choice. It is said of Solomon, that " he made cedars to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the vale for abundance,"^ which shews that in his day the sycamore grew in great plenty, probably in this very plain along the Mediterranean. At present they are far from being abun- dant. Indeed, trees of any kind are few in the Holy Land. The palm especially occurs only here and there, for it requires I Josh. SIX. 3. 3 Luke six. 1-4. 3 I Kings X. 27. lUO VILLAGE OF DAIR — THE BROOK BESOR. cultivation, and has therefore gradually decreased in a country (vhere it was no more attended to. The emblem of triumph has withered away from the land of Judah ! The terebinth also (generally reckoned oak in our version) is very rare.' " All the trees of the field are withered, because joy is withered away from the sons of men."^ We met several of the Bedouin Shepherds riding on asses, driving home their cows, sheep, and goats. Our guides told us that in all this region they drive their flocks home at even- ing, because of the many wolves, which would render it hazard- ous to leave them in the open fields during night. In this way the prophecy is fulfilled, " And the sea-coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks,"^ A little after we heard for the first time the loud painful cry of the wolf not far ofi*. Passing up a gentle ascent, there was a village on our left, called Dair or Adair, conjectured by some to be the Adar of Scripture,* but as darkness had come down upon us, we could only hear the barking of its dogs. We had already crossed the dry beds of two torrents, and now came to a third, broader than any of the rest, but quite as dry, called Wady Saiga. Perhaps this may be the brook Besor, memorable in the history of David,* as the place where 200 of his valiant men remained behind when he pursued the Amalekites. In comparing the narrative of that pursuit with the features of the country, there are minute coincidences worthy to be observed. The young Egyptian said to David, " I wiU bring thee down to this company."^ The reference here is evidently to those gentle ascents up which we wer BEDOUIN TENTS — DEPARTURE FROM DOULIS. 113 derers were couching beneath, and not far off a fire of wood was sending up its curling smoke. The women in all this region wear long veils, which in part cover the lower part of the face, but are not drawn close over it as in Egypt. Long veils seem to have been common, and were used for various purposes, often like aprons.^ The incessant sound of the grasshopper both day and night, made us observe how natural was the image used by the spies, " we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, "^ for, like us, they must have listened to their perpetual chirping in this very re- gion. Before falling asleep we heard the wild howling of the jackal and the wolf as if hungry for a prey. (June 6.) We were awakened before break of day by the voice of Mustapha crying to Ibraim and Ahmet, " Koom^ Koom," " Rise, rise." The sleepers answered now and then by a groan, till, wearied out by their refusal, Mustapha re- solved on forsaking us, and actually gave orders to his Bedouins to depart. We all started up, and our tents were down in a few minutes. Mustapha's great anxiety was to get past a cer- tain part of the road, which is infested with flies, before the sun was hot. We were on our camels before five, and the moon was shining sweetly on Doulis as we departed. Instead of going northward, our route now lay directly eastward. We ascended a hilly pass, adorned with wild flowers and perfumed with fragrant thyme. The birds, too, were filling the morn- ing air with their sweet voices. Looking behind us, we could see, under the rising sun, the pleasant village we had left, till we arrived at the top of the rocky eminence. The slopes on each side were bare and stony, but evidently well fitted for training the vine in the days of Eshtaol's glory. We supposed 1 Ruth III. 15. s Num. xiu. 33. H 114 PLAIN Of SEPHELA — VILLAGES. that, in tbe region northward to us, lay Zorah, where Samson was born ; and still nearer us the " camp of Dan," where " the Spirit of the Lord began to move him ;" and not far off, the vineyards of Timnath, where he slew the lion.^ Looking nearly due north, we saw a town upon a conical rising ground, surrounded with trees. This the Arabs called Shdood, the re- mains of Ashdod, where Dagon fell before the Ark of God.' It is about two hours and a half distant. When we were com- paring this fragrant pass of Dan with some of the mountain scenery in our own Scotland, suddenly we reached the summit, and a splendid prospect broke upon us. An immense undu- lating plain was stretched before, lying north and south, and of vast breadth east and west. There were few trees, but the plain was covered with fields of yellow grain, and studded with a goodly number of little towns, the remains of other days. Vast tracts appeared to lie uncultivated, and some parts were covered with sesamine, whose white flowers formed an agreeable variety. There were no traces of that arid sandy aspect so characteristic of the country from which we had just emerged. In the background, the beautiful hill country of Judah rose tier above tier, and the sun, which was just rising over them, poured a flood of golden rays into the plain. This is the great plain of Sephela, called " The Plain. "^ As we descended into the vale, we inquired of the Arabs the names of the different villages in sight, making them re- peat the name carefully and frequently that we might not be mistaken. Three villages immediately before us, and not far off, they called Erd Safeen. On the extreme right, tmder the hill, we were pointed to Aragesh Sueidan, then more to the east to Bet-affa, and farther stiU, to Karatieh, with a tower, perhaps the ancient Bethcar ;* the next we were shewTi was Hatta, the next Oudsir, and still farther across the plain Thit-. crin. They pointed also to the situation of Bet Jibrin, be- lieved to be the ancient Eleutheropolis. Ibraim, our guide, had visited it with Professor Robinson, and described to us the curious remains of buildings which they found there. On the extreme left, and nearly north from us, was a considerable vUlage, Bet-daras. A distant hill of a conical form to the north-east, they called El-betune. We now came down upon the three villages of Safeen, situated as it were at the points 1 Jud(?. XIII. 2, 25; XXV. 5. si Sam. v. Z. J Obad. 19. « I Sam. vil U. PLAIN OF ZEPHATHAH KASTEEN. 115 of a triangle, and about a quarter of a mile distant from each other. We halted for a few minutes to break our fast with a little barley-bread and fine warm milk. But now we began to experience the annoyance of which we had been forewarned by Mustapha. The air was filled with swarms of small flies, whose bite was very troublesome, so that we were glad to use every means to cover our faces. The camels also, stung by these insects, became very restive, and for the first time al- most ungovernable. A wolf here started across our path, and fled before us. The last of the three villages has marks of antiquity. There is a large well a little out of the town, from which the water is drawn up in the same way as at Doulis, The women were aU busy drawing the morning supply ; some were washing their hands and faces, and their feet, by rubbing one foot upon another. There are also many pits for grain here, large stones and mounds of earth, and a pool of water. A wady winds past, called Wady Safeen, at present dry, but it may have been a considerable stream in winter. The situation and the name of these villages at once suggested to us that this is the valley of Zephathah, where Asa defeated Zerah, the Ethiopian, with his host of " a thousand thousand."' In this vast plain there would be room enough for all that multitude, and ample scope in these level fields for the three hundred chariots. We remembered with fresh interest also, how the ark of God was carried by the two milch kine from the land of the Philistines to Beth-shemesh, across this very plain, pro- bably a little to the north of us.'^ Nor could we lift our eyes to the hill country of Judah without remembering the visit of the mother of our Lord to her cousin Elizabeth.^ Once also Mareshah, Lachish, and Libnah stood in this vast plain. At nine o'clock we arrived at Kasteen, where was a well and plenty of water, pits for grain, and mounds of earth. Upon the roof of the houses the inhabitants were spreading out sheaves of corn to dry. We immediately thought of Ra- hab hiding the spies of Jericho.* A solitary palm rises in the midst of the village. On the left side of the road is Hasur, a small village with many trees, perhaps one of the " Hazors*^ of Judah.* Half an hour after we rested at Mesmieh, a village stir- 1 n Chron. xiv. 9. » i San. vi. 12. s Luke i. 2h. * Josb. II. 6. * I Jcvb. XT. 25. 116 VILLAGE OF MESMIEH — THRASHING-FLOOR. rounded by prickly pear, and interspersed with olive-trees. The houses were of a wretched description ; but there were deep pits for grain — a large well also at the farther side of the village, and a pool near it, where the oxen were bathing them- selves up to the neck to get rid of the flies. We found a scanty shelter under an old decaying olive-tree. At one o'clock we mounted again, — the great heat, the flies, and the bad water, making us very will- ing to depart. An interesting and lively scene of rural life here presented itself. Close to the village lay a thrashing-floor, where twenty or thirty pair of oxen were employed in treading out com. One peasant attended to each pair, and another tossed up the straw with a wooden fork, and spread it out again for them to tread. Few of the oxen were muzzled, We remembered the commandment, " Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn ;"^ and how Paul says to ministers, " For our sakes no doubt this is written, that he that plougheth should plough in hope, and that he that thrasheth in hope, should be partaker of his hope."^ The camels, too, were carry- ing home loads of ripe sheaves, to the sound of the tinkling bell round their neck. On a rising ground far to the south, stands a village with a kind of fort, which our guide called Assenibba.' Our route now lay by a ruined arch, El-mohrazin. A village stood here a few years ago, but a virulent epidemic cut oflf all the inhabi- tants. Under another archway not far off, the people were winnowing barley, casting it up to the wind with a wooden fan. A woman passed carrying her child on her shoulder in a cradle. Here we came upon a narrow stream of water called by our guide Wady Maruba, an hour and a half from Mesmieh. The water was very muddy, yet the Arabs drank and bathed in it with the greatest satisfaction. This was the first sight we ob- tained of running water since entering this land, which was once called " a land of brooks of water."* We again remem- bered the prayer of Israel, so applicable at this moment, I Deut. XXT. 4. a I Cor. ix. 10. 1 Probably Neit Nuzib, described bj Professor Robinson, having a ruined tower; toI iii. p. 12. The Nezib of Josh. xv. 43. < Deut. Till. 7 FIELDS OF THISTLES. 117 •* Turn again our captivity, Lord, as the streams in tho eouth."' And we recalled with a thrill of interest the clear promise by the mouth of the prophet Joel, " All the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters."^ Four hours together this day we travelled through fields of weeds, briers, and thorns, such as we never saw any where else. Sometimes the weeds were as plentiful and stronger than the barley amongst which they grew. Often there was nothing but weeds. In ploughing, they plough round about them, and in reaping they take care not to cut down the giant thistles. The variety of thistles was very great. We counted ten or eleven different species in the course of the afternoon. There were also large fields covered with the " hellah" or se- samine, like " hemlock in the furrows of the field."^ Through the whole of the plain the ground is chapped and cracked as if by an earthquake, and to the foot feels hard as iron. All these things appear without contradiction to be a literal ful- filment of the word of God. " Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers," "until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high."^ " The rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness."* '' Thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron."'' We passed along the banks of a brook for a little way, fenced by tall reeds, among which the cattle were enjoying the cooling shade and drinking the waters. A flock of large birds having red bills and legs, white bodies and black tails, in form like our heron, were stalking along the marshy places. The natives called them the Abusat. Straight before us, though not on our road, upon a point of the hills, stood Jimso,' a village that seemed to have some buildings of limestone from its peculiarly white appearance. Towards evening we entered among the lower tract of hills, behind which rose the mountains of Judah, which appeared very beautiful in the evening sun, the limestone of which they are composed giving a white appearance to all the mountain tracks. Here we began to notice the remains of terraces. At five o'clock, we passed on our left hand Hulda, a ruined village on the top of a height, evidently a place of strength and anti- 1 Psa. cxxvi. 4. ! Joel in. 18. 3 Hos. x. 4. * Isa. zxxii. 13, 15. 6 Joel i. 20. e Deut. xxvni. 79. » The bame as Gimzo, ii Chron. xxviii. 18. 118 HILLS OF JUDAII VILLAGE OF LATROOIV, quity. An old bridge spans the stream at the foot of the hill, and the remains of a massive causeway lead up to the town. We turned northward, getting deeper into the hills of Judalii. Hitherto appearances had indicated fertility in the soil, but now the hills became bare and rocky on each side for about an hour's ride, though even these shewed manj marks of former cultivation. We passed on our left a smaD village, Deir-maheysen, where many of the villagers were as- sembled under the shade of a large nabbok-tree, the only tree of considera^ble size within view. We were at some distance, and did not see distinctly how they were employed, but they seemed to be enjoying an evening's relaxation in the cool of the day. Wearied with the constant motion of the camel, we some- times dismounted and beguiled the way by culling a few of the choice pinks and wild mountain flowers that grew among the rocks. Here we overtook an African playing with all his might upon a shepherd's pipe made of two reeds. This was the first time we had seen any marks of joy in the land, for certainly " All joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone."^ We afterwards found that the Jews have no harp, nor tabret, nor instrument of music in the Holy Land. In all parts of it, they have an aspect of timidity and rooted sor- row. So fully are the words fulfilled, " All the merry-hearted do sigh, the mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth. "^ All the men we met with were strangers ; ancient Israel are left " few in number, whereas they were as the stars of heaven for multi- tude."^ We have not as yet met a single child of Abraham In their own land. The threatening of Isaiah has come to pass, " Your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers."* The hiUs now opened wider, and our path turned north-east to the village of Latroon, strongly situated on a rocky emi- nence. There can be little doubt that this must have been the site of some of the ancient fortresses of Judah. A winding ■path leads to it from the valley below ; and here the traveller may stand and catch a wide view of the surrounding hills, all bearing the remains of ancient terraces, though not a vine is trained upon them. There are patches of cultivation round ilsn.xxiv.il. 8 Isa. XXIV. 7, 8. a Deut.xxviu.fi2. < Iwi. i. 7. HILLS O? JUDAH. 119 the village, but only to the extent necessary to supply the wants of the villagers and their cattle. The whole scene re- minded us of one of the glens in our own Highlands. We kept ascending higher and higher by a mountain path till a little after sunset, when we prevailed on our guides to encamp in a stubble field near Deir-Eyub, a small hamlet of two oi three houses. The hiUs around seemed to form a verdant amphitheatre, the terraces of the ancient vineyards having the appearance of seats. There were many patches of cultiva- tion, and a good deal of brushwood. There were also two fine wells of water. "We were now many hundred feet above the level of the plain, so that the air was delightfully cool and soft. Dr Keith, observing one of the adjoining hills to be very ver- dant, and not very steep, set out with the purpose of climbing it. After a short absence, however, he returned to tell us that he had failed in his attempt. He found the surface over- grown with strong briers and thorns, through which he tried to make his way, but without success : " Every place where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverings, it shall even be for briers and thorns. With arrows and bows shall men come thither, because all the land shall become briers and thorns."^ Many times this day did the words of Isaiah come into our mind : " They shall lament for the teats (i. e. a soil rich as breasts full of milk, the uber agri), for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine. Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers ;"^ " until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high."^ We felt a secret joy in beholding the deserted terraces and fields overrun with thorns ; for when we saw the word of threatening so clearly and literally fulfilled, our unbelief was reproved, and we were taught to expect with- out a shadow of doubt, that the promised blessing would bo 1 Isa. vn. 23, 24. • We felt the same in traversing the vast plain of Esdraelon, the greater part of which is covered over with almost impenetrable thickets of weeds, thorns, briers, and thistles. Some time after when sailing up the Bosphorus, conversing with a gentleman whom we had met in Palestine, who appeared to be a man of the world, we asked him if he had climbed Mount Tabor, to obtain the delight- ful view from its summit. His answer was,— "No. Why should I climb Mount Tabor, to see a country of thorns?" He was thus an unintentional witness to the truth of God's word. " Briers and thorns" include all kinds of thomp growth, whether the common brier, or the thorn, or the thistle ; perhaps it might take in even the prickly pear, now so common as a hedge throughout the country. " Thorns and thistles" are specially appropriate in a land under the curse. See Gen. in. 18. s Isa. XXXII. 12— 1& 120 HILLS OF JUDAH — PASS OF LATROOX. as full and sure. We felt too that it was pleasant to anticipate the time when, as certainly as these thorns and thistles over- spread Judea, the Holy Spirit shall be poured out as a flood upon Israel, and both the people and the land shall become a garden of the Lord. As darkness came on, the fire-fly was to be seen moving through the air in all directions. Weary and yet thankful, we committed ourselves to the care of the Shepherd of Israel, and lay down in our tents to enjoy a short night's repose. (June 7.) This day was to be among the most eventful of our lives, as on it we hoped to reach Jerusalem. We there- fore rose very early, and were mounted by four o'clock. The morning had not yet dawned, but the moon poured its silvery light up the valley, and enabled our guides to find the track. Even at this early hour, the birds had begun their song from the brushwood on the hUl-side, and increased in number and in fulness of song as the sun arose. Perhaps the Psalmist had reference to such a scene when he sang, " He sendeth the springs into the valleys which run among the hills." " By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches."' At least it was peculiarly plea- sant to remember these words in such a spot, so near the place where David learned to sing. We came upon many small mountain streams, on the banks of which grew luxuriant bushes, and from the branches of which the blackbird, lark, and others were pouring forth their lays. About five o'clock we reached the head of the valley in which Latroon is situated, and began to enter a singular mountain defile, called the Pass of Latroon. It is supposed that the " Descent of Beth-horon" and the " Ascent" is this defile. Other travellers have found the name Betur in a village not far ofl", and the entrance is called Bab-el- Wady, or " Gate of the Valley." The sun rose upon the tops of the mountains soon after we entered this de- file, revealing a scene truly wild and romantic. The path is steep and rocky, and especially difficult for camels, whose feet are better fitted for the soft sands of the desert, yet they pressed on with wonderful perseverance. Around and above us were rocks of the wildest description, yet adorned with the richest vegetation. Trees of considerable size occasionally lined the Pass : the largest were called by the Arabs the balut and halur. Pleasant shrubs and flower* .'♦Iso attracted our I Psa. oiT- 10 12 VINE TERRACES. 121 eye, among wliich were the oleander, the cistus, the lavatera, and wild pink. The fragrance diffused by them was truly de- lightful, and the voice of the turtle saluted our ear again and again. The eastern attire of Mustapha and the rest of our band as they urged on their camels, corresponded well with the character of the scene. A more suitable fastness for ban- ditti could hardly be found, and it was actually so employed in former times. Indeed, the name Latroon is given to the Pass in virtue of a monkish tradition, that it was the resort of banditti of which the penitent thief {latro) was one. As the hills opened we began to trace more distinctly the terraces upon their sides, where in former days the vine used to be trained. But we were especially struck with the fact, that on many of the hills these terraces were natural forma- tions ;^ the industry of man in other places had only followed the suggestions of nature. God himself seems to have so formed these hills, that the natural strata of limestone wind round them in concentric circles, and at regular intervals. On these natural terraces they planted the vine and olive. The God of Israel thus taught them thriftily to use every spot of their fruitful land, and to cover the very rocks with the sha- dow of their vines. Frequently when we halted and looked calmly round, we could not discover a single spot, either in the channel of the ravine, or on the mountain side, that was not terraced in some way. Often the natural rock was sufficient of itself to pre- serve the soil from being washed down. Rough stone-dykes were built with amazing pains along the ledge of rock, but frequently there was no rock, and the terrace was entirely the work of men's hands. In many of the mountains the terraces appeared to be perfectly entire, and the soil fuUy preserved to this day, enriched no doubt by having lain fallow for ages. The vines and the inhabitants alone are wanting, and tht ■^Jessing from above. In the hollows of the ravine we some times came upon a small field of barley, often a fine olive- yard, and sometimes an orchard of fig-trees, but not the ves- tige of a vine did we see during the whole ascent. At a step or turn of the Pass, near the ruins of a small building, we looked back and obtained a delightful view of the 1 Richardson has noticed these. He first remarks (not quite accurately) that there are no traces of artificial terraces, and then deserihes *♦ the horizontal strata, which have cxactlj the appearance of the stone-course* a» a buildimt." 122 PASS OF LATROON RAMLA — SHAROX. valley through which we had come. The sight of the ter- raced hills, with their bright verdure, lighted up by the bril- liant beams of the morning sun, made us think how lovely this spot must have been in the days of David and Solomon, when its luxuriance was yet unblighted by the curse of Israel's God. At length we reached the plantation of olive-trees, and the ruins of a small fort, perhaps tLe Modin of many travellers, which mark the summit of this interesting Pass. We had been ascending for four hours and a half from Latroon. From -ois point we obtained a beautiful glance of Ramla, lying to the north-west, in the plain of Sharon. Its tower, houses, and minarets were conspicuous. It has long been regarded as Arimathea, the city of the wealthy Joseph, whose noble cha- racter is referred to by each of the Evangelists. We felt that perhaps the rich man came by this very route to Jerusalem on the awful day of the crucifixion. Possibly we were in his footsteps, for this is still the JaiFa road. By this route also would Peter^ go down to the saints who dwelt at Lydda. which is within an hour of Ramla, when he healed Eneas, and drew the eyes of aU in that beautiful plain to the Rose of Sharon. We now began to descend, and came down upon a beauti- ful village which the Arabs called Karieh or Kurieh.'' It was the residence of a famous native chieftain named Abu- gush, and still belongs to his family. The houses are solidl. built of stone, and there are ruins of ancient buildings, espe- cially a large church or abbey in the Gothic style, which Ibraim told us was now turned into a mosque. The village is literally embosomed among olives, pomegranates, and very large fig-trees, and a solitary palui rises above the cluster. The pomegranates were in fuU bloom, the scarlet flowers shin- ing brilliantly from among their deep green leaves. A flock of goats was browsing beneath the trees. Many of the ter- races around were finely cultivated, shewing what these mountains might soon become. 1 Acts IX. 35. 2 Professor Robinson shews that this may be the site of Kirjatk-jearim, where the ark of God remained for twenty years, i Sam. vii. 1, 2. Perhaps Kuryet-el-Enab may be a corruption of Kirjath-Abinadab, city of Abinadab, as Betliany is now called by the name of Lazarus. Richardson calls the place Karialoonah, but the proper name is Kuryet-el-Enab, "city of prrapes," — the wood* of the ancient Kiijath-jearim having given place to the vine- VIXf TERRACES. t23 Descending to the bottom of this delightful valley, the hills on either side were terraced in still greater perfection than any thing we had yet seen or imagined. These hills are not peaked, but are placed side by side, " like round balls placed in juxta position." We often counted forty, fifty, sixty, and even seventy terraces from the bottom of the wady up to the snramit of the mountain. What a garden of delights thin must have been, when, instead of grass making green the eur- face, verdant and luxuriant vines were their clothing ! Solo- mon's vineyard at Baal-hamon^ could not have been more noble ; and nowhere could we have better understood the invitation, " Let us lodge in the villages ; let us get up early to the vineyards ; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth."'' We could understand how the words of Joel shall yet be li- terally true, " The mountains shall drop down new wine,"' when every vine on these hills shall be hanging its ripe clus- ters over the terraces. In observing, too, the singular man- ner in which the most rocky mountains have at one time been made, through vast labour and industry, to yield an abundant return to the husbandman, we saw clearly the meaning of the promise in Ezekiel, " But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel ; for they are at hand to come."^ There seems to I Song viii. 11. 2 SoDg VII. 11, 12. 3 Joel in. 18. 4 Ezck. xxxvi. 8. See Dr Keith's remarks, made on the spot, and given Ui pp. 110, 120, 121, of the 23d edition of hj.s Evidence of Pro rbecy 124 HILLS OF JUDAH — ENGLISH FRIEND. be little doubt that the Psalmist refers to the mode of train- ing the vine over these terraces, when he says, " The hills were covered with the shadow of it."' We ascended another rocky path, and when arrived at the summit began to descend again into a pleasant valley, over- hanging which is the tower El Kustul, a name derived from the Latin castellum; but its history is unknown. The path- way was very steep, so that it was sometimes safer to leave the camel's back and walk ; still the faithful animals never made a stumble. Half-way down this ravine there is a well of fine cold water, from which we drack in a broken sherd. At this point, to our great surprise, a young gentleman in European dress met and passed us riding upon a mule. He saluted us with " Good morning ;" the first English words we had heard from a stranger for many a day. He proved to be Mr Berg - heim, the assistant medical attendant of the Jewish mission at Jerusalem, on his way to Joppa. Figs and vines were cultivated on many of the terraces here, but when we reached the bottom of the valley, it was one complete garden or rather orchard of fruit-trees. The vines, the figs, pomegranates, peaches, citrons, quinces, and lemons, were all budding or ripening in a most luxuriant manner. The scene aiforded a perfect picture of outward peace and prosperity. The vines were twining round the fig-trees for support ; and many of the fig-trees were " planted in a vineyard," recalling to our mind the language used in the parable of our Lord.^ A clear brook flowing down the valley, gave freshness and beauty t. every green thing. The Arabo vrashed themselves in it. "We now entered into what is generally believed to be the Valley of Elah. It is called by the Arabs Wady Bet Ha- nina ; but there is a Wady Aly not far off that seems to re- tain the ancient name. This is believed by many to be the place where David slew Goliath of Gath, the champion of the Philistines.^ Whether it be so or not, the sight of these deep valleys gave us a clear and vivid impression of the memorable conflict. Here were hills on each side, the ravine between being deep and narrow. On the front of these opposing hlUs the armies were encamped. " The Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on 1 Psa. Lxxx. 10. The Hebrew word for these ten-aces is found in EzL-k xxKviii. 20, "the steep places," JllJ'^^Tjn t I.uke XIII. 6. » I Sam. xvii S VALr,ET or ELaH — APPROACH TO JERUSALEM. 125 the other side, and there was a valley between them." They could not meet each other hand to hand without descending into the ravine ; yet they could speak to each other, and hurl their words of defiance across the intervening space. This explained to us how the giant could stand and cry to the host of Israel, defying the armies of the living God, and yet not come within reach of their weapons. But when David ac- cepted the challenge, he descended into this narrow valley, crossed the small running brook, picked up five of its smooth pebbles for his sling, and began to climb the opposite ascent Goliath sees him, looks down with contempt, and advances to overwhelm him ; but David takes his aim at him, and slings the stone into his forehead. The giant falls forward down the slope, and David with his own sword severs his head from his body, and invites the armies of Israel to cross the brook and assaU their blaspheming foes. A small village lay below us in the bottom of the hollow. Its name is Caglione or Kalonie, supposed to be derived from the Latin colonia, but its history is unknown. The voice of the turtle saluted us from its olive-trees. We now ascended a much barer mountain, and by a path the steepest we had yet climbed, yet the camels went up wonderfully. Arrived at the summit, it appeared as if we had left all cultivation be- hind. A bare desert of sun-burnt rocks stretches to the right as far as the eye can reach. We remembered the description given by travellers of these mountains, and knew that we were near the Holy City. Every moment we expected to see Jeru- salem. Though wearied by our long ride, which had now lasted seven hours, we eagerly pressed on. Mr M'Cheyne, dismounting from his camel, hurried forward on foot over the rocky footpath, till he gained the point where the city of the Lord comes first in sight. Soon all of us were on the spot, silent, Duried in thought, and wistfully gazing on the won- drous scene where the Redeemer died. The distant mountains beyona the city seemed so near, that at first sight we mistook them for the mountains that enclose " the valley of vision," though they proved to be the mountains of Moab, on the east side of the Dead Sea. As yet we were not sutficiently accus- tome" o the pure clear atmosphere, so that distances were iften very deceptive. As our camels slowly approached the city, its sombre walls rose before us ; but in these there is no- thing to attract or excite the feelings. At that moment we 126 iERURALEM -FIIELINGS ON ARRIVAL. were ivnpvessed chibfly by the fact that we were now among " the mountains that are round about Jerusalem,"^ and half inconscious that it was true, we repeated inwardly the words, ■' Our feet shall stand within thy gates, Jerusalem." We got a slight view of the Mount of Olives, as we rode toward the Jaffa Gate. The nearer we came to the city, the more we felt it a solemn thing to be where " Grod manifest in flesh" had walked. The feelings of that hour could not even be spoken. We all moved forward in silence, or interchanging feelings only by 4 word. While passing along the pathway immediately un- der the western wall, from which no object of any interest can be seen, and entering the Jaffa Gate, we could understand the exclamation, and were almost ready to use it as our own, " Is this the city which men call the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth ?"^ Its dark walls, and the glance we got of slippery narrow streets, with low ill-built houses, and a poor ill-clad population, suggested no idea of the magnificence of former days. But we were soon to learn, that all the elements of Jerusalem's glory and beauty are still remaining in its won- derful situation, fitting it to be once again in the latter day, " The city of the Great King." 1 Psa. cxxv. 2. 1 Lam. u. 15. 127 CHAPTER III. JERUSALEM HEBRON. " Then said I, Whither goest thou ? And he said unto me, To measure Jeru< salem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof." Zeth. u. 2. Our camels kneeled down in the open space within the gate of Jerusalem, and we rested for a short time while Ibraim sought out the residence of Mr Young, the British Consul, to whom we had letters of introduction. He soon returned to say that the Consul was waiting for us, and would procure a lodging in part of an unoccupied house near the Latin Con- vent. Our camels and servants moved slowly away to their place of destination, and we followed Ibraim down the steep and slippery street opposite the Jaffa Gate. In a few minutes we were at the house of Mr Young, who received us with the greatest kindness. He told us the general state of matters in Jerusalem. The plague had not yet left the town, but the number of cases was decreasing ; and there was no cordon drawn round the walls as had lately been the case. He strongly re- commended us not to encamp on the Mount of Olives, as we had proposed, but to live in the town, and use the ordinary precautions of touching nobody in the streets, and receiving all articles of food through water. He then introduced us to two travellers just returned from Petra by the way of Hebron, Lord Claud Hamilton and Mr Lyttleton. The former was not a little surprised to meet in Jerusalem with Dr Black, whom he had known in former days as a laborious student and theo- logian, and xmassuming minister in the parish of Tarvis in Aberdeenshire. Two large apartments were assigned to us on Mount Acra, floored with stone, with a pleasant open space on the roof be- tween them. Worn out with incessant travelling, we were thankful to re- tire, that we might refresh our weary frames and compose our 128 JERUSALEM — MR NICOLA YSON. minds, which were not a little bewildered by the multitude of feelings that had passed through them this day. We had not rested long when Mr Nicolayson, Missionary of the London Society for the Conversion of the Jews, called to welcome us 10 the Holy City, as brethren and friends of Israel. He staid a considerable time with us, talking over our journey, the ob- ject of our visit, his own sphere of labour and hopes of suc- cess, and many matters regarding the spot where we now were. It was a desultory but pleasant conversation, a conversation about the people and land of Israel while really sitting in their ancient capital. Lord Hamilton called in the evening, and told us much of what he had seen in Petra, and the land of Egypt. When the darkness came down we heard the wail- ings of mourners over some dead friend, a peculiarly melan- choly sound at all times, but doubly so while the plague is raging. Yet we never heard any more joyful sounds in the streets of Jerusalem — so true is the prophetic ^ord, " I wUI cause all her mirth to cease. "^ It was with feelings that can be better imagined than de- scribed, that for the first time in our lives within the gates of Jerusalem, we committed ourselves and those dear to us, our Church, and the blessed cause in which she had sent us forth, to the care of Him who sits as a King upon the holy hill of Zion. We are not aware that any clergyman of the Church of Scotland was ever privileged to visit the Holy City before, and now that four of us had been brought thus far by the good hand of our God upon us, we trusted that it might be a token for good, and perhaps the dawn of a brighter day on our be- loved Church, a day of generous self-denied exertion in behalf of scattered Israel and a perishing world. (Saturday, June 8.) We had spread our mats on the co? stone-floor, hoping for a night of calm repose, but our rest was broken and uncomfortable in the extreme, our rooms being iu • fested with vermin, a kind of trial which travellers in the East must make up their mind frequently to undergo. All our an- noyance, however, was forgot by sunrise. We rose early, and finding the road to the Jaffa Gate, went a little way out of the city and sat down under an olive-tree. We turned to Psalm XLviii, " Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on 1 Hos^a u. IL HEBREW CHURCH. 129 the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge."' Reading this with the eye upon Jerusalem, the scenes of former days seemed to rise up as a flood. We could imagine holy prophets and men of God in these fields and within these walls. The vivid associa- tions of the place, with all our Bible readings and hours of holy study, made it appear like a spot where we had once met with beloved and honoured friends, whose absence spreads a sadness over all. We read part of Lamentations, and coulo feel sympathy with the prophet when he cried, " How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Is- ra^." "He hath swallowed up Israel; he hath swallowed up all her palaces !"^ In the forenoon, Mr Nicolayson kindly insisted on our re- moving from our house on Mount Acra, to one of the Mission- houses upon the northern brow of Mount Zion. Mr Pieritz and Dr Gertsmann, the medical missionary, being from home, we were put in possession of their comfortable rooms, with an outer one for our two Arab servants. In this house, one of our windows opened toward the east, having a fine view of the dome of the Mosque of Omar, which rises over the site of So- lomon's Temple, and beyond it was the Mount of Olives, That ever-memorable hill, with its three summits, its white lime- stone rocks appearing here and there, and its wide bosom still sprinkled over with the olive-tree, was the object on which our eye rested every morning as we rose, an object well fitted to call to mind the words of Jesus spoken there, " Watch ye, therefore, for ye know not when the master of the house cometb, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning."^ Toward the west, the object that first met our eye used to be a solitary palm-tree, growing amidst a heap of ruins, and waving its branches over them, as if pointing to the fulfil- ment of the prophecy, " Jerusalem shall become heaps."* The site of the proposed Hebrew church was not far off. It is close to Mr Nicolayson's own house. At that time the foundations were only digging, and builders were preparing the stones, which we saw camels carrying into town. We were lold that they were brought from a quarry a few miles north of Jerusalem, near a village called Anata, the ancient Ana- 1 Pi*a. XLviii. 1, L', » Lam. ii. 1, X 3 M.'u'k xin. 35. ' JIic. iii. li 130 JERUSALEM — PROPHECY — JEWS. thoth, where Jeremiali was born. In seeking a solid founda tion they had dug down about forty feet, and had not yet comj to rock. They laid bare heap after heap of rubbish and ancient stones.' It is a remarkable fact, which cannot but strike the traveller, that not only on IMount Zion, but in many parts oi the city, the modern town is really built on the rubbish of the old. The heaps of ancient Jerusalem are still remaining ; in- durated masses of stones and rubbish forty and fifty feet deep in many places. Truly the prophets spoke with a divine ac- curacy when they said, " Jerusalem shall become heaps. "^ " 1 will make Jerusalem heaps."^ And if so, shall not the future restoration foretold by the same lips be equally literal and full ? " The city shall be builded upon her own heap."^ The fact that these heaps of ruins are of so great depth, suggested to us a literal interpretation of the words of Jeremiah, " Her gates are sunk into the ground."^ The ancient gates men- tioned by Nehemiah*^ are no longer to be found, and it is quite possible that several of them may be literally buried be- low the feet of the inquiring traveller. During the day we began inquiries after the Jews in their own land. We were told that the plague prevailed most of all in their quarter, and that we must be very cautious in visit- ing their houses. Meanwhile Mr JS'icolayson afforded us every information. The difficulties in the way of the conversion of the Jews are certainly greater in Palestine than elsewhere. The chief of these difficulties are, 1. That Jerusalem is the stronghold of Rabbinism ; the Jews here being aU strict R.abbin- ists, and, as might be expected, superstitious in the extreme. 2. A Missionary has fewer points of contact v.'ith the Jews here than in other countries. He cannot reach them through the press, nor address them in large assemblies ; his work must be carried on entirely by personal intercourse, so that it is like wrenching out the stones of a building one by one. 3. The opposition to an inquiring or converted Jew is here much 1 They have since reached the old foundations (Isa.. Lvni. 12), after digging fifty feet. See INIr Nicolajson's letter in the Je«iih Intelligence for April 18-10. It is a striking fact, that the foundiitions of Jerusalem should be thr.s hid in the ground, when we contrast it vyith the case of Samaria, of which it was foitj- told, "I will discover the founJaiious thereof." (Mic. i. 6.) Hei-e is tliu accu- rate minuteness and distinguishing defiiiiteness of the Gud of trutli, wlio oau point his finger to one spot and say, " It shall be thus «ith thee;" and turu tc another spot and say in equal sovereignty, "It shull be oihenvUe with thee!" 2 Mic. ill. U'. s Jer. I.K. il. J Jci. ii.i. li 6 Lam. 11. 9. « Nthem. ill. JEWISH SCHOOLS — MISSIONARIES. l31 greater than in any other country, for it is regarded as a very awful calamity that any one should become an apostate in the Holy City. 4, AU the Jews in the Holy Land are more or less dependent on pecuniary supplies annually sent from Eu- iope. But the moment any one is known to be inquiring af- ter Christ, he is cut off from all share in this fund, and is thrown utterly destitute. Schools for Jewish children have never been established in Jerusalem ; and, in the present state of things, it seems im- possible that they could succeed ; for there are not here, as in Poland and Germany, any worldly inducements to prevail with Jews to send their children to be educated ; there being no situations of wealth or distinction open to their young men, which might tempt them to accept of a liberal education for their youth. The London Society have entertained the plan of instituting a school for converts, in which many branches of genera] knowledge would be taught, and this might perhaps allure some of their brethren to attend. In regard to INIissionaries, a converted Jew is in some re- spects a better missionary than a Gentile. It is true he meets with greater opposition in the first instance, but in process of time, the fact of his change never fails to make an impression on his brethren, provided they see in himconsistency of temper, character, and life. A Jew will indeed listen more readily tc a GentUe Christian, and shew him more respeci ; but then he listens more carelessly and thinks less of what is said, because lie thinks it natural for a Gentile so to speak. A Gentile missionary again, has the advantage of more ready access to the Jews, being regarded with far less prejudice ; but a Jew- ish convert is more efficient where confidence is once established Perhaps the true principle in missions to the Jews, is to unite both Jewish and Gentile labourers in the same field. The importance of erecting a church on Mount Zion, where Protestant worship might be maintained in its purity, is that it may open the eyes of the Jews to see what true Christianity is. At present, they justty regard the Greek and Romish churches as idolatrous and licentious in the extreme, and be- lieve the English to be Neologians or Infidels, without any religion. The hope of Messiah's coming is strong in the hearts oi many Jews here. Many believed that it would be in the year 1840, as that was the end of r>- period fixed in the book of 132 JERUSALExM — TOME OF DAVID. Zohar ; and some said that if they were disappointed in that year, they would turn Christians ; but this is a mere saying, for they have often declared the same before, and when the time oame have found out excuses for Messiah's delay. The fact that Palestine is the stronghold of Rabbinism ap- pears to be a sufficient reason why Christians should direct their most vigorous efforts to send tlie light of the gospel among the Jews of this land. There have been many tokens for good and encouraging appearances of late years among the Jews at Jerusalem. Their wretched condition in the city where theii fathers ruled loudly calls for sympathy. They are poor and despised, and sadly divided among themselves. The Consul told us of a Jew who last week was beaten till he died, by order of the Governor, He was not proven to be guilty of the offence laid to his charge, and was not in reality guilty, yet there was none to plead his cause, or avenge his murder. In the cool of the evening we enjoyed our first walk about Jerusalem, jNIrs Nicolayson accompanying us upon her donkey. Passing by the Armenian Convent, which appeared to be the largest and most substantial in the city, surrounded with a pleasant garden, we went out at the Zion Gate, the only gate now open on the southern wall of the town, and came out upon the open summit of Mount Zion, for one-half of that hill is now outside of the walls. A gloomy ill-shaped building near the gate is an Armenian convent, enclosing what is called by the monks the House of Caiaphas ; and nearer the southern brow is a small mosque covering the tomb of David. The minarets of this mosque, and of that on the ISIount of Olives, were both destroyed by an earthquake a few years ago. There is a prevailing and much- credited tradition, that within that building is the very tomb of which Pe:er said in his sermon, " His sepulchre is with us unto this day."^ These are the only prominent buildings upon the imwalled part of Zion, Leaving them on the left, we wandered amoni.' the flat tombstones of the Greeks and Latins. The graves of some of the American missionaries were pointed out to us, anu also a small spot of ground which they have purchased and enclosed as a burying-place, thougli we were told that they were still uncertain whether they would be permitted to burv in it, as the Moslems had found out that the shadow of Da vid's mosque fell upon it at certain hours of the day. MOUNT ZION — VALLEY OF HINNOM. l'S2 Zion is truly desolate. The only fortified building upon it is tlie Castle of David, erected on the site of the tower of Hippicus, within the walls, and close by the Jaifa Gate. This alone of all the bulwarks of former days still remains, so that when we obeyed the command, " Walk about Zion, and go round about her ; tell the towers thereof,'" we saw in the very absence of all her towers and fortresses the force of the words, " They that trust in the Lord shall be as INIount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever."'^ Full trust in the Lord Our Righteousness, apart from all human helps and ad- ditions, establishes the soul firm as the liill of Zion, firmer far than all its bulwarks and palaces, which are now swept away as if thev had never been. Approaching nearer to the brow of the hill, we found our- selves in the midst of a large field of barley. The crop was very thin, and the stalks very small, but no sight could be more interesting to us. We plucked some of the ears to carry home with us, as proofs addressed to the eye that God had fulfilled his true and faithful word, " Therefore shall Zion for your sake be ploughed as a field. "•^ The palaces, the towers, the whole mass of warlike defences, have given way before the word of the Lord, and a crop of barley waves to the pass- ing breeze instead of the banner of war. On the steep sides of the hill, we afterwards found flourishing cauliflowers ar- ranged in furrows, which had evidently been made by the plough ; so that this important prophecy, twice recorded,* is most fully accomplished. From the southern verge of Zion, we looked down into the valley of Hinnom, still called Wady Jehennam, which lies nearly due east and west. It appeared very deep, the oppo- site side rocky and precipitous, and the bosom of it filled with shady olive-trees. Here Manasseh caused his children to pass through the fire to Moloch f and here Jeremiah uttered that lireadful prophecy, " This place shall no more be called To- })het, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of Slaughter,"^ From the awful wickedness committed in thia 1 I>sa. XLVI7I. li. 2 Pmi. cxxv. 1. The force of this verse is evidently misunderstood whto applied to the fortress, as done by Buchanan, — " Sm4s arcem non aquilo impotens Saxo sedentem perpetuo quatit." a Mic. III. 12. ♦ Jer. xxvi. 18. Mio III. 12. 6 II Chroii. xxxiii. 6. b .t«r. wx « 134 JERUSALEM — LOITER POOL OF GIHON. valley, perhaps as much as from the Satanic fires kindled in it, the name came to signify the place of eternal sin and woe. To us it appeared a pleasant shady valley, but in other days, when the precipitous sides were planted with thick trees, it may have been gloomy enough. Instead of descending into it, we turned and went down the steep western side of Zion into the valley of Gihon, which lies nearly north and south on the west side of Jerusalem, to exa- mine the upper and lower Pools of Gihon. We came first to the lower pool,' and, standing on the edge, were surprised at the vast size of the basin, which is by far the largest reservoir of the Holy City, though it is much dilapidated and perfectly ury. It is formed in a very simple manner, by throwing a massy wall across the lower end of the valley. This wall an- swers also the purpose of a bridge, which is crossed in going to Bethlehem. There is a neat fountain at the middle of it. to refresh the traveller, with an Arabic inscription ; but we found no water in it. The stones of this wall are closely cemented, and the work is evidently ancient. There are also the remains of a wall at the upper end, and on both sides. The bottom of the pool is merely the natural bed of the val- ley, and is bare and rocky. On one of the ledges of the rock beneath us, sat two men beating out corn with a staif ; which is used instead of our flail, and is referred to by Isaiah, " The fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod."* The measurements of the pool are as follows : — Len^h on west side, . 616 feet. on east side, . . 584 ... Breadth at north end, . . . 245 ... at south end, . . 264 ... Depth about . . . . 40 ... We proceeded up the valley as far as under the Jaffa Gate, and then to the north-west, till we came upon the conduit or rude aqueduct of the upper pool, out of which a flock were Fatisfying their thirst, and shortly after to the upper pool of Gihon itself. The walls of this pool are in a much more per- fect condition than those of the lower pool, the strong walls 7)eing unbroken, the cement still remaining, and the steps into it from the corners nearly entire. It was about half-full of pure water. We spent some time here, and plucked leaves from a large Bo tin or Terebinth tree,^ which grows close by, I l>n. J xii. 0. 2 Isa. xxviii. 27. » Tho n'7J< of Si-ripture. UPPKR POOL OF GIIIOX. 135 It was here that Solomon was anointed king ; and these val- leys were once made to resound with the cry, God save Kinu; Solomon.' This is the spot also where the prophet Isaiah stood with his son Shear-jashub, the type of returning Israel. " Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou and Shear-jashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, in the highway of the fuller's field. "^ The conduit here spoken of is no doubt the same as that mentioned above, which now conducts the water from the pool into the city; and we were told that it carries the water into Hezekiah's pool, a large tank upon Mount Acra, at the back of the Consul's house, which we af- terwards saw. " The end of the conduit" must be the placi' where it first appears above ground, so that the highway to the fuller's field probably passed that spot. Beside the same pool where Solomon had been anointed king, did the venerable Prophet stand and tell Israel of their coming King and Sa- viour, " Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bare a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."^ It is interesting also to remark, that it was here Rabshakeh, the Assyrian captain, stood at the head of a great army, and reproached the living God.* And it was from this point, that he cried in the Jews' language to the men that sat upon the wall, a fact which goes to prove, that the wall of Jerusalem must have extended much farther to the north-west than it does at present. As we took the dimensions of this pool, the scenery of Zechariah* was recalled, the measuring of the ancient places of Jerusalem being now to us a matter of deepest interest. The measurements were these : — Length on north side, . . 318 fee< on south side, 315 ... Breadth on west side, . . 150 ... on east side, 218 ... Depth, 18 or 20 ... Around the pool is a burying-place for the Mahometan dead, where tombs were lying broken and scattered about in a most desolate manner. From the rising ground near, we got a view of the plain or valley of Rephaim, lying south-west of the city, and which is still so fertile, that we were assured it is capable of yielding three crops in the year. To this fer- tility the prophet Isaiah refers. He says, " The glory of 1 I Kings I. 38, 39. s Isa. vii. 3. a Isa. vii. 14. • Isa, SIX VI. 2, 131 « Zei-li.ii. i 136 JERUSALEM — PLAIN OF REPHAIM. Jacob shall be made thin," and shall be no more like the rich waving fields of Rephaim, but only like its gleanings ; " it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim."' In this plain, too, David twice defeated the Philistines, who had penetrated as near as this to the royal city f and some- where not far oif was Baal-perazim, where the heat of the conflict was greatest, — the type of a yet more terrible conflict in the latter days, when *' the Lord shall rise up as in Mount Perazim."^ By the help of Mr Nicolayson, we now attempted to trace the probable extent of ancient Jerusalem upon the north. There is room for a great city on the elevated ground to the north of the present wall, and there can be little doubt that the Bezetha of Josephus, which Agrippa enclosed with a third wall of gr.eat strength, occupied a vast range of that district. It now consists of cultivated fields and olive plantations : but remains of ruins are visible in many parts of it. When the wall of the city was thus stretched out to the north, and in- cluded the whole of Mount Zion on the south, it is not very diflScult to understand how Jerusalem could contain the mil- lions who are said to have been sometimes gathered into it. In the distant north, we could see the hill Scopus which en- closes Jerusalem on the north, where Titus first encamped when he came to besiege Jerusalem, " from whence the city began already to be seen, and a splendid view was obtained (if the great temple" (to rou vaov (jnyidog sxXafiT^ov).^ We returned by the Cave of Jeremiah, a grotto cut in the rock almost due north of the Damascus Gate, lying in the road from Anathoth, his native village, and where tradition says he wrote the Book of Lamentations. We reached our dwelling a little before the city gates were closed for the night. We thought with joy of the Sabbath that was now drawing on — a Sabbath in Jerusalem. It seemed to us a wonderful privilege to be allowed to worship in the very city where Im- raanuel died, and where his living voice was so often heard, calling upon Jerusalem-sinners, in accents of more than human tenderness, " How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not."^ (Sabbath, June 9.) The morning seemed the dawn of some 1 Ts.n. XVII. 5. 5 II Sam. v. 17—25. a Isa. xxviii. 21, 4 Josuphus, V 2, 3. t> Matt, x.^ui. 37. FIKST SABBaTH IN JKRVSALh.M. 137 pe«Ailiar season, from the thought that we were in Jerusalem. We sung together in our morning worship, Psalm lxxxiv. 1-4, " How lovely is thy dwelling-place." At ten o'cloci, iiccording to agreement, we met in Mr Young's house, where divine service was at that time conducted. It was an upper room ; that being generally the situation of the largest and most airy apartments in the East, and also farthest removed from the noise and bustle of the street.^ Here was gathered together a little assembly of fourteen or fifteen souls to wor- ship according to the Scriptures. How different from the time when in the same city " the number of the men that be- lieved was about five thousand !" After Mr Nicolayson had gone through the service of the liturgy, Dr Black preached on Isaiah ii. 1-5. It was very pleasant thus to mingle our ser- vices, and to forget the differences between our churches in the place where Jesus died, and the Holy Spirit was given. On our way back to our lodging, we had to pass through a small part of the Bazaar. Here all was going on as on other days, and we were forcibly reminded that " Jerusalem is trod- den down of the Gentiles."^ Having rested till the noon-day heat was past, we went at four o'clock to the house of one Simeon, a converted Jew, where Mr Nicolayson went through the evening service of the liturgy in German, and preached on Hebrews xii. 5, 6. At five in the evening, we assembled again in the upper room, when Dr Keith conducted the service in our own Presbyte- rian form, and preached from 1 Kings xviii. 21. All these exercises were very solemn and reviving ; yet still we fre- quently felt throughout the day that it is not in the power of the place itself, however sacred, to enlighten and refresh a sinner's soul. Compassed about as we were on every side with the memorials of the Saviour's work, our eyes gazing on the Mount of Olives, our feet standing on the holy hill of Zion, we felt that there was still as much need as ever that " the Spirit should take of the things of Christ and shew them unto us," as he himself declared when sitting with his disci- ples in such an upper room as this in Jerusalem. " The glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,"^ is not an object within the compass of the natural eye. Associations of place and time cannot open the eye to see it ; though such associa- tions as those with which we were \ow surrounded soften the I Mu-*- •.»■». 11. t Lj''« * 21 a u Cor. »v. 6. 138 JERUSALEM — LORD HAMILTON BEDOriN CHTKF. mind, and suggest the wish to comprehend what " God mani- fest in flesh" revealed. Even were Christ already " reigning in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously," nothing lesss than heavenly eye-salve would enable us to say, " We beheld liis glory !" The temperature this day was remarkably mild. We could almost compare it to one of the hottest summer days at liome. From its elevated situation, Jerusalem is visited by ])leasant breezes, which must add greatly to the salubrity of the climate.^ (June 10.) We met with Lord Claud Hamilton this morning, and obtained from him some information regarding Petra and Sinai. He believes that the place shewn as that where Moses prayed while Joshua fought with Amalek in the valley, may be the precise spot. It commands a complete view of the valley, and of every object in it. The rock said to be that out of which the water gushed is a very remark- able one. In Upper Egypt he saw a mustard-tree higher than he could reach, arid its stem as thick as his arm ; illustrating the parable of the mustard-seed.^ In the forenoon, we went to the Consul's house, and met with a "Bedouin chief who had come to accompany Lord Ha- milton to Amraon and Jerash on the other side of the Jordan. He was a genuine son of Ishmael, possessing a commanding figure, with dark and striking features. He wore the yellow shawl of the Bedouins over his head, fastened on by two cir- cles of a rope made of camel's hair. His arm was bare up to the elbow, and the motions of his hands and features were graceful and expressive. Dr Keith tried to ascertain from him the fact of porcupines being found in Petra ; he asked liira what the kangfud was, when the Bedouin immediately imitated the cry it uttered, and, on being shewn a porcupine ■juill, at once recognised it as belonging to the hangfud? He exacted the sum of £lO from the travellers, simply for the favour of giving them a safe conduct through the country of the Bedouins. In the Consul's house, we saw a tame gazelle, gentle and timid, with bright black eyes. Mr Nicolayson's two little girls iiad another. So that they are still known " to the daughters 1 •* On a line drawn from the north end of the Dead Sea towards the due nest, the ridge has an elevation of 2ri00 Paris feet ; and here, close upon the wiiter-shed, lies the city of Jerusalem." — Robinson, vol. i. p. 381. r AlaiU Kill. .11. 3 .Sif p. U CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE. 139 of Jerusalem" as in Solomon's days, " I charge you, ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles, and by the hinds of the field.'" We saw also a very tall and beautiful lily, per- liaps such a one as our Lord pointed to when he said, " Con sider the lilies how they grow."^ We this day visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, be- lieved by so many to cover the very spot of Calvary where our Lord was crucified and buried, — a visit which awakened in our minds only feelings painful and revolting. The de- scriptions of this place commonly given in books of travels are perfectly accurate, and indeed the wonder is that the writers should have been so careful in describing what no serious mind can regard but as " lying wonders." The church is not re- markable for elegance or beauty, and the pictures, with a few exceptions are far from being of the first order. In the cen- tre stands a marble house enclosing the sepulchre. We en- tered and examined the sarcophagus, which is of white mar- ble. Even the monks seemed to be a great deal more taken up with the silver lamps hung over it than with the tomb it- self. We were then led to a flat stone of reddish marble, on which, say the monks, the Saviour's body was anointed. Witt lighted tapers we descended to a damp dark place, where Helena is said to have found the three crosses. The rock of Calvary, so called by the monks, is only a few paces from the sepulchre. Ascending some twenty steps into a small chapel, the guide lifted up a gilded star in the floor, and shewed what is called the hole in the rock where the cross was fixed. In a (lark chapel underneath, lighted by a single lamp, he pointed to the well-known fissure in the rock, pretended to be the rent that was made when Jesus died. We had little patience to go round all the spots accounted sacred under the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre ; and each of us felt the blush of honest indignation rising in our face at the mingled folly and profanity of the whole scene. To do the monks justice, they seemed to have as little feeling of reverence toward the holy place as we could possibly have, and Ibraim, our Arab servant who accompanied us, was fully as deeply impressed as any of the party. The fissure in the rock, and the tombs of Joseph and Nicodemus (so called), situated in a dark cha- pel behind the marble sepulchre, were tlie only objects whicli peculiarly drew our attention, both being in the natural rock. 1 .Souk u. ,. ill'SJi^ !• i.ukf X.I. ;n 140 JERUSALEM — SITE OF CALVARY. As for the rest, if Calvary was really within these walls, then truly Popery has contrived to hide the place where the Re- deemer died, as completely as she has done the person of the Redeemer himself. The simple work of Immanuel, in its es- sential native glory, is an idea far beyond the reach of Po- pery — or perhaps it is perceived, but on account of its innate power, is studiously hid. " The god of this world hath blinded their minds, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." On the supposition that this spot is Calvary, the only pro- bable reason that can be given for its being so near the city itself is, that " the place of a skull" was a sort of trench, by the walls, where criminals were executed. But the longer we remained in the Holy City, the more we were convinced that this is not the true site of Calvary. We are told expressly rn Scripture that " Jesus suffered without the gate."^ And also, that " the place where he was crucified was nigh to the city."^ But the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a long way within the walls of Jerusalem. We cannot believe that the an- cient city was narrower or smaller in any way than the pre- sent Jerusalem. On the contrary, there is reason to believe that it svas much more extensive. From the church, along the Via Dolorosa, to the western enclosure of the Mosque of Omar, is but a five minutes' walk, and yet this must have been the whole breadth of the city, if the present Calvary was without the gate. How contrary is this to the description given by the Psalmist, " Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together."^ On the whole we found it a relief to our minds to rest in the conclusion that the cleft rock and the holy sepulchre of the monks, have as little to do with the place where Jesus died, and the rocky tomb in the garden where they laid him, as the polished marbles and gaudy lamps by which the place is dis- figured.* There is no tradition which may lead the mind to any other spot as the site of Calvary. It struck us forcibly that some ' Heb. XIII. 12. !> John xix. JO. 3 I'sn. cxxii. 3. i It gave us unffifpied pleasure to lieur from Professor Robinson, whom wc riftenvards met in Berlin, that he had deliberately arrived at the same conclu- sion. The clear and able statement of the arguments against the present site of Calvary deduced from the topography and history of the Church of the Holy Sopulchre in Professor Robinson s work (vol. ii. p. 64), may justly be regarded a* a final settlement of this long-aritatpd question MOURNERS — MOUNT MORIAH. 141 place among the tombs on the high ground above Gihon, was far more likely to have been the real situation. We coulil then understand how " Jesus bearing his cross ivent forth into a place called the place of a skull," and " suifered without the gate." There would be room for " the garden," and the new sepulchre of Joseph might well be hewn out of its rocks. — But it is wisely ordered that a cloud of oblivion should rest over the spot where Immanuel died, and there is something pleasing to the mind in reflecting, that the turf that was stained with his blood, and the rocky tomb where he lay, are left unprofaned by the followers of a blind and wicked super- stition. This afternoon we heard again the wailing of mourners ; some Arab had died, and his friends were lamenting him. How graphic is the description of this scene given by Solomon, " Man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets."^ The cry, " Allah, allah," and many similar excla- mations, were mingled with the loud wailing, and the sound of instruments of muaic filled up the measure of confusion. We remembered the faithful description of this given in the gos- pel narrative, " when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise."* In the cool of the day we enjoyed a delightful ride to thi Mount of Olives. Mounted on hardy Syrian horses of very small stature, we rode out at the Jaffa Gate. Here we saw the reapers busy cutting down barley in the valley of Gihon. Turning to the right we went round the northern wall of the city. The road is rough and in some parts difficult. Often the bare rock appears, and the way was covered with loose stones. It is made entirely by the feet of the animals that pass along it ; and there is not so much as one road about Jerusalem upon which a wheeled carriage could run. Coming to the north-east corner of the walla, the valley of Jehosha- phat opened to our view, and the Mount of Olives across the vaUey appeared very beautiful, having much more variety of rocks, gardens, olive-yards, fig-trees, and patches of grain upon its sides, than we had expected to find. We now turned due south, riding still under the city wall, which is farther froui the brow of the hiU than we anticipated. In one point only, namely the S.E. corner, does the wall stand on the immediate brink of the valley, in other parts it is forty or fifty yards > £cLi. £.11. j. 3 Mnct. IX. SA. 142 JERUSALEM — MOUNT OF OLIVES. from the edc^e. Before reaching St Stephen's Gate, we came upon a small reservoir half full of water, in which an Arab was bathing. We could not learn its name or history. Near this stands the monument of St Stephen, where he is said to lave been stoned, and the gate called by his name is said to De that out of which they hurried him when " they cast him )ut of the city."^ We descended the steep side of Mount Moriah by the footpath leading from St Stephen's Gate, and crossed the dry bed of the Kedron by a small bridge. The path here widens out to a considerable breadth for about fifty yards, and then separates into two, the one leading directly up the face of the iMount of Olives, the other winding gently round the southern brow of the hill. Both of these foot- jjaths lead to Bethany, and between them lies a square plot of ground enclosed with a rough stone wall, and having eight very large old olive-trees.^ This is believed to be Gethsemane. AVe stayed only to glance at it, for it needs to be visited in quiet and stillness ; and choosing the path that leads straight up the hill, urged our little palfreys up the steep ascent Mount Olivet was far from being a solitude this evening. Ono turbaned figure after another met us, and, to add to the in- terest of the scene, we recognised them by their features to be Jews. At one point we came upon a small company of Jewesses, not veiled like the Moslem ladies, but all dressed in their best attire. The reason of this unwonted stir among the solitudes of Olivet was, that Sir Moses Montefiore from liOndon, who had come on a visit of love to his brethren in the Holy Land, had arrived at Jerusalem, and his tent was now pitched on one of the eminences of the hill. Multitudes of the Jews went out daily to lay their petitions before him. We often halted during the ascent, and turned round to view the city lying at our feet, the deep valley of Jehosha- phat, and the surrounding hills. By far the finest and most alFecting views of Jerusalem are to be obtained from some of these points. In a little after we came to the eminence where Sir Moses Montefiore had pitched his tents. He had fixed a 1 Acts VII. 58. Chateaubriand's argument reRarfling the age of the olive-trees in Gethse- mane is curious. He argues that they must be at least as old as the Eastern Kmpire, because the Turks, at the conquest, laid a tax of one medlne on everj- olivH-trce then growing, while every olive-tree planted since that time is taxed at half its produce. Now, he state.s, that the eight olive-trees of GetUsemaur wurt charged only the one medinc each. INTERVIEW WITH SIK MOSES MONTEFIORE. 143 cord round the tents at a little distance, that he might keep himself in quarantine. On the outside of this, a crowd of about twenty or thirty Jews were collected, spreading out their petitions before him. Some were getting money for themselves, some for their friends, some for the purposes of religion. It was an interesting scene, and called up to our minds the events of other days, when Israel were not strangers in their own land. Sir Moses and his lady received us with great kindness, and we were served with cake and wine. He conversed freely on the state of the land, the miseries of the Jews, and the fulfilment of prophecy. He said that the Biblu was the best guide-book in the Holy Land ; and with mucli feeling remarked, that, sitting on this very place, within sight of Mount Moriah, he had read Solomon's prayer^ over and over again. He told us that he had been at Saphet and Ti- berias, and that there were 1500 Jews in the latter town, and more in the former ; but they were in a very wretched condi- tion, for first they had been robbed by the Arabs, then they suffered from the earthquake, and now they were plundered by the Druses. When Dr Keith suggested that they might be employed in making roads through the land, as mate rials were abundant, and that it might be the beginning of the fulfilment of the prophecy, " Prepare ye the way of the people ; cast up the highway, gather out the stones ;"^ Sir Moses acknowledged the benefit that would attend the making of roads, but feared that they would not be permitted. He seemed truly interested in the temporal good of his brethren, and intent upon emjjloying their young people in the cultiva- tion of the vine, the olive, and the mulberry. We explained to him the object of our visit to this land, and assured him that the Church of Scotland would rejoice in any amelioration he might effect in the temporal condition of Israel. Taking leave, we proceeded to the summit^ through a plan- tation of fig-trees. From this the view on all sides is splendid and interesting in the extreme, but it was too near sunset to allow us to exhaust it. Looking to the north-west, the eye falls upon Naby- Samuel, believed by most travellers to be Ra- mah where Samuel was born, but by others Mizpeh, the ral- 1 I Kiiiffs viu. I Is;i. i.xi?. 10. 3 The elevation of tlie central peak of the Mount of Olives above the sea, is given by Schubert at 2556 Paris feet, or 416 Paris feet above the Valley of Jo- hoshaphat. Hence it appears to be 175 Paiia feet higher than the highest puin* of Zion.- 7?(iWwsun, vol. i. d. 406. 144 JERUSALEM — VJEVV FROM MOUNT OF OLIVES. lying place of Israel.' It seems to be five or six miles dis- tant, and forms one of the highest points of the landscape, crowned with a mosque which always catches the eye in the northern view. To the east and south east, over the summits of a rarge of bare and rugged mountains, we looked down upon the Dead Sea, of a deep blue colour. The air was so clear, and every thing seen so distinctly, that our first mo- mentary impression was, that we could ride down to it before nightfall; though in reality a long and difficult day's journey lay between. Beyond it the range of Abarim, the brown barreii mountains of Moab, rise steep and high, and bound the pros- pect. Over a dark rugged chain of hills between us and Je- richo we could distinctly trace the valley of the Jordan an(i the verdure on its banks, but the river itself was hid. The summits of Abarim present to the eye an almost even line, so that we could fix on no particular peaks, and yet some one of the mountain tops we were gazing on must be Bethpeor, and another Pisgah, the top of Nebo ; the former ever memor- able as the spot where Balaam stood when he wished to die the death of the righteous,'^ and the latter as the spot where Moses did indeed die that blessed death.^ The sight of this mountain scene reminded us of a passage in Jeremiah, the force of which is lost in our version, but which had peculiar mean- ing when uttered in Jerusalem. It is in reference to the death of Jehoiakim, the son of pious Josiah, and the desolation that followed, " Go up to Lebanon, and cry ; and lift up thy voice in Bashan, and cry from Abarim ; for all thy lovers are de- stroyed."* The cry of woe is first uttered from the heights of Lebaiion, the northern boundary of the land ; it is echoed back from Bashan, the eastern range ; and then it resounds from Abarim, the mountains of Moab, seen so distinctly from Jerusalem. In this way the tidings of distress are carried from Lebanon to Bashan, from Bashan to Abarim, and from Abarim to the Capital itself. Turning to the west, we looked down upon Jerusalem — its mosques and domes, flat roofs and cupolas, being stretched out beneath us. We could now see the accuracy of the descrip- tion, " As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people."* We obtained a complete View of Mount Moriah, the hill nearest us, occupied by the I I Snm. VII. 5. a Num. xxiii. 10. 3 Deut, xxxiv. 1. « J^r x\ii. 20. See toe (irit'iiia. i Psa. c.\«v- '2. MOUNT MORIAH — FULFILAIENT OF FllOrHECi. 145 Haram Sherif, or " noble san<;tuary," with its Mahometan mosques. Here probably is the very hill where Abraham's uplifted hand was arrested when about to slay his son Isaac' tlere the cry of David stayed the hand of the destroying an- ffei.^ Here Solomon built the house of the Lord,^ where God awelt between the cherubim. Here the lamb was slain every morning and evening for many generations, shewing forth the eacrifice of the Lamb of God. Here in the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried.* And here the vail of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bot- tom, when Jesus yielded up the ghost,^ and the way into the holiest was made manifest. But now the word of God is ful- filled, " He hath violently taken away his tabernacle, as if it were of a garden ; he hath destroyed his places of assembly."" • The mountain of the house is become as the high place of the forest."' The mountain on which God's house was built has literally become a place of heathen sanctuaries, like those which in Micah's day were erected in groves and forests. The present wall of the Haram is nearly identical with the enclosure of Solomon's Temple on three sides. The Mosque of Omar stands in the centre, and probably on the spot where were the holy place and holiest of all. On the south stand? the Mosque El Aksa, and there are several other oratories and sacred buildings round the walls. The rest of the area is beautifully laid out with cypress and orange trees, and here the Moslem ladies enjoy themselves on their holidays. No Christian is ordinarily permitted to enter these enclosures. No foot but those of the heathen, " the worst of the heathen,"** is allowed to tread the court of God's holy and beautiful house, so that " their holy places are defiled." Surely the moun- tain of the house has become literally like " the high places of the forest." How true and faithful is the word of the Lord ! In the days of Hezekiah, Micah was sent to a flourishing city, " the perfection of beauty, and the joy of the whole earth." He was to walk about Zion, and when he looked upon its towers and bulwarks, to say, " All these shall be desolate, and the ground on which they stand shall be ploughed as a field." He was to pass by their ceiled houses and along their splendid 1 Gen. XXII. 2, 9. 2 i Chron. xxi. 17. 3 n Chron. in 1. 4 John VII. 37. 5 Matt, xxvii. 50, 51. c Lam ii 6 !■ Mic. III. 12. 8 Ezek. vil. 24. 146 JERUSALEM INTERVIEW WITH A COUNTRYMAN. streets, and to cry, " All these shall be heaps." Last of all, he was to stand in the court of the temple in which they gloried, where God indeed dwelt on the earth, and to say, " It shall be as the hufh places of the heathen." And now, as we stood on Mount Olivet, our eyes beheld these things brought to pass. This is the doing of the Lord ! " Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty ; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints ! Who shall not fear thee, Lord, and glorify thy name ? for thou only art holy ; for all nations shall come and worship before thee, for thy judgments are made manifest."' We descended into the Valley of Jehoshaphat by a path far- ther to the south, vv'hich led us past the Jewish burying-ground, and onwards to the monuments of Absalom and Zacharias, cut out of the solid rock, which have been often described, and are well known. It occurred to us that the pillars, pilasters, and other ornaments, may have been added at a recent date, but that the square mass cut out of the rock of the mountain may be very ancient. Again we crossed the Kedron, and by a slanting path ascended to the south-east corner of the Harani ; then, passing round the southern wall of the city, entered the Zion Gate a little before the gates were shut. We spent the evening at the house of our kind friend ]\Ir Nicolayson. Here we found a fellow-countryman, who had been invited to meet us. He lives in Jerusalem in complete retirement, joins no church, and has no fellowship with Chris- tians of any denomination, but waits for the coming of the Son of Man. He wears the long beard, turban, and flowing dress of the Easterns. He is a very pious, but singular man. On one occasion imagining that Elijah, " the watchman of Eph- raira," would soon be on the mountains of Israel, he went to seek him, though he knew nothing of the language of the coun- try. He travelled as far as Sychar, keeping in his hand an Arabic list of vegetables, and other articles of food, so that by pointing to the written word, he was able to make himself ur- derstood. On another occasion, passing by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the monks mistaking him for a Jew, rushed out upon him, and pursued him through the streets, into a house where he took refuge, threatening to kill him, unless he kissed a picture of the Virgin, in a New Testament which they » Rev X" S 4. JERUSALEM VISIT TO THE CONSUL. 147 held out to him. This he did, and saved his life. His ob- ject in residing here is that he may be one of the men " that sigh and cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst of Jerusalem.'" He is waiting also to hear the cry, " Behold the bridegroom cometh," and to see if the Lord will yet em- ploy him in any work for his ancient people. We obtained from him several interesting illustrations of Scripture. He told us that his own house has a staircase from the flat roof down into the street, by which he could descend and escape without passing through the house, if danger called for it. This explains the command of the Lord, *' Let him that is on the house-top not go down into the house, neither enter therein to take any thing out of the liouse."^ In reference to that pas- sage, he remarked that he could fully understand it, for he felt himself to be in the position of the disciples in the days before Jerusalem was destroyed. He remarked also, as we had done previously, the manner in which the Arabs sing and 3lap the hands at the same time, as illustrating several pas- sages of Scripture.^ We spent a pleasant evening thus con- versing on the word of God within the gates of Jerusalem. (June 11.) We had agreed to visit the Consul, Mr Young, this forenoon, to receive information from him regarding the Jews. On going to him, he told us that a remarkable circum- stance had occurred that morning. The Turkish Governor of Jerusalem had allowed Sir Moses Montefiore and his attend- ants to enter the tomb of David upon Mount Zion, and to pray over it, a privilege not granted to a Jew for many cen- turies. The Governor had called on Sir Moses the day be- fore, and shewn him great respect, and that morning had sent him a present of five sheep. The ground of the Governor's respectful treatment of him was the fact of his being a na- tive of Great Britain. Mr Nicolayson was fortunate enough to be with Sir Moses at the time, and so obtained admittance also, and heard the Jews recite a long form of prayer, and read many of the Psalms, such as the xv, cxxii, cxxvi, over the tomb of the Sweet Singer of Israel. He described it as a solemn and affecting scene. Mr Young gave the following statistics of the Jews in the Holy Land ; and having afterwards taken down Mr Nicolay- son's information on the same subject we insert both togethjei for the sake of comparison. 1 Ezek. IX. 4. 8 Mark xui. li 3 Psa. xLvii. I. Jsa. ly. 13. 148 JERUSALEM — JEWS IN THE HOLY LAND. Mr YotJjjG. Mr Nicolayson. Jerusalem, .... 5000 or 6000 ... 6000 or 7000 Nablous, .... 150 ... 200 ... ... 200 Hebron 700 ... 800 ... 700 ... 800 Tiberiaa, .... 600 ... 700 ... ... 1200 Saphot, . . . . 1500 ... 2000 Kaipha. ... 150 ... 200 ... 150 ... 200 Sidon, .... 250 ... 300 ... 300 Tyre, 130... 150 ... 150 Jafta, 60 ... 60 Acre 200 ... 200 ViUages of Galilee, . . . 400... 580 ... 400... 500 On the whole, Mr Young reckoned that there are in round numbers about 10,000 Jews in the whole of Palestine. Tho difficulties, however, in the way of procuring accurate statis- tics are very great. The Jews are unwilling to give their true numbers, and they are reduced from time to time by the ravages of the plague. Add to this, that few young men come to the land ; so that it is not reckoning accurately to take the usual average of individuals in a family. People who come here are generally elderly, and do not leave families behind them to in- crease the population or supply its vacancies. There is, with- out doubt, a constant influx of Jews into this country, yet not so great as to do more than supply the annual deaths. Their poverty is great. The contributions from Europe of late have been smaller than usual ; and when they arrive, instead of doing good, are the occasion of heart-burnings and strife. There is no such thing as " brethren dvvelling together in unity"' in Jerusalem ; no Jew trusts his brother.^ They are always quarrelling, and frequently apply to the Consul to set- tle their disputes. The expectaticm of support from the an- nual European contributions leads many to live in idleness. Hence there are in Jerusalem oOO acknowledged paupers, and 500 more who receive charity in a quiet way. Many are so poor that, if not relieved, they could not stand out the winter season. A few are shopkeepers ; a few more are hawkers ; and a very few are operatives. None of them are agriculturists — not a single Jew cultivates the soil of his fathers. Among other peculiar causes of poverty, they are obliged to pay more rent than other people for their houses ; and their rabbis^ frequently oppress and overreach those under their care. Whilst Mahomet Ali was in possession of this country, the government had been far more tolerant toward them than be- 1 Psa. cxxxm. 1. 2 Is this a fulfilment of Micah vu. 2—6. a Tills is a fultlmeut of Ezck. xxsiv 2, 2, continued down to this day J^ERUSALEM — JEWS — BRITISH CONSUL, 149 fore ; and on two recent occasions, the Consul had got sen- tence pronounced in favour of the Jew against the Turk, a new event in the history of this people ! Still the common people hate them, and they are exposed to continual wrongs. The soldiers occasionally break into their houses and compel them to lend articles which are never restored. The professing Christians here — Greeks, Armenians, and Roman Catholics — are even more bitter enemies to Jews than Mahometans ; so that in time of danger, a Jew would betake himself to the house of a Turk for refuge, in preference to that of a Christian. How little have these Christians the mind of Christ ! Instead of His peculiarly tender love for Israel, they exhibit rooted hatred, and thus prove that they are Anti- christ. So far do they carry their enmity, that no Jew dare at this day pass by the door of the Holy Sepulchre. On this account, the kindness of Protestants appears to them very striking ; and convinces them that there is a real difference in the religion we profess. And they are now becoming strongly attached to British Christians. The fact of a Bri- tish Consul being stationed here on their account has greatly contributed to this effect. How wonderful that a British Con- sul should be sent to the Holy Land, with special instructions to interest himself in behalf of the Jews, and having for his district the very region formerly allotted to the twelve tribes of Israel ! And how much more wonderful stiU, that our first Consul in Jerusalem should be one actuated by a deep and enlightened attachment to the cause of God's ancient people ! At present, however, the Jews make less use of his influence than they might do ; for they say, " if the Consul were to go away, revenge would be taken on us." This is so much their feeling, that when it was lately reported, that he was to be removed on account of the war that threatened, many Jews came to him, with tears running down their cheeks, entreat- ing him to remain. There is also another singular fact, namely, that converted Jews have complete access to their brethren. Five converts are here at present, and the Jews treat them with kindness, allow them to visit their houses, and frequently visit them in return. Oh, that the day were come (vhen " the fountain shall be opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for unclean- aess !"' 1 7-ech. XIII 1. 150 JERbSALEiM — GIHON — HILL OF EVIL COUNSEL. In the afternoon we mounted our hardy little palfreys, and with Mr Nicolayson for our guide, set out to visit some of the interesting spots around the city. Going out by the Jaffa Gate, we turned to the south, and crossed by the wall of the lower pool of Gihon — that being the usual way to Bethlehem. The name of Hinnora is very generally given to this western valley, as well as to the valley to the south of Zion ; but if the two pools be really the pools of Gihon, it seems much more probable, that the valley on the west of the city is the vale of Gihon, while that on the south is the vale of Hinnom.^ Cross- ing Solomon's aqueduct, which we could trace far on its way to Bethlehem, we turned to the south-east, and climbed the hill immediately south of Mount Zion, parted from it by the deep vale of Hinnora. This ridge is named the Hill of Evil Counsel, because upon the summit a ruin is pointed out, which is called by the monks the country-house of Caiaphas, where the priests, scribes, and elders met and took counsel how they might kill Jesus. From this we had another plea- sant view of the plain of Rephaim,'^ lying to the south-west. The reapers were gathering the ears of corn at tlie very time. The most prominent object to the south is a graceful conical \/'r hill, called the Frank Mountain, and supposed by some to bo Beth-haccerem, a suitable spot for " setting up a sign of fire." To the north, we looked across the valley of Hinnom to Mount Zion, descending bold and steep into the ravine. Se- veral parts were ploughed like a field as already mentioned, and on one part sheaves were standing. To the north-east, beyond the high wall of the mosque on Mount Moriah, we ob- tained the finest view we had yet seen of the Mount of Olives, with its three graceful summits. The depth of the Valley of Jehoshaphat (vale of Kedron) struck us very forcibly, and gave an appearance of great loftiness to Mount Olivet. To the 1 Josh. XV. 8. It formed the northern boundary of the tribe of Judafc; and hence Nihem. xi. 30, speaks of those who " dwelt from E:ershcba unto the 'lalley of Hinnom"- the two extremities of Judali. ? Isa. Kvii. a. 3 Jer. vi. I. VALLEY OF HINNOM — " flKLJ) OF BLOOD." 151 east, we looked down the vaiiey of the Kedron, toward the Dead Sea, with the mountains of Moab beyond. As we looked over the precipitous brow of the hill into the Valley of Hinnom, which is very deep, and shaded by trees hanging over its sides, we thought how, in other days, the cries of the human victims sacrificed to Moloch must have risen from this valley, now so still and peaceful, to the palaces of Mount Zion — or perhaps only the sound of drums and other instruments drowning the cries of agony, that they might not disturb the mirth of the king. What must Ma- nasseh have felt after his conversion, when he walked along the brow of this hill, and looked down into the valley below, or when he saw it from the towers of Zion ? Surely the re- membran^^e of his groves and idols, with their attendant hor- rors, and above all, the thought of his own murdered infants, must have led him the more earnestly to that blood that cleanseth from all sin. From Hinnom he would lift his weep- ing eyes to Moriah's hill; and gazing on its altar, even he might, in the strength of a Saviour's atonement, say, " Who is he that condemneth ?" Descending gradually toward the eastern side of the ridge, we came to the spot pointed out as Aceldama, " the field of blood," the field bought with the thirty pieces of silver, and " known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem."' It lies opposite the south-east corner of Mount Zion. A charnel-house or square chamber sunk in the earth is still shewn here, and some of the cells have been lately opened ; but we found no traces of that peculiar kind of earth said to have been found here, which had the property of causing dead bodies to decay within four-and-twenty-hours.^ A particular tree is pointed out as the tree on which Judas hanged himself, a mere tradi- tion, or rather a barefaced invention, but interesting as shew- ing that to this day the awful doom of the Son of Perdition is not forgotten by the dwellers of Jerusalem. At this point is obtained a remarkable view of the Valley of Jehoshaphat. It is wide and ample, in some parts terraced, and a small por- 1 Matt. XXVII. 7, 8. Acts 1. 19. 2 A recent traveller, W. R. Wilde, a medical gentleman, visited a sepulchre lately opened here, when he found the skulls to belong, not to Jews, but to in- dividuals of different nations. He gives this fact on personal examination, as affording proof that this is "the field to bury strangers in." The only abatement of this interesting evidence, is the possibility of these having been buried in it at a pei'iod later than the Jewish kingdom existed. 152 JERUSALEM — VALLEY OF JEHOSHAPHAT. tion of it planted with gardens, which are watered from the Pool of Siloam. The village of Siloara hangs over it on the right, and Ophel and Mount Zion slope down into it on the left. Its bosom is extensive enough to contain immense multitudes, such as Joel describes, " Let the heathen be awakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat" — " multitudes, multi- cudes in the valley of decision."' The scenery of this spa fious valley was no doubt before the prophet's eye as he ut tered the prediction. Every height and hollow appeared be fore him thronged with armed multitudes, till he was made to realize the greatness of that last dread conflict, when from the neighbouring hill and city, the Lord's voice shall be heard, confounding his people's enemies ; — " the Lord shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem."^ From this point, also, is seen the gentle hollow that marks the separation between Zion and Moriah. At other points, it seems as if the one hill overlapped the other ; but here it is quite easy to trace the line of separation. This hollow is the Tyropa?on of Josephus, or Valley of the Cheesemongers, begin- ning near the Jaifa Gate, and running east to the wall of the Mosque, and then south till it opens out into the Valley of Jehoshaphat. It was no doubt much deeper and more distinct in ancient days. The debris of the ruins of many genera- tions has been long filling it up. Between the Tyropoeon and the Valley of Jehoshaphat, outside the walls of the city, stood the tower called in Scripture, Ophel. The ridge ends there in a precipice of solid limestone rock, overhanging the Pool of Siloam, to the height of about sixty feet. Due east from the Mount of Evil Counsel, on the other side of the valley, rises the hill called the Mount of Ofi'ence, or Mount of Corruption, on which, it is believed, Solomon set up idols to his strange gods. It is just a lower ridge of the Mount of Olives, barren and rocky. We thought we could trace indications of former buildings on the face of the hill, near the top. Winding down the hill, we reached the lowest part of the Valley of Jehoshaphat, a retired spot, pleasantly shaded with fruit-trees. Here is Neheraiah's Well, or rather, there is .ittle doubt, the ancient En-Rogel, " the fuller's fountain." There are the remains of ancient buildings over it, and a large tank beside it. It is 125 feet in depth. Formerly, the water seems to have been drawn up by a Persian wheel, such as we 1 Joel III 19. U. V ,Toel III. 16. NEHEMIAH'S WKLL — WELL OF JOAB. 15lj saw at El Arish and many other places, but now an old Arat let down a skin vessel and gave us drink. The water was de- lightful. By this well in ancient times was drawn the border between Judah and Benjamin, for it is said with minute ac- curacy, that " the border came down (from the Valley of llephaim) to the end of the mountain, and descended to the Valley of Hinnom, and descended to En-Rogel."' In this spot, so near the city, and yet so completely secluded, the two youths Jonathan and Ahimaaz tarried when Absalom took possession of Jerusalem, that they might carry tidings to Da- vid.^ Among these pleasant fruit- trees also was "the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En-Rogel," where Adonijah made a feast, at the time he aspired to the throne, when their mirth was so suddenly arrested by the shouts of joy in the city pro- claiming Solomon to be king.^ Perhaps it may be from the prominent part which Joab acted in that memorable scene that the well is called by the Arabs to this day Beer-Eyub, " the well of Job," or Joab. Proceeding up the valley, we passed through a small grove of olives, pomegranates, and figs. A girl came running to us A^ith her lap full of ripe apricots. Her head was ornamented with a circle of silver coins. Here we found people busily employed, some treading out corn by the feet of the ox and the ass, others winnowing what had been trodden out already. This peaceful scene in so retired a valley, near a refreshing well, served to explain the prophet's manner of reproving the indolence of backsliding Israel, " Ejjhraim is an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn."* The winnow- ing with the shovel, recalled to our minds the " clean pro- vender which hath been winnowed with the shovel and the fan."* We passed the mouth of the Vale of Hinnom, and ap- proaching the rock of Ophel above described, came to an old mulberry-tree, whose roots are now supported by a terrace of rough stones, said to mark the place where Manasseh caused the prophet Isaiah to be sawn asunder.^ Three Arabs were reclining under its plentiful shade, and seemed to wonder why we gazed. Passing under the rocky face of Ophel, we came to the Pool of Siloam. We were surprised to find it so entire, exactly 1 Josh. xvin. 16. 2 II Sam. xvii. 17. 3 i Kings i. 9, 41 « Hos. X. 11. 6 Isa. XXX 24 6 Hi:b. xi. 37. 154 JERUSALEM — POOL OF SILOAM. resembling the common prints of it. It is in the form of a parallelogram, and the walls all round are of hewn stones. The steps that lead down into it, at the eastern end, are no doubt the same which have been there for ages. The water covered the bottom to the depth of one or two feet. At the western end, climbing a little way into a cave hewn out of a rock, we descended a few steps into the place from which the water flows into the pool. It is connected by a long subter- ranean passage, running quite through the hill to the Foun- tain of the Virgin, or more properly the Fountain of SUoam, the entrance to which is a considerable way farther up the Valley of Jehoshaphat. Through this passage the water flows softly from the fountain till it finds its way into the pool, not as generally represented in pictures by pouring over the mouth of the cave, but secretly from beneath. "Wild flowers, and among other plants the caper-tree, grow luxuriantly around its border. We are told that " the wall of the Pool of Siloah, by the king's garden,"^ was rebuilt in the days of Nehemiah. There can be no doubt that this is the very spot ; and possibly the present walls and steps may be as ancient as the days of our Lord, While sitting on the margin, we could imagine the history of the blind man^ realized before us. We had seen that very day a blind man in the streets of Jerusalem as we passed by. Now it was to such a man that our Lord said, " Go wash in the Pool of Siloam." The man obeys — comes out at the gate — descends the sloping side of Zion, gropes his way down these steps, and feels for the cool water with his hand ; then laves his clay-anointed eyes, and they open ! Now he sees the glory of Jerusalem, but above all, comes back to see the face of the Son of God, the light of the world, whose word commanded the light to shine on his dark eye-baUs and his darker heart. The water of this pool flows out through a small channel cut or worn in the rock, and descends to refresh the gardens which are planted below on terraces, illustrating the expression " a fountain of gardens,"'' for a fountain in such a situation waters many gardens. These are the remains of *' the king's garden,"^ mentioned by Nehemia'n and by Josephus.* Leaving the pool, we turned northward, proceeding up the 1 Neh. III. 15. » John ix. 3 Sonff iv. 1&, « Neh. UL lb. 5 Ant. vii. t 14- » ' FOUNTAIN-HEAD OF SILOAM. 155 Valley of Jehoshaphat with the village of Siloam on our right, which literally hangs upon the steep brow of the Mount of Offence. Three or four hundred yards up the valley, we came to the spring or fountain-head of Siloam, beneath the rocky side of Moriah. It is commonly called the Fountain of the Virgin, from a foolish tradition of the monks. We came to a wide cavern partly or entirely hewn out by the hands of man ; and descending two flights of steps cut in the rock, worn smooth and white like marble, we came to the water. From this point it flows through the subterranean canal already mentioned, and supplies the Pool of Siloam. But it flows in such perfect stillness, that it seemed to us to be a standing pool, until we put our hands into it, and felt the gentle cur- rent pressing them aside. Nothing could be more descriptive of the flow of these waters than the words of Isaiah, " The waters of Siloah that go softly."^ The calm silent stream of grace and power which flows from under the throne of s reconciled God is, by this simple figure, finely contrasted witl the loud noisy promises of Rezin and Romaliah's son. The Delieving soul has a secret and unfailing spring of quiet joy ever flowing from " the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High," which forms a complete contrast to the rude and boisterous mirth of the ungodly. We drank with joy of the cool water, which we found sweet and pleasant, all the sweeter because of the sacred recollections with which it was associated. It seemed to be a much frequented spring : for some came to drink, some to draw water to wash their clothes, and others were conveying it to their camels. It has been suggested with much probability, that this foun- tain may have an artificial connection with another fountain said to be under the Mosque of Omar in the heart of Moriah ; for the flow of water seems too large and too calm to be tha commencement of a spring in a limestone rock. But there does not appear to be any solid foundation for the conjecture of Dr Robinson, that this may be the pool of Bethesda. It bears no resemblance to any of the other pools around the city; nor can we see where the five porches could have stood, for it is a cavern five-and-twenty feet deep in the solid rock. And most certainly the irregular flow sometimes observed in the fountain, cannot have any thing to do with the troubling 1 Isa. vm. 6. 10 S 7 D^lw^rin " that go so as to be unpercojved, or escape obseivation." 156 JERUSALEM — FOUNTAIN OF SILOAM. of the water of Bethesda, for we are expressly told, that " an angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the water."' That was a miraculous event, plainly intended to typify the Lord Jesus, the true " house of mercy ;" for it is worthy of remark, that this was the only occasion in which Jesus healed only one out of a multitude of sick folk. He wished to shew that he was the true pool of Bethesda. On every other occasion " he healed them all." Probably this fountain bore the same name as the Pool of Siloam, with which it is so strongly connected, and is to be regarded as Siloah's brook that flowed Fast by the oracle of God. It was with a full remembrance of this day's pleasant visit to the Fountain of Siloam, that the following lines occurred at an after period, when stretched in our tent under the brow of Carmel. Beneath Moriah's rocky side A gentle fountain springs, Silent and soft its waters glide. Like the peace the Spirit brings. The thirsty Arab stoops to drink Of the cool and quiet w-ave; And the thirsty spirit stops to think Of Him who came to save. Siloam is the fountain's name; It means " one sent from God ;" And thus the holy Saviour's fame It gently spreads abroad. O gi-ant that I like this sweet well, May Jesus' image bear; And spend my life — my all — to tell How full his mercies are. We now passed farther up the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and observed with interest on the sides of the Mount of Olives, immediately opposite where the Temple stood, the Jewish burying-ground. Innumerable white flat stones overspread the valley, with short Hebrew inscriptions, generally very simple and uninteresting. It is here that the old Jews desire to be buried, that they may reach bliss without needing to make their way underground to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, as Jthers require to do who die elsewhere. They expect to arise from these tombs at the resurrection, and see Messiah among the first. How awful their disappointment when ihey find that they die only to pass forthwith into consuming terrors, VIEW OF JERUSALEM FROM OIJVET. 15? and that they arise only to the resurrection of damnation ! Disappointed hope will aggravate the woe of a poor lost man of Israel, — he thought he was at the gate of heaven, and finds himself in the porch of hell ! Here we crossed the Kedron, and examined minutely the supposed tombs of Zechariah, James the Just, Jehoshaphat, and the monument called Absa- lom's Pillar, mentioned above. This last may possibly occupy the site of " the pillar which Absalom reared up for himself in the king's dale, and called after his own name, Absalom's Place. "^ The Jews believe it to be so, and cast many a stone at it in abhorrence as they pass. The original pillar seems to have been a square mass hewn out of the solid rock, about sixteen feet high. The columns, pilasters, and trigiyphs which now adorn it, are evidently not Jewish work, and may be of much later origin. We left the valley, and ascended the southern limb of the Mount of Olives by the Jericho road. We wished to view Jerusalem from the spot where the Saviour is supposed to have stood when he " was come near, and beheld the city and wept over it."^ Mr Nicolayson guided us to the place. The road to Jericho crosses the shoulder of the hill, so that when a traveller is approaching Jerusalem, the city is brought into full view all at once by a turn of the road. The scene is truly magnificent : the air is so clear and the view so com- prehensive. The city lies, not under your feet, but almost on a level with you. You look across the valley to the tem^ile rising full before you, and think that you could count every tower, every street, and every dwelling. Jesus saw all this before him, and its guilty people were themselves as fully open tc his view in that wonderful moment, when his tears testified his unutterable love to Israel, and his words declared their fearful doom. Oh that we could stand and look on Israel now, with our Master's love and bowels of com.passion ! We stood awhile to realize that mysteriously interesting moment, and then rode on towards Bethany. The road slopes gently down the other side of the hill, and you are immediately out of sight of Jerusalem. Climbing another shoulder of the hill, and looking back, we obtained another view of the city, but a distant one ; not the one spoken of in the gospel, where it ia said, " when He came near," The road is very rocky, often indeed worn out of the solid limestone. I II Sam. iviii. 18 i Luke xix. 4L 158 BETHANY — TOMR OV LAZARUS. Descending and leaving the Jericho road, we came quite suddenly upon Bethany, called by the Arabs Azarieh, from the name of Lazarus. We found this ever-memorable vil- lage to be very like what we could have imagined it. It lies almost hidden in a small ravine of Mount Olivet, so much so that from the height it cannot be seen. It is embosomed in fruit trees, especially figs and almonds, olives and pomegra- nates. The ravine in which it lies is terraced, and the ter- races are covered either with fruit-trees or waving grain. There are not many houses, perhaps about twenty, inhabited, but there are many marks of ancient ruins. The house of La- zarus was pointed out to us, a substantial building, probably a tower in former days, and selected to bear the name of the House of Lazarus by traditionists, who, did not know how else than by his worldly eminence such a man could draw the spe- cial regard of the Lord Jesus. They did not know that Christ loveth freely. The sepulchre called the Tomb of Lazarus at- tracted more of our attention. We lighted our tapers, and descended twenty-six steps cut in the rock to, a chamber deep in the rock, having several niches for the dead. Whether 'his be the very tomb where Lazarus lay four days, and which yielded up its dead at the command of Jesus, it is impossible to say. The common objection that it is too deep seems en- tirely groundless, for there is nothing in the narrative to in- timate that the tomb was on a level with the ground, and be- sides, it seems not unlikely that there was another entrance to the tomb farther down the slope. A stronger objection is, that the tomb is in the immediate vicinity of the village, or actually in it, but it is possible that the modern village occupies ground a little dilFerent from the ancient one. However this may be, there can be no doubt that this is " Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister INIartha, nigh unto Jerusalem, about fif- teen furlongs oil'.'" How pleasing are all the associations that cluster around it ! Perhaps there was no scene in the Holy Land which afforded us more unmingied enjoyment : we even fancied that the curse that every where rests so visibly upon the land had fallen more lightly here. In point of situation, nothing could have come up more completely to our previous imagination of the place to which Jesus delighted to retire at evening from the bustle of the city, and the vexations of the unbelieving multitudes — sometimes traversing the road bj J John xi. 1, 18. MOUNT OF OLIVES — CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION'. 159 which we had come, and perhaps oftener still coming up th<- face of the hill by the footpath that passes on the north «i Gethsemane. What a peaceful scene ! Amidst these trees, oi in that grassy field, he may often have been seen in deep com- munion with the Father. And in sight of this verdant spo it was that he took his last farewell of the disciples, and wen' upward to resume the deep, unbroken fellowship of " his God and our God," uttering blessings even at the moment when h( began to be parted from them.^ And it was here that tht two angels stood by them in white apparel, and left us this glorious message, " This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."'^ As we purposed to visit Bethany again, we were contented to leave it the sooner, and following another footpath, ascend- ed to the summit of the Mount of Olives. Near the top is the Tomb of Huldah the prophetess, which we entered and examined. It is a large chamber cut out of the natural rock. On what authority the name of Huldah is attached to it, we do not know. Not far from it we visited the Church of the Ascension, originally built by Helena, the mother of Coastan- tine, A. D. 326, over the spot where it is said that our Lord ascended from the earth, and where the inhabitants still pre- tend to shew the print of his last footstep ! This tradition, though very ancient, is directly at variance with the words of the Evangelist. It evidently arose from the circumstance of this being the most conspicuous summit of the hill, and per- haps in some measure from the appearance, which does exist, of something like the footmark in the limestone rock. But the simple words of the Evangelist decide the matter, " He led them out as far as to Bethany."^ He led them beyond the summit, and down the other side of the hill, as far as the re- tired village of Bethany ; and in the spot where he so often parted with them for the night, he now parted with them for " a little while,"'* till the hour should come, when again " his feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives."^ We passed across the face of the Mount of Olives, towards the northern summit of the hill, and there descending into the valley of the Kedron, considerably to the north of the city, crossed over to the Tombs of the Kings. We first clambered 1 Luke XXIV. 51. s \ets i. 11. a Luke xxiv. 50. i John XIV. 19. « /e':5U Xiv. 4. ISO JERUSALEM — TOMBS OF THE KINGS. down into a large area which has oeen cut out of the solid rock, and on the west side of which is a wide entrance which slopes down under the rock. The band of carved work over the entrance is very beautiful, representing a vine branch with bunches of grapes. With lighted tapers we crept through the low aperture which leads from the portico into an inner apart- ment, where are entrances to the chambers of the mighty dead. We examined with interest the remains of the stone doors described by many who have visited the place. One is pretty entire, but lying on the ground. The pannels are carved in the rock, and also the tenons or hinges, which are suited to sockets cut in the rocky wall. It was to such abodes of the dead that Job referred when he said, " Now should I have lain still and been quiet ; I should have slept : then had been at rest with kings and counsellors of the earth, whicX built desolate places for themselves."^ Isaiah also refers to them, where he says, " All the kings of the nations, even all of them lie in glory, every one in his own house. "^ And again, " Go get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say, What hast thou here, and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewn thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock ?"^ The sloping ground at the entrance reminded us of what is said of John at the sepulchre of Christ, " He stooping down and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying."'' A great deal of obscurity hangs over the history of these interesting sepulchres. Some have supposed them to be the work of Herod and his family, and others have caUed them the tomb of Helena, Queen of Adiabene, who being converted to the Jewish faith along with her son was buried near Jeru- salem. As the sun was nearly down we began to move homewards, and from a rising ground between the tombs and the city we obtained a much more pleasing view of Jerusalem, with its domes and minarets, than is afforded by any of the other ap- proaches on this side. We entered the I^amascus Gate be- fore sunset. Spending the evening with Mr Nicolayson, we saw again the custom which had attracted our attention at 1 Job III. 13, 14. 2 Isa. XIV. 18. Compare Ezt-U. xxxii. 17— end. May not the prophet have derived the scenery of tliis pa.ssnRe from some such sepulchres as these 3 Isa. XXII. 15, 10. 4 John xx. 5. (VETHSEAIANE. 161 Hamietta, and wltlch illustrates several passages in the gos- pel. While we sat at meat several persons came in, though uninvited, and seating themselves by the wall, joined in the conversation.^ These are specimens of the days we spent in Jerusalem. Every object that met our view was invested with a sacred interest in our eyes, and that interest increased instead of di- »ninishing the more we examined the place. Early one morning two of us set out to visit Gethsemane. The sun had newly risen ; few people were upon the road, and the valley of Jehoshaphat was lonely and still. Descend- ing the steep of Mount Moriah, and crossing the dry bed of the brook Kedron, we soon came to the low rude wall enclosing the plot of ground which for ages has borne the name of Gethsemane. Clambering over we examined the sacred spot and its eight olive-trees. These are very large and very old, but their branches are still strong and vigorous. One of them we measured, and found to be nearly eight yards in girth round the lower part of the trunk. Some of them are hollow with age, but filled up with earth, and most have heaps of stones gathered round their roots. The enclosure seems to have been tilled at some recent period. At one corner some pilgrim has erected a stone and carved upon it the Latin words, " et hie tenuerunt eum," marking it as the spot where Judas betrayed his Master with a kiss. The road to Bethany passes by the foot of the garden, and the more private footpath up the brow of the hill passes along its northern wall. Looking across the Kedron, the steep brow of Moriah and sombre wall of the Haram with its battlements, and the top of the Mosque of Omar, shut in the view. At evening, when the 2[ates of Jerusalem are closed, it must be a perfect solitude. Our blessed Master must have distinctly seen the band of men and officers sent to apprehend him, with their lanterns and torches, and glittering weapons, descending the side of Moriah and approaching the garden. By the clear moon- light, he saw his three chosen disciples fast asleep in his hour of agony ; and by the gleam of the torches, he observed his cruel enemies coming down to seize him and carry him away to his last sufferings ; yet " he was not rebellious, neither turned away back."^ He viewed the bitter cup that • » IStc p tia t j-«(^ L. a. L 162 JERUSALEM — POOL OF BETHESDA. was given him to drink, and said, " Shall I not drink it ?"' We read over all the passages of Scripture relating to Geth- semane, while seated together there. It seemed nothing won- derful to read of the weakness of those three disciples, when we remembered that they were sinful men like disciples now ; but the compassion, the unwavering love of Jesus, appeared by the contrast to be infinitely amazing. For such souls as 5urs, he rent this vale with his strong crying and tears, wet- ted this ground with his bloody sweat, and set his face like a flint to go forward and die. " While we were yet sinners Christ died for us."^ Each of us occupied part of the time alone — in private meditation — and then we joined together in prayer — putting our sins into that cup which our Master drank here, and pleading for our own souls, for our far dis- tant friends, and for the flocks committed to our care. It is probable that Jesus often resorted to this place, not only because of its retirement, but also because it formed a fit place of meeting, when his disciples, dispersed through the city by day, were to join his company in the evening, and go with him over the hill to Bethany. And this seems the real force of the original words, " HoX'kdx.ig Gwri'^&ri 6 'ijjffoDf ixe' l^ira TUiv fiaQriTUi abrov."^ " Jesus ofttimes rendezvoused at this spot with his disciples." As the day advanced, we repassed the brook Kedron, vi- sited the spot where Stephen is said to have been stoned, and entered the city by the gate which bears his name. Here we delayed a little to examine the large dry reservoir which is generally called " the Pool of Bethesda." It is 360 feet long by 130 feet broad, and about 70 feet deep. A low parapet of large stones runs along the margin, over which you look into tlie vast dry basin below. The bottom is partly covered with rubbish, and partly planted with a few flowers and old trees. At the farther end are two arches, forming entrances into dark vaults, which are generally believed to be remains of the five porches. Dr Robinson has conjectured that this very deep pool was part of the trench of the castle of Antonia, which stood on the north-west corner of tlie ancient temple ; and it seems exceedingly probable that this is the case. But is it not probable that when the trench of Antonia was dug, dividing it from the hill Bezetha, advantage was taken of tho Pool of Bethesda previously existing in this place ? Then? » John XYiii. J I » Rom. v. 8. a John xvni. 2. INFORMATION REGARDING THE JEWS. 163 can be little doubt, from *h^ aaanner in which the sides are cemented, that it was anciently a pool, and it bears the name of a pool ani'v^ the native population to this day. That the Pool of Be.liesda was in the immediate vicinity of the Temple, and also near one of the gates of the city, there can be no doubt ; and that it was a large and important reservoir, seems also probable from the narrative of the gospel. But there is 110 other pool at present remaining in Jerusalem which an- swers this description ; so that it may really be the case that f liis large reservoir, though used as part of the trench of An- tonia, is still the remains of the interesting Pool of Bethesda. While we were leaning over the parapet and musing over the past, some Moslem boys began to gather stones and throw tliem at us, crying " Nazarani." We had approached nearer the gate of the mosque than Christian feet are permitted to do. An Egyptian soldier who was by took our part, and we quietly retired. Being without a guide, we had the pleasure of los- ing our way, and wandering up and down for about an hour in the streets of Jerusalem, before we found our home on the brow of Mount Zion. In the afternoon we spent five hours in receiving from Mi Nicolayson full information regarding the numbers and con- dition of the Jews in Palestine. The Committee of our Church who sent us forth, had furnished us with a list of questions to be investigated and answered. These we shall set down in order, with the information we received in reply to them. I. What is the ntimber of Jews in Jcrumlem and in the Holy Land? We have already set down briefly the answer to this ques- tion.' A few more particulars may be added. In Jerusalem 1 000 Jews pay taxes, and all of these are males from thirteen years old and upwards. The Jews marry when very young, so that, allowing five to a family, there are 5000, repre- ^ented by the 1000 who pay taxes, in Jerusalem. Foreign Jews, however, such as Russians, Poles, and Hungarians, and many others, continue under the protection of European powers, and pay no taxes. These may amount to 2000, which would give about 7000 Jews to Jerusalem. This is the largest statement of the number of Jews in the Holy 1 8ee( IM 164 LUMBERS ANt CONDITION OF City that we any where received, and is no doubt above the real amount ; for the average of five to a family appears to be far too great. The destruction of Saphet by an earthquake in 1837' oc- casioned the dispersion of many of the Jews who dwelt there. Of these, some settled at Acre, and some at Jerusalem. In the cities along the coast, the Jews have been increasing of late. In Tyre, formerly a Jew was not allowed to spend a night ; but the Pasha's government changed the law, and now a congregation and rabbi have settled there. They are chiefly from the Barbary coast. The recent occupation of Algiers by the French enabled the Jews of that coast to claim pro- tection as French subjects, and this induces them to leave home more freely for purposes of trade. The same class of Jews are found in Sidon and Beyrout. At the utmost, the whole Jewish population of Palestine may be reckoned at about 12,000, This is the largest estimate which we re- ceived ; yet comparing it with their numbers in the days of Solomon, we may well say in the words of Isaiah, there are '* few men left."^ II. Has the number of Jews in Palestine been increasing of late years ? Their numbers did increase decidedly during the first five years of the Pasha's government, that is from 1832 to 1837, — a time which coincides with the occupation of Algiers by the French. Many came from the Barbary coast, who settled jhiefly at Saphet and on the coast. During the last two years there has been little or no increase. There is always an in- flux, but then the mortality is great, and the number that come do no more than supply the places of those cut oif. The change of climate at the advanced period of life in which many X)me, the new habits which the country forces them to form, their being crowded together in damp, unwholesome residences, all combine to shorten their days. This diminution in the numbers of Jews returning to their own land, seems to be caused by the ravages which the plague has been making for two years past ; by the rise in the price of provisions ; by the em- barrassed finances of the Jewish community, their debt amount- 1 See an interesting account of this event published by Erasmus S. Caiman Tho was afterwards our faithful and affectionate companion in traveL a Isa. xiLiv C THE JEWS IN PALESTINE. 165 ing to nearly £8000 ; and by the oppressions which they suf- fer from their rabbis. Some have actually left, and several have said that they would gladly leave Jerusalem if it were in their power. Their reasons for coming into the land are, 1. The universal belief that every Jew who dies out of the land must perform a subterraneous passage back to it, that he may rise in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. 2. They believe that to die in this land is certain salvation, though they are not exempted from " the beating in the grave, and the eleven months of pur- gatory." 3. They believe that those who reside here have immediate communication with Heaven, and that the rabbis are in a manner inspired. 4. They expect the appearing of Messiah. The Jews in Palestine have always cherished the l;ope of his coming, and of their own restoration. This opi- nion has now even more weight with them than formerly, for they partake of the general impression that a crisis is ap- proaching. The Jews here, as a nation, are far from infidel, but there are many whose minds are fully occupied with their niseries. III. Are the Jfivs in Palestine supported by their brethren in other parts of the Morld? Generally speaking, they are all supported by a yearly con- tribution made by their brethren in other lands. All foreign Jews residing in Palestine are entirely dependent on contri- butions from Europe, except a few who have property in Eu- rope. These last either bring their little property with them, or make it over to friends in Europe, on condition of their sending them an annual sum to the Holy Land, upon which they live here. But even these may receive their share, as every Jew, rich or poor, who has been one year in tha coun- try, has a share allotted to him if he chooses to take it. The sum received by each individual is very small ; much is swal- lowed up by their differences and quarrels, and much is re- quired to pay the interest of their debt. Five ducats, or about £3, 10s. a-head, is thought a good contribution. At present, however, it is even smaller. The way of collecting the Euro- pean contributions used to be this. Messengers (D'^n'^blt^' sheleeheem) were sent from Jerusalem to the different cities in Europe, where collections were made, and these brought the money to Palestine. This was a very expensive method, for nearly one-fourth of the sum collected was spent in paying 166 NUMBERS AND COXDITIOX OF the expenses of the messengers. Of late years, however, an- other plan has been adopted. The money is sent to Amster- dam, where it is received by a rich Jewish merchant, Hirsh Lehren, called on this account " President of the Holy Land," and he transmits it to the Austrian Consul at Beyrout, by whom it is conveyed to the Jews at Jerusalem. The average amount may be 7000 ducats = 14,000 dollars = 280,000 piastres, or £2800. But there is something to be deducted even from this. Often there is a nOTp (kedamah) ; that is, something to be paid out to individuals before the sum is dis- tributed. A list of these is kept. They are persons who have been specially named by friends in Europe who sent the money. The largest collections come from Amsterdam ; not much from Britain. Some Jews, chiefly Spanish, are sup- ported by being readers in the places devoted to study (7Tl^2^>, yishvioth). A small sum is appropriated by legacy to each of the persons who are chosen to study there. This yields perhaps 100 or 150 piastres a-year to the individual. IV. Js there kept up constant and rapid communication between the Jews in Palestine, and those in other parts of the world? The Rabbis of Palestine maintain a constant communica- tion with their brethren all over the world. In one respect, indeed, it may be said, that Jerusalem is not the centre of Jewish influence ; for there is little outgoing from it ; the Jews are stationary there ; yet, on the other hand, it is true that Jerusalem is the heart of the nation, and every thing done there or in the Holy Land will tell upon the whole Jew- ish world. When conversions take place, although they wish to keep them quiet, still the intelligence is soon communicated, and known and spoken of every where. A Jew said lately to Mr Nicolayson, that he believed that in a short time no young Jews would be allowed to come to the Holy Land, if the mis- sionaries continued to labour as they were doing. They would trust only old confirmed Jews there, who would be able to meet their arguments. The communication, however, is by no means rapid, being carried on by means of messengers. Much mis- shief has often arisen from this system, for the rabbis some- times intercept the letters of poor Jews, which they fear may be complaining of their conduct. THE JEWS IN PALESTINE, 16? V. From ivltat countries do the J ews principally comef The greatest numbers come from Poland, and the Austria?; iominions. Many come from Russia, and many more would Eome if they were not hindered.^ There are some from Wal- lachia and Moldavia ; a few from Germany ; a few from Hol- land ; but scarcely any from Britain. All these being Euro- peans receive the name of Ashkenazhn? The native Jews, that is, those Jews who are subjects of the country, are called Sephardi'in, and are almost all of Spanish extraction. They come principally from Turkey in Europe, from Saloniki, Con- stantinople, and the Dardanelles, Those who come from Asia Minor are chiefly from Smyrna. Many have come from Africa, especially of late years, from Morocco, and the Barbary coast, from Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli. These bring Frencli passports, and are therefore under protection. There are a few from Alexandria and Cairo. Mr Nicolayson never saw any Jews from India, though several have gone to India and returned. They have occasional communication by individuals with Yemen and Sennah. There are many Spanish Jews, and several Polish families, who have been here for genera- tions, whose fathers and grandfathers have died here, and who are really natives of Palestine. But most even of these count themselves foreigners still, and they generally contrive to mako a tour to Europe some time in their life, VI. Are there many Rabbis in Palestine? There is often a great mistake made about the rank of those who get the title of Rabbi. The truth is, all are included in that class who are not in the class V^j^n 3^ {^^ haaretz), that is, the uneducated. Formerly, the Rabbis were a kind of clergy, and were appointed by laying on of hands, but now there is no such distinction. The official Rabbi does not even preside in the synagogue, but deputes this to another, the Ha- zan, who is often chosen because of his fine voice. The only part of the duty which is reserved peculiarly for the priest, is the pronouncing the blessing. None but a Cohen, a priest ot Aaron's line, can give this. In the synagogue any one may be called up to read. This custom appears to be as old as the 1 There is a day coming when the prophecy shall be fulfilled, " I v^ill say to ihe north. Give up." Isa. XLHi. 6. 2 Gen. X. 3. Ashkenaz, son of Gomer, frives origin to the name, as S«phaiad, mentioned iu Obadiah L'U, does to Jsephiirdini. 168 NUMBERS AND CONDITION OF daj's of our Lord.' The only distinction made is, that first a Cohen is called up to read, then a Levite, then a common Israelite. Most of the Jews in the Holy Land spend their time in a sort of study or reading. Crowded in their fami- lies, however, they cannot really devote themselves to study ; and their disputes also are a great hinderance. They study nothing but Talmudical books, and even in this department there is none of them who can be called learned when com- pared with Jews in Europe. The Yishvioth are not seats of learning ; they are rather situations of emolument, though originally intended to en- courage learning. There are nominally thirty-six of these reading-places in Jerusalem, but often the books belonging to two or three are collected into one. These have been esta- blished by individuals for behoof of their souls. They left a little money to furnish them, and to enable a few persons to devote themselves to study there, and to be trained up in the law, for this is a j^SjJJ (zechuth), or deed of merit. Five or six readers are elected to each of them, one or two of whom are expected to be always reading the Talmud there, and each of these receives 100 or 150 piastres a-year to maintain him. These appointments are obtained by favour and private in- fluence. In many cases the rooms are much neglected. VII. What are the peculiar characteristics of the Jews in Pales- tine ? Their principal characteristic is, that they are all strict Rabbinists, though in this they can hardly be said to dilfer from the Polish Jews. They are also superstitious in the ex- treme. Their real characteristic may be inferred from the fact, that those who come are the elite of the devotional and strictly religious Jews of other countries. They have so little trade that their covetousness and cheating are turned upon one another. VIII. What arc the feelinas of the Jews in Palestine totvarda Christianity ? IX. What success has attended the efforts hitherto made for their conversion ? These two questions involve each other. The first effort of the London Society in this country was made in the year V T>uke IV. 16- THE JEWS IN PAf-ESTINK. 169 1820 hj a Swiss clergyman named Tschudi, who was employed chiefly in distributing the Scriptures to the Jews, Joseph Wolff then made two visits to Jerusalem, and had a good deal i)f personal intercourse with the Jews. He was always en- abled to leave this impression behind him, that Christians were really seeking the conversion of Israel, and that without Christ there is no forgiveness. Soon after, Mr Lewis Waye came to the East with the view of forming a mission, accompanied by Mr Lewis, an Irish clergyman, (the same whose kindness and Christian hospitality we afterwards enjoyed,) and by several converted Jews. He rented a convent at Antoura, intending to make it a place where missionaries might prepare them- selves, but ill health forced him to return home. In 1824, Dr Dalton, a medical man, was sent out to aid Mr Lewis in forming a settlement in Jerusalem ; but the latter returned home that same autumn. Upon this Dr Dalton made an ar- rangement with two American missionaries who had arrived, named King and Pliny Fiske, to rent one of the small con- vents for their establishment. Pliny Fiske, however, died in November 1825, before the arrangement was completed ; and Dr Dalton was again left alone. It was to aid him that Mr Nicolayson was sent to this country in December 1825. But very soon after his arrival, Dr Dalton died, in January 1826, of an illness caught on a tour to Bethlehem. Mr Ni- colayson returned to Beyrout, and studied the language more thoroughly during that winter. In the summer of the same year (1826), a rebellion broke out, and Mr Nicolayson retired to Saphet and lived there till June 1827, having much inter- course with the Jews. Considerable impression was made, and the rabbis grew jealous of him. They threatened to excom- municate the man who let him his house, and the woman who washed his clothes, so that he was forced to return to Beyrout. He then left the country for four years, and travelled on the Barbary coast. In 1832 he returned, and came to Beyrout with his family at the time when the Pasha had nearly taken Acre. The country was now quite open, so that he spent the summer at Sidon, and had intercourse with Christians and Jews. He was beginning to build a cottage there, when the jealousy of the Greek priests threw obstacles in his way. In ] 833, Mr Cabnan came, and he and Mr Nicolayson made a tour together to the holy cities, Mr Caiman's sweetness of temper and kindly manner gained upon the Jews exceedingly. 170 NUMBERS AND CONDITION OF At Jerusalem they consulted with Ysa Petros, a Greek priest, who was very friendly, as to the practicability of renting a house in that city. They visited Tiberias, and had many dis- cussions with the Jews, the results of which were often very encouraging ; and last of all spent an interesting fortnight at Saphet. On returning to Beyrout, they found that two Ame- rican Missionaries had arrived on their way to Jerusalem to labour among the native Christians. They all resolved to at- tempt the renting of a house in the Holy City. Accordingly, in the autumn '>f 1833, Mr Nicolayson and family removed to Jerusalem, to the house on Mount Zion where he now lives, and cfpent a quiet comfortable winter. In the spring of 1834, Mr Thomson, an American Missionary, arrived, and about the same time the rebellion broke out. One Sabbath morning the Missionaries found themselves environed, the soldiers having left the town to the mercy of the Fellahs ; and the earthquake happened the same day. They were shut up in their dwelling till the Friday when Ibraim arrived, but remained in a state of siege for five or six weeks. During ten days they had to live upon rice alone. Sickness followed. Mrs Thomson, of the American Mission, died of brain fever, produced by the alarm and other circumstances. INIrs Nicolayson was ill for three or four weeks, and Mr Nicolayson fell ill soon after, so that they had to leave for Beyrout, and thus lost that summer. In the spring of 1835, Dr Dodge and Mr Whiting, two more Ame- rican Missionaries, arrived. Mr Whiting boarded with Mr Nicolayson in Jerusalem, but Dr Dodge died in the middle of the same year he came out. From this time the Jewish Mis- sion may be accounted as established in the Holy City. In 1835, the subject of a Hebrew Church on Mount Zion was started in England, and in 1836 Mr Nicolayson was called to England to consult regarding it. He returned in July 1837, and laboured alone in Jerusalem for a year. But in July 1838, Mr Pieritz and Mr Levi, converted Jews, but not in orders, were sent out to strengthen the INIission here ; and in December, Dr Gerstmann, and his assistant Mr Bergheim, both converted Jews, and both medical men, arrived. They have thus made Jerusalem the centre of the Mission to the Jews in Palestine. ]Mr Young, the English Consul, had fixed his quarters here about three months before our arrival. The efforts made have been blessed to the conversion of some Jews in Jerusalem, though it iu still the day of small things. THE JEWS IN PALESTINE. l7l A. Jew named Simeon was awakened at Bucarest by reading a New Testament and some tracts which he received from a Jew who did not understand them. He was convinced, but had many difficulties which he could not get over. A converted Jew came and preached at Bucarest, and advised him to go to the Missionaries at Constantinople. He went, but could not find them out. He proceeded to Smyrna, where he met with another inquiring Jew named Eliezer. Mr Nicolayson was in Smyrna at the time on his way to Jerusalem. When Simeon heard that a missionary from the Holy City was there, he im- ftiediately came to him, and opened up his mind. Mr Nico- layson brought him as a servant to Jerusalem. During Mr Nicolayson's absence in 1836-7, he was under the care of Mr Caiman. His wife for a long time refused to follow him from Wallachia, and bitterly opposed his change ; but being induced to come to Jerusalem, and being regularly instructed by Mr Pieritz, and also affected by an illness, she gave good evidence of having undergone a saving change, and now she speaks like a missionarj' to her countrywomen. The whole family, con- sisting of Simeon, his wife, a boy, and girl, were baptized in Jerusalem after last Easter. This is the family at whose house we heard the German service last Sabbath-day. Another case was that of Chaii or Hymen Paul, an amiable young Jew, an acquaintance of Simeon, who became intelligently convinced of the truth. He was baptized last Pentecost, and at his own desire sent to England. The first native Jew awakened at Jerusalem was Rabbi Joseph, in September 1838. He was a learned young man, and so bitterly was his change opposed by the Jews, that the Missionaries were obliged to send him away to Constantino- ple before he was baptized. Three rabbis have very lately become inquirers after the truth, and seem determined to pro- fess Christianity openly. We afterwards received a fuller account of these two last cases from Mr Pieritz. These are all the known ^juits of the Mission in the way of conversion. When Rabbi Joseph was awakened, a herein or ban of ex- eommunication was pronounced in the synagogues against the Missionaries, and all who should have dealings with there.. But when Dr Gerstmann, the medical man, came in Decem- ber, the Jews immediately began to break through it. An- other herein was pronounced, but in vain. No one regarded 172 NUMBERS ANt» CON'DITIOX OF it, and Rabbi Israel refused to pronounce it, saying that he would not be the cause of hindering his poor and sick breth- ren from going to be healed. This interesting fact shews the immense value of medical missionaries. The more general fruits of the establishment of the Mis- sion have been these : 1. The distinction between true and false Christianity has been clearly opened up before the eyes of the Jews. 2. The study of the Old Testament has been forced upon them ; so that they cannot avoid it. 3. The word of God has become more and more the only ground of contro- versy. The authority of the Talmud is not now appealed to ; the only dispute about it being whether it is to be referred to at all, or what is its real value ? The support of inquirers and converts is one of the chief difficulties that meets a Missionary here. The institution of a printing press, to afford them both manual and mental la- bour, has been proposed. An hospital for the sick has also been set on foot. X. What modes of oprration have been employed? The mode of operation is entirely by personal intercourse. The Missionaries frequently make tours to other towns, and dispose of copies of the Old Testament. Mr Nicolayson has sold about 5000 Hebrew Bibles. The Missionaries never dis- pose of the New Testament, except to those in whom they have confidence. They at one time sold a box of fifty New Testa- ments, bound up with the Old. But they afterwards found the New Testament torn out, and blank leaves inserted in stead, with Jarchi's Commentary written on them. The Jews will not take tracts except privately. Many of their Old Testaments have been conveyed to Bagdad and to India. XI. Hotv far is the health of the Missionaries affected bv the climate? The climate of Jerusalem is decidedly healthy. The sick- nesses and deaths among the Missionaries above mentioned, can hardly be attributed to the climate. Dr Dalton was very delicate when he came ; Mrs Thomson died of brain fever ; and Dr Dodge's death was occasioned by a hurried journey in which he was much exposed. THE JEWS IN PALESTJNE. 173 XIII. What kind of house accommodation is there, and what ii the expense of living in Palestine ? The house accommodation in Jerusalem is tolerably com- fortable. One of the Missionaries pays £15, and another £l7 a-year, as house-rent. In the winter it is difficult to keep the houses dry, the rain causing much dampness ; but the sorest privations are want of Christian society, and public means of grace. A Missionary here meets with many trials which he did not anticipate. He must have great patience, and must make up his mind to suflfer delays and disappoint- ments, which are much more trying than merely temporal privations, which are really small. A Missionary coming out must not expect full work at once, he must be willing to stand by and wait. Often we may say, " His strength is to sit still." The Christian Missionary enjoys perfect liberty to carry on his operations under the Egyptian government, more so, indeed, than under the British government at Malta or ia India. No one inquires what he is about. Provisions are easily got ; but the expense of living is ris- ing continually. The price of food is now double what it once was, and some things are four times as high as when Mr Xicolayson first came. This arises from there being more money in the country. If boarding could be obtained in Je- rusalem, then an individual might easily live here on less than £100 a-year. But this is not to be had, so that a Missionary must keep a house and servants, and lay up stores for the sea- son. This is the only way of managing here ; and this would require at least £100 a-year. In addition to the salaries of the Missionaries, the London Society pay all the travelling expenses of their missionary tours. The business of the day being over, we enjoyed a walk outside the Zion Gate. As we sat upon the brow of the hill we were led to rejoice in the thought, that as certainly as " Zion is now ploughed as a field," the day is coming when " the Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jeru- salem, and before his ancients gloriously."^ Two flocks were moving slowly up the slope of the hill, the one of goats, the other of sheep. The shepherd was going be- fore the flock, and they followed, as he led the way toward 1 Isa. xjLiv ia 174 EXCURSION TO HEBRON. the Jaffa Gate. We could not but remember the Saviour's words, " When he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth be- fore them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.'" In the evening we visited the Consul, who had invited the Governor of Jerusalem to meet us. This Turk occupies the house said to have belonged to Pontius Pilate. He came in attired in full Eastern costume, a handsome young man, at- tended by three servants, one of whom carried his pipe. The servants remained in the room, near the door, and kept their eye on their master. On occasion of a slight motion of the hand, one of them stepped forward and took the pipe, and then resumed his place as before, watching his master's move- ments, as if to anticipate his wishes. This is the custom which we observed in Egypt^ as illustrating Psalm cxxiii, " Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters — so our eyes upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us."^ He was very affable, and seemed highly entertained with examining our eye-glasses and watches. He drank wine with us also, probably to shew how liberal a high-born Mussulman can be. In the evening we planned an excursion to Hebron, and next day (June 13) set out by 7 a.m., accompanied by the Consul and his lady, Mr Nicolayson, and Mr George Dalton. Some were mounted on mules, and some on horses ; the sad- dles, as usual, broad and uncomfortable. Crossing the Vale of Gihon, we turned due south, and travelled over the fine /Iain of Rephaim. About three miles from the city, we came to a well, where tradition has fixed the scene of Matt. ii. 10. It is one of the few beautiful traditions associated with sacred places. The tradition is, that the wise men, who for some time had lost the guidance of the star which brought them from their country, sat down beside this well to refresh them- selves, when one of their number saw the reflection of the star in the clear water of the well. He cried aloud to his com- panions, and " when they saw the star they rejoiced with ex- 1 1 John X. 4. A traveller once asserted to a Syrian shepherd, that the sheep knew the dress of their master, not his voice. The shepherd, on the other hand, asserted it was the voice they knew. To settle the point, he and the traveller changed dresses, and went among the sheep. The traveller, in the siiepherd's dress, called on the sheep, and tried to lead them ; but "they knew not his voice," and never moved. On the other hand, they ran at once at the call of their owner, though thus disguised. 2 See p. G9 » Psa. cvxiii 2. BETHLEHEM — RACHEL's SEPULCHRE. 175 ceeding great joy." Tbis well may perhaps be the fountain of Ncphtoah} We passed tlie Convent of Elijah; for the monks suppose that the prophet fled tliis way to Beersheba,^ and under a neighbouring tree, they pretend to shew the mark left by Lis body as he lay asleep on the rocky ground, though it is hard stone. From this point we obtained our first sight of Beth- lehem, lying about three miles to the south upon a consider- able eminence, and possessing at a distance a peculiarly at- tractive appearance. We meant to visit it in returning, and therefore at present contented ourselves with a distant view of the place where the memorable words were spoken by the Angel, " Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy ; unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."^ About a mile and a half farther to the south we came to a tomb, built like the whited sepulchres of the East, but believed to be RacheVs Sepulchre. The tomb is no doubt modern, erected probably by the Mahometans ; but the spot may justly be regarded as the place where Rachel died and was buried, " And there was but a little way to come to Ephrath {i. e. Bethlehem Ephra- tah*) ; and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour — and Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem ; and Jacob set a pillar upon her grave ; that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day."^ The Jews fre- quently visit it ; and many (as Benjamin of Tudela says they used to do in his days) have left their names and places of abode in Hebrew inscribed upon the white plaster in the in- terior walls. To the west of the tomb, on the face of a hill, stands a large and pleasant-looking village called Bet-Jalah, inhabited, we were told, entirely by Christians. May this not be the ancient Zelzah, " by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin,"® where Saul was told that his father's asses had been found ? In other passages of Scripture^ the place is called Zelah, from which the modern name might easily b<5 formed by prefixing the common syllable " Bet" (that is, " house"), and softening the sibilant letter. If so, then this is the spot where they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan — " in Ze- lah, in the sepulchre of Kish his father." 1 Josh. XV. 9. 2 I Kinj^s xix. 4. 3 Luke it. 10. 4Mic. V. 2. s Gen. jcxxv. 16, 19, 20. • i Sam. x. 2. T Josh. XVIII. 28. n S.ani. XXI. H. 176 Solomon's pools. Leaving Bethlehem about half a mile to the east, and pro- ceeding still in a southerly direction, we came down in a short time to the valley, where lie the three large and singular re^ servoirs, called Solomon's Pools. They are situated at a short distance from one another, each on a different level, so that the water flows from the upper into the middle pool, and from the middle in to the lower pool, from which it is conveyed by a stone aqueduct round the hills to Bethlehem, and from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. The walls of the pool are of solid masonry covered over with cement. Close by is a Saracenic fort with high walls and a battlement, perhaps originally intended to protect the pools. Under the shade of its walls we left our mules, and proceeded to measure the pools with a line as accurately as the ground would admit. The result was as follows : — 1 . The Upper or Western Pool. Length of north side. . 389 feet. of south side, . . 380 ... Breadth of west side, . . . 229 ... of east side, 236 ... Depth at one point, . 25 ... 2. The Middle Pool. Length, .... 425 feet. Breadth of west side. 158 ... of east side. . 250 .. 3. The Loivest or Eastern Pool. LenRth, . . , . . 583 feet Breadth on west side, . 148 ... on east side, 202 ... At all the comers there are flights of steps descending into taem. The water is pure and delightful, and each of the pools was about half full. Of the great antiquity of these splendid reservoirs there can be no doubt, and there seems every pro- bability that they are the work of Solomon. This pleasant valley being so near the spot where his father David fed his sheep, would be always interesting to the king ; but the only reference to the pools in Scripture, appears to be in Eccle- siastes, where he describes the manner in which, forsaking the fountain of living waters, — " the God that appeared unto him twice," — he sought every where for cisterns of earthly joy. '* I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruits. I made me pools of water, tc ROAD TO HEBROW — SIPHEER. 177 water therewith the -w-ood that hringeth forth trees."' It is highly probable, that, besides other purposes, these cisterns were intended to water rich gardens in their vicinity ; and in the lower parts of the valley, at present covered with ripo crops of waving grain, there would be a splendid situation for the gardens, and orchards, and nurseries of fruit-trees, which The Preacher describes. In Josephus and in the Talmud, this place is called Etham.^ The former says concerning it, " There was a certain place about fifty furlongs distant from Jerusalem (more than six miles) which is caUed Etham ; very pleasant it is in fine gardens, and abounding in rivulets of water. Thither Solomon used to ride out in the morning."^ Beautiful insects, especially very large dragon-flies, with fine variegated wings, were fluttering round the water. "We re- freshed ourselves at a fountain close by, on the north-west corner of the upper pool, to which we descended by steps. This is said by tradition to be " the spring shut up, the foun- tain sealed," to which the church is compared in the Song.* It was usual in former times to cover up the well's mouth for the sake of the precious living water. In the fields around the reapers were busy at barley-harvest. It was somewhere near this very spot that Naomi found them reaping as she returned from the captivity of Moab, " they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley-harvest,"^ and some of these fruitful fields may have been the field of Boaz, where Ruth gleaned after tho reapers, in the same manner as the Syrian women were doing when we passed. After leaving the pools, the road conducted us for some time over very rocky hills. The rude mountain track was ge- nerally lined with fragrant shrubs and wild flowers, the pink, the cistus, of a fine lilac colour, the oleander, in great profu- sion and very tall. Among the trees the Bahit or evergreen oak was by far the most frequent, and occasionally our well- known honeysuckle hung its flowers over some bush or shrub, reminding us of home. On many of these hills we could dis- tinctly see that the brushwood had usurped the ancient ter- races made for the vine. We came to a considerable valle} , cultivated to some extent, at the extremity of which, whera tne ground begins to rise aarain, is a village called Sipheer. Can this be a remnant of the name Eirjath-Sepher, the city 1 Eccl. n. 5, 6. 2 See also ii Chron. xi. 6. 3 Antiq. vm. 7, 3. 4 Song. IV. 12. 5 Ruth I. 22. 178 VALLEY OF HEBRON. smitten by Othniel, when he gained Achsah, Caleb's daughter?' Perhaps this valley may be the field which she asked from her father ; but we had no time to search for the upper and the nether springs that once watered it. Other travellers have found sepulchral caves there. Ruins occasionally met our eye, chiefiy on eminences, the remains no doubt of the towns and villages of Judah, On our left one ruin was called " Bet-hagar," that is, " house of stone," another " Bet-Immer,'' with an ancient pool still remaining. About an hour from Hebron, there is a large, and evidently much frequented foun- tain, named Ain-Dervva. Many camels were drinking out of the troughs, and our horses and mules were glad to join them. This is possibly " the well of Sirah," at which Abner was re- freshing himself when Joab's messengers found him and trea- cherously brought him back to Hebron to be slain.^ We had now sj^ent nearly eight hours on the road, riding very leisurely. About two miles from the town we entered the Valley of Hebron, the way running through vineyards, which make the approach very pleasant. Fig-trees and pome- granates in great abundance were every where intermixed with the vines, and the hills above were covered with verdant olive- trees. The vines were in great luxuriance, and the flowers just forming into the grape, so that the delightful fragrance diffused itself far and wide. " The fig-tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grapes give a good smell."^ In many of the vineyards we saw the towers, built for protection and for other uses, and frequently referred to in Scripture.* We encamped about four o'clock on a verdant plot of ground opposite the northern portion of Hebron, pitching our tents under some fine olive-trees. Beauty lingers around Hebron still. God blesses the spot where he used to meet with Abraham his friend. It lies in a fine fertile valley, enclosed by high hills on the east and west. The houses are disposed in four different quarters, which are separated from each other by a considerable space. The largest portion is to the S.E. around the Mosque, the houses running up the east- ern slope. The ruins of ancient houses are still higher up. Tlie fourfold division of the town gives it a singular appear- ance, while the cupolas on the houses, and the vigorous olive- trees that are interspersed throughout the town, add greatly to 1 Josh. XV. 16. » II Sam. iii. 2«. a SonK II. 1\ « Isa. V. 3 Malt. xu. 33. HEBRON — GOVERNOR — JEWISH RA-BBI, 179 its beauty. Some miles north of the town we passed four bare walls, which are called by the Jews the ruins of Abraham's house, and the plain around it is called the plain of Mamre. We felt much inclined, however, to believe that the fine val- ley on the south-east side of the town is the true plain of Mamre. The Moslem Governor, hearing of the arrival of the Eng lish Consul, sent him the present of a sheep, and soon after waited upon us. Mr Nicolayson acted as interpreter. When the Consul thanked him for his kind present, he replied, " It is all the blessing of Abraham. It is only what should be done in the city of El-Halil. Had Abraham been here he would have sent a sheep or a calf, and we are in Abraham's stead." The Arabic namo of the town is El-Halil, " the beloved," so called in memory of Abraham, " the friend of God." An old Jew, Rabbi Haiim, who is now blind with age, hear- ing of the arrival of Mi Nicolayson, sent him an oka of wine in token of respect and kindness. This little incident in the city where Abraham dwelt was peculiarly affecting, and shewed in a very clear light the friendly feelings which the Jews oi Palestine entertain towards Protestant Missionaries, though fully aware of the object which they have in view. A Greek Christian, named Elias, who was acquainted with our fellow- travellers, shewed us great attention. When the darkness came down, we saw some fine specimens of the glowworm around our tents. Over-head the sky was splendid ; the stars being unusually large and brilliant from the clearness of the atmosphere. For the same reason, many more stars are visible to the naked eye than in our northern sky. We recollected that it was here, in the plain of Mamre, under the same sky, that God " brought Abraham forth abroad, and said. Look toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them : so shall thy seed be."^ The same sight recalled with new power the gracious promise, " They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."^ We all met for evening worship in one tent. Mr Nicolay- son read Genesis xviii, and prayed with a full heart for Israel, that they to whom the promises were made might soon enjoy the Redeemer's communion as Abraham enjoyed it here ; aad 1 Gen. XV. i t DaD. xii. Si. 180 HEBRON — THE MOSftUE MACHPELAH. that we might receive Abraham's spirit of intercession for a perishing world. (June 14.) This morning we awoke early, and tried to realize the feelings of a true child of Abraham in Hebron, meditating over all the Scriptures that relate to it. The deep terraces of the mountain afford sweet spots for retire- ment. We had scarcely breakfasted when the Governor paid us a second visit, offering to conduct us to see the mosque, which is believed to cover the cave of Machpelah. The appearance of this man in the midst of his attendants was any thing but pre- possessing. He was an ill-looking Moslem, an oldish man, with fine grey beard, very marked nose, and dark suspicious eyes. The duty of paying attention to Christian travellers seemed to be a very irksome one to his Mahometan pride. He brought two sheep with him as a present to the Consul, doubling the gift of the previous day. We proceeded toward the Mosqiie, the Consul's janissary going before. Several Jews joined in the train. ^ As we passed through the streets, the boys and girls cried Nazarani, teaching us that " the Nazarene" is still a term of reproach in this land. The Mosque is a large quadrangular build- ing, with two minarets at the opposite corners. The lower lialf of the walls is evidently of the highest antiquity ; the stones are very large, and each of them is bevelled in the edge, in the same manner as the ancient stones of the temple wall of Jerusalem. One stone which we measured was 24 feet by 4, and another was still larger. On the two principal sides there are sixteen pilasters, on the other two sides ten, composed of these immense stones, with a simple projecting cope at the top. Above this, the building is evidently of Mahometan ori- gin, and is surmounted by a battlement. We were aUowed to ascend the wide massy staircase that leads into the interior of the building. The door into the mosque was thrown open, but not a foot was allowed to cross the marble threshold. We were shewn the window of the place which contains the tombs of Abraham and Sarah, beneath which is understood to be tne cave of Machpelah. There is none of the sacred places over which the Moslems keep so jealous a watch as the tomb of Abraham, It was esteemed a very peculiar favour that we had been admitted thus far, travellers in general being for- bidden to approach even the door of the Mosque. A letter lOMBS IN THE MOSQUE. 181 frum the Governor of Jerusalem, wlio had been with us on the evening before we set out, gained us this privilege. A little farther on, we were permitted to look through a window, where we saw one of the tombs covered with a rich carpet of green silk. This is called the Tomb of Joseph, al- though we know from Scripture that Joseph was not buried here, but at Shechem.' The only persons mentioned in Scrip- ture as buried at Machpelah are Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah.^ The Jews believe that this remarkable building is one of the works of Solomon ; and from the peculiar form of the building, and the great size of the stones, there seems every probability that it is of Hebrew origin. It is by no means improbable, that it was built by the Jews to keep in remembrance the burying-place of the father of their nation and the friend of God. The Jews at present are permitted only to look through a hole near the entrance, and to pray with their face toward the grave of Abraham. After leaving this, we climbed the highest hiU to the south- east of Hebron, to obtain, if possible, that view of the plain of Sodom which Abraham had on that morning when it was destroyed from heaven. In the valley, we passed with some difficulty through the vineyards, regaled by the delightful fragrance. At one part we came upon a company of villagers treading out their corn ; five oxen were employed on one floor. Some of the villagers also were winnowing what had been trodden out, and others were passing the grain through a sieve to separate it from the dust. We remembered Amos IX. 9. This valley is called Wady Nazarah, " the valley of the Nazarenes," for what reason we could not ascertain. The sides of the hill were very rocky and slippery, but the top was covered with vines. We sat down under the shade of some bushes, and calmly contemplated the fine view on every side. The town, divided into four parts, lay immediately be- neath us. The pool, the mosque, the flat roofs, the domes, were all distinctly marked. The vineyards stretch up the hills beautifully, and groves of deep green olives enclose it on every side. Hebron is embosomed in hills. The more an- cient houses are on the east side of the valley, and there are traces of ruins running up the hill behind Machpelah. The ancient town is supposed by some to have been built more I Arts VII. IG. • Gen. XLIX. 31; L. 13. 182 HEBRON. upon the hill where the mosque stands, and if so, the tradi- tion of the rabbis is not altogether absurd, that the rays of the rising sun gilding the towers of Hebron used to be seen from the temple at Jerusalem, and gave the sign of the time for killing the morning sacrifice. Hebron was also one of the Refuge cities, and therefore probably conspicuous from afar. Looking to the south, over a high ridge of hills, tho eye stretches into a wilderness-land of vast extent. In that direction lay Carmcl, where Nabal fed his flocks.^ But the most interesting view of all was toward the east, not on ac count of its beauty, but on account of its being in all proba- bility the view which Abrahajn had when he *' looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward aU the land of the plain, and beheld, and lo the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace."^ A high ridge intercepts the view of the Dead Sea, but the deep valley formed by it, and the hills of Moab on the other side, are clearly seen. If Abraham stood on the hill where we were now standing, then he saw not the plain itself, but " the smoke of the country rising up" as from a furnace. If he saw the plain, then he must have stood on that intervening ridge nearer the Dead Sea. There can be little doubt that it was in this direction that Abraham led the three angelic men on their way toward So- dom, and we felt it a solemn thing to stand where Abraham drew near and pleaded with the Lord, " Wilt thou also de- stroy the righteous with the wicked ?" What wonders of mercy and judgment these mountains have seen ! Returning to the town, we visited the large Pool of Hebron. It is quite entire, of solid and ancient masonry, and measures 133 feet square. This is no doubt the pool over which David commanded the hands and feet of the murderers of Ishbosheth to be hung up.^ There is another pool in the town, but not 60 large. We then visited the Tomb of Othniel, a sepulchre cut out in the rock, with nine niches. We plucked hyssop from the crevices of the outer wall.^ It grows in small stalks, with thickly-set leaves. We visited several other sepulchres near the town ; in the town itself is shewn what is pretended to be the tomb of Abner, and of Jesse, the father of David, and even that of Esau. In the streets, mothers were carry- ing their children on the shoulder ;^ some of whom had their 1 I Sam. XXV. 2. 3 Gen. xix. 28. 3 ii Sam. ir. \i, « I icings IV. 33. s Isa. xi.ix. 22. SPANISH AND POLISH SYxN'AGOGtTES — RABBI HA11M. 183 pyp? painted with stibium,' and all of them had anklets, an. swering to Isaiah's " tinkling ornaments about the feet.'"^ In the afternoon, we paid a visit to the Jewish quarter. We were told that there are about eighty German and Polish ■Jews in this place. They have two synagogues ; one belong- ing to the Spanish, the other to the Polish Jews We first visited the Spanish synagogue, the larger of the two It is not more than forty feet in length, and though clean, is but poorly furnished. The seats were half- broken benches, reminding us of some of our neglected country churches. The lamps were of ornamented brass ; the reading-desk nothing more than an elevated part of the floor railed in. There was nothing attractive about the ark ; and the only decorations were the usual silver ornaments on the rolls of the law, and a few verses in Hebrew written on the curtain and on the walls. Four- teen children were seated on the floor, with bright sparkling eyes, getting a lesson in Hebrew from an old Jew. The Polish synagogue was even poorer than the Spanish. It had no reading-desk at all, but only a stand for the books. How- ever, it surpassed the other in its lamps, all of which were elegant ; and one of them of silver, — the gift of Asher Ben- samson, a Jew in London, who sent the money for it to Jeru- salem, where the lamp was made. Leaving the synagogue, we stepped into one of the yish- vioth or reading-rooms. The books were not well kept, not even clean — the dust was lying thick on some of them, and only two persons were studying in the room. There are three more of these reading-rooms in Hebron. We next found our way to the house of the old blind Rabbi Haiim, who had sent the present of wine on our arrival. We were very kindly received in the outer court of his house, where we were invited to sit down, and had an interesting interview with this aged Jew, He had come to this land when twenty- four years of age, and had spent fifty years in it. Like Isaac, his eyes had become dim, so that he could not see. About a dozen Jews and as many children gathered round us, while se- veral Jewesses stood at a little distance listening in silence to the conversation. Mr Nicolayson conversed freely with them, told the errand upon which we had come, and stated the de- sire and aim of Christians in regard to their salvation. We were glad to be permitted thus to meet with Israel in their I Ezck. XXIII. 40. % Isa. lit. Vi. 184 HEBRON — Abraham's oak. own land. They brought us sherbet and water. We remarked that the dress of the Jewish women is peculiarly graceful, and they have fine pleasant countenances. Many of them wear rich ornaments even when engaged in domestic duties. In the evening, we rode out of the town to see Abraham's Oak, about a mile to the north-west. It is an immense spreading oak, admitted to be one of the largest trees in Pa- lestine, and very old. Possibly it occupies the site of tha. tree which Jerome saw pointed out in his days as Abraham's Oak. We found the spread of its branches to be 256 feet in circumference, and 81 feet in diameter. Round the narrow- est part of the trunk, we measured 22 feet 9 inches, and at the point where the branches separate, 25 feet 9 inches. It was under such a tree that Abraham pitched his tent, when " he came and dwelt under the oaks of Mamre which is in Hebron."^ And it was under such a tree that he spread re- freshment for his heavenly guests.^ The ride from this tree to the town is through vineyards of the most rich and fertile description, each one having a tower in the midst for the keeper of the vineyard. We were told that bunches of grapes trom these vineyards sometimes weigh 6 lb., every grape of which weighs 6 or 7 drams. Sir Moses Montefiore men- tioned, that he got here a bunch of grapes about a yard in length. Such a bunch the spies carried on a staff betwixt two. In Hebron, there are 1330 Mahometans who pay taxes, about 200 who do not pay ; add to this 700 Jews. At the usual average of Eastern families, this will give less than 10,000 inhabitants. (June 15.) We broke up our encampment this morning by the dawn, and enjoyed a splendid sunrise. We left the vale of Hebron and its verdant vines with regret, traversing the same road which we had come. In four hours we came down upon the pools of Solomon. Here we turned off to the right, winding round the hills, and following the course of the old aqueduct that carried water into Jerusalem. At this point, a small but beautiful and verdant valley lay beneath us, called by the Arabs " El Tos," " the cup," from its ap- pearance. This may have been one of the spots where Da- vid loved to wander with his sheep, and where he meditated Euch Psalms as the 23d, " He maketh me to lie down in green pastures : he leadeth me beside the still waters."^ A gen- » Gen. xm. la See the Hebrew. G«n. xviii. 8. s Psa. xxuu 2 THE WELL Of BETHLEHEM, 18d tie brook meanders through the bottom of the valley. There is also ail ancient village with well cultivated gardens. Due east of us, the Frank Mountain, with its sloping sides and flat top, formed the most prominent object. If this be Beth-hac- cerem, a more suitable place for a signal of fire could not be imagined,' As we approached Bethlehem, the hills were well terraced, and vines and figs abounded. The towers in the vineyards appeared to us more numerous than usual. Bethlehem stands on the top of a hill, on the south side steep and rocky. The white limestone rocks were like marble, and reflected the sun's rays, so as to be very painful to the eyes. They were also so slippery, that we found it safer to go up on foot. When near the top we came upon " the well that is by the gate of Bethlehem," It is protected by a piazza of four small arches, under which the water is drawn up through two apertures,'^ Several people were under this porch, and one had descended the well to clean it out, so that we longed in vain for a draught of the water which David desired so ear- nestly. The situation of this well would suit exactly the de- scription given in Chronicles,^ and the direction of the sup- posed geographical position of the cave of Adullam, to the south-east of Bethlehem, over the hiU of Tekoah, We felt it interesting to realize the scene. The hosts of the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim ; their garrison was at Bethlehem, and David was in the cave of Adullam. In the burning heat of noon-day, he looked toward the hill that lay between him and his native town, and casually exclaimed, " Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth- lehem, that is at the gate !" His three mightiest captains in- stantly resolve to express their love to their chief, and their devotion to the cause of God, by putting their lives in jeo- pardy, in drawing some of the water of this deep well, even under the darts of their enemies, " And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David." The white stone of which the hill is composed, and of which 1 Jer. VI. I. s Professor Robinson thinks that these are only openings over the aqueduct which here passes through a deep vault or reservoir, and that there is no well of living water in or near the town ; vol. ii. p. 163. a I Chron..xi. 17. 186 BETHLEHEM — LATIN CONVENT. the town is built, makes it very hot, and gives it a dusty ap- pearance. The fig-trees, olives, and pomegranates, and the ripe barley fields which cover the north side, shew that it is still capable of being made what its name signifies, " The House of Bread." At present, however, the plague was raging in Bethlehem, and we could not find bread even in the ba- zaar, so that we had to seek for food at the Latin Col vent. This convent is a very substantial building, like a castle. Its outer gate is very low, intended, it is said, in former days, to prevent the Arabs riding in to plunder. Some have supposed that there is reference to this custom in the Proverb, " He that exalteth his gate seeketh destructiou."^ But this may more probably refer to the proud and wealthy enlarging their gate after the manner of a palace ; for we can hardly imagine that the Arab plunderers entered the houses of Israel in the time of Solomon. The church, generally supposed to have been built by Helena, a.d. 326, is a fine spacious buUding, and the rows of Corinthian columns are substantial masses of granite. It was delightful to repose a while in the cool atmo- sphere of this venerable pile ; but the monks, who seemed to be ignorant and unpolished men, would have us away to see the sacred places of the Nativity. We descended to the grotto, which they caU the stable where our Lord was born. Here they shewed a marble manger as the place where the heaven- ly babe was laid ; but they had the honesty to allow that " this was not the original manger, though the spot was the same." They shewed the stone where Mary sat, and pointed to a silver star as marking the spot where the Saviour was born. The star is intended to represent that which " stood over where the young child was." The grotto is illumined by many handsome lamps, and there are several paintings by the first artists. Yet all is onl}' a miserable profanation, like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre ; it called up in our bo- soms no other feelings than disgust and indignation. If this cave were really the place of the nativity, then Popery has successfully contrived to remove out of sight the humiliation of the stable and the manger, " The mj-stery of iniquity," which pretends to honour, and yet so effectually conceals both the obedience of Christ which he began at Bethlehem, and the sufferings of Christ which he accomplished at Calvary, has with no less suci'^ss disfigured and concealed the places where I ProT. xvri, 19. VIEW FROM THE CONVENT. 187 these wonders were *' seen of angels." Though the tradition that Christ was born in this cave is of the highest antiquity, yet there seems no doubt, from the simple words of the Gos- pel narrative, that it cannot be the true place, for it is said, " She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."' There is no evidence that the stable of an eastern khan was ever a grotto cut out of the rock. We were conducted to another cavern in the rock, farther to the east, where the monks said that the Virgin Mary lived. But we enjoyed far more a visit to the roof of the convent, where we could breathe the pure air, and look up to the deep blue sky, and down upon the fields and valleys around Bethlehem. These are still the same as in the night when the angel of the Lord proclaimed, " Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people."^ It filled us with unmingled pleasure to gaze upon the undulating hills and val- leys stretched out at our feet, for we were sure that among these David had often wandered with his flock, and in some of them the shepherds had heard the voice that brought the tidings of a Saviour bom. Nearly due south lay a prominent hill about six miles distant, which we were told was the hill of Tehoah, giving name also to the wilderness around. The withered sides of this hill were once traversed by the prophet Amos, along with the herdmen that fed their cattle there.^ But we saw neither flock nor herd. One interesting associa- tion connected with this convent is, that Jerome lived and died here. His eyes daily looked upon this scene, and here he translated the Word of God into Latin. We did not, however, find in the convent any one who seemed to have in- herited the industry or learning of Father Jerome. Remounting our horses, we bade farewell to our monkish friends, and wound slowly down the northern slope of Beth- lehem, amongst vineyards and barley fields, where the reapers were engaged as in the days when Ruth and Naomi returned from the land of Moab. We soon arrived at the well of the Magi, where the Holy City comes in view. We could not but linger at the spot. Behind us lay Bethlehem, before us Jerusalem ; — on the one hand, the spot where the love of God was first made manifest ; on the other, the spot where that love was completed in Immanuel's death ; — on the one 1 Lnke ii. 7. « Luke ii. 10. 3 Amos 1. 1. 188 VIEW OF JEilUSALEM. hand the spot where Jesus was born ; on the other, the spot where Jesus died ! This is the route by which Tasso's pil- grims^ are represented as approaching and getting their first view of the Holy City. When they see the minarets, the domes and bulwarks of the city, they burst out into a cry of ecstacy — Ecco apparir Gierusalem si vede, Ecco additar Gierusalem si scorge, Ecco da mille voci unitamente, Gierusalem salutare si sente. (" Behold Jerusalem in prospect lies I Behold Jerusalem salutes their eyes ! At once a thousand tongues repeat the name. And haXXJerxisaleni with loud acclaim.")! The view of Jerusalem from the south is not nearly so de- solate as the view from the western approach ; still, when seen from afar, it is " like a cottage in a vineyard, like a lodge in a garden of cucumbers."'^ Hardly any thing is visible but the bare wall with its battlement, surrounding you see not what. Coming near we were startled by the depth of Hinnom, with its rocks and caves, and by the bold front of Zion. We had scarcely seated ourselves at Mr Nicolayson's hospi- table board, when letters from home were put into our hands, the first that we had received since our departure. It was truly refreshing to hear that all our friends were well, and our flocks not left uncared for. One of our letters brought the news that the Auchterarder case had been decided against our Church in the House of Lords. We all felt it a solemn thing to receive such tidings in Jerusalem. They seemed to intimate a time of coming trial to the Church of Scotland. The time seemed to be come when judgment must begin at the house of God in Scotland ; and we called to mind the clear intimations of pro- phecy, that " there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation," at the very time when Israel shall be delivered. We closed our Saturday evening together, by reading the 2d chapter of Luke. (June 16. Sabbath.) We had agreed beforehand to meet together this day, and join in the communion of the Lord's Supper. It was therefore with feelings of sacred interest that we saw the dawn of a Sacrament- Sabbath in Jerusalem. The solemn scenes which we Iiad witnessed during the week — Cal- vary, Gethsemane, Bethany, an Bethlehem, were well fitted 1 Canto a. 8. a Isa. i. 8. .'ERUSALKM — THE LORD'S SUPPER. 189 to attune our hearts to partake of the sacred ordinance. In walking through the streets and the crowded bazaar to the Consul's house, which was the place of meeting, we felt a pe- culiarly vivid reality in the truth, that it was tor common sin- ners such as these now walking in the streets of Jerusalem, and ourselves among the rest, that Jesus died. It was for souls nowise more exalted by nature, or more worthy of his love, than the present inhabitants, that " God was manifest in flesh." How strange ! how passing knowledge does the love of Christ appear in such a view ! How free the way to the Father for the chief of sinners ; and how personal the appli- cation of redemption ! Had Christ met one of us that day upon the streets of Jerusalem, he would have said, " Wilt thou be made whole ?" We met in the same upper room where we had met last Sabbath. There were fourteen gathered together, including two converted Jews, and a Christian from Nazareth, who had been brought to know the truth under the American mission- aries. It was a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. After the usual morning prayers of the Church of England, Mr Nicolayson preached on i John i. 3, " Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ," with fervent simplicity. Dr Keith joined with him in ad ministering the broken bread and poured out wine. In the evening, Mr Bonar preached from John xiv. 2, 3, " In my Father's house are many mansions," &c,, on the believer's de- sire to be with Christ, and Christ's desire to be with his people. Feelings of deepest solemnity tilled our hearts, while we wor- shipped in an Upper room, after such a feast, where we had been shewing the Lord's death " till he come"^ and " his feet stand upon the Mount of Olives."^ And it was with more than ordinary fervour that we joined in the prayer that Israel might soon have their solemn feasts restored to them, and the ways of Zion no longer mourn, and that even now the Holy Spirit, who, in this city, came down on the apostles, would again descend on us, and on all the churches. After singing together the last part of the 116th Psalm, we separated. On our way to our home on Mount Zion, we gazed upon the Mount of Olives, on which the last rays of the evening sun were pour- ing their golden lustre, and remembered how, after the first Lord's Supper, Jesus went out there to his agony in Gethse- 1 I Cor. XI. 26. ? Zcrh. xiv 4. 190 JERUSALEM — CASTLE OF DAVID. mane ; and how from the other side of that mountain he was '* received up into heaven," (June 17.) This morning at six o'clock, we attended the Hebrew service in the Mission-house. Mr Nicolayson read the Liturgy in Hebrew, in a very beautiful manner, Mr Bergheim, Simeon, and ourselves responding. It was truly interesting to hear the holy tongue made use of in believing prayer in the name of Jesus. The greater part of this day was devoted to making up our journals, and writing letters to Scotland. In the afternoon, we visited the Castle of David, the only stronghold now remaining upon Mount Zion. It is a little to the south of the Jaifa Gate, and overhangs the vale of Gihon. The lower part of one of the towers is evidently of great an- tiquity. The stones are very large, and bevelled in their edges, and we were told that it is perfectly solid. This is believed to be the tower of Hippicus, said by Josephus to be one mass {^ovda/jjou diaxivog), and which was spared by Titus when the temple and city were destroyed. May it not be still more an- cient, the site at least of " the stronghold of Zion" which Da- vid took from the Jebusites?' Or " the tower of David," to which the neck of the Church is compared, " Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury?"^ Descending into the vale of Hinnom, we tried to sketch the steep view of Mount Zion ; then returning, gathered several specimens of the Spina Christi. This plant, called Nahka by the Arabs. grows abundantly on the hills of Jerusalem ; the branches are very pliable, so as easily to be platted into a crown, while the thorns are very many, and sharp, and about an inch in length. The tradition seems highly probable, that this was the plant of which the Roman soldiers platted a crown of thorns for the brow of Christ.^ Towards evening, we visited that part of the Old Temple wall to which the Jews are allowed to go, that they may pray and weep over the glory that is departed. It is a part of the western enclosure of the Haram, and the access to it is by nar- row and lonely streets. The Jew who was our guide, on ap- proaching the massy stones, took off his shoes and kissed the wall. Every Friday evening, when the Jewish Sabbath begins, some Jews may be found here deeply engaged in prayer ; foi I II Sam. V. 7. • Song iv. i. ^ JIatt. xxvil. 29. REMAINS OF THE TEiMI'LE WALL. 191 tbey believe that prayer still goes up with most acceptance before God, when breathed through the crevices of that build- ing of which Jehovah said, " Mine eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually."^ This custom they have maintained for centuries, realizing the prophetic words of Jeremiah, " Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by ? Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. "^ We counted ten courses of those massy stones one above another. One of them measured fifteen feet long by three broad ; another was eight feet square ; others farther south were twenty-four feet long. They are bevelled like the immense stones of the mosque at Hebron, and are of a very white limestone resembling marble. Some of them are worn smooth with the tears and kisses of the men of Israel. Above the large stones the wall is built up with others smaller and more irregular, and is evidently of a modern date, aifording a complete contrast to the ancient building below. Later in the evening, Mr M'Cheyne went to visit the same spot, guided by Mr George Dalton. On the way, they passed the houses where the lepers live all together, to the east of the Zion Gate within the walls. A little farther on, the heaps of rubbish on Mount Zion, surmounted by prickly pear, were so great, that at one point they stood higher than the city wall. The view of Mount Olivet from this point is very beautiful. The dome of the mosque El Aksa appeared to be torn and decayed in some places, and even that of the Mosque of Omar seemed far from being splendid. Going along by the ancient valley of the Tyropoeon, and passing tlie gate called by the monks the Dung Gate, now shut up, Mr Dalton pointed out in the wall of the Haram, near the south-west corner, the singular traces of an ancient arch, which Professor Robinson had discovered to be the remains of the bridge from the Temple to Mount Zion, mentioned frequently by Josephus, and remarkable as a work of the highest antiquity. The stones in the temple wall that form the spring of this ancient bridge are of enormous size. This interesting discovery goes to prove that the large bevelled stones, which form the foundation of the present en- closure of the Haram in so many parts, are really the work of Jewish hands, and the remains of the outer wall of the Temple of Solomon. Neither is this conclusion in the least contradic- 1 I Kings IX. 3L > Lam. i. 12, 192 JERUSALEM — INTEhVIEW WITH A JEW tory to the prophecy of our Lord, " There shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down," for these dreadful words were spoken in reference to the Tem- l)le itself, which was " adorned with goodly stones and gifts ;" and they have been fearfully fulfilled to the very letter, for the Mosque of Omar, entirely a jNIoslem building, stands upon the rock of Moriah, probabl}' on the very spot where the Tem- ple stood. The Jewish place of wailing is a little to the north of this ancient bridge. Here they found a young Jew sitting on the ground. His turban, of a greyish colour peculiar to the Jews here, shaded a pale and thoughtful countenance. His prayer- hook was open before him, and he seemed deeply engaged. Mr Dalton acting as interpreter, he was asked what it was he was reading. He shewed the book, and it happened to be the 22d Psalm, Struck by this providence, Mr M'Cheyne read aloud till he came to the 16th verse, " They pierced my hands and ray feet ;" and then asked, "Of whom speaketh the prophet this ?" The Jew answered, " Of David and all his atflictions." " But David's hands and feet were not pierced !" The Jew shook his head. The true interpretation was then pointed out to him, that David was a prophet and wrote these things of Immanuel, who died for the remission of the sins of many. He made the sign with the lip which Easterns make to shew that they despise what you are saying. " Well, then, dc you know the way of forgiveness of which David speaks in the t^2d Psalm ?" The Jew shook his head again. For here is the grand error of the Jewish mind, " The way of peace they have not known." The same evening we visited all the synagogues of Jerusa- lem at the time of evening prayer. They are six in number, all of them small and poorly furnished, and four of them under one roof. The lamps are the only handsome ornaments they contain. The reading-desk is little else than an elevated part of the floor, enclosed with a wooden railing. The ark has none of the rich embroidery that distinguishes it in European synagogues. As it was an ordinary week-day, we found in every synagogue the Jewish children who had been receiving instruction in reading ; and in one of the largest, a group by themselves was pointed out to us as being orphan children who are taught free. After examining the synagogues, we paid a visit to a Rabbi, whose house, like that of Justus, "joined hard QUALIFICATIONS OF MISSIONARIES. 193 to the synfigoguo.'" We walied with him upon the roof, looking dovra upon the city. The roof had a railing or bat- tlement, as cynimanded in the Law, " Thou shalt make a bat- tlement for thy roof."^ There are thirty-six yishvioth, or reading-rooms, for the study of the Law in the Holy City. In one of these close by, some old men were busy at evening prayer. The evening prayers in general seemed not to be well attended. Our guide, who was a Jew, on coming to his own synagogue, immediately left us and went up to the front of the ark, praying very devoutly, but with much ostentation. We were much impressed with the melancholy aspect of the Jews in Jerusalem. The meanness of their dress, their pale faces, and timid expression, all seem to betoken great wretch- edness. They are evidently much poorer than the Jews of Hebron ; and " the crown is fallen from their heads ; woe unto them that they have sinned."^ At night we had another opportunity of obtaining informa- tion as to the experience of Missionaries in labouring among the Jews of Palestine. The principal subject of conversation was — the literary qualifications of missionaries for Palestine. The Hebrew is the most necessary language for one who la- bours among the Jews in this country, and it is spoken chief y in the Spanish way. A Missionary should study the charac- ter and elements of Arabic in his own country, and the more thoroughly he is master of these the better, but the true pro- nunciation can be acquired only on the spot. Yet Arabic is not so absolutely necessary as Hebrew. Spanish, too, is use- ful, and also German, and he must know Italian, for the pur- pose of holding intercourse with Europeans in general. Ju- deo-Spanish is the language of the Sephardim, and Judeo- Polish of the Ashkenazim (i. e. Jews from Europe). All of them know a little of Italian. All Jews in Palestine speak Hebrew, but then they often attach a meaning to the words that is not the true meaning or grammatical sense, so that it is absolutely necessary to know the vernacular tongue, in order to be sure that you and they understand the same thing by the words employed. A Missionary ought to be well grounded in prophecy, and he should be one who fully and thoroughly adopts the principles of literal interpretation, both in order to give him hope and perseverance, and in order to fit him for reasoning' with Jews. It is not so much preaching 1 Acts xviii. 1 « Dout xsii. 8. 3 Laru. v. 16. 194: FAREWELL VISIT TO BETHANY. talents as coutrovevsial that are required ; yet it is to be hoped that both may soon be needed. He ought to have au acquaintance with Hebrew literature to the extent of under- standing the Talmud, so as to be able to set aside its opi- nions. Acquaintance, too, with the Cabbala is necessary, in order to know the sources of Jewish ideas, and how scriptural arguments are likely to aifect their minds. Zohar is one of the best Cabbalistic commentaries. A knowledge of Chaldee and Syriac would also be very useful. In a mission to the Jews there ought to be both Jewish and Gentile labourers ; the Gentile to form the nucleus, the other to be the effective labourers. If a converted Jew go through a course of edu- cation, and be ordained, he would combine the advantages of both ; still a Gentile fellow-labourer would always be de- sirable. Faith and perseverance are the grand requisites in a missionary to Israel. He should never abandon a station unless in the case of absolute necessity. He may make oc- casional tours in the country round about, but he must have a centre of influence. It is of the highest importance to re- tain his converts beside him, and form them into a church ; for two reasons : — 1. Little is done if a man is only convinced or even converted, unless he is also trained up in the ways of the Gospel. 2. The influence of sincere converts belonging to a mission is very great. It commends the cause of Christ to others. At the same time it ought, if possible, to be made a rule to give no support to converts, except in retui'n for la- bour, either literary or agricultural. (June 18.) Early next morning some of our company set out to make a farewell visit to Bethany, and the more nota- ble scenes on the east of the city. We passed through the bazaar and narrow ruined streets, and purchased some ar- ticles as memorials of Jerusalem. Issuing forth by St Ste- phen's Gate, we crossed the Kedron, and once more visited Gethsemane, a spot which called forth fresh interest everj time we saw it, and has left a fragrant remembrance on our mind that can never fade away. Passing the northern wall, we went up the face of the Mount of Olives, stopping every now and then and looking round upon " the perfection of beauty." Jeremiah says that " all her beauty is departed."' How passing beautiful, then, it must have been in ancient days ! VIEW FROM THE .MOCNT OF OLIVES. 195 Crossing hy the nortb of tne Ciiurcn ot the Ascension, and standing on the summit of the Mount of Olives, we once more enjoyed the commanding prospect of the Dead Sea, stretching to the south, calm and of the deepest blue, and the mountain range of ]\Ioab beyond. From this point of view we could see the full meaning of Ezekiel, where he says, " Thine elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell at thy left hand ; and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters."' And as we turned from the view of that mysterious lake, under whose heavy wa- ters lie " Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire,"^ and looked down upon the place where Jesus " came near and behold the city, and wept over it," we felt that the recent sight of Sodom's doom may have kindled into a flame the Redeemer's unutterable compassion, when he seemed to manifest in his person the tender words of the prophet, " How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Is- rael ? how shall I make thee as Admah ? how shall I set thee as Zeboim ? Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together."^ From the same height we took our last view of the course of the Jordan, marked only by the strip of verdure on its banks. Beyond lay the valley of Shittim, in the plains of Moab, a wilderness of pasture-land, said to be fifteen miles long by ten miles broad, affording ample room for the goodly tents of the many thousands of Israel.* Not far from that spot Elijah ascended to heaven in his fiery chariot, and his mantle floated down upon his holy successor. And from the same open sky, at another time, the Spirit descended like a dove, and abode upon the Saviour when he was baptized by John in Jordan. Another prominent object in the scene is the remains of an ancient village on the height nearly south from Bethany, and about half a mile distant ; it is called Abu-Dis. May not this be the remains oi Bethpha^ge, the village " over against" the Jericho road, where the disciples obtained the colt and brought it to Jesus ? No other trace of Bethphage has ever been found, neither has any traveller found an ancient name for Abu-Dis 1 Ezek. xYi. 46. The left hand is the north, and the right hand the soutfi, in Eastern phraseology. 2 Jude 7. 3 Hos. xi. 8. 4 Num. xxii. 1; xxv. 1. 196 BETIIAXY that has any prooahility of being the true one. The only ob- jection is, that Abu-Dis is not upon the Jericho road, but half a mile to the south of it. But the words of the Evangelist, rightly understood, do not imply that Bethphage was on the Jericho road, or that Jesus entered the village. Jesus was travelling from Jericho probably by the present highway, " And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you."^ The simple meaning appears to be, that when they came to the contines of these two villages, lying on the back of the Mount of Olives, (and Bethphage may be named first, because the more conspicuous of the two,) Jesus sent two of the disciples to the village on the opposing height. Had he passed through the village, there would have been no need to send messengers to fetch the colt. Leaving the summit, we descended, over a lower brow of the hill, upon " the town of Mary and her sister Martha," concealed by terraces, and rocks, and fig-trees. We lingered here for a considerable time, occasionally attended by some o'*^ the simple country people, and reading over to ourselves the xith chapter of John. It is a fragrant spot ; the name of Christ was poured forth here in his wonderful deeds of love and tenderness, like Mary's pound of ointment of spikenard very costly, and the fragrance is as fresh to a true disciple's heart as on the day when it was done, "We left Bethany with regret, and proceeded to Jerusalem by the broad and rocky pathway, which appears to be the an- cient road. It was along this way Jesus rode upon the ass's colt ; here they spread their garments in the way, and cut down branches of the trees and strewed them in the way, and cried Hosanna ! You first obtain a distant view of part of Jerusalem before leaving the ridge on which Bethany stands , again you lose it, descending into a ravine ; then ascending, you wind round the Mount of Olives, with the Mount of Of- fence beneath you, when suddenly the whole city comes into view. We read over the xith chapter of Mark as we traversed this interesting road. It was by this road Jesus was walking when he said to the fig-tree, " No man eat fruit of thee here- after for ever;" and the next morning they saw it dried up from the roots, and Jesus said, " Whosoever shall say unto this 1 Miirk XI. 1, 2. EETURN TO JEHUSALKM. 197 mountain, He thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, he shall have whatsoever he saith."^ Many such fig-trees now line the road, and we pulled some of their leaves for a memorial. Leaving the track, and descending the steep of the Mount of Ofience, we tried to find our way into the valley of Jeho- shaphat through the hanging village of Siloam, With great difficulty we succeeded, for the houses, many of which are an- cient sepulchres hewn in the rock, are placed one above an- other in a very singular manner. As we sat at the Pool of Siloam, the deep shade of the rock was truly refreshing. We read over John ix. and vii. 37. We also paid a last visit to the fountain farther up, and gathered some of the white pebbles from beneath its soft-flowing waters. We then ascended to the wall of the city, and entering by the Zion Gate, once more passed through the Jewish quarters, and looked upon the mi- series of Israel in the city where David dwelt. " How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his an- ger !"^ They are by far the most miserable and squalid of all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and if we could have looked upon their precious souls, their temporal misery would have appeared but a faint emblem of the spiritual death that reigns within. " Ah sinful nation ! a people laden with iniquity ! The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. "^ May we never lose the feelings of intense compassion toward Israel, which these few days spent in Jerusalem awakened ; and never rest till all the faithful of the church of our fathers have tho same flame kindled in their hearts ! I Mark H. 14, 20, 23. 2 Lam. ii. 1. 3 Isa. i, 5. 198 CHAPTER r>'. OIBEOX — SYCHEM — SAMARIA — CARMEL. " Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Rainah : cry aloud at Beth-aven, after thee, O Benjamin. Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of re- buke; among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be."— HosEA V. 8, 9. In the cool of the afternoon, all the preparations for our de- parture being completed, we mounted our horses and wound our way through the streets of Jerusalem, slowly and reluctantly. We felt deep regret at leaving both the city with its holy as- sociations, and the kind friends who had given us such Chris- tian entertainment in this strange land. The communion of saints had been inexpressibly precious, though enjoyed here only for a few days. INIr Nicolayson, whose truly Christian and brotherly kindness we can never forget nor repay, rode some miles with us, and then bade us farewell. A Latin Christian, Giuseppe, asked leave to travel in our company. He lived at Bethlehem, and had visited us severa^ times in Jerusalem, selling the beads, inkhorns, and mother- of-pearl ornaments, which are made at Bethlehem. On his arm he had the Virgin Mary and the Holy Sepulchre punc- tured with the Al-henna dye, a custom which appears to have been in use in ancient times.' We journeyed north-west, and soon passed the Tombs of the Judges, but had only time to glance at them. They are cut out of the rock in the same manner as the Tombs of the Kings. Though it is commonly said that they are the se- pulchres of members of the Sanhedrim, yet their real history has not been ascertained. Descending by a very rocky path, we came to the bottom of tne aeep valley, called by travellers the Valley of Elah. Luxuriant vineyards were on either hand, and the sun's rays poured down with great power into the deep ravines. We soon began to ascend the high ridga 1 Isa. XLix. 16; xliv.5. JVABY- SAMUEL — RAM AH. 199 on which Naby- Samuel stands. Several villages appeared among the hills both on the right and left, and the remnants of ancient terraces were distinctly to be traced on most of the slopes. In two hours from Jerusalem, we arrived at Naby- Samuel, situated on the highest point of a terraced hill of considerable height, having a few wretched houses, and an old ruined church, said to have been built by the renowned St George, but now converted into a mosque, whose spire or minaret at- tracts the eye on every side. For many centuries this spot has been regarded as the ancient Ramah, where the prophet Samuel was born ; where he lived and mourned over the land and its apostate king, as he looked down from this eminence on its populous tribes ; and where also he was buried.^ There appears to be no good reason for doubting the accuracy of this ancient tradition. The ruins stand on the most elevated point of the whole region, commanding a magnificent view on every side ; thus answering well to the name Ramah, which means " a height,^'' and to its other name Ramathaim-Zophim, " The heights of the watchmen." The conjecture that it is the ancient Mizpeh, the gathering-place of Israel, is without any solid foundation.- i Sam. 1. 1; vin. 4; xxv. 1. 2 The only objection to this beinp the Ramah of Samuel, is taken from the history of Saul's visit to Samuel, recorded i Sam. ix. x In his house at Ramah, Samuel had entertained the future King of Israel. When Saul roee to return to Gibeah, Samuel describes the way as leading "by Rachel's sepul- chre, in the border of Benjamin, at Zelzah" (i Sam. x. 2). Butas both Rachel's sepulchre and Zelzah are many hours to the south of Naby-Samuel, every step taken in that direction would lead him away from Gibeah, which lies to the north-east. At tirst reading this passage is very perplexing; the difficulty, however, may be cleared up in the following manner. Saul's father lived nof at Gibeah, but at Zelzah or Zelah (Bet- Jala), for we read that his family sepul- chre was there (ii Sam. xxi. 14). But he had an uncle who dwelt at Gibeah. (I Sam. X. 14); and Saul himself usually resided there, both before and after his being appointed to the kingdom (I Sam.x. 2G), and hence it was called " Gibeah of Saul." On the occasion of his father losing his asses, he sent for his son Saul to help him in seeking for them. Saul, however, sought in vain, and was now on his way to Zelzah to let his father know that he had not found the asses, when, as he was passing near the hill of Ramah, his servant suggested a visit to Samuel. It was then that the interview mentioned i Sam. x. occurred. On leaving Samuel, he proceeded towards his father's house at Zelzah as he had proposed, passing by Rachel's sepulchre. Here he met two men just come from home, who told him that the asses were found; next he met three men on the plain of Tabor (a spot now unknown); and then, having seen his father, came back to his own house at Gibeah ; which is called the " hill of God," because there was a school of the prophets thcj-u 2(0 VIEW FROM THE HEIGHTS OF RAM AH. We ascended to the roof of the deserted mosque, and sni> 7eyed the country round and round with unmingled pleasure. We could count twelve towns or villages within sight. To the south, Jerusalem, sheltered by the Mount of Olives, was distinctly visible ; and still farther south, about twelve miles distant, Bethlehem and the Frank Mountain. We were now in a situation to understand the prophecy of Jeremiah in re- ference to the massacre of the infants of Bethlehem, " In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, aui. great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.'" The tomb of Ra- chel suggested the figurative representation of the mother of Benjamin and Joseph rising up to lament her slaughtered little ones, and the import of the passage is as if he had said, That the tide of woe rolled from Bethlehem to the hill whereon Rama stands. Rachel from her sepulchre begins the note of woe, and it spreads all around even to the distant hills that shut in the plain. Quite near us in the same direction stood a village in the mountains called Lifta, and still nearer Bet- iksa, which may possibly be the ancient Sechu, where there was a great well.^ To the south-east was another village, Kephorieh, which we fancied might possibly be the site of Chephira,^ since the other cities of the Gibeonites, Beeroth, Gibeon, and Kirjath-jearim, are all in this region. Emmaus must have been like one of these secluded villages, and pro- bably in this direction. We could easily imagine the two disciples traversing the rocky pathway between the vineyards, by which we had that evening passed, and Jesus himself drawing near and going with them, talking with them by the way, and opening to them the Scriptures, while they per- ceived not the ditficulties of the road nor the lapse of time, for " their hearts burned within them by the way."^ Look- ing to the east, a fine hilly scene lay before us, bounded b^ the mountains of Moab. Upon a height near at hand stood Bet-hanina ; to the north-east, on another hill. Ram ; and still farther north, Kelundieh. In the same direction, though not within our view, lay Gibeah of Saul, and Michmash, not far from each other, both of which remain unto this day. Due north we saw Ram- Allah in a very notable position ; a lit- tle to the west, Beth-boor, believed to be the Upper Beth- 1 Matt. II. 18. t I Sam. xi.x. 22. 8 Josh. IX. 17. * Luke xxiv. 82. GIBEON — AJALOUN. 201 horon; and on the bill above it Bet-unia. To the west, we looked down from the hills of Ephraim upon the vast plain of Sharon, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea, into which the evening sun was pouring a flood of golden rays. But the most interesting of all the ancient towns at this time within sight was El Oeeb, lying at our feet, directly north, and about a mile distant. This is the ancient Gibeon, whence came the wily Gibeonites who beguiled Joshua and the congregation of Israel,' described as, " a great city, as one of the royal cities, greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty. "^ It is situated on !he top of a remarkably round hill, the sides of which are so completely terraced, not by art but by nature, that they present the appearance of a flight of steps all round from the top to the bottom. The buildings are mostly on the western brow of the hill, the rest of the summit being covered with fine olive-trees. Many of the terraces also are set with vines and fruit-trees. From the foot of the ridge on which Ramah stands, a fine plain or shallow valley stretches past Gibeon to the north for two or three miles. From Gibeon it stretches westward for about a mile, bounded by a low hilly range, except in two points, where there are openings towards the western plain, the one of which is the descent of Beth-horon. The fields of this valley were distinctly marked out, some of them bearing grain, but most lying waste. In one place, the vineyard stretched quite across, with a verdure most refreshing to the eye. This valley the muleteers called Ajaloun. Again and again we put the question to them, to make sure that we were not mis- taken, and they still answered Ajaloun. Since our return, we have not been able to find that any previous writer has found this name still remaining, aiid applied to this valley, and we therefore fear that the muleteers may have picked it up from the inquiries or conversation of some traveller. How- 1 Josh. IX. 2 .Tos'a. x. 2. 202 VALLEY OF GIBEOX. ever this may be, the scene of Joshua's miracle was at that tliiie vividly set before us. The glorious sun was sloping westward, about to sink in the Mediterranean Sea, and his horizontal rays were falling full upon the hill of Gibeon ; at the same moment the moon was rising, and soon after poured her silver beams into this quiet vale. Such probably was the very position of the sun and moon, in that memorable day when Joshua prayed and " said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon ; and thou, Moon, in the val- ley of Ajalon."' We are plainly told that the battle between Joshua and the five kings of the Amorites was " at Gibeon." It lasted probably the greater part of the day, till toward evening, the bands of the Amorites began to give way, and Israel chased them as far as the descent to Beth-horon. At that steep defile the Lord cast down great hailstones from heaven upon them, so that they died. But it seems to have been before that, and before they were out of sight of Gibeon, that Joshua uttered the singular prayer above narrated ; and in confirmation of this view, it is interesting to notice that Isaiah caUs the scene of that day's wonders, " The Valley of Gibeon."^ There was a peculiarly mellow softness in tiie evening light, that gilded both tower and valley at the mo- ment, and it was strangely interesting to look upon the scene where " the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man." It was at Gibeon also, that Abner and Joab met on either side of the pool, and that the young men began the contest which ended so fatally.^ We were afterwards told that the pool remains there to this day on the north side of the hill.'' Here, too, " at the great stone which is in Gibeon," Joab mur- dered Amasa, and '' shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet."^ In the same place, J«>- hanan, the son of Kareah, found Ishmael " by the great wiv ters that are in Gibeon." It was here also, that " God ap- peared to Solomon in a dream by night, and said, Ask what I shall give thee."*^ It is thus hallowed as a place of prayer, and yet more, as a place where God shewed to t,he world be- fore the Redeemer came, how unlimited wrs his bounty to his 1 Josh. X. 12. 2 Isa. XXVIII. 21. " n Mm. ii. 17. 4 Professor Robinson told us that he had seen this pool, but had lorgot to look for the great stcjne. 5 II Sam. XX 8; I Kinps ii. 5. « i KiiiRS iii. 0. RAPHAT BliER. 203 people — all a prelude to tlie unspeakable gift, his beloved Son, which has made all other wonders lose their glory by reason of the glory that excelleth. Leaving the height of Ramah, we descended into the plain, but did not enter Gibeon, because the sun was setting. As we crossed through the rich vineyards, which skirt the hill upon which Geeb stands, two foxes sprang out, and crossing our path, ran into the corn fields. The thick leafy shade of the vine conceals them from view, while the fruit allures them ; like the secret destroyers mentioned in the Song, " Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes."^ We saw before us also the mixture of standing corn, and vineyards, from one to the other of which the foxes ran, when Samson set them loose.^ Journeying still north, we passed near two other villages, both finely situated on rocky terraced heights ; the name of one of which was Raphat. It was here that Dr Keith missed his favourite staff, which had a mariner's compass on the top of it. A muleteer rode back in search of it, but in vain. The darkness was coming down, so that we had to hurry on. Our view was be- ginning to be obscured, but we could perceive that Benjamin (whose borders we were traversing) had a pleasant portion. In two hours from Ramah, we reached Beer, the ancient Beeroth. Our servants had gone before us and erected the tent, and now stood at the tent-door to welcome us, Giuseppe helping us to alight with great kindness. It was a fine moon- light evening ; the ground was sparkling with the light of the glow-worm, in a manner similar to what we had seen at He- bron, and the fire-flies glittered through the air in great num- bers. Our tent was pitched immediately in front of a gush- ing fountain that emptied its waters into a large trough, above which was a Mahometan place of prayer falling into decay. We lay down to rest, with the remembrance that it was here that Jotham took up his abode when he fled from Shechem for fear of his brother Abimelech.^ There is a pleasing though fanciful tradition associated with the place, that it was here Joseph and Mary, on their way back to Nazareth, first dis- covered that the child Jesus was not in their company, and turned .back again to Jerusalem seeking him.* It was pro- 1 Song n. 15. Herod, too, is called by this name Luke xiii. 32, a destroyer of the Lord's vineyard. It was in reference to this that Erasmus was at one lime branded by the monks as a fox that laid waste the vineyard of the Lord 2 Judg. XV. 5. * Judg. IX. 21 4 Luke ii. 44. 204 BET REN, bably near this, too, that Deborah the prophetess dwelt " un- der the palm-tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in Mount Ephraim."' (June 19.) We were up before the sun, and enjoyed the luxury of washing ourselves at the full flowing fountain of Beer, It is from this fountain that the town receives its name, both now and in ancient times. The Moslem women came out to draw water, and the well soon presented a lively scene. The remains of the town lie on the rising ground to the north- east of the fountain. "We wondered how travellers could ever suppose this to be the site of Michmash : for it does not stand near any deep defile, nor are there any such sharp rocks as Bozez and Seneh in the neighbourhood f besides, it is not on the east of Betb-aven or Bethel, but to the south-west of it.^ Beeroth was one of the cities that belonged to the Gibeonites, and afterwards fell to the lot of Benjamin.* It was to this place, also, that the murderers of Ishbosheth originally be- longed.^ We j ourneyed to the north-east, through a pleasant pasture country. On our left, we passed a cave in the hillside, run- ning a considerable way into the rock, which suggested to us the nature of the retreat of the five kings of the Amorites, who fled from the battle of Gibeon, and " hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah."*^ In a little time we approached the district of Beth-aven or Betlul. The hills around, as well as the ruins of the town, are called by the Arabs, Beteen. This name is, in all pro- bability, the remains, not of Bethel, but of Beth-aven. It would seem, that in the days of Joshua, this region was called " the wilderness of Beth-aven,"^ and perhaps the hill on which the town afterwards stood, Beth-aven.* When the town was built it was called Luz, but Jacob, grateful for the visit of mercy which he there received, called it Bethel, "the house of God." In later days, it became the seat of idola- trous worship, and the indignant prophet of Israel, to awaken the people to a sense of their sin, recalled the ancient narae^ " Beth-aven," or " house of vanity," and sometimes only I Judg. IV. 5. 2 I Sam. xiv. 4. 3 I Sam. xiii. 5. Professor Robinson and MrNicolayson visited Michmash, lying to the south-east of Bethel. A deep valley below it and two pointed rooks still fix its position, and the Arabic name is Mukhmas. 4 Josh. IX. 17; XVIII. 25. s ii Sam. iv. 2. e Josh. x. 16. T Josh, xviii. 12. 8 Josh. VII. 2 SITE OF BETHEL. 205 " Aven." From tins seems to have been foi'med the present name Beteen. Turning off the path, a little to the right, we rode into the middle of the ruins, on the summit of a considerable rising ground, A ruined tomb on the nearest eminence guides to them. There are not many remains of edifices that can be traced, but here and there heaps of ancient stones, the foun- dations of a wall, and a broken cistern, indicate former dwell- ings. The whole summit of the hill is covered over with stones that once composed the buildings, and there is space enough for a large town. We looked with deep interest across the ravine on the right to the gentle hill considerably higher, on the east of Bethel. Probably this was the very spot where Abraham pitched his tent, when first he came a lonely stranger to the land of Canaan ; for, it is said, he removed to " a moun- tain on the east of Bethel, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east, and there he built an altar unto the Lord," which he afterwards returned to visit ;' shewing with what holy bold- ness he trusted himself to the Lord's keeping, though bitter foes on either side enclosed him. IN or could we forget, that on the hill where we stood Jacob spent that solemn night, when he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pil- lows, and beheld a ladder " set upon the earth, and the top of it reaching to heaven." We read over the passage and applied the prayer to ourselves.^ It was here, too, that Jeroboam set up one of the golden calves. And here he stood besi-de the altar, burning idolatrous incense. Perhaps there was a double scheme of wicked policy in his choice of this place, for we observed that it must have been within sight of the highway to Jerusalem, that the people might be intercepted on their way up to the house of the Lord ; so that his object was at once to allure them from God, and obliterate Bethel's hal- lowed associations with Jehovah's gracious discoveries of him- self to their fathers Jacob and Abraham. The success of this plan may be conjectured from the children that here mocked Elisha, and taunted him with Elijah's ascension, saying, " Go up, thou bald-head." The prophet who came out of Judah, and warned Jeroboam, probably travelled the road over which we had passed. Deborah, Rebecca's nurse, died here, and was buried probably in the ravine on the south, for it is said to have been " beneath Bethel," under an oak tree ; and Jacob 1 Gen. XII. 8: xiii. » a Gen. xxvm. 11, 12 206 BirrHEL — villages on hills. shewed his tender remembrance of her, by calling it " AUon bachuth," " the oak of weeping." Few places are so full of interest. The shapeless ruins scattered over the brow of the hill, are themselves silent wit- nesses of God's truth and faithfulness. He had said, " Seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal ; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall coine to nought." ^ This word has been fulfilled to the very letter. We did not at the time remember the prophecy of Hosea, " The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed ; the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars;""^ but we have no doubt, from the desolate nature of the ground, and the abundance of thorny plants in that region, that some other travellers will discover that thorns and thistles are waving over the altars of Bethel, in fulfilment of the word of Him who cannot lie. We our- selves saw sufficient marks of the curse, of which the thorn and the thistle are the emblems.^ Leaving the ruins, we returned to the road, and proceeding northward, came in less than an hour to a village on our left, Ain Yebrud, finely situated upon the summit of a very rocky hiU, whose sides were terraced and planted with vines. A little after, we saw upon the left another smaller village of the same name, situated upon a similar hill, whose sides were en- tirely uncultivated, presenting little more than a barren rock. The contrast was very striking, and shewed us at once the change produced by the slightest cultivation in this land, and how, by the blessing of God, in " a very little while Lebanon may be turned into a fruitful field." Another village farther on, and also upon a hill, was called Geeb, conjectured by some to be the ancient 6ro?>, famous in the wars with the Philistines,'* though others suppose it to be Gibeah in 3Iount Ephrahn, the burying-place of Eleazar the son of Aaron.^ These villages on the tops of the hills had not only the advantage of being easily defended, but must also have been highly salubrious, having the cool breezes playing around them. We now en- tered a narrow defile called Mezra, and descended rapidly among the finest vines and fig-trees which we had yet seen. 1 Amos V. 5. Lord Lindsay's interpretation of this passage cannot stand. It is not a direction to a traveller not to search out its ruins, but a command to the idolatrous Israelites to give up their idolatry, q. d. " Seek not Bethel, but return to me." 2 Hos. X. 8. t See p. 119. * II Sam. XXI. 19. ■ Josh. xxiv. 33, in the original VILLAGE OF SlxVGEEL — SHILOII. 207 The terraced lulls of Ephraim shut us in on both sides, and often the rocks were entirely concealed by the bright green leaves of the vines. Under the fig-trees, ripe barley was waving, whilst a very large species of convolvulus, and many other sweet flowers, adorned the pathway ; and the voice of the turtle, issuing from the olives that often girt the hills, once more began to salute our ears. At the bottom of this defile we came into a wider ravine running from east to west, in which was a broad channel of a brook now dry. We conjec- tured that this may be one of tJte brooks of Gaash^ in Mount Ephraim. Crossing the dry channel we ascended by the ra- vine of a tributary, like the former finely planted with fruit- trees ; and came upon a building, which is reckoned half-way between Jerusalem and Nablous. It was once a fortress, and is said to have been the head-quarters of banditti. There is a singular cavern near that may have favoured their designs. This road must have been often traversed by oxrr Lord in going from Jerusalem to Sj'char and Galilee. The reflection of the sun's rays that now beat upon us from these rocks, may have been felt by him on that very day, when, " wearied with his journey," about noon he sat down on Jacob's Well. In about an hour we ascended into a pleasant fertile little plain spreading to the east, having Singeel, a village on the hills, on our left hand, and Turmus Aya, upon an eminence in the mid- dle of the plain, on our right. It was at this point that we should have turned to the right, to visit Seiloun, the remains of ancient Shiloh. Our guide promised at setting out to carry us that way, but unwilling to lengthen the fatigues of the journey, he allowed us to proceed north without letting us know till it was too late to return. We afterwards found that it lay about an hour distant to the right. Mr Calhoun, an American Missionary, told us that he had visited it, and found it situated upon an eminence, having fine valleys on every side of it, except towards the south, — valleys that could have con- tained multitudes at the great feasts. Higher hills rise be- iiind these valleys. Our servant Ibraim had visited it with Professor Robinson, and told us that they had found nothing but ruins. The words of the prophet are still full of mean- ing ; " Go ye now into my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the •'•'ickedness of my people Israel."^ We could also see the mi- 1 II Sam. xxiii. 3U, Jush. xxiv. H'> « Jer. VII. 12. 20H LEBONAH — BEDOUIN SHEIKH. nute accuracy of the description of its situation gi\ren in Scrip- ture, " Shiloh, a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah."' The region round is all fitted for such vineyards as are described in the same chapter.*^ We now ascended to the highest ridge of a rocky mountain, having a very deep valley on our left. Below us on our right lay a picturesque plain of small extent embosomed in hills. Into this we descended by a dangerous pathway, and came first to an old ruin called Khau-el-Luban, and then to a fine flowing well, Beer-el-Luban. The water was cool and pleasant. Some Syrian shepherds had gathered their flocks around the well. There were many hundreds of goats ; some drinking out of the troughs, some reclining till the noonday heat should be past. We were again reminded of the Song, " Where thou makest the flock to rest at noon ;"^ and of the care which the Lord Jesus takes to refresh the weary souls of his people during the burden and heat of the day, delivering them from daily returning wants and temptations. At the north-west end of this valley, oa the height, we could see the village of Luban, the ancient Lebonah^ Having travelled more than five hours without intermis- sion, we were glad to rest and refresh ourselves for a little un- der some pleasant olive-trees. Scarcely had we resumed our journey, when we met at the northern entrance of the plain, the Bedouin Sheikh whom we had seen at Jerusalem, and who was to conduct Lord Claud Hamilton to Ammon and Jerash. He had faithfully fulfilled his engagement, and was now re- turning, having left his charge at Nablous. Three fine young Bedouins rode behind him, and all were attired and armed in the manner of their country. He at once recognised us with joy, and shewed us with no little vanity the presents he had got from Lord Hamilton. Bidding them salam, we wound out of the valley to the right under a small town, like a nest in the rocks, which an old Arab called Sawee. Leaving this vale we descended into another running from east to west, very jeep and rocky. Some countrymen called it Wady Deeb. Crossing the dry channel, and ascending to the very summit of the opposite ridge, a noble prospect burst upon our view, I Judg. xjcr. 19. 2 Jud^ xsi. 21. 3 Soay I. 7. « Judg. X.X.I. 19. PLAINS — HARVEST SAMARITAN VILLAGES. 209 From the foot of the mountain on which we stood, a beautiful plain stretches to the north apparently for five or six miles. It seemed about two miles in breadth, bounded on either side by lofty and finely intersected hills, studded with villages. The farthest of these hills on the west side was Gerizzim, with a white tomb upon the summit, and Ehal beyond it, the two hills that embosom Sychar. The plain itself was cultivated in a style very superior to any thing we had yet seen in Palestine, and was beautifully variegated with fields of diiferent colour, some bearing dhura of a bright green, some ripe barley. We descended into this interesting plain, and followed the track close under the western hills. The country people were engaged in their harvest. Indeed, this was the busiest part of the country we had yet visited. Several times we came on a band of reapers at their work, and met camels laden with sheaves. In one of the villages the treading and winnowing were going on in a lively manner. On the eastern range of hiUs there are three villages perched in very romantic situations, the name of the northmost was Raujeeb. Probably these were flourishing towns in the days when Joseph's portion was blessed with " the chief things of the ancient mountains, and the precious things of the lasting hills."' While we gazed upon these villages of the Samaritans, one of the most touching narratives of the gospel was vividly recalled to us. Once when our Lord was going up to Jerusa- lem, he sent messengers before his face, and " they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him, and they did not receive him." His disciples wished to (Command fire to come down from heaven ; but he gently re- buked them, saying, " Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of;" and they went to another village.^ It is probable that this was the road by which the Saviour was travelling, and some of these may have been the villages here spoken of. In about two hours we left this fertile plain, and came round the eastern shoulder of Mount Gerizzim, ascending up u, path worn deep in the rock, till we found ourselves in the entrance of the Vale of Sychar, running east and west between Mount Gerizzim and Mount Ebal. We did not know at the time, but an after visit made up for the omission, that it was at this very turn of the road, where it bends toward the city, that Jesus rested ; for Jacob's Well was there. Entering a I Duut xxxiiL IS. 3 Luke IX. 53— 5C. o 210 MOUNT EBAL AND MOUNT GEKIZZIM. little way within tne vale, we rested for a while beside a flowing fountain, called Eeer-el-Defna, at which the shepherds were watering their flocks. The water flows into a large reser- voir, from which it is conducted to irrigate a delightful gar- "^en of herbs. The ride up this valley was indeed beautiful. The plain stretches about two miles long to the town of Na- blous, the ancient S/fchar, and the average breadth appeared to be nearly half a mile. The sun was beginning to sink in the west, and was pouring his beams directly through the valley as we approached. A fine grove of old olive-trees extends for about a mile to the east of the town. Through this we passed, and then under the northern wall till we came to a grassy spot on the banks of a winding stream, where we pitched our tent on the west side of Sychai>. We had often read of the verdure and beauty of this scene, but it far exceeded our expectations. The town with its cupolas and minarets is peculiarly white and clean, and is literally embosomed in trees. In the gardens beside us, we saw the abnond-tree, the pomegranate, the fig, the vine, the carob-tree, and the mulberry ; orange-trees also, with golden fruit, and a few graceful palms. The singular prickly pear is the common hedge of these gardens. Sitting at our tent-door, we surveyed calmly the interesting scene. Mount Ebal was before us, rising about 800 feet from the level of the plain. It appeared steep, rocky, and barren. A few olives were sprinkled over its base, but higher up we could observe no produce save the prickly pear, which seemed to cover the face of the hill, much in the same way as the prickly furze on many of the hills of our own country. View- ing it from another point farther to the west the next day, it appeared entirely without verdure, frowning naked and pre- cipitous over the vale. Mount Gerizzim was behind us, ris- ing to a similar elevation. Although precipitous in many parts, it has not the same sterile and gloomy appearance which Moimt Ebal has. It has a northern exposure, and therefore the midday sun does not wither up its verdure with its scorching rays. On the sides of one of its shady ravines we saw fields of corn, olives, and gardens, giving it altogether a cheerful appearance. In some places the precipices of Ge- rizzim seem to overhang the town, so that Jotham's voice floating over the valley, as he repeated the Parable of the Trees from one of the summits of Gerizzim, might easily be heard by a quiet .ludieuce eagerly listening iu the plain below.' 1 Judi;. i.\. 7- 20 SYCHAR — STNAUOGUE, 211 It was here also, upon the sloping sides of these confronting hills, that the blessing and the curse were so solemnly pro- nounced in the days of Joshua.^ Six tribes weo stationed on the sides of Gerizzira, and six on the sides of Ebal ; while in the valley between was placed the ark of God, with the priests and Levites standing round. When all was thus ar- ranged, and every man of Israel held in his breath in anxious suspense, the Levites in a clear loud voice uttered the curses in the name of Jehovah. At every pause, the six tribes on Ebal responded " Amen !" Then the blessings were uttered with the same deep solemnity, and the six tribes on Gerizzim responded to every blessing " Amen !" It is not difScult to understand how the united voices of the band of Levites in the valley would be heard by the multitudes that lined the hills on either side, when we remember that the sound floated upwards amid the stillness of an assembly awed into deepest silence. This lovely valley formed a noble sanctuary, with these rocky mountains for its walls, and only heaven for its canopy. And where can we meet with a scene of more true sublimity than was witnessed there, when a covenanted nation bowed their heads before the Lord and uttered their loud Amen, alike to his promise and his threatening ? In our evening worship, we read John iv, with feelings of new and lively interest. We had scarcely committed ourselves to repose, when the jackals and wolves, which in great num- bers find covert in the neighbouring hills, began their loud and long-continued howling ; the dogs that prowl about the gatea of the town immediately sent back a loud cry of defiance, and for several hours there seemed to be a regular onset between the parties. The ropes of our tents were occasionally shaken by some that were pursuing or pursued ; and the valley con- tinued to resound with their mingled cries till the depth of mid- night. (June 20.) Mr Bonar, waking before sunrise, wandered through the grove of fruit-trees toward the gate of the town. Finding it already open, he entered. Wandering alone in the streets of Sychar at this early hour seemed like a dream. A Jewish boy whom he met led him to the synagogue. It was small but clean, and quite full of worshippers. They meet for an hour at sunrise every day. There were perhaps fifty persons present, and every one wore the Tephillin, or phy- 1 Deut. XXVII. 12. 212 Sl'CHAR — JACOB'S WELL. lacteries, on the left hand and forehead, this being the cu8- tom at morning prayer. They seemed really devout, for they scarcely looked up to observe the entrance of a stranger till the service was done. At the close several came and spoke to him. He spoke a little Italian to one, and then tried Ger^ man with another, finding that there were Jews from many dif- ferent places. Some were from Spain, some from Russia, one from Aleppo, and a few were natives of Sychar. After con- versing for a short time they separated, going home to breakfast. Mr Bonar engaged a very affable Jew to shew him the road to Jacobus Well, who, after leading him through the town, gave him in charge to another that knew the place. They went wt at the Eastern Gate and proceeded along the Vale of Sy- char, keeping near the base of Gerizzim for nearly two miles, till they arrived at a covered well, which is marked out by tra- dition as the memorable spot. It is immediately below the rocky path by which we had travelled the day before, at that point of the road where we turned from the spacious plain into the narrow vale, between Ebal and Gerizzim. The guide re- moved a large stone that covers the mouth of the low vault built over the well ; and then thrusting himself through the narrow aperture, invited Mr Bonar to foUow. This he ac- cordingly did ; and in the act of descending, his Bible escap- ing from his breast-pocket fell into the well, and was soon heard plunging in the water far below. The guide made very sig- nificant signs that it could not be recovered, " for the well is deep." The small chamber over the well's mouth appears to have been carefully built, and may have been originally the ledge which is often found round the mouth of Eastern weUs, affording a resting-place for the weary traveller. But the well itself is cut out of the rock. Mr Calhoun, who was here lately, found it seventy-five feet deep, with ten or twelve feet of wa- ter. In all the other wells and fountains which we saw in this valley the water is within reach of the hand, but in this one the water seems never to rise high. This is one of the clear evidences that it is really the Well of Jacob, for at this day it would require what it required in the days of our Lord, an " acrXjjiaa," " some thing to draw with, for it was deep."' On account of the great depth, the water would be peculiarly cool, and the associations that connected this well with their father Jacob no doubt made it to be highly esteemed. Foi- JOSEPH'S TOMB. 9.13 these reasons, although there is a fine stream of water close by the west side of the town, at least two gushing fountains within the walls, and the fountain El Defna nearly a mile nearer the town, still the people of the town very naturally reverenced and frequented Jacob's Well. This may in part account for the Samaritan woman coming so far to draw water, even if the conjecture be disregarded that the town in former times ex- tended much farther to the east than it does now. The nar- rative itself seems to imply that the well was situated a con- siderable way from the town. He who " leads the blind by a way which they know not," drew the woman that day by the invisible cords of grace, past all other fountains, to the well where she was to meet with one who told her all that ever she did — the Saviour of thfe world and the Saviour of her soul. The Romish hymn seemed peculiarly impressive when re- membered on this hallowed spot : Quserens me sedisti lassus, Redemisti crucem passus, Tantus labor non sit cassus ! (Weary — thou satst seeking me; Crucified— thou setst me free; Let not such pains fruitless be !) But nothing can equal the simple words of the Evangelist, " Jesus therefore being wearied with his journey sat thus on the weU." About a hundred yards off, to the north of the well, is Jo- seph's Tomb, a whited sepulchre, believed to mark the place where Joseph's bones were buried,' The Jews frequently visit this tomb ; and many Hebrew sentences are inscribed upon the walls. Whether by design or accident, we could not as- certain, a luxuriant vine had made its way over the wall that encloses the tomb, and was now waving its branches from the top, as if to recall to mind the prophetical description of this favoured tribe, given by the dying Jacob, " Joseph is a fruitfu, bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall."^ The beautiful field around it is, no doubt " the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph," tak- ing it out of the hand of the Amorite, " with his sword and with his bow."^ And tliis plain is the plain of Moreh, near to Sychar.* Some have fancifuUy conjectured the name to bp 1 Josh. XXIV. 32. s Gen. xi.it. 23. » Gen. XLVili. 2i « Gea. xii. 6. Deut. XI. 80. ■214 SYCHAR — LEPERS — BAZAAR. derived from Jacob's exploit, as if it meant, " the plain of the Archer." About eight o'clock, the rest of our company paid a visit to the town, to visit the Jews and Samaritans. Under a spread- ing nabbok-tree near the gate, we came upon five or six raiser- able objects, half-naked, dirty, and wasted by disease. Imme- diately on seeing us, they sprang up, and stretched out their arms, crying most imploringly for alms. We observed that some had lost their hands, and held up the withered stump, and that others were deformed in the face ; but it did not oc- cur to us at the time that these were lepers ! We were after- wards told that they were so, — lepers on the outside of the city gate, like the ten men in the days of Jesus, who lifted up their voices, and cried, " Jesus, Master, have mercy on us !"^ Our Master, had he been with us, would have stood still, and said, " I will ; be thou clean." On the nabbok-tree were hung many rags of cloth, of diflPerent colours. These are intended as sa- cred offerings, in accordance with a superstition of the Maho- metans, which was never fully explained to us, and which we saw frequently in other parts of the country. We passed through the streets, and found a good example of the Eastern bazaar. It is a covered way, with a few win- dows in the roof; abundantly dark, but very cool and plea- sant. There is a deep pathway in the middle unpaved, about three feet in breadth, along which mules or camels are al- lowed to pass. On each side of this, there is a raised stone pavement, very smooth and slipper}', which is used as a place for Jhe shopkeepers to sit or to display their goods. When not thus occupied, it may be used for walking. It is a strange sight to walk along, and observe the turbaned and bearded sellers sitting cross-legged, and smoking in every door-way. The presence of a stranger excites little curiosity among them in general. Often they disdain to lift their eyes. Finding out the Jewish quarter, we went to the synagogue, into which several Jews followed us. The little children also came round us, and the women looked in at the door. Our Hebrew Bible was soon produced, and the prophecies concerning Messiah formed the subject of our broken conversation. Dan. ix, Isaiah ix, Liii, Ezek. xxxvi, xxxvii, and Jer. xxiii, were the passages read and commented on. The men were most willing to hoar, and some of the children clung to us ; but the » Luke T-ti 13 JEWISH AND SAMARITAN SYNAGOGUES. 215 women seemed displeased and impatient. At one turn of the conversation, Ibraim, our servant, who understood what they were saying, cried out, " Hear how that woman is cursing you." While we were thus engaged, a Samaritan came into tlie synagogue and sat down. He was much better dressed than the poor Jews ; his scarlet mantle and tidy appearance shew ing plainly that he was better off in the world. He invited us to visit the Samaritan synagogue, an invitation with which we willingly complied. The Rabbi was seated on a carpet in the stone court, a clean pleasant place close by the syna- gogue. He was a reverend-looking old man, with large up- lifted eyebrows, handsomely attired ; he received us kindly^ and conversed with great freedom. Mr Bonar having missed the rest of us, and hearing that we were gone to the Samaritan synagogue, persuaded a Jew to guide him thither. He led him to a shop in the bazaar, where a fine-looking man, tall and cleanly dressed, was sitting. The Jew's look was that of contempt, as he pointed out this man, saying he was " a Samaritan." The Samaritan kindly left his shop, and leading the way through many streets, arches, covered ways, and lanes, brought Mr B. to the Synagogue. The old priest having made sure of obtaining a handsome present from us, now unlocked the door, and we, after taking otf our shoes, were permitted to enter the synagogue, a clean airy apartment, having the floor covered with carpets. One- half of the floor was raised a little higher than the rest, and seemed to be used for sitting on during the reading of the law. On one side, there was a recess which we were not allowed to enter, where the sacred manuscripts are kept. After long delay, and the promise of a considerable sum (for he told us the sight was worth 150 piastres at any time), the priest agreed to shew us the copy of the Torah, or five books of Moses, which is so farrved for its antiquity. They said that it was written by the hand of Abisliua, the son of Phinehas, and is 3600 years old. It was taken out of its velvet cover, and part of it unrolled before us. The rollers were adorned with silver at the extremities, and the back of the manuscript was covered with green silk. It was certainly a very ancient ma- nuscript. The parchment was much soiled and worn, but the letters were quite legible, written in the old Samaritan chfirac'er If this was the real cony so much boasted of, the 216 SYCHAR — JEWS AND SAMARITANS. Samaritans have lost some of their superstition regarding it, for they allowed us to touch it. Several of their prayer-books were lying about, all written with the pen in the Samaritan character. The Samaritans can speak very little Hebrew ; their lan- guage is Arabic, but by means of our servant Ibraim, and a Jew who kept by us, we got our questions answered, and a good many remarks were made on both sides upon passages of Scripture. The son of the priest was an interesting young man, candid, and anxious to hear the truth. He admitted that the prophecy regarding " the seed of the woman" re- ferred to the Messiah : and said that they still expect a pro- phet " like unto Moses." The Samaritans do not believe in the restoration of the Jews, They told us that there are about forty who attend the synagogue, and about 150 souls altogether belonging to their communion. The enmity be- tween the Jews and the Samaritans is not now so great, nor so openly manifested, as once it was ; but we could perceive that it still existed. We had seen a Samaritan sitting in the Jewish synagogue, and the Jew who accompanied us was now seated in the Samaritan synagogue ; yet it was easy to see that the Jew was jealous of the attention which we paid to the Samaritans. After taking leave of the priest and his son, we were conducted again to the Jewish quarter. We found a Rabbi, an old grey-haired man, sitting in the syna- gogue, reading the Talmud. We spoke a good deal with him in Hebrew, chiefly pointing out " the Lord our right- eousness." It was pleasant to speak even a word to a Jew, in the city where Jacob often dwelt ; and to a Samaritan in the very place where Jesus said, " Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white already to the harvest."' Our Jewish guide next led us to a handsome fountain of water at the west end of the town within the walls. It seemed to be supplied from Mount Gerizzim. He said that Jacob had built the walls of it. A little Jew boy, named Mordecai, with sparkling bright eyes, had for some time kept fast hold of Mr M'Cheyne'a hand. He could speak nothing but Arabic ; but by means of most expressive signs, he entreated Mr M. to go with him. He consented, and the little boy, with the greatest joy, led him through streets and lanes, then opening a door, and lead- 1 John IV. 3.">. J^ 1 IM 1 c » MORDECAl, A JEW BOY. 21? ing the way up a stair, he brought him to the house of the Jewish Hazan. The room into which he was led was very clean, delightfully cool, and neatly furnished, in the Eastern mode, with carpets and a divan with cushions all round. The Hazan was not at home, but his wife soon appeared, and re- ceived the stranger with all kindness. She was dressed in the peculiar attire of the Jewish female, and carried a long pipe in her hand, which she occasionally smoked. Her only language was Arabic, for the females in Palestine appear to be strangers to the Hebrew, and are thus entirely shut out from understanding the Word of God which is read in the synagogues. She ordered rosewater to be brought — and then coffee — and seemed gratified to be permitted to entertain her unexpected guest. On taking leave, the little guide urged him to pay another visit. He led the way to the Bazaar, and there stopped beside the shop of a merchant, a venerable- looking man, saying Yehudi, " a Jew." Sitting down on the stone pavement, the Hebrew Bible was produced, and the pas- sage read was " the dry bones" of Ezekiel. Several Jews ga- thered round who could speak Italian or the Lingua Franca, and all joined in the discussion by turns. The merchant him- self seemed to be a worldly Jew, and cared little about divine things ; but some of the rest were interested. Leaving this group, the little Jew proposed to guide Mr M, to the Well of Jacob, which he said he knew. But the day was too far spent, as we had agreed to leave Sychar at noon. With dif- ficulty, Mr M. now prevailed upon little Mordecai to come with him to our tents, to receive a reward for all his kindness. Giving him a Hebrew tract for the Hazan, another for the old Jew in the Bazaar, and a third for his father, and putting a silver piece into his hand, which seemed to fill him with wonder, we bade farewell to little Mordecai. We felt sorry to part so soon from such a scene as this. The twice-repeated blessing of fruitfulness put upon the land of Joseph lingers about the vale of Sychar still, " Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew. and for the deep that coucheth beneath, and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon."' It seemed almost as if the Lord remembered still the kindness of its former people, and kept this natural beauty around it as a memorial. I Ueut xxxiJi. Vi. 14. Gen. xux. "22, 213 SYCIIAR FOUR .TEWS. We were in the act of preparing to mount our horses, when the four interesting Jews with whom we had sailed from Syra to Alexandria,' arrived at the very spot of our encamp- ment. We could scarcely believe our eyes ; but so it was. They were mounted on horses, and had proceeded thus far on their pilgrimage to Jerusalem. After we left them in Egypt, they had sailed from Alexandria to Beyrout, endured the six- teen days' quarantine there, and were now accomplishing the object of their journey. We met like old friends ; they all saluted us with great heartiness, and were willing ere we parted to receive Hebrew tracts from us. We delayed a short time conversing with them, and then about one o'clock bade fare- well to them and to Sychar. The road from this to Samaria is perhaps the best we tra- velled in all Palestine. It is a level, broad highway at the base of hills — no doubt once much frequented by the kings of Israel, who would keep the highway to their capital in good repair. The direction it takes is north-west for about one hour, and then over a ridge which may be regarded a con- tinuation of Ebal. The vale down which we rode was well watered everywhere ; a fine stream meanders through it, and tliere are many wells ; forming a complete contrast to the south part of the land.^ The gardens on every hand are very luxuriant, the trees wearing their richest foliage ; the tig, olive, and orange trees laden with fruit. We observed gardens of onions which seemed to rival those of Egypt. Many villages embosomed in trees also came in sight. A small village on the left was called Bet-Ouzin. Another on the hill Bet-Iba. Below this an old aqueduct having eleven arches crosses the valley, the water of which turns a mill. Before leaving the Valley of Nablous, we looked back and obtained a view of Ebal, strikingly rocky and sterile. Our route now lay north west over a considerable ridge, during the ascent of which we obtained a view of many dis- tant villages ; and among others Ramia, on an eminence. When we had gained the summit, the hill of Samaria came in sight, rising out of the plain to the height of about four hundred feet. It is an oblong hill sloping up toward the west, and has a considerable extent of table-land on the top. The plain, near the head of which it stands, stretches far to ^he west, and the mountains that enclose it are lofty. It is a RUINS OF SAMARIA. 219 hill in the midst of higher hills ; a noble situation for a roya. city, A grove of olives covers the plain, and the lower parr of the southern side of the hill. On the mountain to the right stands a picturesque village called Nakoura, and on the sum- mit a white tomb of a Moslem saint. We read over the pro- phecy of Micah' regarding Samaria as we drew near to it, and conversed together as to its full meaning. We asked Dr Keith what he understood by the expression " I will make Samaria as an heap of the Ji eld V He replied, that he sup- posed the ancient stones of Samaria would be found, not in the form of a ruin, but gathered into heaps in the same man- Jier as in cleaning a vineyard, or as our farmers at home clear their fields by gathering the stones together. In a little after we found the conjecture to be completely verified. We halted at the eastern end of the hill beside an old aqueduct, and im- mediately under the ruin of an old Greek church which rises on this side above the miserable village of Subuste.^ The ruin is one of the most sightly in the whole of Palestine. We ascended on foot by a narrow and steep pathway, which soon divides into two, and conducts past the foimdations of the ruined church to the village. The pathway is enclosed by rude dykes, the stones of which are large and many of them carved, and these are piled rather than built upon one an- other. Some of them are loose and read}'^ to fall. Many are peculiarly large, and have evidently belonged to ancient edi- fices. Indeed, the whole face of this part of the hill suggests the idea that the buildings of the ancient city had been thrown down from the brow of the hill. Ascending to the top, we went round the whole summit, and found marks of the same process everywhere. The peo- ple of the country, in order to make room for their fields and gardens, have swept off the old houses, and poured the stones down into the vallev. Masses of stone, and in one place two broken columns, are seen, as it were, on their way to the bot- tom of the hill. In the southern valley, we counted thirteen large heaps of stones, most of them piled up round the trunks of the olive-trees. The church above mentioned is the only solid ruin that now remains, where the proud city once stood. 1 Mioal: i. G. 1 Herod rebuilt the city and called it Sebaste, which means " aupust, or venerable," in lionnur of Aucustiis Cssar* but God had written its doom ct-n- turies before. 220 RUINS OF SAA1AR1A. In the houses of the villagers, we saw many pieces of ancienf columns, often laid horizontally in the wall ; in one place, a Corinthian capital, and in another, a finely-carved stone. Near the village, and in the midst of a cultivated field, stood six columns, bare and without their capitals, then seven more that appear to have formed the opposite side of the colonnade ; and at a little distance about seventeen more. Again, on the north-east side, we found fourteen pillars standing. But the greatest number were on the north-western brow. Here we counted fifty-six columns in a double row at equal distances, ill wanting the capital, many of them broken across, and some having only the base remaining. These ruins may be ^he remnant of some of Samaria's idolatrous temples, or more probably of a splendid arcade, which may have been carried completely round the city. And these are all that remain of Samaria, " the crown of pride !" The greater part of the top of the hill is used as a field ; the crop had been reaped, and the villagers were busy at the thrashing-floor. Part of the southern side is thickly planted with figs, olives, and pome- granates. We found a solitary vine, the only representative of the luxuriant vineyards which once supplied the capital. At one point, a fox sprang across our path into the gardens, a living witness of an unpeopled city. It was most aflPecting to look round this scene of desolation, and to remember that this was the place where wicked Ahab built his house of Baal, where cruel Jezebeel ruled, and where Elijah and Elisha did their wonders. But above all, it filled the mind with solemn awe to read over on the spot the words of God's prophet uttered 2500 years before — " I will male Samaria as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vine- yard ; and I will pour down the stones thereof into the val- ley, and I will discover the foundations thereof"^ Every clause reveals a new feature in the desolation of Samaria, dif- fering in all its details from the desolation of Jerusalem,'^ and every word has literally come to pass. We had found both on the summit and on the southern valley, at every little in- terval, heaps of ancient stones piled up, which had been ga- thered off the surface to clear it for cultivation. There can be no doubt that these stones once formed part of the temples, and palaces, and dwellings of Samaria, so that the wojd is fulfilled, '' / will make Samaria as an heap of the field." I Mic. L « t See pages 1»(), liK. FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY. 221 We had also seen how completely the hill has been cleared of all its edifices, the stones gathered off it as in the clearing of a vineyard, the only columns that remain standing bare, without their capitals, so that, in all respects, the hill is left like " the plantings of a vineyard,^^ either like the bare vine- shoots of a newly planted vineyard, or like the well-cleared terraces where vines might be planted.' Still farther, we had seen that the ruins of the ancient city had not been left to moulder away on the hill where they were built, as is the case with other ruined cities, but had been cleared away to make room for the labours of the husbandman. The place where the buildings of the city stood has been tilled, sown, and reaped ; and the buildings themselves rolled down over the brow of the hill. Of this, the heaps in the valley, the loose fragments in the rude dykes that run up the sides, and the broken columns on their way down into the valley, are wit- nesses ; so that the destroyers of Samaria (whose very names are unknown), and the simple husbandman, have both unwit- tingly been fulfilling God's word, " / will pour down the stones thereof into the valley." And last of all, we had no- ticed that many of the stones in the valley were large and massy, as if they had been foundation-stones of a building, and that in many parts of the vast colonnade nothing more than the bases of the pillars remain. But especially, we ob- served that the ruined church had been built upon foundations of a far older date than the church itself, the stones being of great size, and bevelled in a manner similar to the stones of the temple wall at Jerusalem, and those of the mosque at Hebron ; and these foundations were now quite exposed. So that the last clause of the prophecy is fulfilled with the same awful minuteness, " / will discover the foundations thereof.^' Surely there is more than enough in the fulfilment of this fourfold prediction to condemn, if it does not convince, the infidel. We examined the old church at the east end of the hill. It is a massy substantial building, supposed to have been built in the times of the Crusades, as there are many crosses of the Templars on its architecture. The Moslems have broken away one of the limbs of each of the crosses in their zeal to shape them into the form of a crescent. Within the area of tha 1 The word in the original may oignify either the bare vine-shoots, or tb# 9tat of ground where the vines are plnncetl. 222 SAMARIA SCENERY. ehurch, there is a tomb where tradition says that John the Baptist was buried. Having obtained lights, we descended twenty-one steps into a handsome vault, the floor of which was tesselated with marble. There were five niches for the dead. The centre one was said to be that of the Baptist, and the door had a hinge of stone like the remarkable doors in the sepulchres of the kings at Jerusalem. " Now," said our friend Giuseppe with great gravity, '' Tell your father when you go back to your own country, that you have seen the tomb of John the Baptist !" But the natural scenery of Samaria had greater charms for us. The situation of the city is worthy of particular notice. The sun, about two hours from setting, was gilding the whole country with his mellowed rays, while we stood and gazed around. We could plainly see the meaning of Isaiah's de- scription, " Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, on the head of the fat valleys of them that are over- come with wine.'" The valley near the head of which the hill of Samaria stands, is even now rich in olive-trees, and pro- bably abounded in vineyards and gardens in former days, while the hill itself, covered with palaces and towers, rose over it like a glorious crown. The natural strength of the position of the city at once suggested the true force of the words of Amos, " Woe to them that trust in the mountain of Samaria."'^ Within half an hour's distance of the hill on the north and south, and still nearer on the east, the ring of lofty hills which enclose the valley of Samaria begins to rise. These are what the Scripture calls " the mountains of Samaria." They en- compass the city, so that in the days of Israel's glory, when they were all clad in vineyards, the capital would appear en- circled by plenty and luxuriance. The days are coming, when these same " mountains of Samaria" shall again be clothed more luxuriantly than ever, and cultivated by the hands of ransomed Israel ; for the same unerring word that foretold the present desolation, has foretold the coming glory, " Thou 'ihalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria ; the planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things."'' We remembered the history of the siege of Samaria by Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria,* and observed how easy it would be to shut in such a city on every side, so as to cut otF ' I(«. XXVIII. 1. See Lo-^tli's N'ote. t Amo5. vi. 1. t Jiv. XXXI. 'j. « :i K.iiiK!> VI. I'i. VI£\V FROM HILLS OF SAMARIA. 223 the supplies; and it occurred to us, that probably the unbe- lieving lord, who was trodden to death in the gate, was thrown down by the stream of people rushing down the hill toward the Syrian camp.' As we had still a journey of several hours before us, we were compelled to leave Subuste before sunset. We heard the sound of the millstone in some of the houses as we passed, and saw a man kneeling in prayer on the roof of his house, reminding us of Peter at Joppa.^ It was very pleasant to remember that along the road we had come, and on the spot we had been traversing, Philip the Evangelist preached Christ unto the people. '' There was great joy in that city"^ then — greater than in the days of her royal magnificence, for Philip brought them jfjy from the fountain of life. Regaining the public road, we proceeded due north to the foot of the hills which enclose the valley of Samaria, having high on our right a village called " Bet-emireen," " the house of Emirs." In about half an hour we began to ascend, and came to a romantic village called Bourka, half-way up the mountain. The peasants were all actively engaged at the thrashing-floor ; their houses were built entirely of mud, but pleasantly surrounded by olive-trees, out of which the voice of the turtle sounded sweetly as we passed. Looking back we saw the whole of " the fat valley" beautifully illumined by the last rays of the setting sun. A very steep and difficult ascent soon brought us to the summit of the ridge, when a magnificent scene burst on our view. To the west lay the Mediterranean Sea, and that part oi the plain of Sharon whicli stretches to ancient Caesarea ; to the north, immediately be- neath us, Wady Gaba, a fine valley or undulating plain, whicli seemed like a Paradise, watered by a winding stream, and abounding in olive-trees. This stream we afterwards con- jectured to be the brook Kanah mentioned in Joshua.^ To the north-east rose the hills of Galilee, among which we thought we could distinguish Mount Tabor in the distance. At tlie head of the valley below, appeared a sheet of water, the first we had yet seen in this country. Slanting down the moun- tain side, which the Arabs called Jebel Gaba, in a north-east- erly direction, we passed through the small village Matalish, and then through the village of Gaba ; the latter may possi- : II Kiugs vji. 17 » Acts x. 9 3 Acts VIII. 8. 4jusL.xv(.8 ivu. 224 CASTLE OF SANOUR — POOL OF WATER. bly indicate the position of the ancient Gibbethon, where Na- dab, the son of Jeroboam, was slain by Baasha,' for that town seems to have been near Tirzah, and Tirzah was near to Sa- maria. The moon rose with great beauty, and the noise of the grasshoppers quite filled the valley. The glowworms and fire-flies were scattering their light around us. At length we encamped on the plain opposite Sanour, The time in which the servants were occupied in putting up the tents generally afforded us a profitable hour for meditation and retirement under the shady trees. In our evening worship together we read ii Kings vi, which recounts some of Elisha's deeds in Samaria. We set out at six next morning (June 21), and passed by the foot of a steep rocky hill, upon which stands the ruined castle of Sanour, a relic of crusading times. We were now within the borders of the half- tribe of Manasseh, and remarked the abundance of streams and the remnants of fertility, far exceeding any thing we had seen in the southern parts of the country, — as if the blessing put " upon the crown of the head of him that \fas separated from his brethren," had not yet passed away. We rode alongside of the large sheet of water which we had seen the night before at the head of the valley. The Arabs called it Merj Ibnama. It is merely a gathering of water left by the latter rains, and is often dried up in summer. A much larger supply of rain than usual had fallen this year, which accounted for its being so full at this advanced season. It resembled not a little the Compensation Pond among the Pentland Hills near Edinburgh. We came upon two men ploughing with oxen, and noticed that they held the plough only with one hand. The soil ap- peared rich and fertile. Thousands of a blue star-shaped flower, the name of which we did not know, decked the ground, mingled here and there with the pink, anemone, a very large species of coi. toIvuIus, and the tall plants of the lavatera. The beautiful hills all round the plain were clothed with brush- wood, with olives and fig-trees sometimes running up a short way from their base. Leaving this pleasant vale, we soon came to a height from which the hiUs of Galilee again came in view. From this we descended a rocky pass into a rich olive valley, with yellow 1 I KiuRS XV 27; xvt. 1*. TOWN OF JENIN — PLAIN OF ESDRAELON. 2'25 corn-fields beyond, and found the large Arab village of Gaba- tieh. Some of the houses were well built of stone, others *vere entirely of mud. They had no windows except loop- holes, and these generally looking into the court of the house ; the doors also were very low, perhaps for the purpose of de- fence. Emerging from the olive-grove we got a full sight of its beauty, and again remembered the many Scriptures which compare the soul of a thriving believer to a green and vigorous olive-tree.^ Two things seem invariably united in this land, namely, the voice of the turtle wherever there is an olive-grove, and a village wherever the eye discerns verdure. We met here, and often afterwards throughout the day, camels carrying home the harvest, with tinkling bells hanging fri)m their neck. Many splendidly coloured butterflies were on the wing, and lizards without number were seen basking up- on the rocks. Descending a ravine, still to the north-east, on the banks of a small stream running in the same direction, we reached Jenin in three hours from Sanour. This is the fron- tier town of the great plain of Esdraelon in this direction, so that it must always have been a place of some importance. It is believed to be the ancient Gincea, mentioned in the wars of Josephus. It is still a considerable town, surrounded with gardens and hedges of prickly pear, interspersed with a few graceful palm-trees, over which rises a mosque with its point- ed minaret. The Bedouin camel-drivers seem to make it a place of rendezvous. Many of their brown tents were planted near, closely resembling our gipsy encampments ; and in one of their herds we counted as many as thirty camels. We halted for a short time under the shade of a spreading tree, while our servants went into the town to buy provisions. Turning now to the N. W. we began to move along the edge of the plain of Esdraelon, the ancient valley of Jezreel. Very large fields of ripe barley occasionally occurred, sometimes a grove of olive-trees, but oftener the plain was waste and given over to thorns. It is melancholy to traverse the finest spots in this land, and to find them open and desolate. Even the high- ways are gone, along which the chariots of the kings of Jezreel used to run. The times of Shamgar are returned — " In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways."'^ The threatening of Moses is fulfilled, " The land shall rest 1 See p. 106. 2 Judg. v. 6. 226 VfLLARB OF RAMOlTN? — WASTE REGION. and shall enjoy lior Sabbattis, wliile sho lieth desolate."' We felt the heat of the sun very intense, while it poured its rays down upon the plain. Sometimes we sought a moment's shel- ter under a shady tree, and sometimes we rode briskly for- ward to create a refreshing current in the air. It was over these level fields that the Canaanites used to drive their iron chariots in the days of Joshua ;^ and it was in these plains that Sisera was defeated with his multitude and nine hundred chariots of iron : " The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanaoh by the waters of Megiddo."^ We saw how easily Ahab could ride in his chariot from Car- mel to Jezreel, while Elijah ran before him, there being no obstacle in all the plain ;* and also how Jehu " could drive furiously"^ as he came up from Jordan toward Jezreel. It was in another part of the same valley that good king Josiah came to fight with Pharaoh Necho in the valley of Megiddo, when the archers shot at him and wounded him in his chariot, and he died.^ Leaving the plain we entered among the low swelling hills on the west near a village, Bourkeen, in less than three hours from Tenin, and arrived at Raraouni, (that is, " pomegranate,") a village finely embosomed in fig-trees, olives, and pomegranates, from the midst of which came the voice of the blackbird and turtle-dove. Could this be Haddad-rimmon, of which Zecha- riah speaks, and which was near the valley of Megiddo V There is space for a large town here, and there are many re- servoirs of water, which shew that it has been a place of some importance. Flocks of goats were couching by the well, and the Arab women were milking them, while a boy drew water in a skin and poured it into the trough. Our way lay west- ward over the slope of low undulating hills, covered with the earob-tree, and evergreen oak, a finely wooded wilderness. Immense thistles, having heads of a rich violet hue. Spina Christi, lavatera, convolvulus, and our common holyhock, were the most abundant plants. We encamped at noon under the deep shade of a carob-tree of unusual size, and employed oui-- Kelves in writing up our notes and gathering wild flowers. Leaving at three o'clock, we rode through a fine sylvan soli- tude, hills and dales, all wild and seemingly untrodden, yet 1 Lev. XXVI. 3+. 2 Josh. xvti. 16. s Judg-. IV. 15; v. 19. * I Kings xviii. 44. s » Kings ix. 20. « ii Chron. xxxv. 2t r Zech. xti. 11. VIM-AGK OF OALKE. 227 frequently having ruins and traces of ancient terraces, which shewed that once it had been a peopled land. The first village we came to was called Ani-el-Fehm, that is, " mother of charcoal," probably from the abundance of wood which clothes the hill on which it stands, and the whole neigh- bourhood. Soon after, an opening in the hills gave us a rich prospect to the north-east over the plain of Esdraelon, as far as the hills of Nazareth, which seemed to be not many hours dis tant. Riding still north-west, the hill began to assume a more barren aspect, and the valleys looted sad and w^ste. Thistles, browned and withered, held undisputed reign, and the white stones covering the side reminded us of the valley of dry bones. Toward sunset the mountains opened to the west, and we looked down upon the Mediterranean Sea — the great plain of waters, — and the line of coast near Cassarea. Here our guide missed the track, but after passing a poor miserable liamlet, Cafreen, where not a tree grew, nor a single shrub, except one small cluster of the prickly pear, we reached a con- venient spot for encamping near another village called Dalee. The frogs kept up an incessant croaking in the wady below, and the fire-flies glistened in the dusky air. Ibraim brought a plentiful supply of rich goat's milk from the village, a re- freshing accompaniment to our evening meal. We had this day been passing through a portion of the land whose luxu^ riance used to be proverbial, and yet we had seen little else than a labyrinth of thorns and briery plants. Isaiah xxxii. 13, again came to mind, and the remembrance was soothing, fur as certainly as the curse has been fulfilled, so shall the Wessing — " the Spirit shall be poured out from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field." Next morning (June 22), as we left the poor village of Dalee, we noticed the women carrying their children, some on their sides and some on their shoulder. We were now traversing the portion of Issachar, whose " land was pleasant," and out of which princes came to the help of Deborah : yet now the pasture was scorched and withered, and tlie only traces of fertility were a few patches of barley and tobacco. As we approached the sea a cool breeze sprung up, which tem- pered the excessive heat of the morning. For about an hour after resuming our journey, the same features as before pre- vailed over the country, the only variety being a few Bedouin tents, '• tents of Kedar." In about an hour we began to de- 228 VILLAGE OF IGZIM — MEDITERRANEAN. scend towards the west, and the country became much more fertile, assuming the appearance of the hill country between Bethlehem and Hebron. The swelling hills were covered with verdant brushwood, out of which issued the cooing of the dove. The deep thickets of evergreen frequently suggested to us the idea of the ancient groves of idolatry where they " inflamed themselves with idols under every green tree."^ We ap- proached a large and important-looking village, called Igzim. The houses seemed to be solidly built of stone, and there wen? many large enclosures of prickly pear. Often, too, we noticed here " the lodge in a garden of cucumbers."^ Instead of entering the village, we turned to the right into a wild pass between wooded hills, v/hich in a short time be- came a rocky defile, with a single sharp-pointed rock over- hanging the entrance. Climbing up to this rocky pinnacle, we found some deep natural caves, which may have afforded a shelter to the prophets in the days of Elijah. The defile down which we had come issues suddenly into the narrow plain along the sea-shore, which is a continuation of the plain of Sharon. From the rocky height this plain lay stretched at our feet, and on the shore there were heaps of rubbish without any definite ruin, which mark the situation of Tortura, the ancient Dor, nine miles north of Caesarea, one of the towns out of which Manasseh was not able to drive the Canaanites.^ On the rocks above us we saw the vulture perched looking out for his prey. After slanting across the plain, which was co- vered sometimes with fields of barley, sometimes with sesamine, and still oftener lay waste, our road lay parallel to the shore, and within view of it ; at length we came upon the shore of the Mediterranean, happy again to meet its deep blue waters. Proceeding north, we came in about an hour to a small stream which here runs into the sea ; its banks were skirted with tall oleanders in full bloom, and as we forded the stream many tortoises dropt into the water from the banks. Soon after, looking back we saw on a projecting point of the shore some conspicuous ruins of pillars and ancient buildings. The place is called by the Arabs Athlete, and anciently Castellum Pe- regrinorum. We were anxious to press forward, and there- fore did not turn aside to examine the ruins. We remembered with interest that we were now in Paul's footsteps, when he travelled with a few friends in the opposite J Ix. Lvii. 5. • iM. ». 8. 3 Jush. XVII. U. 12. MOUNT CARMEL — FIRST IMPRESSION*. 229 direction from Ptolemais to Cassarea.' Four miles farther north we came under the sloping sides of Mount Carmel, but it was some time before we could be persuaded that it was really the hill we had read of from infancy. It did not pre- sent an imposing appearance ; but, on the contrary, seemed low and almost uninteresting. One of our number exclaimed, " Is this Carmel ? Lachnagar is finer than this !" We had been expecting to see a majestic mountain towering high over the sea, and felt not a little disappointed to find the real Car- mel a moderately high ridge, becoming less lofty and conspi- cuous as it approaches the sea, till it terminates in a point about 900 feet in height. Before we left Carmel, however, and especially after viewing the whole extent of it from the heights above Acre, this feeling of disappointment was entirely done away. At its northern extremity, it comes very near the sea, so that there is but a narrow strip of land between the steep rocky side of the mountain and the shore. Upon this narrow strip were pitched a multitude of tents of all shapes and sizes, while men of different costumes were couching round them, or wan- dering along the beach. It was an animating scene, and would have been more so had we not known that this was the station where we must perform quarantine. The plague had been for a long time prevailing in several parts of the south of Pales- tine, but it had not spread to the north of Carmel. Accord- ingly, all travellers from the south were obliged to rest here in quarantine for fourteen days, or, if they consented to have all their clothes bathed in the sea, for seven days. We pitched on the shore, the waves of the sea almost washing the cords of our tents, and an Egyptian soldier, a simple good-natured man, was appointed our guardiano, to see that we touched nobody ; for should it happen that any one touch the person, or clothes, or cord of a tent, of any other party in quarantine, they are obliged to begin their days of quarantine anew. The view which we enjoyed from our tent-door was every way splendid. The deep blue Mediterranean was in front of us, bounded only by the horizon. On the right was the beau- tiful Bay of Acre, round the whole sweep of which the eye could wander, uninterrupted except by the distant battlements of the town, or by small native vessels sailing past. In the distant background rose Jebel Sheikh, the ancient Hermon,^ 230 MOUNT CARMEI. — QUARANTINE — SABBATH. Avhich " the Sidonians called Sirion, and the Amorites Shenir;'' a noble mountain, where were " the lions' dens and the moun- tains of the leopards."' The sea-breeze was pleasant and re- freshing, and we had the pleasure of bathing daily in the cool waters ; but the sand often glowed like a furnace, and the ther- •mometer was generally 86'^ F. day and night. It was here that Giuseppe, the native of Bethlehem who accompanied us from Jerusalem, took leave of us. He insisted on our giving him a hacJcshish, which we could not refuse, although we con- sidered that the favour was all on our side. He kissed our hands again and again, bidding us Addio. The next morning was the Sabbath (June 23), and we wel- comed the day of rest. Quietly seated in our tents, we read over and meditated upon the history of Elijah, especially his sacrifice on this mountain and his prayer, when seven differ- ent times he said to his attendant, " Go again. "^ In the cool of the evening we wandered far from the tents, and had de- lightful leisure and retirement, and every assistance from as- sociation, to spread before God the case of our own souls, our ])eople, our land, and our journey in behalf of Israel. We longed for the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous Elijah. The greater part of Monday was occupied in dipping our tents, clothes, &c. in the sea, while our books and papers were all fumigated, — inconveniences to which we willingly submitted that our quarantine might be shortened to seven days. It seems very doubtful whether quarantines, as at present con- ducted, serve any good purpose. A traveller whose tent was next to ours told us that his servant, anxious to spare a hand- some coat from being plunged in the salt-water, hung it up among the drying clothes as if it had been immersed in the sea. Our own guardiano, whenever he came to any article of value, proposed, with a look of inexpressible cunning, to bury it in the sand till the fumigating was over, and seemed not to understand why we would not agree to it. The ope- rations of this day made us understand better the command so frequently given in the ceremonial law, " He shall wash his clothes and be unclean till evening."^ The remaining days of this week were spent in extending our notes, writing letters to the Committee of our Church, and to friends at home, in preparing ourselves for farther in- quiries concerning Israel, and in solitary meditations while 1 Souk 'V- <*• * ' Kiii;;> xviii. 4i 3 Lev. xi. iU, &c. INFORMATION FROM OTHER TRAVELLERS. 231 we ratnliled along tlie shore. The heat was uniformly great. Before dawn, indeed, and toward sunset, there was generally a pleasant breeze, but on account of the nearness of the sea. the heat was as great at night as through the day. The food furnished to us was simple and wholesome. The inhabitants of the neighbouring town of Khaifa brought water-melons, and cusas, and fruits in abundance. Water, however, was sometimes scarce, there being but one well to supply the qua- rantine, and that one not very plentiful. We had long been strangers to the luxury of sitting upon a chair, and now felt the want of that accommodation less than we should otherwise have done. Still, the uneasy position of sitting upon the sand with our writing-desk supported on our knees, made the labour of writing in such a climate much greater than any one can imagine who has not made the same attempt. Lord Hamilton and Mr Littleton were fellow-prisoners with us ; and in a tent at some distance from us, Lord Rokeby, au English nobleman, who also had been travelling in these coun- tries. Stretched upon the sand at respectful distances, under the eye of our guardiano, we held friendly conferences on the wonders we had seen. Dr Keith frequently ajjplied and ex- pounded the prophecies of the Word of God. On one occa- sion, in speaking of the wild animals that are found in the land at present. Lord Hamilton mentioned that his servant liad seen during the preceding night two lynxes from Mount Carmel, with bright glaring eyes, quite near the tents. Near the Jordan, too, they had seen many wild boars and lynxes ; and at Jenin, before dawn one morning, his servant had seen sixteen hyenas at one time. Sometimes when the tide retired (for there is an ebb and flow of a few feet at this place), we gathered shells and sponge among the rocks. We saw some of our neighbours seeking for specimens of the shell-fish from which, in ancient times, used to be extracted the famous purple dye. We did not see them find any specimens, but were told that still this is found liere. It used to be found in all parts of the Bay, and there were two kinds of it. One of these yielded a dark blue co- lour, the other a brighter tint, like scarlet ; and by mingling together these two juices, the true purple colour was obtained. It was thus that Asher, whose rich and beautiful plain sup- plied viands fit for the table of kings, yielded also the dye of their royal robes, conveved to many a distant court by the 232 MOUNT CARMEL — SIR M05ES MOVrKFTORR. merchants of Tyre and Sidon. And thus we see the full mean- ng of Jacob's blessing on Asher, " he shall yield royal dain- ties."i Grasshoppers abounded in the fields between the shore and the hill, and we found a few scorpions of a black colour ; small, but dangerous on account of their venom. One evening, when we were walking along the beach, our guardiano discovered one. He instantly stamped upon it with his foot, and after- wards shewed us its sting. This reminded us of the asp on whose hole the " sucking child shall play."^ We enjoyed the view of several magnificent sunsets here. One evening especially the sun went down behind the great waters, tinging a vast array of fleecy clouds with the most gorgeous crimson. In the course of the week, Sir Moses Mon- tefiore and his company arrived in quarantine, pitching their tents a little way to the south of us. He kindly sent us a present of a fine water-melon, and afterwards two bottles of the " wine of Lebanon," procured from the convent on Mount Carmel. If this was a fair sample of that famous wine, it must have lost much of its excellence since the days of Hosea, ' for it is not very pleasant to the taste. It has the same pe- culiar flavour with the wine of Cyprus, a flavour said to be communicated by the tar put upon the thread with which the skins containing the wine are sewed. Sir Moses and Dr Keith frequently walked on the beach, conversing on the prophecies that had been fulfilled in the desolations of the land, a subject to which the former had evidently paid a good deal of atten- tion ; but he positively declined all reference to the New Tes- tament. During the greater part of Saturday, although the heat was very great, he and his lady, and a medical attendant, who was a very bigoted Jew, went through the Jewish service with scrupulous attention. On Friday evening (June 28), a party of Egyptian Arab soldiers of the Pasha came into quarantine, and encamped be- side us. They were rude undisciplined barbarians, having nothing but their pikes and muskets, which they fixed by stick- ing the bayonets into the sand. They had often noisy quar- rels with one another, and sometimes as we passed their tents, half in jest, half in earnest, would level their muskets at us, cry- t Gen. xux. 20. The original word CD''3^yD means whatever ddighta • T - : - and reefiiles, and its cognate is expressly applied to dress in ii Sam. r 24. « Isa. XI. 8. e H>«s. \iv. 7. GUARANTIEE — CASE OF PLAGUK. 233 ing. " Nazarani." At night, we heard them chanting their Arab songs in the same way as we had heard our Egyptians do in the desert, — a single voice leading, and a chorus re- sponding with clapping of hands. ^ On the Saturday, a woman and her two children, in a tent within a few yards of ours, were declared by the physician to be ill of plague. This was a solemn intimation in such cir- cumstances ; but we remembered the 91st Psalm, and entrusted ourselves more entirely to Him who had brought us hitherto. None of the cases proved fatal during our stay. We had a longing desire to ascend the summit of Mount Carmel, that we might see the place from whence Elijah's servant saw the cloud no bigger than a man's hand, and that we might fully understand the Scripture references to it, several of which did not at that time appear so exactly suitable as we had found the references in regard to other places. But the regulations of quarantine would not permit us to wander to so great a dis- tance. For the present, therefore, we were satisfied to skirt the foot of the hill, and to examine the large caverns which are to be found there. The limestone rock of this mountain abounds in them ; and in some such cave Obadiah hid the Lord's prophets, and fed them with bread and water.'^ "We were assured that there are no caves on the summit of the mountain, so that it cannot be in reference to them that Amos speaks of sinners hiding " in the top of Carmel."^ On Sabbath morning (June 30), after worshipping together in our tent, we had separated for the day to pass the forenoon in retirement, when suddenly we were roused by hearing loud cannonading from the opposite side of the bay, and, looking up, saw the town of Acre enveloped in smoke. This continued for nearly an hour. What it meant we could not imagine ; but at last a courier arrived from Acre, to announce that the Pasha's army had gained a great victory at Nezib, and that he had commanded all the large towns to celebrate it by re- joicings during three days. This information was good news to us, and for a time set our minds considerably at rest. Our days of quarantine were now expired, though we did not in- tend to leave till Monday ; but the question with us was, — Are we to cross the country to Galilee, to inquire into the state of the Jews in that interesting region, or must we give up this fondly-cherished hope, and proceed by water to Beyrouth I iri. p. CI. SI Kinjfs XVIII. 13. s Amu» iz, t> 234 ASCEND MOUNT nARIilET . This had occupied much of our consideration the preceding day. The reports of the state of the country were very con- tradictory, some affirming that the Arabs, in absence of the Pasha's troops, were infesting the roads, plundering and mur- dering in every direction ; others declaring that there was lit- tle danger. Now, however, we joyfully concluded that the news of the victory would overawe the Arabs, and open our way into Galilee. This gave us more rest of mind for enjoy- ing the Sabbath, till the evening, when the Vice Consul of Khaifa paid us a visit which overthrew all our hopes. He came to say that the state of the roads towards Galilee was so dangerous, that he would not provide horses for us on the mor- row, since in that case he would be held responsible for our safety. Our course was now decided, and we made up our minds to sail along the coast to Bey rout. Meanwhile, in the cool of evening, we ascended ]\Tount Car- mel by a deep and rocky ravine a little way to the south. We conversed together on Elijah's wonderful answer to prayer obtained on this mountain, and felt that we could well spend the evening of the holy day in such a place. Having soon reached the summit, a considerable way above the Latin Con- vent, we sat down at a point commanding a full view of the sea to the west and to the north. Near this must have been the spot where Elijah prayed when he went up to the top of Carmel, and cast himself down upon the earth and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant, " Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And Elijah said, ' Go again,' seven times."' There we united in praying for abundance of rain to our own Bouls, our friends, and our people, and for the progress of our mission, which seemed for a time impeded. It was awfully solemn to kneel on the lonely top of Carmel. The sun was going down beyond the sea, the air was cool and delightfully })ure ; scarcely a breath of wind stirred the leaves, yet the fragrant shrubs diffused their pleasant odours on every side. A true Sabbath stillness rested on the sea and on the hill. The sea washes the foot of the hill on each side, and stretches out full in front till lost in the distance. To the east and north- cast lies that extension of the splendid plain of Esdraelon which reaches to the white walls of Acre, and through which •• that ancient river, the river Ktshon," was winding its way VIEW FROM MOUNT CARMEL. 236 to the sea, not far from the foot of Carmel. These are the waters that swept away the enemies of Deborah and Barak,' and that were made red by the blood of the prophets of Baal, after Elijah's miraculous sign of fire from heaven. To the south is seen the narrow plain between the mountains and the sea, whic^ afterwards expands into the plain of Sharon. And along the ridge of Mount Carmel itself is a range of eminences, extending many miles to the south-east, all of them presenting a surface of table-land on the top, sometimes bare and rocky, and sometimes covered with mountain shrubs. On some of these heights, the thousands of Israel assembled to meet Elijah, when he stood forth before them all and said, " How long halt ye between two opinions !" and from this sea they carried up the water that drenched his altar ; and here they fell on their faces and cried, " Jehovah he is the God, Jehovah he is the God !" The view we obtained that evening on Mount Carmel can never be forgotten. No scene we had witnessed surpassed its magnificence, and the features of it are still as fresh in our memory as if we had gazed on it but yesterday. It was, more- over, a most instructive scene ; we saw at once the solution of all our difficulties in regard to the Scriptural references to this hill. Carmel is not remarkable for height ; and is no- where in Scripture celebrated for its loftiness. At the point overhanging the sea, we have seen that it is less than 900 feet high. To the south-east it rises to the height of 1200 feet, which is its greatest altitude. But then the range of hills runs nearly eight miles into the country, and was in for- mer days fruitful to a proverb. Indeed, the name Carmel, signifying " a fruitful field," was given to it evidently for this reason. And when this vast extent of fruitful hills was covered over with vineyards, olive-groves, and orchards of figs and almond-trees, not on the sides alone, but also along the table-land of its summit — would not Carmel, worthy of the name, appear an immense hanging garden in the midst of the land ? In the days of its pristine luxuriance, before the curse of God blasted its glory, " the excellency of Carmel,"- of which the prophet speaks, must have been truly wonderful ! How- easy at that time it would have been " to hide in the top of Carmel;"''* for embowering vines and deep shady fig-trees would afford a covert for many a mile along the summit. And 1 Juu^ V. -Ji $ Isu .\ XXV. 2. 3 Amu^ ix. 3. 236 MOUNT CARMEL — PROPHECY. would not the beholder in other days at once understand ths meaning of the beautiful description of the Church given in the Song, " Thine head upon thee is like Carmel?"' Would not the jewellery and ornaments, or perhaps the wreath of flowers, around the head of an Eastern bride, resemble the varied luxuriance of the gardens of Carmel seen from afar ? There are at present in the Convent garden on the hill a few vines that produce excellent grapes ; but these are all that now remain to testify of the spot where Uzziah had his vine- dressers.^ With the exception of these, which are not pro- perly on the summit of the hill, we could not descry a single fruit-tree on the top of Carmel. A few verdant olive-trees grow at the northern roots of the hill, and some extend a short way up the side ; but the extensive summit, which was once like a garden, was covered as far as our eye reached with wild mountain shrubs and briery plants, all of stunted growth, ex- cept where the rock lay bare and without verdure under the scorching sun. The same God who said, " Zion shall be ploughed like a field," and " I will pour the stones of Samaria down into the valley," said also, " The top of Carmel shall wither;'"^ and that word we saw before our eyes fulfilled to the letter. We had a fine chain of Divine truth before us in the re- ferences made by the prophets to this mountain. Amos re- presents the guilty sinner detected, though he was to hide in its top, or plunge into the sea at its foot. Solomon shews the sinner justified in a Redeemer's righteousness, beautiful as Carmel. Micah alludes to its rich pastures, when he would express the care of the great Shepherd in feeding his justified ones, or restored Israel, and says, " Feed thy people, which (at present) dwell solitary in the wood, in the midst of Carmel."^ And when Isaiah would describe the fruitfulness and beauty of the New Earth, he can say nothing higher than this, " The excellency of Carmel shall be given unto it." Refreshed in spirit, we descended through a deep ravine, each side of which was fragrant with sweet-smelling briers. Among other plants there was abundance of the Poterium spinosum, such as we had found in the VaUey of Eschol. We reached the shore before it was dark. Early next morning (July 1) we saw an interesting scene. 1 Sons' \'i' 5. 2 II Cliron. xxvi. lb. a Aeom I. ?. t AUc. vu. !«. JEWS VISIT SIR MOSES MONTEFIORE — KHATFA. 237 About twenty Jews from Khaifa came along the shore to the tent of Sir Moses Montefiore, to shew him respect before bis departure. They were of all ages, and most of them dressed in the Eastern manner. It was atfecting to see so many of them marching in a body in their own land. Having determined to sail from Khaifa to Beyrout in a coasting vessel, we struck our tents, passed the barrier, and bade farewell to the quarantine and our kindly guardiano. We proceeded through the little plain of Khaifa, by the foot of Carmel on the north, rich in vegetable gardens, with some fine figs and olives. The entrance to the town is between liedges of prickly pear. Here we met an old Jew, originally from Vienna, who had been unable to keep up with the rest in their visit to Sir Moses, and was lingering near the town ; he wore the broad-brimmed German hat and black Polish gown. We spoke to him in German, and found him very atfable. He took two German tracts and one in Hebrew, and after briefly telling him, in Scripture language, his need of pardon, and that it came through Slessiah, we separated, never to meet till the day of Christ. A simple incident here vividly recalled a Scripture narra- tive.* A young Jew who had been out at the quarantine, was returning before us ; and he had come away, probably, before the morning meal, and now felt hungry, for he stopped under a spreading fig-tree, and, looking up, searched the branches for a ripe fig, but in vain. Khaifa is enclosed with walls, and appeared a neat little town. We found our way to the synagogue, and by this time most of the Jews had returned from their visit to Sir Moses. There were about thirty in the synagogue, all wearing the Tallith or shawl with fringes, and the Tephillin or phylac- teries, because this was the hour of morning prayer. We conversed a little with three or four Russian Jews who spoke German, and told them our object in coming from Scotland. On our asking what they expected Messiah would do at his coming, one of them said nobody could ever know that ; and this he proved by turning to Daniel xii. 9, — " The words are closed up and sealed to the time of the end." In this way he evaded the subject of a suffering Messiah. We shewed them from Isaiah i. 15, " When ye make many prayers I will not hear," that their many prayers would not justify them before 1 Matt. S.X.I. IR, 1& 238 Sail from khaifa — acre — zeeb — ttre. God. They answered, " We do not make many prayers : our prayers are very few." We pressed them also with Ezek. XXXVI. 26, to shew them that Israel at present have a heart of stone, and that they need a change of heart. Altogether they were most friendly. There were several toys present, and they too wore the Tephillin. Several of the little children came up to us, kissed our hands, and laid them on their heads, that we might bless them in the Jewish manner. They little knew how truly we longed that God would pour out his blessing upon Israel's seed, and his Spirit on their oiFspring. One fine little boy followed us to the boat, and lingered on the shore till we had fairly sailed. When we reached the shore, the men were busy in getting ready the vessel, — a large open boat without cabin, and even without an awning. A man and a boy had the management of it, a poor remnant of the Phoenician sailors so famous of old. As we sailed the town looked well from the sea, adorned with some graceful palm-trees. The flags of Britain and France were floating together on the roof of the Vice-Consul's house, and the Egyptian flag, bearing the crescent and star on a blood-red ground, waved over the fort. Behind rose Mount Carmel, stretching into the country in what seemed an unbroken range, bare and withered ; and we could now understand well the prophet's description, " Car- mel by the sea,'" for its northern extremity seems to descend into the very waters. The swell of the sea soon became un- pleasant, the vessel rocked with every breeze, and we were exposed unprotected to the burning rays of the sun. We sailed past Acre, presenting a fine but not a formidable ap- pearance. It is the ancient Ptolemais, where Paul abode one day.'^ The men soon after pointed to Zeeb, the ancient Ach- zib, one of the cities of Asher, from which he could not drive the Canaanites.^ It stands upon a slope near the sea. By sunset we were opposite Tyre, " the strong city," and could distinguish clearly the part that was once an island. Here the breeze died away, and we were becalmed for many hours. We spent a painful night exposed to the heavy dew ; but remembering how our Master slept in just such a vessel as this, we were still. At break of day we found ourselves op- posite Saida, the ancient Zidon, and could hear the distant sound of the rejoicings in the town in honour of the recent 1 Jer. xLvi. 18. 2 Acts xxi. 7 a Josh. xix. 29. Juag.r. 31 ARHIVAL AT BEYROUT MISSIONARTES. 239 victory. Soon the range of Lebanon appeared, rising ap to the clouds in tranquil majesty.' About eleven o'clock the promontory called Ras-el-Beyrout came in sight, and in a lit- tle time we sailed into the harbour of Beyrout. We were thankful to land and escape the discomforts of a Syrian boat, which we had been experiencing for twenty-eight hours. The town has a fine appearance, the rising ground behind being studded with villas, and completely clothed with verdant gardens and mulberry plantations. A dilapidated castle runs out into the sea, in the midst of a singularly beautiful bay, and over all rise the towering heights of Lebanon. The public rejoicings were going on ; the inhabitants were all dressed in their finest clothes ; some moved through the streets with instruments of music, singing and clapping of hands ; some were carried in palanquins, and some had mock- fights to the sound of music. We were glad to find refuge in the inn of Giuseppe, a Greek Christian, the first inn we had met with since leaving Alexandria. We were soon waited on by two of the American Mission- aries who are stationed here, Mr Thompson and Mr Hebard, who shewed us every kindness. They seemed to be earnest, devoted men, and have been blessed with considerable success. They have a regular Arabic service every Lord's day, at- tended by sometimes more than a hundred hearers, who are chiefly Christians of the Greek, Latin, and Armenian Churches. They have very efficient Sabbath schools for the young, and their week-day schools are attended by sixty boys and forty girls. In addition to these, they have a seminary for raising up native teachers, attended at present by about twenty Sy- rians, At this institution they first make trial of the boys for two months, and if in that time they do not evince suffi- cient aptitude or talent, their instruction is not carried far- ther. Some of those attending are Arabs ; one is an Arme- nian, one a Maronite, one a Druse ; and a few belong to the Greek Church. The Missionaries have baptized eighteen per- sons since the commencement of their labours in this country. The Roman Catholics, and still more the Maronites, are their most implacable and bigoted adversaries, throwing every ob- 1 Jer. xxir. 6 alludes to this prominent and maiestic view of Lebanon. Tlie true rendering of the whole verse is pernapsa8 louows;— " Thou, head of Leba- non, art Gilead (i. e. the heap of witness) to me; surely I will make thee a wil- derness of uninhabited cities !"— tnat is, I call upon the towering heights of Lt^ banon to Dear wituess that 1 will do this 240 BEYROUT — DRUSES — JEWISH CONVERTS. stacle in their way. The priests of both these sects would bum the Bible if they found it in possession of any of their people. Still, by means of native agency, the Bible is distri- buted, preserved, and read. The Greeks, and next to them the Armenians, have far less of a bigoted and persecuting f pirit. Mr Hebard labours here in the winter season, but ge- nerally in summer visits Mount Lebanon and labours among the Druses. These are a singular people, supposed to have been originally Mahometans, but having now scarcely any re- ligion. They worship in secret places, and have doctrines which they make known only to the initiated. They are very ignorant, but much more open to the words of the missionary than the prejudiced Maronites. Several of the resident merchants also shewed us much at- tention, especially Mr Heald, Mr KUbee, and some of our Scottish countrymen, among whom was Mr Kinnear, who has since given so interesting an account of his sojourn in the East. By a kind providence also, we now met with Erasmus Scott Caiman, a believing Jew, newly arrived from England. We had become acquainted with him in London, and were now providentially brought together, for he was destined to be our kind companion and fellow-traveller from that day till we ar- rived in England. We had also much joy in meeting with Mr Pieritz, once Jewish Rabbi at Yarmouth, now Missionary of the London Society, along with Mr Levi and Dr Gerstmann, both converted Jews and labourers in the vineyard, the former laid aside for a time through bad health, the other, the medi- cal missionary at J erusalem. Some of the Syrian young men belonging to the American seminary were very kind and at- tentive to us, especially two who could speak English very well, named Abdallah and Habib. The latter said, '' My name is Habib, that is, ' friend,' so when you want any thing you must call Habib." Frequently during our stay at Beyrout, we vi- sited the residences of the American Missionaries, delightfully situated on the high ground to the south of the town, and about half a mile distant, in the midst of mulberry gardens. From the roof and windows of Mr Thompson's house we en- joyed a splendid prospect. The coast of Syria, indented with numerous bays, stretched far to the north. But we were chiefly occupied with the view oi majestic Lebanon. It is a noble range of mountains, well worthy of the fame it has so long maintained. It is cultivated in a wonderful manner by GLORy OF LEBANON. 241 the help of terraces, and is still very fertile. We saw on some of its eminences, more than 2000 feet high, villages and luxu riant vegetation, and on some of its peaks, 6000 feet high, we could discern tall pines against the clear sky beyond. At first the clouds were resting on the lofty summit of the range, but they cleared away, and we saw Sannin, which is gene- rally regarded as the highest peak of Lebanon. There is a deep ravine that seems to run up the whole way, and Sannin rises at its highest extremity to the height of 10,000 feet. The rays of the setting sun gave a splendid tint to the lofty brow of the mountain, and we did not wonder how the church of old saw in its features of calm and immoveable majesty an emblem of the great Redeemer ; " His countenance is as Le- banon."^ The snow was gleaming in many of its highest cre- vices, reminding us of the prophet's question, " Will a man leave the snow of Lebanon ?"^ In coming through the bazaar we had seen large masses of it exposed for sale. The mer- chants slice it oft' the lump, and sell it to customers for cool- ing wine and other liquors, and it is often mixed with a sweet syrup and drunk in passing as a refreshing beverage. Not far from Sannin the ancient cedars are found, a memorial oi the glory of Lebanon. Cedars of smaller size are found also in other parts of the mountain. There are nearly 200,000 inhabitants in the villages of Lebanon, a population exceeding that of all the rest of Pales- tine. This may give us an idea of the former " glory of Lebanon, "■' and may explain the ardent wish of Moses, " I pray thee, let me go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, even Lebanon."^ Not many miles east of Beyrout, over the ridge of Lebanon, lies the beautiful vale of Coele- Syria (hollow Syria) between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon. It is said to be most fertile, and abounds in plentiful springs of water, which may perhaps be some of the " streams from Lebanon."^ At the northern extremity of that vale there is a considerable town called Hamah, supposed to be the ancient Hamath. The narrow entrance of this fine valley may be " the entrance of Hamath," in the northern portion of the land which God gave to Israel. Ezekiel xlvii. 16, joins it with Berothah, the very Beyrout where we then stood. Mr Thompson informed us of the death of the well known Lady Hester Stanhope, which bad taken 1 Song V. 15. 2 Jer. xvm. 14. 3 Isa. xxxv. 2. * Deut. III. 25. 6 Song iv. 15. 6 Num. xxxiv. 8. 242 BEYHOUT — ROMAN REMAINS — JEWS. place a few days before al her oavti residence in the mountains near to Sidon. He had attended her funeral, and read the service over the grave in her own garden. No Christian waa near her when she died, and not a para of money was found in the house. One evening we went with Mr KUbee to see the ancient columns that are sunk in the harbour, and the remains of old Mosaic pavement along the shore. These are the relics of Roman days, when Berytus was renowned for its school of jurisprudence, and frequented by the learned from various countries. An old caravansera also attracted our attention, once the resort of merchants with their camels, but now fallen into disuse. It was a large square, with buildings round thb four sides, the lower part aiFording accommodation for the ani- mals ; the upper, furnished with a gallery all round, intended for the travellers themselves. On the eastern side of the town there is a Moslem burying-ground, with a solitary cypress rising over the tombs. It was pleasant to wander there and look out upon the calm glassy sea and Lebanon. Nothing can surpass the softness of the Syrian sky at evening. At such an hour we used to see many of the citizens with their cnildren on the roofs of their houses, enjoying the cool even- ing air. Some even sleep upon the roof at this season of the year. Beyrout is one of the hottest towns in all Syria. The thermometer stood generally at 85° or 90" F. during the day, but often rose to 96*^ during the night. The reason of this seems to be, that there is little or no land breeze, owing to the proximity of the mountains, so that there is perfect stillness in the air till morning, when the sea breeze commences. There are about 200 Jews in Beyrout. We visited them and their synagogue on Friday evening at the commencement of the Jewish Sabbath. We found them generally ignorant men, with little of peculiar interest in their character. From Mr Pieritz, the missionary mentioned above, we re- ceived much important information. Speaking of the best STATIONS for the labours of a Jewish missionary, he mentioned the Grand Dutchy of Posen as one of the most promising fields in the whole world. There are nearly 100,000 Jews there, among whom the London Society have sent three labourers , but there is room for thirty. The Jews there have been en- lightened so far as to be loosened from the Talmud, and yet they are not Rationalists. This may be accounted for by the.r situation among Protestant Christians. Nearly one-half MISSIONARY STATIONS TRACTS FOR THE JEWS, 243 of all the Jewibh converts are from that country, among whom are three of the Jerusalem labourers. In Moldavia and Wallachia there is another great field, hitherto untried. The cheapness of living there is extraor- dinary, and the resources of commerce are great and unoccu- pied, so that Jevi'ish inquirers and converts could easily sup- port themselves independently of their brethren. Judeo-Po- ash and Judeo- German are the languages they speak. From personal observation, he also mentioned Gibraltar as a desirable missionary station. On one side lies the coast of Barbary, all lined with Jews, each of its towns having several thousands, and these men of singular industry. On the other side are Spain and Portugal, M'here are many called " New Christians," who are all baptized Jews, to whom a prudent missionary might find access. In Gibraltar itself are about 2000 Jews, speaking Hebrew and Spanish ; many of whom at present allow their children to attend Christian schools there. A knowledge of the Arabic language is required by a laboure;- on the Barbary coast, and Judeo- Spanish on the European side. Mr Pieritz spoke further upon the subject of tracts for THE Jews. The most useful tract for a Jew is a plain Chris- tian tract, such as one would give to a careless professing Christian, setting before him the simple truth of his lost con- dition, and the death and atonement of Christ. This is much better than a deficient controversial tract. If it is controversial, it ought to be complete, for otherwise a Jew, accustomed as he is, by studying the Talmud, to acute reasoning, will soon see its deficiency and throw it aside. The tract " Helps to Self- examination" is good, because it sets before them the law that convinces of sin, and closes with prayer for light. " The City of Refuge" is another that Mr Nicolayson considered useful. Some of Mr Pieritz's anecdotes regarding the Jews in Pa- lestine were very interesting. In Jerusalem, a Jew named Munsternetze, when pressed much to read the Bible for him- self, replied, " But I am afraid." " Why V " Because (said he) I have a wife and children." He meant, that if he were to study the Bible, he would be convinced of the truth, and would, through the enmity of the Jews, reduce his family to poverty. Six weeks after Mr Pieritz came there, a learned Jew, named Joseph, visited his house to converse with him, and remained from ten in the morning till five at night ; and the result was, that he would not read his rabbinical books any more. Not long after, he came secretly every day, and 244 BEYROUT — ACCOUNT OF JOSEPH,A JEW. they read over together most of Isaiah, and all Matthew cri- tically. One day he said that it had occurred to him that, as Messiah should have come just at the time when Christ ap- peared, it might be the case that Christ, knowing this, had taken advantage of it, and by the force of great genius, had brought all the prophecies to meet in himself. Mr Pieritz gave him Isa. liii, Dan. ix, and Zech. xii, to compare and meditate upon. When he had read the first of these chapters, he returned, saying that he understood it ; at the same time, he applied it partly to the Jews, and partly to the Messiah as one of the Jews. Mr Pieritz set him to read all the three chapters. He sat very thoughtfully for a while ; then burst out into the exclamation, " How to understand is easy e^iough, but how not to understand is the difficulty .'" From that time, he became really anxious about spiritual things. One Friday evening, talking of veracity toward God and man, reference was made to one of the Talmudical prayers, which says, " / thank thee for commanding^' such and such things, although no com- mand has been given for it in the Bible. He felt the force of this at once, and on going home, finding the table spread to usher in the Sabbath, declined the service. His friends became suspicious of him ; but his change became public in an unexpected way. A Mahometan was in the room one day, to whom Mr Pieritz said, " that the unbelief of the Jews was no objection to Christianity, as many of them did believe," appealing to Joseph, who boldly assented. The Mahometan told this to the Jews, and Jerusalem was turned upside down. An excommunication was pronounced upon Joseph, so awful that the whole synagogue M^ere m tears. They then forced him to divorce his wife, and, by repeated solicitations, to leave Jerusalem for Constantinople, whither he went, seeking Chris- tian baptism. On another occasion, a public controversy was held, in which Rabbi Benjamin was spokesman in favour of the Tal- mud. It did not last long, but three months after, he came to Mr Pieritz to say, that though convinced at the time that himself had the best of the argument, yet, on going home, he had been led to reflect and inquire. Another day, he and Rabbi Eleazar came both together with a list of questions written, but went away without proposing them, after hearing Mr Pieritz's statement of the truth. They began to read the New Testament together. One evening, while thus engaged in one of their houses, Rabbi Abraham came in unexpectedly ; INFOUMATICN REGARDING THE JEWS. 246 t}iov triod to hide their books, hut he insisted on seeing them. llpt»n a vow of eoorccy, they shewed their New Testaments. He was very angry, hut agreed to go with them to visit Mr Pieritz. He came full of fire against Christianity. He be- gan by shewing the inaccuracy of the quotation about Beth- lehem-Ephratah in Matt, ii, and said many acute things ; but Mr Pieritz kept to the statement of the gospel. Rabbi Abra- ham soon became the most earnest of the three in his love for Christianity, and aU determined to make an open profession.' Two of them belong to the best Jewish families in Russia. Chaii or Hyman Paul, a young man, became convinced of the truth and was baptized. He used to go to the convent and argue with Roman Catholics, telling them that they could not be true Christians, because they did not care for the Jews, but hated them. On one occasion, they ordered him out. On the subject of prophecy, Mr Pieritz agreed in the sen- timents of Mr Nicolayson that it is quite necessary for a mis- sionary to hold the literal interpretation of prophecy. He mentioned that some Jews in Poland condemn parts of Abar- biuel for spiritualizing. The Jews feel their dispersion to be literal ; and therefore if you explain unfulfilled prophecy by saying it is spiritual, they reckon you a kind of infidel. If you say that " a wolf" does not mean a wolf but a bad man, that " Zion" means the church, and " redeeming Israel" not redeeming Israel but something else, and yet try to convince them of the truth of Christianity from, the Bible, they think that you yourself do not believe the Bible. In arguing with the Jews, it is sometimes of importance to shew the similarity between Rabbinism and Popery,'^ and that they have the same author. One day a Jew referred to the follies trans- acted at the Holy Sepulchre, and said, " that religion cannot be true." The missionary replied, " They do just as you do , they add to the New Testament, and you add to the Old." Like the Papists, the Jews do not approve of a man reading much of the Bible, because it leads him to speculate, and they say the Rabbinical commentaries contain as much as it is pro- per to know. The parts of scripture read in the synagogue, are generally passages that do not directly instruct in doctrine. For example, they read the 52d and 54:th chapters of Isaiah, but omit the 53d. 1 The Jewish Intelligence for April 1840, gives the last accounts of these three. AU were remaining stedfast in their adherence to the truth, t>ut Abraham had gone to Constantinople, and had not i-eturned. o Sec Appendix. No. VII 246 BEYROUT — IXFORMATION REGARDING THE JEWS. In speaking of the Holy Land as a Missionary field, Mr Pieritz gave us the smallest estimate we had yet heard of the numbers of the Jews. He reckoned that in Jerusalem there are only 3000 Jews, in Saphet 2000, in Tiberias 1000, ir Hebron TOO, and in other towns and villages 1300, making in the whole land only 8000 Jews. During the last year he thought there had been a decrease in the Jewish population ; for the plague carried away more than those born during the year, and the Jewish emigrants who came to settle at Jerusa- lem during that time were not more than twenty. As to their means of support, the Ashkenazim depend wholly on the con- tributions from Europe, except in isolated cases. The Sephar- dim are not so entirely dependent on this source, as they have a little trade. If the contributions were withheld, they would all be forced to seek support by their own industry, and this would be infinitely better for them. Every intelligent friend of Israel we met agreed in this opinion. There are no Rab- bis properly speaking among the Ashkenazim, that is, the Rabbi is supi^orted in no other way than as a member of the congregation ; but among the Sephardim there are " Hacha- mim" (QiD^n) or " Wise," for they do not call them Rab- bis. These are all who are raised above the lower class, and have reached a certain standard of learning. Abo re this is the class of the " Hacham Morenu" (^I^^TIO DDH) '^'^ T T " Teacher," Him they regard with unqualified respect, and submit to him as a kind of Pope. He is well supported by them, and often lives in affluence. The Ashkenazim do not pay any such respect to their Rabbis. The Polish and Ger- man Jews are generally better scholars than the native Sephar- dim ; but, on the other hand, the latter have more knowledge of the Bible. On the Barbary coast, it is not uncommon to meet with very unlearned Jews who are well acquainted with their Bible. There is a mixture of the customs of different countries among the Jews of Palestine ; but a general inclina- tion prevails to yield to the manners and laws of the Sephar- dim ; as, for example, in the rites of burial. There is much more of Pharisaism among the Sephardim than among foreign Jews, and much less morality. Polygamy is not unfrequent among them, but is not allowed among the Ashkenazim, There are several in Jerusalem at present who have two wives, and some who have even four. Divorce occurs every day. Mr Pieritz mentioned one case of a Jewess in Jerusalem, nol above thirty years old, wlio was then married to her fifth bus- CHARACTER OF JEWS IN PALESTINE — KARAITES. 247 band. In how affecting a manner does this illustrate the question put by the Pharisee to our Lord, " Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause ?"' and the touching answer of Jesus. The Jews here are far lower in morals than those in Europe. Those living in Saphet are worse than those in Jerusalem ; those in Hebron are the most respectable of all. Their misery also is very great. It is not true, as some have supposed, that though the houses are outwardly poor, they are well-furnished within. Yet the Jews are more open and friendly in this land than in any other, because of their misfortunes. The Bible shews that affliction will be one way of humbling them.; and it is so here. In other lands, where they are involved in business, or rich and comfor+able, they will not attend to the missionary. The Jews here will take an Old Testament willingly, but often they will read the historical parts only, and not the pro- l)hets ; for it flatters their national pride to read the story of the wars of their fathers. To remedy this, the London So- ciety have published The Prophets separately, and these are often sold to them. The Karaites,^ or Jews who keep by the text of the word of God and reject traditions, abound most in the Crimea, and hence some erroneously give that country the honour of ori- ginating the name. They are generally very ignorant, hav- ing no literature of their own. In the Crimea and Turkey, they are said to repeat their prayers in Turkish. Their prayer-book is a beautiful compilation, being taken almost en- tirely from Scripture, with some hymns : and they do not omit any book of the Bible in the Scriptures, as some have asserted. The other Jews hate this sect more than they do the Gen- tiles. In regard to the literary qualifications of missionaries, the remarks of Mr Pieritz have been mostly anticipated.' He shewed the necessity of a Missionary's knowing more lan- guages than Hebrew. If he speak to them only in Hebrew, he must quote the Scripture simply as it stands in the Hebrew text, which they often understand in a different sense from what he does. For the sake of perspicuity, therefore, he must 1 Matt. XIX. 3. * C'hiTp that is, textualists, adhering to the simple Scripture, ^?^p1 and rejecting traditions. ■ See pages 193, Id-i. 248 BEYROUT — MISSIONARY QUALIFICATIOXS. explain himself in the vernacular tongue — .Tudeo-Polish or German for the Ashkenazim, and Judeo-Spanish or Arabic for the Sephardim. The study of the Talmud sharpens the intellect much ; so that a Missionary who has not studied it deeply ought to have passed through an academical education. The only way of learning it is by the help of some learned Jew. The parts that are not controversial are the most easy. Pvt one who is a Talmudist av^^ nothing more will never do for a Missionary. One aavaniage of Talmudical knowledge is, that it enables the person to argue by Talmudical logic, which is much shorter and more striking than scientific logic. Jews cannot follow a long argument. They do not feel the power of the syllogism ; and, on this account, " Leslie '3 Me- thod " does not suit them. The concluding words of our conversation with this inte- resting person were worthy of remembrance. " Rather send one good Missionary than fifty others. I have come after many Missionaries, and have wished that they had never been there. It was pleasant to come after Wolff. All the Jews in the place knew what he wanted with them — viz. that with- out Christ there is no remission of sin." (July 5.) In the streets of Beyrout, it is common to meet Druse women wearing the tan tour or " horn" of silver, with the white veil thrown over it. It is far from being a graceful orna- ment, and is adopted only by the women of Leba- non. It is likely that this fashion was borrowed originally from the lan- guage of Scripture, and not that Scripture refers to a fashion which exist- ed long before. Proba- bly the truth in regard to this custom, is the same as in regard to several practices in use among the Abyssinians ; they have grafted customs on a literal application of Scripture expressions. FUTURE MOVEMENTS. 249 Such passages as " I have defiled my horn in the dust,"' may have suggested this singular head-dress to the people of Lebanon. The horn to which the words of Scripture refer was simply, as among the Greeks, the horn of animals, — that being their principal weapon of defence, and therefore the na- tural symbol of power. We met a man carrying a wooden key hanging over his breast, and an iron key over his shoulder hanging down his back ; and we found that it is common for merchants, when they carry more than one key, to suspend them in this way over the shoulder. It was once the custom in Judah ; " The key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder."'^ Every body also seems to carry in his hand a string of beads, keeping his fingers in constant employment. Christians, Jews, and Mahometans seem equally wedded to the practice. We had been deliberating for some time as to our future movements in the important Mission with which we had been entrusted ; and now, after much anxious and prayerful deli- beration, came to a unanimous conclusion. Our valuable fel- low-traveller, Dr Black, had for some time felt the climate of Syria, and the rude manner of travelling, too much for his bodily strength, and feared that he would not be able to under- go the farther fatigue of a journey into Galilee. In these cir- cumstances, it was considered right that he and Dr Keith should proceed homewards by Constantinople and the Danube, mak- ing inquiries into the condition of the Jews in all the most important places through which that route would take them ; whilst the two younger members of the Deputation should re- main to visit the Jews of Galilee, aud return to England by a land journey through Europe. To aid us in our inquiries, Mr Caiman, a Christian Israelite, of whom we have already spoken, a man of tried integrity, who had formerly laboured five years in Palestine, and was master of the Arabic and German languages, was engaged to accompany us. On Saturday afternoon (July 6), we were present at the Arabic service in the house of Mr Hebard, the American Mis- sionary. About twenty Syrian converts were present, and among the rest a venerable old man, named Karabet, who had been twenty years Armenian Bishop in Jerusalem, but had now renounced the errors of that church at the cost of » Job XVI. 15. 2 Isa.,xxii. :i2. 250 BEYROUT — SABBATH SERVICES. sacrificing all his worldly interests. A prayer meeting was ronducted in English, and then an address and prayer in Arabic followed. In the evening, the heights of Lebanon were here and there blazing with fires kindled by the Maro- nites in honour of the feast of St John. (July 7. Sabbath.) Early this morning the missionaries came to take us to the house of the American Consul, where their forenoon service is conducted. Here, in a large com- modious room with stone floor, the open windows of which commanded a splendid view of the sea, the old castle, and Lebanon, was assembled a congregation of more than 100, consisting of English residents and their families, and many turbanned Syrians who understood English. The singing of the hymns was very sweet in a foreign land. Dr Black preach- ed from Rom. v, 1. At three o'clock, we parted with our esteemed fellow-travellers, and saw them set sail in the Aus- trian steamer for Smyrna. It was solemn and painful to se • parate from our brethren, " not knowing the things that were to befall us." We now went to the mission-house above the town ; and round the door found several of the Syrian boys waiting for the commencement of the Arabic service. Sitting down, un- der the shade of the mulberry-trees, we conversed with them. Two of them spoke English remarkably well, and went over the Old Testament history most accurately, as far as the wan- derings of Israel, accompanying every answer with most ex- pressive looks and actions. One of them especially was full of liveliness, and on asking him the story of Moses wishing to see Lebanon, related it fully, pointing to the lofty mountain towering before us. Three others sitting by occasionally add- ed a remark, while old Bishop Karabet, and many others, looked on from the steps above. Soon after, the Arabic ser- vice commenced in a large airy room, divided by a partition, except at the place where the Missionary stood. The women sat on the one side of the partition, the men on the other, ac- cording to the custom of the Christian churches of this country, the preacher standing within sight of both parts of the congre- gation. Mr Thompson preached in deeply-toned Arabic, to an attentive audience of about 130, gathered out of many ditferent countries. There were two Armenian bishops, with clean venerable beards, Karabet, and Jacob Aga ; there were Greeks and Greek- Catliolics, an Abyssinian Christian, and a lord's supper. 251 Druse, couverted Jews, American Presbyterians and Cou<,a-e- gationalists, and Ministers of the Church of Scotland — all diflferent in name, and yet, we trust, one in Christ. This service closed, and we removed to a more convenient upper chamber, to partake of the Lord's Supper. The American manner of administering (his sacrament diflTers little froir ours, except that they give thanks a second time before giving the cup, in close imitation of our Lord. One of us sat between two believing Jews, the other between the two Armenian Bishops. Many of the others also participated, so that it was in emblem of the meeting of the great multitude gathered from nations and kindreds at our Father 's table above. This was a well of living water at which we were strengthened for our coming journey, and refreshed after the departure of our Elder Brethren. When they were gone, we felt as if we were beginning our journey anew in circumstances of more responsibility than before. But we hoped for Asher's blessing, " As thy days so shall thy strength be." 252 CHAPTER V. SYROPIIENICIA — G ALJ LEE. "Thy land, O Immanuel.**— Isa. viii. 3. In the af^emoon of Monday (July 8) we set out for Galilee, with a small cavalcade of six horses. Ibraim and Ahmet took leave of us. The latter felt little, but Ibraim exhibited very affectionate feelings. He followed us a little way beyond the gates, then took farewell, burst into tears, and rushed out of sight. We felt it very sad to leave this Arab for ever, not knowing how it is with his soul. Our road lay nearly south through a grove of pines, with mulberry gardens on all sides. Pleasant wild flowers adorned our path ; the oleander in full bloom skirted the bartks of two small streams which we crossed ; and often also our own mo- dest white rose appeared amongst the fragrant myrtles in the hedges. We crossed a bar of sand which is here blown across the promontory of Beyrout, and is two hours in breadth. The muleteers said that this sand was blown all the way from Egypt, but we heard that the shore is composed of a very soft sandstone which accounts for its origin. Between us and Le- banon lay a splendid olive-grove, stretching north and south, said to be the largest in Palestine, which it was refreshing to the eye even to look upon. But Lebanon itself chiefly at- tracted our admiration, for every part of its lower ridge seemed covered with villages. From a single point we counted twenty- one villages, all appearing at once on the brow of the moun- tain, each village having considerable cultivation round it. In the days when these stupendous heights were crowned with forests of pine and cedar, how deeply expressive must have been the words of the prophet, " Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt- offering."' We reached the southern side of the promontory before sun- set, and came upon the rocky sea-shore, along which our course tKBANON — NABV-YOUNES. 253 now lay. Just as the sun went down, we passed a small khan, — a busy scene. Some were unloading their asses, some spreading their mats for the night. One man was opening his sack to give his ass provender, and forcibly reminded us of Jacob's sons arrived at their inn.' They invited us to stay with them, saying, " You will be plundered if you go on." We had not gone far when darkness overtook us, and we lost our way just as we came upon the bank of a broad stream that comes down from Lebanon, called Damour, the ancient Tamy- ras. Here we wandered among mulberry gardens, till at length we found a ford near the ruins of a bridge. The roots of the moimtains here stretch out into the sea, forming rocky promontories. We crossed over one and another of these by what appeared to be a ^^ave or ancient Roman road, and came down through a village to a khan on the sea-shore, called Naby- Younes, " the prophet Jonah." There is here a small bay, which a Mahometan tradition makes out to be the spot where Jonah was cast ashore by the whale. The keeper of the khan offered us accommodation, but, after taking a little of his salt bread and leban, we judged it preferable to encamp on the open shore near the sea. The servants who now formed our party were all of diffe- rent persuasions. Botros, ^Ir Caiman's attendant, was a Greek Catholic ; Antonio, who waited upon us, was a young Syrian of the Latin Church, and spoke Italian. The mule- teers were, Mansor, a Druse, and Tanoos, a Maronite lad, of a most gentle disposition. Sometimes at night Antonio and Botros " poured water on our hands" to wash away the dust, reminding us of ii Kings iii, 11. With these around us, and the waves of the Mediterranean almost at our tent- door, we slept in peace. Early next morning an old decrepit Moslem, with head white as snow, calling himself the Dervish of Xaby-Younes, came to the tent-door asking alms. He was very grateful for a very small coin. We left this bay at six o'clock, and gain- ing the height of the next rocky promontory, obtained a view of the coast, indented with deep sandy bays, and of Sidon it- self two hours distant. The view of Sidon as we approached was very fine, and exceedingly like the representations com- monly given of it in the sketches of Syria. The town stands upon a high rising ground, which projects a considerable way ' H«rL. ¥Ui. 27. 254 SIDOX — COSTUME OF MOSLEM LADIES. into the sea. It is enclosed by a high fortified wall on the eastern side, and two mosques tower over the other build- ings of the town. The most striking object is a fortress built upon a rock in the harbour, and connected with the town by a bridge of nine arches, said to be a remnant of the times of the Crusades. There is also a ledge of low rocks in the ofBng, near which two small vessels lay at anchor. Between the town and the mountains lie richly cultivated gardens with tall ver- dant trees. Behind these the mountains appear, and we counted five distinct ridges of the range of Lebanon, rising one above another. Altogether, " Great Sidon," though fallen from her ancient glory, occupies a noble situation. Into the bay to the north of it flows a considerable stream, another of the many which are fed by the snows of Lebanon. After fording it, a lively scene met our view. The country people were bringing their cusas and melons to market upon donkeys. One woman wore handsome sil- ver anklets, similar to those epoken of by Isaiah.^ The Moslem ladies all in white, the face entirely mufiled in a dark coloured veil, the feet en- closed in large yellow boots, were taking their morning walk toward the tombs. Many.: remains of ancient pavement occasionally occurred. Mr M'Cheyne rode on before the rest, and arriving at the gate, inquired of the sentinel the way to the Jewish synagogue. He pointed to a Jew who was standing beside his shop-door at the entrance of the bazaar. The Jew, shutting up his shop, took the stranger kindly by the hand, and led him away to his house. He tied up the horse in the court-yard, took otf the carpet and bridle, and ushered him into his best room, where both sat down on the divan. After some preliminary questions, the Hebrew Bible was produced, and the first part of Ezekiel xxxvii. read, from which Mr A. shewed nim his state by nature. He seemed a little offended, yet not wishing to shew it in his own house, tried to change the subject of SILVER ANKLETS. SYNAGOGUE — INTERVIEW WITH JEWS. 255 discourse, and offered coffee. On leaving the house, another Jew led Mr M. to the synagogue, a substantial building hav- ing the roof vaulted in the Gothic style. An old man sat on the ground surrounded by some Jewish children, whom he was teaching to read portions of Hebrew, Here the rest of our company met, and the old Rabbi, whose house joined hard to the synagogue, came in, and was followed by some twenty or thirty Jews. Several of them recognised Mr Caiman, and received him in a very friendly manner. They seemed well inclined to enter into controversy on divine things. Two lads maintained an animated conversation with Mr Bonar, during which he produced his Hebrew New Testament, and asked one of them to read a chapter. They began very readily to read Matt, ii, but when nearly finishing it, an elder Jew looked over their shoulder, and whispered to them the name of the book which they were reading. They immediately closed the book, and one of them started from his seat. We told the Rabbi that we had come from a far country to visit Israel ; that we had seen God's word fulfilled in the desola- tions of Jerusalem ; and we asked for what cause Israel were now like the dry bones in the open valley ? The old Rabbi appeared to be a man of perverse spirit. He went to his house, and brought out a Hebrew New Testament, one of those printed by the London Society, a good deal worn. He turned up to Mark xiii. 32, where Jesus says that he did not know the day of his second coming, and asked how then could he be God ? One bitter Jew made signs to have us thrust out of the synagogue ; but the rest shewed greater kindness, es- pecially one young Rabbi from the coast of Barbary, who spoke a little French. He shewed us their manuscripts of the law, one of which he said was three hundred years old, writ- ten at Bagdad, and now much worn. It had cost them 200 doUars. This man afterwards received us politely into his house, entertained us with lemonade and coffee, and at part- ing accepted a Hebrew tract called " The City of Refuge." He told us that there are 300 Jews in Sidon. We now proceeded through the bazaar to a handsome khan or caravansera possessed in former days by the Franks. It is a large square, built round on all sides, with a fine fountain and pool of water in the centre, over which a vine was trained ; a few orange-trees grew around. While sitting by the pool waiting till one of our mules was shod, a string of camels ar- 256' SIDON — PROPHECY. rived, heavily ladeu with furniture, which proved to be the property of the late Lady Hester Stanhope, which, we were told, was to be sold at Sidon. Here also two Druse women were sitting wearing the tantour, or horn upon the forehead. On the finger they wore a massy ring, having a seal on it. This we had noticed frequently in Egypt.^ In the streets we met several Greek ecclesiastics neatly attired. The town is solidly built, and the bazaars are in a thriving condition. A public bath is one of the few modern buildings ; but frequently we stumbled upon broken pillars and fragments of carved stones, the memorials of departed greatness. All the magnificence of Sidon is gone, for " God has exe- cuted judgments in her."^ Again and again have its inhabi- tants been " judged in the midst of her by the sword on every side." There are no more any merchants worth mentioning here. In two or three shops, fishing-rods were exposed for sale, but there are no signs of trade. " Be thou ashamed, Zidon ; for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins."^ The city, and the sea that laved its walls, now lament the want of its once crowded and stirring population. It no more can boast of a king. " All the kings of Zidon" have been made to drink the wine- cup of God's fury, even as it was foretold.* Before leaving the town, a Greek Christian, who acts as a consular agent, came to us, and advised us not to proceed, for a traveller had been killed by the Arabs the day before, three hours on the way to Tyre. We had no reason to suspect thia person's veracity, and yet we hoped that his information might be untrue ; and committing ourselves to God, left the gate of Sidon an hour after noon. The gardens and groves that shelter the east side of the town, aflbrded a pleasant shade. Among some of these Ab- dolonimus may have been found by Alexander the Great ;* and there the rich merchants of Sidon enjoyed their wealth, and revelled in that luxury and ungodliness which made the Saviour fix on them as eminent instances of guilt, " It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you."^ Our way lay directly south, through the fine » Gen. XLi. 42. Luke xv. 22. 2 Ezek. xxviii. 22. 3 Is.i. XXIII. 4. 4 Jor. XXV. 22. * Justin, lib. x. cap. 10; and Quin. Curtius, lib. iv. cap. 1, $ \9 • Matt XI. 22. SAREPTA. 257 plain which stretches beyond Tyre. Some parts of it were cultivated, yielding barley, dhura, and tobacco, but the greater part was lying waste, covered with thistles and tangling briers. It is skirted on the east by a low range of hills connected with 'Lebanon, and these frequently open and shew pleasant little valleys, with villages and olive-trees on the heights. In three hours we came upon many fragments of marble pillars scattered on the shore. These and other similar re- mains appear to be the remnants of ancient villas, if not of some town. In the days when Tyre and Sidon enjoyed their greatest splendour, this midway situation would be most fa- vourable for the country-seats of the princes and merchants. Here, far removed from the noise of the city, they might be refreshed by the sea-breeze tempering the heat of summer, while, from the neighbouring heights, they enjoyed the view of their stately vessels sailing past. At this midway point stands Sarfend, the ancient Zare- phath or Sarepta. It formerly spread toward the shore, but now is on the heights. The hills are here about a mile from the shore, and the village is pleasantly situated upon the steep brow of one of them, overhanging a ravine filled with fine olive-trees, and commanding a wide view. The vine once grew upon its hiUs in great luxuriance, and is celebrated by a Latin poet, " Quoeque Sareptano palmite missa bibas :"i (" \Vii)es which the vineyards of Sarepta yield.") But it was matter of far greater interest to us, that it was hither that Elijah came from the brook Cherith, and here he was nourished out of the widow's barrel of meal and cruise of oil, and here he raised her child from the dead by prayer. These simple facts invest the place with a sacred interest. It was the theatre where God displayed his amazing sove- reignty. The Lord passes by the many widows that were in Israel — he passes by all the princes of Tyre and Sidon, and fixes on one who dwells anknown in Sarepta, " a woman that was a widow ;" teaching the world that he chooses his vessels of mercy where and when it seems gcod in his sight. Elijah may often have walked along these shores, and it was pleasant even to imagine that we were treading in his footsteps. There is reason to believe that this fertile plain, which may well ]:>e called " the borders of Tyre and Sidon" was also the scene 1 Sidon. Apoll. 17, 51. B 258 srnoN TO tviie — kuin'Ed khan. of one of t]ie most affecting »)i the go»pol narratives, sliewing the same sovereignty and grace as the wonders of Sarepta. For it was toward this plain that Jesus directed his steps from the Sea of Galilee, when the woman of Sjro-Phenicia came and fell at his feet.' j\Iore than an hour to the south of Sarfend, we diverged from the shore to visit the eaves and tombs which occur in the precipitous face of the low hills. "We climbed up into one large cavern, apparently natural, about sixty feet deep by thirty broad, and from twenty to thirty feet in height. From the mouth of the cave we could count about twenty sepulchres cut in the face of the rock, probably part of the ancient works of Tyre, the tombs of her rich men and princes. Two hours farther south, we arrived at the largest stream we had yet seen in the land. The banks were skirted with the red blossoming oleander, and many tortoises were creeping in the shallows. This is the Kasimieh, believed to be the an- cient Leontes, which has its source from Baalbec, flows through the splendid Vale of Coele-Syria, and empties itself into the sea, an hour and a half north of Tyre. We crossed the stream by a substantial bridge, upon the side of which we found sitting a cluster of Bedouins, wild, sus- picious-looking men, with a little yellow shawl over the head, encircled by a rope of camel's hair. They seemed to be look- ing out for a prey, and our servants evidently did not like their appearance, but we saluted them peaceably and passed on. On the high bank overlooking the river stands an old dilapi- dated khan ; and here, as the sun was going down, we resolved to encamp for the night. Perhaps the story we had heard at Sidon of the danger of the way made us think more of ''perils of robbers," than we should otherwise have done; nor was it any addition to our prospects of a peaceful night's •est, to be told that the ground here was full of scorpions, and that even the floor of the old khan was not free from them. However we decided to go up to the khan, and seek shelter within its walls. Here, as the brief twilight came on, there arrived first one company and then another of mules, with tingling bells, till the square of the building presented quite a lively appearance. We pitched our tent on the roof of the old ruin, where the grass had been allowed to grow ; and com- Xflitting ourselves to Him that keeps Isriel, lay down to sleap 1 JIatt. XV. 21— 2S. Mark vu. 24—30. TVRK. 259 in peace. Occasionall_y we heard ine cry of the jackal, but nothing else disturbed our rest till the rising sun shone with intense brilliancy into our tent. (July 10.) 'We were soon on our way to Tyre, an hour and a half distant, through a fine plain, covered mostly with thorns, with here and there a field of dhura. Tyre appears a long promontory stretching into the sea. Half-way between the town and the hills, there is a conical rising ground sur- mounted either by a khan or a tomb, and nearer Tyre appear the lemains of the ancient aqueduct. Arriving at the gate, we were detained some time under the shade of some fig-trees, till the Governor had fully ascer- tained that we came from the north, and not from places where the plague prevailed. We entered, and with some difficulty rode through the bazaar, which was shaded with mats and vines, till we arrived at the khan, a large half-ruined building, where we put up our horses. Tyre is but the wreck of a town. You cannot traverse its streets without meeting at every turn fragments of other days. Thus, at the gate there are two fallen pillars ; in the bazaar, another prostrate pillar helps to complete the pavement ; and on the shore of the peninsula (once the island), broken co- lumns lie on all sides, over which the sea dashes its waves. We stood awhile amidst the ruins of the old Christian church, at the south-east corner of the town, where Eusebius is said to have preached, and looking over, observed the waves break on two large columns with their capitals that lay close under the wall. From this point, and from the summit of a tower to which the Jews led us to the south-west corner of the town, we sur- veyed the whole extent of what was Insular Tyre, once densely covered with the palaces of Tyrian merchants.' The island ap- pears to have been of the shape of a prolonged diamond, stretch- ing nearly a mile from north to south. The breadth it is not sasy to estimate, as we cannot tell where Alexander's causeway commenced. We observed a chain of low rocks in the oflSng, all a little under water, which may very possibly have been 1 A recent traveller, Mr W. R. Wylde, found in some of the rocks holes ex- actly fit for pots, in some of which were piecesof sliells, with the debris of other shells lying round. These shells all belonged to the species Murex trunculus, trom which the purple dj-e used to be extracted. Hence he concludes, that these holes were anciently the vats used for preparing the Tyrian dye. Wt found specimens of the sbclls he speaits of en the shore under Mount Carnaci 260 TYRE — PROPHECY. built upon in former days. The modern town or village is thinly scattered over the eastern part of what was formerly the island ; the part next the sea is cultivated, and bears good tobacco. The little harbour of Tyre lies on the north side of the peninsula, and is nearly enclosed by a wall, the ruins of which are standing here and there. It would not now vie with the harbours of any of our fishing- villages ; we counted some ten open-decked fishing-boats riding in it ; but larger vessels cannot enter. The island was originally nearly half a mUe distant from the shore ; but across the intervening gulf Alex- ander with amazing labour formed his famous causeway, using for that purpose the stones and the very dust of ancient Tyre, scraped from oif her. During the lapse of ages, the sea has washed up the sand on each side of this causeway, so that it is now a broad neck of land, with fine sandy bays on each side. Ruins of ancient walls and foundations are still to be found in d liferent parts of it. The houses, or rather cottages of Tyre, are buUt of good stone, with many palm-trees, vines, figs, and pomegranates interspersed, giving the place a cool and pleasing aspect. The modern name is Sour, and there are about 1500 inhabitants. There is some probability that the sea has advanced upon this coast, and materially affected the size of the ancient island ; and if this be the case, we can have no difficulty in understanding how the almost impregnable fortifications, of which history speaks, and the palaces of the Tyrian merchants, were once crowded together upon this in- teresting spot.' In order to understand fully the accomplishment of the divine predictions against Tyre, it must be borne in mind, that though the island may have been very soon occupied as a stronghold, yet the most ancient city, called by historians Palae Tyrus, or Old Tyre, was situated on the mainland, at a distance of nearly four mUes south from the island. This was ■ -the strong city Tyre" mentioned in the days of Joshua," and the " stronghold of T}Te" in the time of David.^ As many * i).li "Wylde gives many interosting proofs of the advance ot the sea all along (lie coast. For example, the old castle at Beyrout, which is now surrounded with water, was once juined lo the land. The shallowness of the harbours at Jaffa and Acre seem to shew the same thing. He also saw ruins under the water at Tyre. If we are to trust Benjamin of Tudela, he says that, in his day, if one went out in a ship a little way, he might see ruins of streets and towers at the bottom ot the sea, a Josh. XIX. '2'J. » /t Sam. xxiv. 7 SITR OF Or,n T\RE. 261 travellers have done before us, we stoorl upon the ruins of in- sular Tyre, and stretching our eye round the bay to the south, conjectured where old Tyre may have been situated ; and af- terwards on our return from Acre, we traversed the coast and sought with the utmost care for any remains of the strong city — but in vain. The word of the Lord has come to pass, " Though thou be sought for, yet thou shalt never be found again, saith the Lord God."' About eight miles south from the island, a high rocky pro- montory appears, forming a precipice over the sea, called Cape Blanco, from the whiteness of the rock. The road passes over it, and there are singular steps cut in the rock, supposed to be the Sccdce Tyriorum, or Tyrian Ladder, of the ancients. Now, between Cape Blanco and the island, there is a spacious bay, with one or two lesser curves. It occurred to us that, in the days of Tyre's glory, when they took " cedars from Lebanon to make masts for her, and oaks from Bashan to make oars, and fine linen from Egypt to be spread forth as her sails ;" when " all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in her to occupy her merchandise," this vast bay may have aiforded her an anchorage, where the forests of masts would present to the eye a spectacle not less noble than any which can be seen in the harbour of the very greatest of our commercial cities, and this in a region of surpassing beauty. Indeed, it is not unlikely that Old Tyre may have extended as far as the precipitous summit of Cape Blanco, from which its name Tsour, that is, " a rock," may have been derived. Tyre on the Island may have been at first, as Jowett has con jectured, the harbour of the original city, connected with it, as the remaining aqueducts testify, although four miles distant from its gates. If there be truth in this conjecture, it would at once explain the vast circumference of the city as described by Pliny, and would illustrate the glowing description of Ezekiel, when he describes how " her builders had perfected her beauty." Keeping both the Tyres in view, we could not fail to notice with what awful accuracy the word of God has been verified concerning them. The word of Amos has been fulfilled, " For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof. But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus which shall destroy the palaces thereof."' » Ezek. sxvi. 21. • Amos i. 9, 10. 262 TYKE — FULFILMENT i.F PROPHECY. Not a vestige of her palaces remains, except the prostrate gra- nite pillars, over which the wave is ever beating. We re- membered, too, as we looked along the bare shore, the minute prediction of Ezekiel, " They shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers : I M'ill also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea ; for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God.'" Alexander the Great seems actually to have scraped away the very rubbish as well as the stones of Old Tyre to construct his causeway f and now the bare rocks along the shore, on some part of which the ancient city must have stood, are literally a place for the spreading of nets. The first man we met in the gate of Tyre was a fisher- man carrying a load of fish, and the fishing-boats in the har- bour we have already mentioned. If, indeed, the sea has made an advance upon the coast, then the very rocks where Old Tyre stood may be now under water, and the nets of the fisherman may thus also be literally spread over them. And this, also, would give new meaning to the expression, " Thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters ;"^ although at the same time the ruiu of her fleets and merchant-ships will completely satisfy the terms of this prophecy. How interest- ing, too, is the very uncertainty that hangs over the true situa- tion of ancient Tyre, some placing it on the shore, some at Ras- el-Ain farther inward, and some on a rocky eminence called Marshuk, to the north-east — all combining to shew how aw- fully the thrice-repeated curse has been fulfilled, " / will make thee a terror and thou shalt be no inore;"* and how true to the letter, " Though thou he sought for, yet shalt thou never he found again," Looking to the bare rock of the island, or to the village that stands upon it, without a remnant of the triple wall and fort- ress once deemed impregnable, a traveller is ready to ask, in the very words of the prophet, " Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days ?" " Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traflfickers are the honourable of the earth ? The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and 1 Ezek. XXVI. 4. Dr Newcome's note on this passage gives us the full sense * The bare shininp surface of a rock." 2 Tlie worJsof Quintus Curtius, quoted by Dr Keith, are very remarkatle, * HuMtis agKerebatur." 3 Ezek. xxvil. SI. * Ezek xxvi. 21; xxTii. 36; xxviii. 19. JEW'S — SYNAGOGUE. 26*d to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth." " He stretched out his hand over the sea : he shook the kingdoms ; the Lord hath given a commandment against the merchant- city, to destroy the strongholds thereof."^ But a brighter day is yet to dawn upon Tyre, when it shall be a city of holi- ness. For the same sure word of prophecy declares, that though after its ruin it should return to its sinful gains, yet a time is coming, when " her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord ; it shall not be treasured nor laid up ; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing."^ May not this allude to some event connected with Israel's restoration ; for it is they who shall be in a peculiar manner the people " that dwell before the Lord?" Perhaps as Hiram supplied cedars and other materials for the Temple in the days of So- lomon, Tyre may again send her supplies to assist Israel on their return home. The first Jew whom we met in Tyre was from Algiers. He had there acquired a little knowledge of French from the army, and told us that there were about a hundred Jews in Tyre ; of these, five families had come recently from Algiers, and the rest from Saphet on occasion of their dwellings being destroyed by the earthquake on 1st January 1837. He led us to the sy- nagogue, one of the poorest and most wretched we had yet seen, having a solitary lamp burning beside the ark. Several Jews gathered round us. The Hebrew Bible was produced, and we soon entered into conversation on divine things. One in- teresting young Jew seemed a little impressed, and often car- ried his difficulties to the elder ones, seeking from them an answer. Under a verandah, outside the synagogue, an elderlj Jew sat on the ground teaching some children. Mr Bonai tried the children with a few simple sentences in Hebrew, and they in turn asked him in Hebrew the names of several Scripture characters, putting such questions as n\^^Q ^J«} SQ, " who was the father of Moses ?" We next visited the Rabbi of Tyre at his own house. He seemed a sagacious-looking man, kind and polite in his man- ners. In discussing passages of Scripture, when Mr Caiman pushed him hard, he invariably resorted to his commentators, taking down from a shelf some old thin folios. As we sat looking out at the open window upon the bright blue sea, we J Isa. XXIII. 7, 8, 9, U B*Isa. xxm. 18. 264 TYRE — DISCUSSION WITH THE RAI5BT. observed that " the earth shall yet be full of the Imowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea ;" upon which he made this interesting remark, that as there are many caverns, and inequalities of depths in the sea, and yet the surface of the water is all smooth and level ; so shall it be then, people will still possess unequal capacities of knowledge and enjoyment, yet all wiU present one common appearance, because each will be filled up to his measure. He asserted, that the purpose for which the Jews are now scattered over the world, is to diffuse the knowledge of the true God ; but was at a loss for a reply when we referred to Ezekiel xxxvi. 23, " My great name, which ye have profaned among the heathen." We now retired to the khan, and spread our carpets for a little repose before leaving Tyre, but our visit excited curio- sity throughout the Jewish community, and many whom we had not seen before came to visit us. With our back to a pillar of the khan, and the Hebrew Bible in our hand, we maintained a broken conversation, often with half a dozen at a time, some going away, others coming. One, as he departed, cried, " Come away from that Epicurus." Some were a little angry, but most were kind and good-natured. We shewed that Isaiah i. 7, had been fulfilled before their eyes, " Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire, your land strangers devour it in your presence ;" and, therefore, v. 3 must be true of themselves, " Israel doth not know, my peo- ple doth not consider." We proved to them from Zech. XIII. 1, that, as a nation, they did not at present know the way of forgiveness ; for God says, " In that day, there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David, and to the inha- bitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness." Several of them remained with us to the very last, conducted us through the narrow bazaar, and parted with us outside the gate, with expressions of kindness. As we moved slowly round the fine sandy bay on the south- ern side of the peninsula, we remembered the solemn scene which that very shore had witnessed, when the Apostle Paul visited Tyre on his way to Jerusalem, as recorded by Luke. The Tyrian disciples " All brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city ; and we kneeled down on the shore and prayed."^ Not far from the town, our mules stopped to drink at a well, 1 .KCUi KXI. (V. \NCIENT TOMB — TRIBE OF ASUEU, 263 where the trough was of beautifully carved stone, and seemed to have been an old sarcophagus. We passed a small grove of fragrant lemon-trees, and then crossed an old aqueduct, with water running in it. Several of the gardens had watch- towers in them, in one of which we saw two men sleeping on a sort of loft. We soon began to ascend the heights which f'lrm the eastern background of the plain around Tyre, and often looked back to enjoy the magnificent view of the sea, the coast of Syro-Phenicia, and Tyre itself, with its rocks stretching south from the end of the peninsula. In two hours from Tyre, our attention was attracted by a singular monument or tomb, resting upon immense hewn stones. The upper stone was very large, and it was not easy to see how it had been lifted on to its fellows. Where are they that raised it ? Their name and object are alike un- known.' Reaching the summit of the ridge, our road lay south-east as it penetrated into the interior of the country. In crossinj^ the hills, we noticed in them another capability of this won- derful land, distinct from any we had seen in the southern parts. The sides, and even the summits, were sprinkled over with vigorous olive-trees. Some of these hills were no doubt 1000 feet high, yet their tops were frequently crowned with groves of olives, shewing how fertile and how suitable for the cultivation of the olive this range must have been in former days. This was the more remarkable, because we were now in the tribe of Asher ; and the prophetic blessing pronounced upon Asher, was, " Let him dip his foot in oil.'''' His hills appear to be suitable neither for the vine nor for paature, but for the olive, whose berries yield the finest oil. To this also, as well as to Asher's luxuriant plains in the south of his possession, the words of Jacob may refer, " out of Asher his bread shall he fat."^ Nor is it unlikely that the promise, " Thy shoes shall be iron and brass,"^ may have a reference to these hills, that were his defence against his hostile neighbours in Tyre and Sidon. In days of quietness 1 Robinson mentions this monument, and says that it bears among tha common people the name of Kabr Hairan, " Sepulchre of Hiram." "It is pos- sible (he adds) that this sepulchre once held the dust of the friend and ally or Solomon." Vol. iii. 385. 2 Dout. XXXIII. 24. a G*i. XLix. 20. « Deut, xxxiii. 25. 266 KAN.\H OF ASHER — VILLAGE OF SEDEEKfN'. and peace, his hills yield him oil in which he dips his feet ; in war, his hill= are to him as shoes of iron and brass. In an hour from the ancient monument, we came to a kind of basin in the bosom of the mountains — a gentle hollow, with a thriving village in the midst. It was surrounded with luxu- riant corn-fields and verdant olives, and the villagers were all busy at the corn-floor. We asked an old peasant the name of the village, he said, '' Kana." The name thrilled to our heart, so strange and pleasant was it to hear a Scrip- ture name from the lips of an ignorant Moslem. It is every way probable that this is the Kanah of Agher mentioned in Joshua.' Near it are some caves or tombs, and there is a heap of stones on a hill to the right which caught our atten- tion, but which we had no time to investigate. The situation of the village is retired and peaceful. In the last cottage we passed, some Jews, who seemed to be travellers, were much surprised when we saluted them in the holy tongue. Leaving Kana, we proceeded up a steep ascent, on the sum- mit of which was another village called Sedeekin, that is, " The faithful," so called by the Moslems because none but Mahometans dwell there. It is beautifully situated in the midst of fields of tobacco and fig-trees in abundance. It may be the site of some one of the towns named along with Ka- nah, " Hebron, and Rehob, and Hammon." The inhabitants were all in the field reaping their harvest. The climate on the high hills of Galilee we found to be delicious. The hills around, as far as we could see, were covered with a carpet of green, not of grass, however, but brushwood and dwarf-trees. Crossing over a low hill, and descending a very steep decli- vity, we came to the entrance of a deeply shady glen, called Wady Deeb, that is, " Valley of the Wolf," no doubt from its being a favourite resort of that animal. Here we met a ]\Ioslem returning from cutting wood with his axe in his hand, while his wife followed carrying the bundle of wood upon her head, an example of the degradation to which women are sub- jected in eastern countries. The steep hills on each side of the pass rose to the height of 800 feet, and were finelj' clothed with tall shrubs and trees. The road winds through by a footpath, which in winter is probably the bed of a torrent. Nothing could exceed the romantic beauty of this ravine. » Joah. XIX. 28, VILLAGE OF JETPAR — A JEW SHOT. 26? Every kind of tree and shrub seemed to shew themselves in turn, the beech-tree and valonea oak, the wild rose, the broom, and many others ; while the white flowers of the woodbine and clematis clustered like garlands round the stronger shrubs, Joading the evening air with their fragrance. We pressed on for an hour and a half, till we reached a large natural cave on the left side of the valley, where the pathway became very steep and rocky ; yet it was wonderful to see how the little Syrian horses clambered up. The darkness had now settled down upon us, and the fire- flies were sparkling througli the air in all directions. Reach- ing the summit, we discerned our nearness to a village by the scent of the straw, peculiar to Arab villages. The name of it was Jettar, and we were directed to the khan, an enclosure at the end of the village, which had a roof and one wall made of the boughs of trees. Under these we spread our mats, thankful to find a place of rest. The villagers were very kind ; and so many of them came to visit us, that our lodging was full of strangers till a late hour. About forty families live here, all of them Mahometans. Fifteen houses were de- stroyed by an earthquake in 1837. There is a large pond of water beside the village, and to this herds of leopards and wolves come to drink at night. Wolves and wild boars abound in the valley we had passed through ; and gazelles are numerous. The villagers told us, that near this place are the ruins of several old towns, some of them extensive. They mentioned the names of three, Mirapheh, INlar-Yamin, and Medinatnahash (" city of brass"). The name Jettar, and the striking features of the valley Wady Deeb, up which we had passed, suggested to us that this may be the valley of " Jeph- thaJi-eV mentioned in Joshua.' It is above five hours dis- tant from Tyre. (July 11.) We were awoke early in the morning by the sound of horses' feet, and starting up saw a soldier, armed with gun and pistols, looking in upon us. Along with him were two Jews from Tyre, whom we immediately recognised as friends. One told us in his broken French, that a messen- ger had brought word to Tyre of a Jew having been shot by the Bedouins two hours farther on the road to Saphet, and they were now going to find his body. Whether this was a 1 Josh. XIX. 27. 268 TYRE TO SAPHET — MOUNTAIN SCENERY. true report or not we never ascertained, but it made us feel that our way through Galilee was not unattended with dan- ger. The villagers, too, seemed alarmed ; they were going to a market at some distance, somewhere in the direction of Saphet, and were very anxious that we should accompany them, either out of kindness to us or through desire of pro- tection to themselves. We thought it better, however, to journey forward by ourselves, as we could not have reached Saphet by the proposed bypath the same night. Their ad- vice reminded us of the days of Shamgar, " when travellers walked through byways."' We read Isaiah xxvi. in our morning worship under a tree, at a little distance from the village, and rode on our way through the tribe of Naphtali. On a hill near were the ruins of a small fortress, and caves that may have been used as sepulchres. The Arabs called the place Bedundah. In a little while a deep valley came in sight lying beneath us, with a fine pass winding to the east, the hills beyond appearing wooded to the top. The mouth of the pass was shut up by a conical hill, completely wooded. In winding round this hiU, we came upon a well and a watering trough, where several shepherds had gathered their flocks to- gether to drink. The quietness of the valley contrasted witli the rumours of danger from the Bedouins, reminded us of Judges, " They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water."^ For some time hill and valley alternately presented themselves, covered with shrubs and trees. At one place, a large snake glided away from us among the shrubs, and once or twice an owl was seen perch- ing on the trees.^ Coveys of partridges also frequently crossed our path. On the height above was a village called Jibbah, The way was adorned with many wild flowers, and we were occasionally refreshed by romantic scenery. The jasmine is called by the Arabs " Jasmin-el-barie," that is, wild jasmine, and appears to be a native of the country. Often it was seen creeping to the top of the trees, and there forming a snowy crown, or twining from branch to branch a garland of white flowers. The yellow broom also, a native of Palestine, was flourishing in great profusion. Through another mountain valley we came into a small plain of great beauty. Here an 1 Judg. V. St s Judp. V. II. 3 Psa- cii. (• " Au owl of the desert plawi." OLIVE-PRESS — RAME,V — KEFR-BIRIK)M. 269 old olive-press was lying on the road-side. A wooden screw and vice seemed intended to press a large stone upon the olives, while a stone trough beneath received the oil. At the eastern end of this plain, we came to a considerable village called Ramea, with a large circular pool of water. In a wide area close by, heaps of corn were piled up ready to be trodden out, and at another place horses were employed in treading. Many flocks of sheep and goats were on their way to drink at the pool. Leaving this beautiful plain, our way led us through moun- tain passes of a similar character to those already described, only here we observed the remains of ancient terraces, and remarked that the natural rock is frequently in the form of terraces, as in the hills of Judah. About mid-day we came in sight of a village on the summit of a rocky hill ; to which we gladly turned aside to enjoy a little rest. Throughout all the morning we had expected to fall in either with the Be- douins, or our Jewish friends ; and many a lurking-place suit- able to the designs of the robber we passed, but no evil came near us. The name of the village to which we had come was Kefr-birhom ; its inhabitants, about 200 in number, are all Maronite Christians. They received us very kindly, and in- troduced us to their priest, a gentle and venerable-looking man. His dress was a dark caftan or cloak, and a high black turban. He pressed us much to take up our lodging in an upper room which he pointed out to us ; but we preferred the deep shade of a spreading fig-tree. He sat down with us, and many of the villagers at a respectful distance ; and, through Mr Caiman, we had some discussion on points of doctrine. 270 K.EFR-BIRHOM — ANCIENT SYNAGOGUE. One of us, wandering through the village, entered into the cottage of a Maronite, and sitting down read a little of his Syriac prayer-book, to the infinite delight of the poor man, who thereupon welcomed the unknown traveller as a brother. Soon after, when we were all reclining under the fig-tree, this man came with a present of four eggs ; and on being present- ed with a pencil-case, ran back to his house, and brought us two pigeons. Contrasting this gift with the present of a sheep which the Governor of Hebron brought us, we saw in a very clear manner the considerateness of the command in Leviticus I. 10, 14, where the rich man was expected to bring a sheep for an offering, and the poor man two young pigeons.' While seated under the fig-tree, several Jews arrived on their way from Tyre to Saphet, among whom we recognised the young man who had been a little impressed in the synagogue. He soon came and spoke with us, and taking up the Hebrew Bible, he put his finger on Joshua ii. 1, where Joshua is described as sending out two spies to view the land, " Now (said he) you are these spies." We found in the village traces of former greatness, espe- cially in the north-east, where are considerable remains. The principal ruin is that of an ancient synagogue. The door- way and two windows (one on each side of the door) was still in good preservation, but half sunk in the rubbish. The up- per part of the door is ornamented with a fine wreath of vin*> I Comp. I-uke (I. •2i : Lev. mi. K MOUNT NAPHTALI — VILLAGE OF GISH. 271 leaves and bunches of grapes carved in the stone, and in beau- tiful preservation. The windows are also adorned with carved work ; three columns are still standing, and several fragments lie scattered through the village. The Maronites and Jews both called it a Jewish synagogue, and connected it with the name of Isaiah.' We were told also that the Jews sometimes go there to pray. In a field about a quarter of a mile distant stands another doorway, said to be not so elegant, but bear- ing an inscription over it. We regretted much that our time did not permit us to visit it and endeavour to decypher the inscription. In the afternoon, we set out again, having the Jews in our train, and conversing with them by the way. A fine spread- ing mountain now came in sight, two hours distant on the right hand, commonly supposed to be Motmt Naphtali, resembling Queensberry Hill in Dumfries-shire. There is a considerable plain around its base, which may be part of the plain of Zaanaim, where Heber the Kenite dwelt, and where Barak gathered his army.^ The hill would serve as a mark easily eeen far otF by " all Zebulun and Naphtali," and so would render this spot the better suited for a rendezvous. The town at which they met was Kadesh, the birthplace of Barak, and also a City of Refuge. If Kadesh stood near this hill, it would be well fitted foi* a city of refuge, as the hill would point out its situation at a great distance to the fleeing man- slayer, while the plain made his flight easy. In this respect it would resemble Sychem and Hebron, which were also cities of Refuge. On the left hand, we passed, without seeing it, the village of Gish, supposed to be the site of Gischala, which Josephus says was mostly peopled with agriculturists, and near which (he says) was Kydessa, which may be the modern village Ka- dyta, a little to the south-east. IMr Caiman had visited Gish immediately after the earthquake by which it was totally de- stroyed. In one place he mentioned tliat the rocks were torn asunder to a considerable breadth, and no one could tell the depth of the fissure. About half a mile farther on we turned off the road to the left to visit a singular pool called Birket-el Gish. It bears evident marks of having been at one time the crater of a volcano. It is of an oval form, and about 1100 paces in circumference. This we ascertained by walking • Comp. p. 280. a Judg. iv. 10, IL 272 vLxiy or gisii — saphet. round as near to the edge as the sharp projecting rocks would allow. The rocks are all black, evidently composed of lava, and it Is singular to notice that to the south and east the fields are covered with black stones of the same description, while there are none to the north and west. A considerable quan- tity of water was collected in it, and the flocks are driven down to the edge to drink. The neighbouring plain is called Sachel-el-Gish, or " Plain of Gish." The plain, the pool, and the village all bearing the same name, shew that it must have been a place of some importance. Returning from this pool, we obtained our first glimpse of a small part of the Sea of Galilee, by looking past the shoulder of Mount Naphtali. Saphet also was full in sight, its snow- white houses perched on the summit of a lofty hill, gleaming under the rays of the setting sun. This is believed, though without any positive evidence, to be the " city set on a hill.'' to which our Lord referred, and perhaps pointed, in his Ser- mon on the Mount ; and certainly no place in all Palestine could better answer the description. We were not able to ascertain even from the Jews the name of any Scripture town situated there.' Before coming to Saphet, we passed a village called Saccas, on a high rugged hiU. Descending this hill, Mr Bonar's mule entangled its foot in a fissure of the rock, and rolled upon its side. Its rider was precipitated to the ground, without suflTering any injury ; but the poor animal's foot was sorely crushed, and the muleteer led it along, pouring out in- •sessant lamentations, and often kissing it like a child. After crossing several ravines, all running south toward the Sea of Galilee, we climbed the hill on which Saphet stands by a very steep path worn deep in the white limestone rock. Mr M'Che3Tie rode up by the path, on the east side of the hill, and came upon ruins made by the earthquake, which on that side are very appalling. Arriving at the house of a Jew, he was kindly entertained, and requested by his host to tell the news of the war. Another Jew kindly guided him to the rest of our company. Mr Caiman, being well acquainted with the place and with the Jewish inhabitants, soon obtained for us a com- fortable lodging in the cottage of a German Jew, who ^villing- ly removed to make way for us. He lighted up the lamp filled , The name Saphet may he derived from nPV tlie capital of a pillar (i Kings vn. 41), alluding to the a])pcarance of the town which surmounts the hill, very much io the wa^- tliat u "iuiital sJUmouuts a i)illar. AERIVAI^ AT SAPHET. 273 ■with olive-oil, and we spread our mats upon the floor. We found all the Jews here living in a state of great alarm. The troops of the Pasha had been withdrawn, being engaged in the war, and the Bedouins were every day threatening an at- tack to plunder the town. Only four soldiefs had been left to defend them, and these, along with ten Jews, used to pa- trole the town all night to give alarm in case of an assault. We observed how poorly clad most of the Jews seemed to be, and were told that they had buried under ground all their valuable clothes, their money, and other precious things. It was easy to read their deep anxiety in the very expression of their countenances : they were truly in the state foretold by Moses more than 3000 years ago. " The Lord shall give thee a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind : and thy life shall hang in doubt before thee ; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life."^ And all this in their own land ! The Jews wondered that we had travelled so safely when we did not even carry fire-arms. But " the Lord had gone before us, and the God of Israel had been our rereward." We felt deeply thankful for the mercies of this day, and slept quietly in our Jewish cottage, the loud cry of the jackals be- ing the only sound to break the silence of the night. (July 12.) The morning air was cool and delightful in this elevated region. The hiU on which Saphet stands appears to be of great height, not inferior even to Tabor. The town is built upon two heights, of which the northern and upper is occupied almost entiiely by the Jews, the lower by the Mahometans. On the highest point are the ruins of the castle. All its houses are built of a pure white limestone, which gives them a dazzling appearance. The ruins of the town, caused by the earthquake 1st January 1837, are every where to be seen, and in some places are literally heaps upon heaps ; for the town having been built on the slopes of the steep hill, one range of houses actually hung over the other, and hence, in the earthquake, the houses were cast one upon another. The Jews have rebuilt a great part of their quarter, out of veneration for tho Holy City, but the Mahometan quarter is still an appalling ruin. The situation of Saphet is singularly beautiful. Looking west from our cottage door, the noble mountain of Naphtali 1 Deut. (svui. 65.66 274 SAPHET — BAXAAR — MARK.ET. met the eye, verdant to the top, and the fine xmdulatingr t»1<»i»« stretching east and west at its base. Looking down the niu on which the town itself stands, we saw pleasant groves of olives, and vineyards supported by terraces, while footpaths and tracks in the white rock wind up in all directions, along which the country people were moving slowly with mules and camels, this day (Friday) being the market-day. Close to the town, in the N.W. is a village — a small suburb — called Ain Zeitoun, " well of olives." Farther oiF, in the same direction, is the village of Kadyta, and on a height nearly due west. Saccas. And upon the side of the hill of Naphtali, the white tombs of Marona are dimly visible, — a highly venerated spot, because of the rabbis buried there. Walking round to the southern brow on which the Ma- hometan quarter is built, we sat down among the tombs in full view of the Lake of Galilee — solemn, calm, and still — and meditated over the scenes that had been transacted there. Returning by the bazaar, we had an opportunity of witness- ing the market which is held here weekly. All was bustle and noise, very like a market at home. The Bedouin Arab was there, fully armed, with his long firelock under his arm ; for, though he is known to be a robber, yet he attends the market in peace, no one laying a hand upon him, in wonder- ful fulfilment of the prophecy, " His hand v/ill be against every man. and every man's hand against him, and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren."^ Here, too, were the Syrian women wearing the nose-jewel alluded to by Isaiah,'^ fastened by a hole bored through the nostril, not so large or uncomely as we had expected. A much more un- pleasant yet common custom is the staining of the chin and under the mouth with dots of henna. In many of the shops the only weights in the balance were smooth stones, which we learn from the book of Proverbs^ were also used in ancient days. The custom of drying corn and other articles on the roofs of houses here, appears to be as common as it was in the days of Rahab.* The houses in the streets have their flat roofs so connected, that nothing could be easier or more natural in case of any alarm, than to walk along the whole length of the street on the housetop, without coming down.* Indeed, there are some yet remaining, where the roofs of the lower row of 1 Gen. XVI. 12. » Isa. in. 21. « Prov. xi. 1; xvi. 11. See originnL Josh 11 6. II iiani. XVII. 19 * l.ukeTrit.81. CURIOUS LAW CASE. 275 houses form the pathway of the row above. This was vej y generally the case in Saphet oefore the earthquake, and, in reference to it, a well-known story is current among the in- liabitants. A camel-driver passing along the street suddenly observed his camel sink down. It had been walking on the roof of a house, and the roof had given way. The owner of the house was filled with alarm and anger at seeing the ani- mal descend into his apartment. He carried the case to the Cadi, claiming damages for the broken roof of his house. But he was met by the camel-driver claiming damages from him for the injury his camel had sustained by the fall, owing to the roof not being kept in good repair. We did not hear the decision of the Cadi in this difficult case. Towards evening, we clambered through a vineyard to the shapeless ruins of the castle, which surmounts the highest peak of the hill of Saphet, and commands the finest view of the Lake of Galilee, Here we disturbed several serpents of considerable size, which darted out of sight at our approach, or glided dow^n the slope. Large vultures also were hovering over our heads in great numbers. We climbed up to the highest part of the untenanted walls, and sat down. Immediately below us was the Governor's house and the ]\Iahometan quarter, and part of the hil] clothed with fig and olive trees. Three ridges more inter- vene, and then the Lake of Galilee appears. It did not seem more than two miles off, though in reality four hours distant, so much does the clear atmosphere deceive the sight. The greater part of the lake was in view, nearly in the form of an oval, — a deep blue expanse of calm, unruffled, silent waters. Through part of the middle of the lake, we could discern a streak like the track of a vessel that had lately cut the waters. This might possibly be caused by the current of the Jordan passing through it ; but of this we were rather sceptical, for at other times we could not discover any thing like this ap- pearance. On the eastern side the mountains are lofty ard bare, descending abruptly on the shore. We could not de- scry a single village or town on that side, although smoke was rising from one or two points. On the western side the hiUs are not so lofty nor so close upon the lake ; but there i-^ more variety. We remarked that there was no part of the margin which shewed any thing like a plain except that part La the north-west, where a verdant plain extends apparently 276 lAKE OF GALILEE — GEiVNESARETH. three or four miles along the shore, and seemeJ to Tae a mile or a mile and a lialf at its greatest breadth. We concluded at once that this must be the plain of Oennesareth, of which Josephus speaks in such glowing terms/ and the land of Gennesareth, so often mentioned in the Gospel narrative, where stood Capernaum, and other cities, whose very site is now unknown. South of the plain, two rocky promontories run out into the lake. Over the nearest, a few buildings, dimly discern- ible, indicated the site of Tiberias; but a little farther a white building attracts the eye upon the shore. It is the hot baths of Tiberias. Over the second promontory a distant vil- lage is visible, probably Kerak, the ancient Tarichcea; and there the view of the lake is bounded. The whole extent of the lake may be about fifteen miles in length, and nine miles at the greatest breadth. The view of the hill country to the west and south-west of the lake is very beautiful. The heights of Huttin, commonly fixed on by tradition as the Mount of Beatitudes, appear a little to the west of Tiberias. Over these the graceful top of Mount Tabor is seen, and be- yond it the little Hm-mon, famous for its dews ; and still farther, and apparently higher, the bleak mountains of Gil- boa, on which David prayed that there might fall no dew nor rain.* A view of the position of Tabor and Hermon from such a situation as that which we now occupied, shewed us how ac- curately they might be reckoned the " umbilicus terroi" — the central point of the land, — and led us to infer that this is the true explanation of the manner in which they are referred to in the 89th Psalm : " The north and the south thou hast created them ; Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy namey^ It is as if the Psalmist had said. North, south, and all that is between — or, in other words, the whole land from north to south, to its very centre and throughout its very marrow — shall rejoice in thy name. We could imagine the days when Jesus walked down by the side of that lake, and preached to silent multitudes gathered round him. It seemed at that moment unspeakable condescension, that God in our nature should once have stood on some of these slopes, and stretched out his hand to sinners xs he spoke in the tone of heavenly love, " Come unto mo, I Wars, in. 10, S l*. •■ W .Nam. i. 2L » i'sa. lxxsix. 12. SAPHET JEWISH SYNAGOGUE. 277 and I will give you rest ! " And it was strangely solemn to be gazing upon rocks that echoed to his prayers by night, and desert places where he was alone with his Father : " He de- parted again unto a mountain himself alone ;" " and his dis- ciples went down unto the sea."^ All sides of the lake are now comparatively bleak and dreary ; yet they suit the still- ness of the scene. Not a tree is to be seen on the mountains ; and even the land of Gennesareth, so famous in the days oi Josephus for the amazing variety and luxuriance of its trees and shrubs, is now only a wilderness of reeds and bushes. " Behold your house is left unto you desolate !"^ The house .remains, but it is desolate. The rocks and mountains around the sea continue unaltered ; the water of the lake is as pure and as full as in ancient days ; and yet the place is most desolate. Its cities are gone, and the vast population that once thronged its shores are now reduced to a few miserable inhabitants of mud-walled villages. Returning from this solemn scene, we bent our steps toward the Jewish quarter. They reckon Saphet a peculiarly holy city, because Simeon, author of the Zohar, and many other eminent rabbis, are buried in its vicinity. We entered a synagogue, where several persons were reading the Talmud and the Commentators. A young man was reading a com- mentary on I Ohron. xxix, where the dying words of David are recorded. This led us to speak of what a man needed when death arrived, and we came at length to the question, How can a sinner be righteous before God ? We were speak- ing in a mixture of Hebrew and German. The young man was very earnest, but several gathered round and stopped the conversation by asking " From what country do you come ?" Before leaving, Mr Bonar read out of a German tract the story of Salmasius, who on his deathbed wished that he had devoted his life to the study of the Holy Scriptures. In another syna- gogue, a young man who spoke Hebrew and German, conversed with us, and three old men joined us for a short time, but all of them looked suspiciously upon us, and soon went away. We learned in the course of the day, that they had heard from some of Sir Moses Montefiore's attendants, that we were come for the purpose of making them Christians, and had been warned to enter into no discussions. In the evening toward sunset, we could observe the prepa- j John VI. 15, 16. a Matt xxin aa. 278 SArilET — JEWISH SABBATH, rations going on in every Jewish dwelling for the Sabbath. The women brought out of the oven the bread they had baked, beautifully white wheaten bread, the first we had seen among the natives of Palestine. The houses were all set in order, the table arranged, and the couches spread ; in every dwell- ing the Sabbath lamp was lighted, and a low murmur waa heard, while the father of the family repeated the appoint- ed benediction. " Blessed art thou, O Lord, King of the World, who has sanctified us by thy commandments, and commanded us to light the Sabbath lamp." Soon after, all hurried to the synagogue, to bring in the Sabbath there. There are two synagogues of the Ashkenazim, and two of the Sephardim in Saphet ; and six of those places for study called Yishvioth. We visited one of the former, and found it very neat and clean, beautifully lighted up with lamps of olive-oil. Several very venerable men were seated all round ; more than half of the worshippers had beards verging to pure white, and grey hair flowing on their shoulders. It was indeed a new scene to us. In reading their prayers, nothing could exceed their ve- hemency. They read with all their might ; then cried aloud like Baal's prophets on Mount Carmel ; and from time to time, the tremulous voice of some aged Jew rose above all the rest in earnestness. The service was performed evidently as a work of special merit. One old man often stretched out his hand as he called on the Lord, and clenched his trembling fist in impas- sioned supplication. Some clapped their hands, others clasped both hands together, and wrung them as in an agony of dis- tress, till they should obtain their request. A few beat upon their breasts. One man, trembling with age, seemed to fix on the word " Adonai," and repeated it with every variety of in- tonation, till he exhausted his voice. All of them, old and young, moved the body backward and forward, rocking to and fro, and bending toward the ground. This indeed is an im- portant part of worship in the estimation of strict Talmud- ists, because David says, " All my bones shall say, Lord, wht> is like unto thee .?'" When all M'as over, one young man remained behind prolonging his devotions, in great excitement. We at first thought that he was deranged, and was caricaturing the rest, but were assured that, on the contrary, he was a pecu- liarly devout man. Sometimes he struck the wall, and some- times stamped with his feet; often he bent his whole body to the 1 (*sa. iisv. li). SViNAGOGUE WORSHIP — VINEYARDS. 279 ground, crying aloud, " Adonai, Is not Israel thy people ?" in a reproachful tone, as if angry that God did not immediately answer. The whole service seemed embodying to the life the description given by Isaiah, " Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not ? wherefore have we afSicted our souls, and thou takest no knowledge ?" " ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high."^ We never felt more deeply affected at the sight of Israel. It was the saddest and most solemn view of them that we had yet obtained. — Sincere, anxious, devout Jews " going about to establish their own righteousness." None seemed happy ; even when all was over, none bore the cheerful look of men who had ground to believe that their prayers had been accepted. Many had the very look of misery, and almost of despair. We had just time to look in upon two other synagogues before they broke up. The devotions in all seemed to be conducted in one spirit of vehement and intense excitement. Yet it is said that the Jews of Tiberias exceed them in the earnestness of their religious services. All the Ashkenazira here belong to the sect called " Chasid-im," who are by far the most superstitious and pharisaical sect among the Jews. On Saturday morning (July 13), walking out a little way, we came to part of the hill where are some small vineyards, with vines trained on terraces, affording a specimen of former times. It is a surface of rock with a thin sprinkling of earth, that has been thus cultivated. Frequently the rocky terraces are entirely concealed by the verdant vines which hang over them, and often we passed through rows of vines, where the road was covered from view by the spreading luxuriance of the branches. To such a fruitful and spreading vineyard, where the very roads were overspread by luxuriant boughs. Job re- ferred, when he said of the wicked's final ruin, " he beholdeth not the u'ciy of the vineyards."'^ We had planned a journey to explore the upper end of the Lake of Galilee, and see if any marks could be found to de- cide the position of Bethsaida; but difficulties came in our way. Some assured us that the journey would occupy only two hours ; others said that it would require seven, and that the Bedouins had taken some horses there a few days ago, so that we must be accompanied by a guard. The uncertainty as to distance determined us not to go, for we did not wish to risk > Isa. LviiL i.%. 3 Job XXIV. 18. 280 VISIT TO MARON'A. breaking in upon the Sabbath-day. We accordingly resolved to visit Marona, whose white tomb was in sight, the burying- place of many illustrious Jews, and also a village named Jur- mab, higher up the mountain, whither many Jews had fled from the present danger. Every year Jewish pilgrims visit ..ne sepulchres of Marona, and after many prayers, burn pre- cious shawls dipped in oil in honour of the dead rabbis. This very year Sir Moses Montefiore had gone on a pilgrimage to it, the Jews of Saphet accompanying him in a body. They sung as they went, and clapped their hands in concert with the song. They prayed at the tombs and returned. Mr Caiman preferred remaining in Saphet, both in order to see some of his old Jewish friends, and not to give needless offence, which would have been done had they seen one of their former brethren travelling on the Jewish Sabbath. Descend- ing from the hill of Saphet, we crossed a rocky wilderness, and passed through a fine olive-grove. Here we met a large train of mules carrying merchandise on their way from Nablous to Damascus. Soon after, we began to ascend Mount Naphtali, and in less than two hours from Saphet came to Marona. It mvist have been an ancient place, for there are the ruins of ter- races ; also many caves and excavated tombs, some of then large and very curious. But the most remarkable object is a beautiful gateway, Kke the one we saw at Kefr-birhom. The carving appearfed to be after the same pattern. The stones are very large, and the whole space occupied by the edifice can be accurately traced by the large foundation-stones that are distinctly visible. A pillar said to belong to this building, lay among the ruins in the village. Below this spot are situated the tombs of the holy men of the Jews, having a white-washed oratory built over them, and enclosed within walls. We entered by a narrow gate, and found ourselves in a court, in the centre of which grew a spreading fig-tree. From this court is the entrance to the white oratory, a cool pleasant spot, having an ostrich-shell suspended from the roof. There is a desk with prayer-books for the use of Jewish pil- grims, among which we left one of our Hebrew tracts. The devout Jews have left their names scrawled over the walls. Beneath repose the ashes of Jewish saints, and the most dis- tinguished of all, the author of Zohar, lies here.' A little 1 See bis history in the ApoomlLx. No. IIL VIL1.AGE OF JURMAH. 281 lower down the hill, we entered a large cave, having seven vaults hewn out in it, containing many places for dead bodies, all empty. At the entrance lay four singularly carved stones, probably intended for lids of the sarcophagi. Some of the Jews of the place were absurd enough to assert, that this vil- lage, Marona, is the Shimron-meron of Joshua xii. 20, and they called the channel of a small winter-torrent close by " the waters of Megiddo." They proved the former merely from the likeness in the name, and the latter from the circumstance of Kedesh, Megiddo, and Taanach, all occurring in the his- tory of Barak's expedition against Sisera, and then occurring along with Shimron-meron in Joshua xii. 20, 22. The vil- lage itself is poor and wretched, adorned by a solitary palm- tree. It belongs to the Maronite Christians, who have such respect for the chief man among the Jews there that they give full protection to all his brethren. We now ascended an hour higher up the mountain to Jur- raah. The road was wild and beautiful, and the atmosphere at this elevation pure and delightful. The myrtle- trees were in full blossom, and the whole way was lined with shrubs and ■evergreens, till we reached the village. It is situated upon a level brow of the hill just where the view opens out towards the Lake of Galilee. Here we had been directed to inquire for the house of Rabbi Israel. We found him sick and in bed, but his family and the other Jews of the place received us very kindly. About fifteen reside here, principally Rus- sians, who had left Saphet on account of the unsettled state of the country. The table was spread with a clean white cloth ; bread, cheese, milk, and a kind of spirit, were pro- duced, and we were pressed to partake. We conversed in Hebrew and German, and before leaving had some conversa- tion regarding the pardon of sin. We felt it deeply interest- ing to partake of Jewish hospitality in one of the villages of the land of Israel, and they seemed friendly and not at all of fended by our words. From the door of the house, they point- ed out Bet-jan, a village half an hour from this, in which se- veral Jewish families had taken refuge ; and told us of a vil- lage three hours farther up the mountain, called Bukeah, where twenty Jews reside, and where they cultivate the ground like Fellahs. If this be true, it is the only instance we heard of in which the Jews till the ground in Palestine. Descending the hill, we returned to Saphet in time to visit 282 RETURN TO SAPHET SEPHARDIM SYNAGOGUES. the synagogues of the Sephardim. On our way we met an old Jew, carrying his prayer-book in his hand, in the same manner as our old Scottish peasants carry their Bibles to church, that Israel had the same light upon the Word of God, that the Holy Spirit has granted to many of our pea- sants in Scotland ! The synagogues of the Sephardim are both within a small court, in which fig-trees are planted ; and both are clean, white-washed, and well lighted up. Here we got into con verse with the same interesting young Jew who had followed us from Tyre. When we were speaking on Psalm xxxii, the blessedness of being forgiven, he said, " But I obtained for- giveness long ago, by taking four steps in this holy land," And referring to Isaiah liii, he said, " Yes, it applied to Mes- siah, who is now sitting at the gate of Rome among the poor and the sick" — a singular legend which exists in the Talmud, and is one of the ways by which the Jews evade the force of that remarkable prophecy. Whenever any entered into con- verse with us in the synagogue, they were forbidden by the frown and authority of elder Jews. At last they cut off all further debate by beginning the public prayers. The same young Jew afterwards meeting Mr M'Cheyne in the street, and observing a strong staff in his hand, requested him to give him a present of it. He made his request in Hebrew nin Vy^ " ^i^^ "^"^ *'"^ staff, and if the Arabs come, I will smite them with it." It was strange to hear this youth speak- ing the language of his fathers on their own mountains. This evening, we heard that a party of Bedouins had come down upon the little village of Mijdel, on the border of the Lake of Galilee, and plundered the villagers of all their goods and cattle. This news spread fresh alarm through Saphet. (July 14.) We spent a pleasant Lord's day. We sat in the open air enjoying " the shadow of a cloud,"' and the cooling breeze that swept over the hill. In the forenoon, be- neath the shade of an olive-grove, with Mount Naphtali full in view, we read together the Epistle to the Philippians, and worshipped. In the afternoon we joined again in social wor- ship on the southern brow of the hill among the Mahometan tombs, with the Lake of Galilee at our feet. While walking I Vm. XZV.3. TOMBS — THE " ERUV." 283 down the face of the hill, we came upon a cave where tlie Jews had thrown aside, from religious scruples, leaves of He- brew Boots, and many MSS. written on parchment rolls, in which some defect had been found. This cave was amidst the rtat gravestones that whiten that part of the hill. On the tombs, few of the inscriptions were interesting. Almost all ran in the same terms, beginning generally with the common formula, viz. the two letters, jg, that is, " Here is buried ;" and then the individual's name and character, n\I7^"l Dn ^"'J^' " A man perfect and upright." One quaint inscription quoted the words of the prophet Habakkuk, and applied them to a dead rabbi, as one whom even the inanimate objects would la- ment, " For the stone shall cry out of the wall ; and the beam out of the timber shall answer it,"^ In returning to our dwelling in the afternoon, a Jew con- strained Mr Caiman to go into his house. It turned out that the man was intoxicated, and that he was a Russian who had become a Jew. Such cases of ajjostacy on the part of profess- ing Christians sometimes occur. Mr Caiman knew two others who had become Jews in a similar manner.^ It was here that we first observed the ll1"ny» " Eruv," a string stretched from house to house across a street, or fiasteneo upon tall poles. The string is intended to represent a wall, and thus by a ridiculous fiction the Jews are enabkd to fulfil the precept of tie Talmud, that no one shall carry a burden on the Sabbath-day, not even a prayer-book or a handker- chief, or a piece of money, except it be within a walled place. How applicable still are the words of Jesus, " In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."'' In the evening, our servant Antonio, a simple kind-hearted lad, read with us in the Italian Bible. He was much struck with Christ's words on the cross, " Dio niio, Dio mio, perchs m' hai lasciato,'" " My God, my God, why hast thou forsa- ken me ?" He had for several nights, at the end of the day's journey, sat clown alone to read a little. Mr Caiman began to address the muleteers ; but one of them, when he heard how the Sabbath ought to be sanctified, said, " He did not like that, 1 Hab. n. II. « There is a singular instance in the history of our own Churrl), recordeii by Wodrow, of one Fr. Borthwick, who was accused of Judaism, a Matt. XV. 9, 284 ^A1'HET AS A HISSIONARY STAT10^. for it was the only day he had for fantasies,^' that is, amuse- ments. Thus our last evening in Saphet came to a close. We could not help desiring that the time would come when our beloved Church should be permitted to establish a Mission here. When the Deputation was unbroken, we had often spoken togethei upon the subject, and had always turned toward this spot as probably the most desirable situation in Palestine for a Mis- sion to Israel ; and now that we had visited it, our convictions were greatly strengthened. The climate of Saphet is very de- lightful even in the heat of summer. The thermometer im- mediately before dawn stood at 58" F. ; at 8 o'clock, 64" ; at noon, 76" in the shade. The mountain air is pure, and the hills are finely exposed to every breeze that sweeps by. A Mission established in Galilee would have this great ad- vantage, that the head-quarters might be at Saphet in sum- mer, where the cool atmosphere would enable the missionary to labour without injury to health, and at Tiberias in winter, M'here the cold is scarcely felt. There is no missionary a*' pre- sent resident in either. The missionaries at Jerusalem visit both places occasionally, but by no means frequently. The Jews of Saphet have intimate communication with those of Jeru- salem, and of the coast, so that all the motions of our English brethren at Jerusalem, and even our movements as we travel- led through the land, were well known to them. They are also quite accessible to the efforts of a kind and judicious mis- sionary, though many of them were shy to us, because they had been warned from an influential quarter to have no dealings with us. Still the Sephardim were quite willing to hear; and all were friendly. In the village, where no exter- nal influence had been used, they were kind and attentive. They here have little or no employment, and have therefore abundant leisure to read and discuss. They are also in deep afiliction, " finding no ease, neither has the sole of their foot rest," a state of mind more favourable than carnal ease for af- fording opportunity to press, ujjon them the truths of the gospel. If it were thought advisable to engage converts in agricul- tural pursuits, it would be much more easily accomplished here than in any other part of the land. They might settle in a village among the mountains, and till the ground, or train the vine, like the Jews at Bukeah of whom we heard PEPARTURK FROM SAPIIET, 285 The Jews both of Saphet and Tiberias are most interesting, from the very circumstance of their extravagant devotion and bigotry. They have a peculiar love for these two places, be- ing two of their four holy cities, and many of their saints being buried near. They say that Jeremiah hid the ark some- where in the hill of Saphet, and that Messiah will come first in Galilee. This notion is probably derived from Isaiah, " Galilee of the nations, the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light."' That remarkable prophecy was fulfilled when our Lord Jesus, the great light of the world, came and dwelt beside the lake of Galilee f and who can tell whether He may not choose the same favoured spot to make light spring up again on them who sit in the region and shadow of death ? If the Spirit of God were poured down upon Saphet, it would become a city that might shine over the whole Jewish world. " A city set on a hill cannot be hid." Such were our feelings upon the. spot in 1839. The blast of war has passed over the country since then, and the reins of government of Syria have been wrenched from the hand of Mehemet Ali, and transferred to the feeble grasp of the Sultan. At present (1842), the country is said to be 80 unsettled, thAt no missionary would be safe in Saphet or any where in the interior of Galilee. But if tranquillity was restored, the desirableness of the place as a missionary station would be as great as ever. (July 15.) We were up before the sun, and, by six o'clock took leave of our Jewish host and his family. Many Jews saluted us as we passed through the town. We pro- ceeded south, with the Lake of Galilee fully in view, and descended into a deep valley, with a remarkable range of high and precipitous rocks, composed of reddish sandstone, on the left hand. In the bottom was a fresh stream of running wa- ter, issuing from a copious well, the oleander blossoming all around. The name of the valley was called Wady Hukkok. It may be the spot mentioned in Joshua, " The border of Naphtali went out to HukkoJc, and reached to Zebulun on the south side."^ Tho name has evidently been given in re- ference to its steep precipitous sides.* It seems probable that the border of Naphtali ended at this point.^ 1 Isa. IX. 1, 2. 2.Matt. iv. 13. 3 Josh. xix. 3t. 4 The root pp^ signifies to cut or engi-ave. * The difficult prophecy in regard to Naphtali's portion in Deut. xxxi 286 JOTAPATA — PLAIN OF GENNESARETH. Descending still farther south, we observed on the right a singular rock, of considerable height, in which were many caverns, and one part of which seemed to indicate excavations made by art, capable of containing a large number of men. We did not ascertain the name of this place, but afterwards conjectured that it might be the site of Jotapata, the city of Josephus, for it answers well to the description of that fortress given by him.' " Jotapata is almost wholly a precipice, abruptly enclosed all round on the other sides with immense valleys, whose depth wearies the eye of the beholder, and af- fording an access only on its northern side." The caves of Arbela (supposed to be the Bctharbel of Hosea^), in the val- ley of Doves, south-west of the plain of Gennesareth, appear, from the descriptions of travellers, to be very similar. Leaving this spot on our left, we crossed over a pleasant hill to the south-east, and came down into the fertile Plain of Gennesareth, near a fountain called " Ain-el-Tin," " the fig- tree fountain," supposed by some to be " the fountain of Ca- pernaum" mentioned by Josephus. We did not search out the ruins of tlie city, but there were pointed out to us heaps among the luxuriant bushes of the plain, which some have thought to be the remains of Capernaum. The land of Gen- nesareth is a beautiful little plain, extending along the shore nearly four miles, and about two miles from the lake to the foot of the hills at the broadest part. It is in the shape of a bow and string at full stretch, and there is a gentle slope from the hills to the water's edge all round. It seems highly probable that part of the hills which enclose it, may have been included in the territory of Gennesareth in the days of its splendour. Gardens and orchards could not find a better soil than these declivities, and it must have been on the dif- ferent steps of this amphitheatre, that the variety of trees yielding the fruits of ditferent seasons found each its appro- priate climate, as described by Josephus. should probably be translated, "Possess thou the sea (,D^j and the south' T The term " south" is intended to fix the meaning of "the sea ,-" q. d. not thr Great Sea or Mediterranean, but the sea that lies south of thy border; that is, the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum, Bcthsaida, and other fishint? towns, belonged to Naphtali, so that his vessels commanded the whole lake, or, in other words, "possessed it." Just as, in Gen. xlix. 13, the border of Zebulun is said to " be unto Zidon;" because he might be said to extend to that point when hisvesselt were trading thitlier. 1 Wars. III. 7. » Hos. X. U PLAIN OF GENNESARETH. 287 Moving on southward we crossed a fine stream flowing through the plain, the same wliich we had seen gushing from its fountain among the hills below Saphet. Its banks were adorned with the oleander and other flowers. A fine flock oi goats were watering here, and a rich crop of dhura was spring- ing green and beautiful. The reeds and thistles were growing to an amazing height beside the water. Soon after, we crossed another stream from the mountains, full and rapid. On the left bank upon the height, there were the remains of an ancient tower, in no way interesting, and the name of which we could not learn. In the middle of the stream stood a ruined mill. Many tortoises were seen dropping into the water as we ap- proached. The plain opens out considerably, aflfording spots of pasturage, where we observed several Bedouins feeding their horses ; but still there was a vast profusion of reeds and shrubs, and thorny plants, the most common being the tree called nahok by the Arabs. In almost an hour from Ain-el- Tin we came to Mijdel, at the southern extremity of the plain. Such is the present condition of the Land of Gennesareth, — once a garden of princes, now a wilderness. We have seen that the remains of Capernaum, which is called the Saviour's *' own city,"^ are scarcely to be found ; and the traces of Chorazin and Bethsaida are still more doubtful. There seems every probability that they were also within the limits of this little plain, but where, no one can tell.^ The solemn " woe" pronounced by the Lord Jesus on these three cities, in whose streets He so often spoke the words of eternal life, has fallen with silent but exterminating power. It is more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for them. " And thou, Capernaum, which was exalted to heaven, art brought down to hell."^ He took out his believing i-emnant from the midst of them (as he took Lot out of Sodom), Peter, Andrew, and Philip, three worthies from Bethsaida, — and three from 1 Matt. IX. 1. s It seems evident that there were two towns called Bethsaida, on opposite ■ides of thi' Sea of Galilee. One was the town of Philip, Andrew, and Peter (John I. 44), associated with Chorazin and Capernaum (Matt. xi. 20—24), and belonging to the land of Gennesareth (Mark vi. 4.5, 53). This town was clearly on the west side of the sea. The other is associated with the towns of Cesarea Philippi (Mark viii. 13, 22, 27), and with the desert place where Christ fed the five thousand (Lukeix. 10). It was on the east side of Jordan, probably an hoxu p'lrlh of the lake, where the ruins of a town on a hill still remain. » Matt. XI. 20—24- 288 CAPERXAUM — CHORAZIN — BETHSAIDa. Capernaum, the nobleman, the centurion, and Jairus ; and then swept the unbelieving cities away with the besom of destruction. An awful voice rises from these ruined heaps of Gennesareth, warning the cities of our favoured land that a despised Gospel will bring them as low as Capernaum ; " He that believeth not shall be damned." It was in Capernaum that Jesus healed so many upon one Saturday evening, when the Jewish Sabbath was over, and the cooling breeze of sunset was favourable to the journey of the sick.' We could imagine them coming, some up the side of the lake, others from its northern towns, or down the valley of Doves from the interior of Galilee, tUl all meet in this very plain, where they hear that Jesus is in the city, and forthwith pour in to find him. He receives them, heals many that were sick of diverse diseases, and casts out many devils ; for " he did most of his mighty works" there. And being left alone, " he rose a great while before day, and went out and departed into a solitary place," wandering up the valley of Doves on the west, or the deep raviues of Saphet on the north, and there prayed till Simon Peter and a multitude of anxious souls found him out among the rocks, and said unto him, " All men seek for thee."^ We found the small village of Mijdel quite deserted. We had already met in the village several poor plundered peasants on their way to Saphet, with all that remained of their pro- perty. We examined at leisure their wretched mud-huts ; the habitation of man and beast seemed to have been not only under one roof, but sometimes in the same apartment, separated merely by a slender partition. Their little gardens were full of cusas and cucumbers, and other thriving vegetables. It is not unlikely that this village occupies the site of Migdal-el, mentioned by Joshua as one of the towns of Naphtali f and is also generally believed to be the site of the Magdala of the New Testament,* the town from which Mary Magdalene got her name. But this latter supposition is doubtful, for there seems to have been another place of the same name on the eastern side ; and the name which signifies " a tower," was not an uncommon one in Palestine. We sat down to rest un- der a shady nabbok-tree, and then wandered to the edge of ihe lake through oleanders and reeds. Many curious insectj* I Mark i. 32—35. » Mark i. 87. • Jjih. XIX iii. * :Lratt *v-39. VILLAGE OF MIJDEL — TIBERIAS — LAK.E OF GALILEE. 28D people the leaves of these shruhs ; one species especially abounded, shaped like a frog, and green as the leaves on which they sat. We washed our hands and faces in the soft water, and gathered many shells from the beach as memorials of the spot. From this point of view is to be seen the whole of the up- per margin of the lake, which appears like a semicircle. We could easily trace the point where the Jordan enters, by the opening of the hills. The eastern mountains in the region of Bashan appeared still more steep and lofty. The ridge of Hermon on the north, sprinkled with snow, formed the grandest object in sight. There was deep serenity and calm, and a bright sun playing upon the waters. How often Jesus looked on this scene, and walked by the side of this lake I We could feel the reason why , when harassed and vexed by the persecution of enemies, " Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea."'- The rabbins spoke more truth than they intended, when they said, " God loved that sea beyond all other seas !" From INlijdel, the margin of the lake takes a turn to the south-east, and as the hills approach close to the shore, the pathway is often a considerable height above the water. Sometimes a wady descends from the hills, and the shore forms a gently sloping cove, with a pebbly beach, and then, again, becomes abrupt. It was probably on one of these pebbly spots that Jesus was walking, when the people gathered round him, till the pressure of eager listeners was so great, that he had to enter into a ship, from which he spoke the parable of the sower, " and the whole multitude stood on the shore."^ And perhaps it was during a solitary walk round some of these retired coves, that he came on James and John, with their father and servants, mending their nets by the shore.^ The largest of these open spaces running up toward the hills was cultivated, and seemed very fruitful, and we noticed on the shore a large circular well, enclosed by walls that wen much dilapidated. The pathway ascends the promontory be- yond this, and now the south part of the lake came fully in view, with the dark walls and towers of Tiberias at our feet. The hUls of Bashan on the opposite side appeared a steep un- broken wall, descending into the lake, and giving a shade of 1 Mark iil 7 « Ma^t xiii. 1, 2. » Mark i. 19, 290 TIBERIAS — ASHKENAZIM SYNAGOGUE. deeper blue to the waters beneath. We could not distin- guish a single tree on the opposite hiUs, and on this side very few. We passed a single fig-tree, the only fruit- tree vfi saw till we came in sight of the few palms that adorn Tibe- rias. In approaching Tiberias, the eye rests on the ruins of towers and walls ; and as the greater part of the stones are black like lava, the place wears a dismal and melan- choly appearance. The wall, which nearly surrounds the town, has been at one time massy and solid ; but the town and much of its walls was ruined by the same earthquake which overwhelmed Saphet, and has never been properly re- built. They call the town Taberiah, by a corruption of its ancient name. We intended to take up our quarters in the old church of St Peter, a relic of the earliest ages of Christianity, but soon found that we could enjoy more cleanliness and coolness by pitching our tent between it and the lake, our cords almost dipping in the water. In passing through the town, our com- passion was excited by observing the wretched booths in which most of the people live. Many of them were nothing bet- ter than boughs of trees plastered over with mud, and their common fuel was the dung of horses and cattle, such as we had seen used in Saphet. We walked over several ruined arches in our way to the Jewish quarter. Here we came first among the Ashkenazim, Germans and Russians, with their black broad-brimmed hats, or large fur-caps, and soiled black Polish gowns, of all dresses the most unsuitable for such a climate. Tiberias (as men- tioned before) is one of the four cities which the Jews account peculiarly holy. In it are three synagogues of the Ashkena- zim and two of the Sephardim, besides several reading-rooms — very clean and airy buildings, especially those of the Se- phardim. The first synagogue which we entered was one be- longing to the Ashkenazim, in which were seated three old men, with beards white as snow, one nearly deaf, and all nearly blind, yet poring over volumes of the Talmud. It was truly a sight fitted to move in us the feelings of our Lord, when in Galilee he saw the multitude " as sheep with- out a shepherd." No sooner did we begin to speak with them, than they were warned by a young Jew pressing his finger on their arm, and were immediately silent. They seemed lost in studying the Hebrew page, and soon one and KEPHARPIM SYNAGOGUE. 291 another rose and left the place. The veil is upon their hearts, while they are at the very brink of eternity ! This synagogui was cool and pleasant, with a good many Hebrew books in it. In another synagogue, we found a good number of younger Jews sitting, who at first had some freedom in conversing, but, being also warned, turned more shy. When we were here, a respectable Jew named Haiim came in, and sud- denly recognised Mr Caiman. He was an amiable, intel- ligent man, possessed of a little money, and practising as % physician. On a former visit, Mr C. and Mr Nicolayson had met with much kindness from him, and had left with him a Hebrew New Testament. When he recognised Mr Caiman, he started, and did not speak very freely, for a rea- son which he afterwards explained. But before leaving us, he quietly invited us to come to his house, which we promised to do. We then visited a synagogue of the Sephardim, from whom we experienced a much kinder reception. We found an old Jew seated on the ground, with twenty children, whom he was teaching to read Lamentations i, with proper intona- tion of voice. Several Jews gathered round us, and with them we had an interesting discussion for about an hour. It began by the teacher putting questions to us as to our know- ledge of Hebrew. He and Mr Caiman carried on the con - versation in Arabic. Meanwhile, the Jewish boys gathered round Mr Bonar, and read part of Lamentations i, translat- ing it into Arabic as they went on. They also amused them- selves by putting many questions to him in Hebrew. A group of young men stood with Mr M'Cheyne at the doer. He spoke to them regarding Israel's ignorance of the fountain of forgiveness, as proved from Zech. xiii. 1. They soon brought two of their rabbis, really venerable-looking men, and asked them to answer the questions that had been put. The rabbis were very friendly, but not liking the discussion soon went away. On the opposite side of the court, they conducted us to one of the best of their Yishvioth, divided into three apartments, in which was a large collection of Hebrew books. It was pleasant to look out upon the blue waters of . the lake imme- diately under the windows. They told us that there were at that time only 600 Jews in Tiberias, owing to the cala- mitous state of the country. Like thoise of Saphet, they are 292 TIBERIAS JEWISH PHYSICIAN, HAIIM. in daily terror on account of the Bedouins. We made special inquiry after any traces of the ancient Jewish Academy, where the compilers of the Mishna and Gemara carried on their labours — the once famous seat of the School of Tiberias — but in vain. We inquired if there were remains of any an- cient building connected with it, but no one knew of any thing of the kind, nor did any of the Jews appear to be ac- quainted with its history. After leaving the synagogue, we found under an arch of the ruined buildings a parchment roll, being a MS. of part of the book of Esther, cast out amidst many fragments of other books because of some error in the transcription. We now visited the Jewish physician, Haiim, who had re- cognised Mr Caiman in the synagogue. We were guided to his house by a little Jewish girl who spoke German. As we went, we asked her about her parents ; she replied, " They were both buried in the ruins by the earthquake." How truly might she be taken as representative of a large class in Israel, of whom the prophet writes, " We are orphans and father- less!"^ We found the doctor's house very clean and com- fortable. He told us that he had not spoken to us in the synagogue, because he was very much suspected by his breth- ren. Some time ago, during his absence from home, some of the Jews had discovered the Hebrew New Testament lying in his house, and, on his return, he found them in the act of tearing it to pieces, leaf by leaf. He shewed it to us ; it was a Hebrew Bible with the New Testament affixed. He had saved part of it, but as far as the Epistle to the Corinthians had been destroyed. He was a kind pleasant man, with great leanings toward Christianity. In the evening, while walking along the shore, we saw a boat anchored close by ; and on making inquiry, found that it belonged to a Jew, who had likewise another of a smaller size, both of which were used in fishing ; and being told that on the coast, directly opposite, where the hUls seemed very Bteep and close upon the water, there were many tombs cut out of the rocks, our desire was excited more than ever to cross the lake. We were sure that the opposite side was " the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Gali- lee ;" and from a comparison of all the circumstances, it seemed likely that the scene of the amazing miracle wrought « I/Am. V. 8 LAKE OF GaMLEE — FISHERMAN — STORMS. 293 upon the man possessed by Legion was directly opposite, the steep place of which they spoke being possibly the hill down which the herd of swine ran violently into the sea. We ac- cordingly bargained with the boatman to take us over, which he thought he could do, with the aid of the breeze, in an hour. We got on board, furnished with our cloaks and a few mats, in case the wind should fall and prevent us from returning that night ; but all of a sudden, without assigning any reason, except that the wind might change, and that then we could not get back till next morning, the boatman refused to go, so that we were obliged reluctantly to give up the pleasure of crossing the Sea of Galilee. Soon after we saw him move his boat down the lake. We returned to our tent upon the pebbly beach. Our servants had procured for us some excellent fish from the lake, resembling the carp, which they broiled, and we recalled to mind, as we partook of it, that this was the scene of John XXI. It may have been here, or not far off, that Jesus stood on the shore that morning, when he said to the disciples, " Children, have ye any meat?" and then prepared for them the " fire of coals, and fish laid thereon, and bread," saying, " Come and dine." And on the same spot he left the touch- ing message, first addressed to Peter, but equally addressed to all who, like ourselves, are shepherds of a flock of Christ, " Lovest thou me ? Feed my Lambs — Feed my Sheep." We all felt the deep solemnity of the strain in which one of our number, as he sat on the shore, concluded a song of Zion — O Sa^-iour, gone to God's right hand. Yet the same Saviour still t Graved on thy heart is this lovely strand. And every flagrant hill. Oh ! give me, Lord, by this sacred wave. Threefold thy love divine. That I may feed, till I find my grave, Thy tiock— both thine and mine. While we were thus engaged, Dr Haiim came to the tent. He had waited till it was dark for fear of the Jews. Mr Cai- man had much conversation with him. On our asking him regarding the lake, if there were ever storms upon it, he said, " Yes ; and, 'n winter, the storms are ivorse than those of tJie Great Sea " This quite corresponds with the testimony of Mr 294 r.AK.E OF GALILEE — FISHERMAN Hebard, one of the American missionaries at Beyrout, who visited the lake in April ; and who told us that he and his party had encamped at evening close by the lake, when at midnight, all at once, a squall came down upon the lake, sc terrible that they had to hold by their tent-poles for safety. Such, no doubt, was the tempest that came down, when the little ship in which the Saviour and his disciples sailed " was covered with the waves ;"^ and it is not then to be wondered at that the disciples were so alarmed, and cried, " Lord, save us, we perish;" for such a squall coming in fury from the hills is more dangerous than the storms of the Great Mediterranean Sea. The thermometer was 91° F. during the day, and 76° during the night. All night long innumerable fish and wild fowl were dimpling the waters ; and the beautiful moon shone above as in one of those silent nights when it was •* Left shining in the world, with Christ alone." Some, of us awoke at midnight, and for a short time sat by the edge o/ the lake. The darkness had completely en- veloped the waters, and now the Saviour's midnight prayers on these neighbouring heights and shores, seemed a present reality ; and the remembrance of the time, when " in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto the disciples walk- ing on the sea," spread an indescribable interest over the sleep- ing waters. No place excepting Jerusalem is so deeply and solemnly Impressive as the Sea of Galilee. (July 16.) Early in the morning we bathed with delight in the pure water of the lake, and observed a peculiar plea- santness and softness in the water, — resembling that of the Nile. While we were thus employed, a fisherman passed by with a hand-net, which he cast into the sea. The net was exactly the net called in the Gospel of Matthew a/ip/CXjjffrgoi/,^ the same kind of net which we had seen used at Lake Bourlos m Egypt.^ The simple fisherman little knew the feelings he kindled in our bosoms as he passed by our tent, for we could not look upon his net, his bare limbs, and brawny arms, without reflect'ng that it was to two such men that Jesus once said by this sea, " Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." We then resolved to ride down to the baths, about twc I Matt vui. 24. • Matt. :%. IS. a ^)«(> p. 63. HOT BATHS OF TIBERIAS. 295 miles soutli of Tiberias, and if possible, to get a nearer view of the foot of the laie. As we passed through the tewn, we observed some of the inhabitants rising from their bed, which had been spread on the top of the house, — like Saul, when Samuel called him on the top of his house at Ramah.' The Jews were met in their synagogue for morning worship ; and one unusual sight was three women sitting under a ve- randah with large folios before them, apparently prayer-books. Several of the children whom we had spoken with yesterday recognised and saluted us. Might not an opening be found into* the bosom of Jewish families by shewing kindness to their children ? We made our way over the southern wall of the town, through one of the breaches occasioned by the earthquake. On the outside, the country people were already busily engaged in threshing and winnowing their wheat harvest. We rode smartly along the smooth edge of the lake for about two miles, till we arrived at the " Hammam Taberiah," or " hot baths of Tiberias," a white building which we had seen from Saphet. It is supposed to occupy the site of a fenced city called " Hammath," mentioned by Joshua,^ and which stood near the town Cinnereth, that gave its name to the lake. An attendant came forward and held our horses, while we were ushered into a commodious apartment. The building, which was erected by Ibraim Pasha, is handsome, the floors being all of marble. The bath is open to the public gratuitously, only the bathers pay the attendants, who furnish them with every thing needful. There are small baths of white marble in private apartments, and the common bath is in the centre — a large circular basin built of marble, and continually sup- plied with hot water from hot springs without. We found it about five feet deep, and it was with ditiiculty that we could at first bear the heat of the water. After swimming round and round for some time, it became exceedingly plea- sant, and every pore of the body seemed to be freely opened. We afterwards enjoyed the luxury of free and copious per- spiration as we sat in the ante-room, and were refreshed with water-melons and coffee. We examined two of the principal springs, from which the water boils up so hot that we could not keep our hand in it more than a second. Between the springs and the lake are many curious petrifactions. The 1 1 Sam. IK. 26, t Josh. xix. b5. 296 DEPARTURE FROM TIBERIAS PLAIN OF HUTTIN. stump and roots of some old olive-trees, over which the watei from the spring flows, were completely petrified. We were anxious to obtain a view from the last promon- tory on this side of the lake, and accordingly rode a little farther south along the shore, finding the banks fringed with beautiful oleanders and reeds, among which one solitary palm raised its head. Two deep ravines in the mountains on the opposite side were from this point distinctly visible, but we obtained no fuller view of the southern end of the lake. We would gladly have gone farther down and explored the remains of Tarichaea, and the place where the lake discharges its waters into the Jordan ; but a long day's journey lay before us, so we turned back to the town, struck our tent, and about eleven o'clock issued from the gate of Tiberias. Two German Jews shook hands kindly with us at the gate. It was with real regret that we bade farewell to the blessed shores of the Sea of Galilee. Our course lay due west, up the steep hills which enclose the little plain on which Tiberias stands ; and as we turned back to gaze on this sea, it lay at our feet serene and bright, reflecting the deep blue sky as peacefiilly as on that day when Jesus stilled its waves, " and there was a great calm." The rocks over which we travelled were black and of volcanic origin. Reaching the summit of the hill, the beautiful plain of Huttin lay on a lower level on our right hand, extending to the brink of the hills which en- close the lower plain of Gennesareth. On our left was a still higher plain, nearly all cultivated, and chequered with fields of green and yellow. The plain of Huttin was also varie- gated with wild flowers and occasional patches of cultivation, giving it the appearance of an extensive carpet. Here we saw the gazelle bounding on before us, over shrubs and rocks and every obstacle, and felt the exquisite fulness of meaning in the Church's exclamation, " Behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills ! My beloved is like a gazelle or a young hart."^ It is the very nature of this lively animal to bound over the roughest heights with greatest ease ; it seems even to delight in doing so. Looking back, we obtained a distant view of the northern part of the lake, from which we were gradually receding ; the white summit of snowy Hermon appeared more majestic than iver, and Saphet with its white buildings could not be hid. Our I huug IL 8, 9. MOUNT OF BEATITUDES — VILLAGE OF LUBIAH. 297 way lay through large fields of splendid thistles, having purple flowers, and very fragrant. The stalk was often six or eight feet high, bearing twelve or fifteen heads. Again we were reminded of the oft-recurring threatening, " There shall come up briers and thorns."' But there is a different day ap- proaching of which the same prophet writes, " The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters ; but God shall rebuke them, and they shaU flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and liJce this- tle-down before the whirlwind."^ At the very moment, on a neighbouring height before us, a husbandman was tossing up his wheat into the air, tliat the brisk mountain breeze might carry the chaff away ; and often by our side, the wind caught up some of the loose thistle-down and whirled it rapidly over the plain. With the same ease and rapidity shall Israel's enemies be swept away : " Behold, at even-tide trouble, and before the morning he is not ! This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us." In a short time we came in sight of Mount Tabor, called by the Arabs Jebel Tor, in the distant south, while near us, on our right, appeared the Horns of Huttin, a rocky hill with two conical •.ops. The latter is the hill called by tradition " the Mount of Beatitudes," being supposed to be the scene of the Sermon on the Monnt, for which reason it is also sometimes called the hill of Toubat or Blessings. Another tradition supposes it to be the place where Jesus fed the five thousand with five barley loaves and two fishes.^ It is not impossible that one or both these traditions may be true ; but there is no po- sitive evidence of their truth, and it seems too probable that they arose from the hill being so prominently marked by two peaks. Turning to the south, we soon came to a village called Lubiah, situated high on a limestone ridge, command- ing a full view of Tabor. Here we encamped till the heat of the day was past. The village is large, a^d surrounded with the fig-tree and prickly pear, which gives it an aspect of plenty and pleasantness. Most of the houses have a place for sleep- ing on the roof, as at Tiberias, and we observed here one of the most interesting examples of the stair from the roof down to the street.* From Lubiah we descended into the valley of 1 Isa. V. 6. s ls8u XVII. 13. See margin. » Johu VI. 3— U. « Referred to in Matt. Kxiv. 17. 298 PLAIN OF ESDRAELON — MOUNT TABOR. Jezreel, now the plain of Esdraelon ; and having directed Antonio and the muleteers to carry our luggage to the village Dabourieh at the western foot of Tabor, accompanied by Botros only we rode smartly forward over the plain, intending to climb Mount Tabor before sunset. The plain (extending about thirty miles in length, and twenty in breadth) is singularly level, cultivated in some spots, but for the most part a wilderness of weeds and thorns. There is the appearance indeed of varied produce upon it, but this is caused merely by the different colours of the thistles and briers which cover it. It is reckoned that not more than one-sixteenth of the whole is under cultivation ; and at this part, the proportion is certainly still smaller. How strikingly are the words of Isaiah fulfilled, " They shall lament for the teats, and for the pleasant fields."' The eye is much deceived in judging of distances over this vast plain. From the heights of Lubiah, it appeared to us that we might reach Tabor in less than an hour, and yet it occupied fully two hours, though we rode nearly at full speed. The weeds were often as high as our horses, and scarcely a tree was to be seen on the plain till we approached Tabor. Tabor is a truly graceful mountain, but presents a very different appearance when viewed from different sides. This accounts for the great diversity in the representations given of it. From the north, it had the appearance of the segment of a sphere, and appeared beautifully wooded on the summit, af- fording retreats tu the animals for whom '* the net was spread on Tabor. "^ From the west, it is like a truncated cone, ap- pearing much steeper and higher, with the southern side almost destitute of trees. But on all sides it is a marked and pro- minent object, as the prophet intimates when he says, " As Tabor is among the mountains."^ We passed through several flocks of goats, and near the hill came to a ruined khan, and beside it a fortress, with towers at the corners, which bore marks of having been built by the Franks in crusading times. Close by was the tomb of a Moslem saint under a fine spread- ing tree, with a jug of water upon the grave, according to the practice of Mahometans. The lower branches of the tree were covered with votive rags of different colours. We stopped a little to examine a plough, which lay thrown > Isa. XXXII. 12. See p. 1I». • Wo«. v.l. n Jer. slvi. 18. A PLOUGH — ASCENT TO MOUNT TAttOFt. 299 aside under a tree. It was made entirely of ''.vood, the coulter only being sheathed in a very thin plate of iron, and was therefore exceedingly light, and fit to be guided by a single hand. We at once saw how easy a matter it would be lite- rally to fulfil the words of the prophets, *' They shall beat their swords into ploughshares."^ The approach to Tabor is through a wide and shallow wady, regularly wooded with fine oak-trees, so that it was more like the entrance to a noble- man's policy than an open wilderness. The Balut and the common oak were the most frequent. Tabor itself, and the low ridge which connects it with the hills of Nazareth, were both covered with the same ; not brushwood, as on the hills of Judah, but trees, and these growing at regular distances, as if planted by the hand of the forester. We had ascertained that the village Dabourieh, to which our baggage was to be carried, lay west of the hill, close under its base, and we ought to have gone to that village for a guide, or at least we should have ascended the hill by the plain path on that side of the hill, as is usually done. But the day was far spent, and we had no time to lose, so we resolved to press up the northern face of the hill from the point where we were. Leaving the road, and penetrating by a narrow footpath through a beautiful grove of oaks, we crossed to the proper base of the hill, and began the real ascent. We soon lost all traces of a path, and were involved in mazes of tangling shrubs and briers, and strong trees. The acclivity, too, was very stet.p, and occasionally a project- ing rock or a smooth precipitous ledge nearly baffled the efforts of the mules to ascend. At length we dismounted, the closely twined branches of the trees frequently forcing us first to thrust through our own persons and then to drag on the animals. Anxious to reach the summit before sunset, and now not a little perplexed and wearied, we again sought for the smallest track, — but in vain. We had no alternative, there- fore, but to press upwards without delay. Our attendant Botros, whose clothes as well as our own had by this time suf- fered considerably from the trees and thorns, finding it no common labour both to ascend in face of such obstacles, and also to drag up the mules, kept muttering angry curses on us in his ovn language. At one time we had almost concluded 1 Mic. IV. 3, and Isa. ii. 4 \ 300 VIKW FROM MOUNT TABOR. that we must make up our minds to spend the night where we were, on the wooded mountain side, and surrounded by its wild beasts, for we appeared to be still far from the summit. The sun was beginning to sink in the west, and to retrace our way to the foot through the same intricate passage, would have been as difficult as to ascend. However, we asked guidance of Him who keepeth Israel, and pressed on. Suddenly and much sooner than we expected, we came upon ancient stones, which were evidently the remains of some building. By this sign we knew that we must be now close to the summit, which to our great joy turned out to be the case. The sun had just disappeared, but we had still light enough to see the chief points of the magnificent landscape. We climbed up upon the ruins of the old fortifications on the south-east corner, which appeared to be the highest point on the summit, and looked around. To the north and north-east we saw the plain over which we had travelled, the heights of Huttin, and the deep basin of the mountains enclosing the Sea of Galilee. Other travellers have seen a part of the lake ; this we did not observe, but the hills of Bashan, steep and frowning, appeared quite at hand. To the west and south-west lay the largest part of the great plain of Esdraelon, bounded by the long ridge of Carmel, and watered by the full-flowing Kishon, making its way through it toward the Mediterranean. To the south, and immediately in front of us, was the graceful range of Little Hermon, and behind it the summits of Mount Gilboa. Between us and Hermon lay stretched that arm of the plain of Esdraelon which encircles Tabor, beautifully variegated with immense fields of thistles and wild flowers, giving the whole plain the appearance of a carpeted floor. How great must have been its beauty when its wide open surface was adorned with thriving villages planted amidst fields of waving grain, and gardens of blossoming fruit-trees, and closed in by the fertile hills that gird its horizon ! At the foot of Hermon, Mr Caiman pointed out to us Endor, where Saul went to consult the woman who had a familiar spirit on the last night of his unhappy career ;^ and a little way to the west of it the village of Nain, still marking the spot where Jesus raised the widow's son to life.^ Tabor is about a thousand feet above the plain, answering ilSamxtviii il.uketii. 11. ASSOCIATIONS — DESCENT FROM MOUNT TABOR. 301 well to the description " an high mountain apart." Its level top, about a mile in circumference, covered with groups of fine trees and brushwood, affords a spot of complete retire- ment in the very midst of the land. If this was really the scene of the Transfiguration, there is a difficulty arising from the fact, that both a fortress and a village once stood on its top, though otherwise it would not be easy to find a spot in this world more suitable for that heavenly transaction. It is a solemn thing to feel that you are treading the very ground on which holy beings have walked ; and here we believed we were on ground called by Peter *' the holy mount,'"'^ hal- lowed by the visit of Moses and Elias, by the presence of the transfigured Saviour himself, and by the voice of God the Father, when he spake from the excellent glory, " This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased ; hear ye him.'' Barak assembled his 10,000 men on this hill,^ in company with Deborah ; and in the plain at its foot, not a few learned men have supposed that the armies of Antichrist (gathered together to the place called Armageddon,^) are to be destroyed by the Lamb when the great day of his wrath is come. We would gladly have lingered long upon the summit of Tabor, to meditate over the history of the past and the future, for even when we had nothing but the associations connected with it, we felt- it " good to be here." The darkness, how- ever, was rapidly descending and shutting out the view, so that our stay was very short. The moon rose, and by her light our servant guided us down a steep and rocky footpath on the south side, so that we were able, though with some difiiculty, to ride down the whole way. But where we were to find Dabourieh we did not know. On reaching the foot of the hUl, six or eight men sprang up from the ground on which they were lying, and advanced towards us, each carrying a large club in his hand. We were somewhat alarmed, but were soon relieved by finding out that they were friendly villagers watching their heaps of corn by night, like Boaz in the history of Ruth.* They on their part imagined that we were plundering Bedouins, against whose depredations they were watching, and were overjoyed to find that we were mere harmless travellers. It was only now that we began to 1 11 Pet. 1. 18. » Judy. IV. It a Rev. XTi. 18 « Ruth m. 2— <. 302 ESCAPE — VILLAGE OF DABOURiEH. learn how wonderfully our God had preserved and guided us. The villagers could scarcely believe that we had come over tho mountain, for they told us that a band of Arabs were lurking among the woods, and had killed several persons the day be- fore. We knew not how much or how little to believe, but it was evident that we had been saved from danger, and had escaped the hands of the Bedouins, simply in consequence of our leaving the direct road and climbing a part of the hill seldom visited. The darkness, too, which prevented our mak- ing a complete circuit of the hill, had providentially kept us from approaching the retreat of the plunderers. Two of the villagers agreed to conduct us to the village of Dabourieh, which they faithfully performed for a small reward. There we found our servants anxiously looking out for us. They had put up the tent and set a light within it, that we might see the white curtains from a distance ; but both they and the villagers had begun to conclude that we had fallen into the hands of the Arabs. Perhaps never before had we felt such gratitude for a deliverance as we did that evening, when seated in our tents in peace and comfort, after the anxieties and alarms of the day. Had we gone round by Dabourieh at first, to obtain a guide, we would then have heard of the«dan- ger, but now, without knowing of it, we had been permitted to visit the summit of Tabor in peace. We could see plainly that every step of our way had been graciously overruled, and that our very difficulties and vexations which had troubled us at the time, were made the means of our safety. The simple villagers of Dabourieh gathering round expressed great aston ishment at our escape. We sang praise in our tents with a full heart, in the words of Psalm cxxiv, " Had not the Lord been on our side," &c. (July 17.) During the greater part of the night the wolves and jackals kept up a loud and angry howl, which was re- sponded to by the bark of the village dogs. At morning the clouds were hanging beautifully on the top of Tabor and the adjacent hills, and the sky was covered with a veil of fretted clouds, the first of the kind we had seen in Palestine. It was easy now to understand why Tabor had been so often made a place of rendezvous from the days of Barak and down- ward,' the hill being so commodious as a place of defence, I Ji:dg. IV. vk VILLAGES OF ENDOtt AND NAIX — BEDOUINS. 303 with a copious supply of water on the very summit, even when the enemy spread themselves on the plain below. From our tent- door we saw across the plain the villages of Endor and Nain, at the foot of Little Hermon. Endor lies under the brow of the hill, and Saul would have an easy road from it to the fountain of Jezreel, at the foot of Gilboa, where his army were encamped.^ Nain is further west, and appears to lie still closer under Hermon. We observed cultivated fields, and verdure round it ; and it was here that Mr Cal- houn, our American friend, whom we met at Alexandria, found many tombs cut out of the rock, one of which may have been the intended sepulchre of the young man whom Jesus met as they carried him out dead, and restored to the weep- ing widow. Jesus must have known this spot well, for he would often pass it on his way to the Lake of Galilee. No place in all this land furnishes more remarkable illustrations of the sovereignty of God than do these two villages. At Endor, you see a king in the anguish of despair, consulting with a diviner, and warned by the dead that the Lord had departed from him and become his enemy. But on the same plain, a few miles from Endor, a thousand years after, you see at Nain, " God over all" coming in our nature, and wiping away the tears of a poor widow. Over the western shoulder of Hermon lies Solam, the an- cient Shunem, and farther south, near Gilboa, Zerin, the ancient Jezreel; but these we did not see. In the village of Dabourieh itself, one of the first sights that attracted our notice was a group of Bedouins, near kinsmen, no doubt, of the very robbers who had been ranging the hill and keeping the neighbourhood in alarm. Yet here they were sitting at their ease smoking their long pipes, the passing villagers giving them a suspicious glance that indicated no good will, but nobody daring to challenge them. Could there be a simpler or more striking illustration of the prophecy men- tioned before, " His hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him ; yet he shall dwell in the pre- sence of all Jiis hrethre7i ?"'^ One good-natured Bedouin ap proaching our tent permitted us to sketch him, and smiled when he saw his own likeness. The little yellow shawl over I I Sant XXIX- L • ben. xvi. 12 304 GROUP OF BEDOUINS. the head, and the twisted rope of camel's hair that binds it, are tha chief peculiarities of their dress. Close by the vfl- lage of Dabourieh a small stream flows from the north to join the Kishon. They called it by the same name as the village. This name may possibly be derived from Tabor, at the foot of which it lies ; others conjecture that Deborah's exploit in this region, when she accompanied Barak to the hUl, may have given name to the town and stream ; but still more pro- bably, it is the same as the Levitical city Daherath, which belonged to the tribe of Issachar.^ > Josh. iix. 12; XXI. 28. NAZARETH — CONVENT. 805 We left our encampment about nine o'clock, descending from the height on which Dabourieh stands, and travelling in a north-west direction. We soon entered a defile, finely wooded with oak-trees and brushwood, often looking back to admire the graceful tapering cone of ]\Iount Tabor. On the top of a hiU to the right, appeared a village, Ain Muhil. Our road now lay over limestone hills of a much barer cha- racter, until, about two hours from Tabor, we began to de- scend the slope that leads into the Yale of Nazareth. The town of Nazareth lies on the west side of the valley, on the acclivity of one of the many hills that meet here. The val- ley has sometimes been compared to a cup ; and the hills have all a whitish appearance from the limestone of which they are composed. There are numerous tracks, worn deep in the cal- careous rocks, leading from the town in different directions, to neighbouring villages on the other side of the hill. The houses are of a very white stone, and appeared to be more substantial and regularly built than those of other towns of Palestine. The buildings of the Convent are massy, and there is a mosque in the town, adorned with cypress trees. There were no ruins visible, except the remains of an old khan near the entrance of the iowa.. Fig-trees and olives abounded in the gardens, hedged in with prickly pear. The women at the well also appeared to be better dressed, and in more comfortable circumstances than in most other places of the land ; and, on the whole, we found Nazareth a more thriving place than we had anticipated. We put up our horses at the khan, which is one of the best specimens we met with of the Eastern inn. The Bazaar, however, was poor, having no great show of things for sale. Cusas and cucumbers, cloths and red shoes, formed the staple commodities, A great many bony-featured Bedouins, with the rope of camelV hair round their head, were loitering about the street. The situation of Nazareth is very retired, and it is said that, on account of this seclusion, the worthless characters of Galilee resorted thither, till at length the town became a pro- verb for wickedness. In this town, among such a race of men, did the blessed Jesus live thirty years, in calm submission to his Father's will, obeying in obscurity for us. We visited the Convent, and saw all its pretended wonders. We were shown the chamber of the Annunciation, where the angel Gabriel saluted Mary, " Hail, thou that art highly U 806 NAZARETH — MOUNT OF PRECIPITATION^. favoured ;" also, the nouse of Josepn cut out of the rock, and the pillar curiously (the inhabitants say miraculously) sus- pended from the roof. They wished to take us to another part of the town, to see the stone-table from which Christ dined with his disciples, both before and after his resurrec- tion — a visit which procures seven years' indulgence to the deluded pilgrims of the Romish Church ; but we were noway inclined to see more of their follies, and grievously offended our guide by declining to go. One or two of the paintings in the convent are good, especially a large one of the Annun- fiation, but it has the painful profanation of representing (jod the Father as an old man. There is also a curious an- cient picture of Christ, said to be the very one sent by him to the King of Edessa, on which is inscribed, " Hcec vera imago Domini," &c. From the convent garden the monks pointed out to us the Mount of Precipitation, regarded by them as the hill from which the angry Nazarenes wished to cast the Saviour head- long, about a mile and a half distant from the town. This is a tradition which disproves itself, being contrary to the ex- ])ress words of the Gospel narrative, " They rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the liill whereon their city was built, that the^'' might cast him down headlong."^ We next visited the place which Dr Clarke conjectured to be the true precipice, immediately above the small church of the Maronites. This is really a continua- tion of the hill upon which the town is built. It is com- posed of limestone rock, forming several precipices, so that a person cast down from above would without doubt have more than one dangerous fall. We had no hesitation, when stand- ing there, in concluding that the brow of that hill was the very spot where the men of Nazareth rejected the Lord of glory. The white rocks all round Nazareth give it a peculiar aspect. It appears dry and tame, and this effect is increased by the trees being powdered over with dust during the sum- mer season. The heat was very great, and the glare from the rocks painful to the eyes. There is a good fountain near the entrance of the town, called the Fountain of the Virgin, because it is said that Mary and her Son were in the habit of drawing water there. ' Luke Iv. 2!) LEAVE XAZARETH CA.\A OF CiA/.H.EK. 307 We were detained in this town longer than we intended, by the abrupt departure of the muleteer whom we had en- gaged at Saphet to accompany us to Acre, but who had set oiF to join a caravan that was collecting near the town, and bound for Damascus. On discovering this, we went to the Cadi to lay our complaint before him, and found several peo- ple waiting at the door of his house, who, when he made his appearance, kissed the hem of his garment — an act, like the kissing of the image of Baal,^ indicating respect and reve- rence. Perhaps also there may be an allusion to the same custom in the words, " Kiss ye the son lest he be angry."' The Cadi could do nothing for us, and sent us to the Mute- telim; and he again said it was not a cause to be laid before him, but before the Sheikh! By this time, however, the man was out of reach, and we had no thought of remaining till search was made for him. We therefore proceeded on our journey without him. We left Nazareth by a well-worn track leading over the rocky hills to the north-west, passing on our right a village called Reineh. Beyond this lies Kefr Kenna, generally sup- posed to be Cana of Galilee, where Jesus made the water wine.^ In an hour and a half we reached Sephourieh, the ancient Sepphoris, The name, which means " a bird," (in Hebrew, n'|S5%j), seems to be derived from the position of the town ; the town being on an eminence, like a bird perched on a hiU-top. Its castle is in ruins, but still occupies the summit of the hill. The village is small, but many frag- ments of pillars and other ruins lie scattered about. Having so lately visited Tiberias, lying low upon the edge of the Lake of Galilee, we could now see the force of the saying of a rabbi, who wished " his portion to be with those who began the Sabbath at Tiberias, and ended it at Sepphoris." The sun lingers of course longer upon the hill of Sephourieh, and makes a longer day than is enjoyed in low-lying Tiberias. Rabbi Judah, the holy, who completed the Mishna, was born in this town. The people of this village were kind and affable. Some 1 Kings XIX. 18. Ho.";, xiii. 2. » Psa. ii. 12. 3 The researches of Robinson go far to prove, that the true site of Cana of Galilee is not Kefr Kenna, but Kana el Jelil, a ruined village three hours north of Nazareth. The latter village was within our view after leaving Sephourieh, but we did not take notice of it 808 SEPHOffRIEH — AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS. «f them offered us leban, of which we gladly sat down in a «onrl yard to partake. Beside us weie women and children busily employed in arranging and binding the leaves of the tobacco plant in bundles. A large threshing-floor was also near, and we put many questions to the peasants in regard to their farming operations. A fiat board, which is drawn over the corn to bruise it, is called loah. It is made of two or three boards firmly united, and the bottom is spiked with stones arranged at regular distances, not unlike the nails in a ploughman's shoe. It is drawn by two horses or oxen, a boy sitting upon it, and driving them round and round. This instrument is universally used, and is probably " the thresh- ing instrument" mentioned bj' the prophet.' The wooden fork for throwing the bruised corn up in the air, is called midra, and the flat, hollow wooden shovel next used for a similar purpose, is called raha. The latter is evidently the fan of the New Testament. When this implement is used, the wheat fulls down in a heap on the threshing-floor, while the chaff is carried away by the wind, and forms another largo heap at a little distance. The peasants do not burn it , they give it to their cattle ; but it is so perfectly dry, that, were it set on fire, it would be impossible to quench it. In how striking a manner do these simple customs illustrate th« i Zwi, xxviii. '27. PASS OF ABILEXE — SUKMISES OF DAXGER. 309 words of David, " The ungodly are not so, but are like the chafl" which the wind driveth away;"^ and those of John the Baptist concerning Jesus, " "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner : but he will burn up the chaff with fire unquench- able. "^ Leaving Sephourieh, we proceeded still north-west, and after half an hour of a rough undulating road, entered upon a vast plain, stretching far to the north and east, bounded by gently swelling hills. Here and there we came upon fields of dhura, but by far the greater part was covered with weeds and thistles. The ground was very hard, so that although there seems to be a good deal of travelling upon this road, it was not at all cut up, but smooth and good. No wheels ever ])ass over it. Here we missed our servant Antonio, and found that, erroneously supposing that he had left a cloak be- liind at Sephourieh, he had gone back without our knowledge to recover it. Approaching the north-west corner of the vast plain, where the hills come near to one another, and form the entrance to the fine pass of Abilene, we arrived at a well and a ruined khan, where we halted for a little time to wait for Antonio ; but as he did not appear, we prepared to go on without him. Meanwhile an old man came up to the well riding on an ass, and immediately warned us not to proceed farther, for there were eight armed Bedouins in the valley, who had stopped and threatened him : and had allowed him to escape only because he was old, and his ass worth nothing. They were lurking for the very purpose of waylaying travel- lers that might be passing on to Acre. On hearing his ac- count we were considerably alarmed, and hesitated what to do. One proposed that we should encamp in the old khan, :ind proceed under cloud of night ; and another that we should cross the plain to a village in sight. AVhile we were delibe- rating, some other men came up, who were leading camels to Sephourieh. They had met nobody in the valley, and conjec- tured that what the old man took for Arabs might be the Pasha's soldiers. Our muleteers, who were much afraid, and anxious to turn back, said that these men wanted us to be taken, because we were all Christians. At length, consider- ing that we had no place of safety in which we might encamp, and that the road to Acre might be as dangerous on the mor 1 Pf-ij. 1. 4. » Matt. la. VJ 310 VALLEY Uf ABILENE — C0MPA2>Tr OF BEDOUINS. row as thai day, we decided to go forward, committing our- selves once more to Him who keepeth Israel, and who had helped us hitherto. Accordingly, we left the well, and soon entered the pleasant valley of Zehulun, now called Wady Abilene, connecting the plain above described with the plain of Acre. Sometimes the vaUey was broad and level, like a small plain, well cultivated, and enclosed with steep wooded hills ; sometimes it narrowed almost to the straitness of a de- file. At one of these narrow passes one of the men picked up a stick which we recognised as belonging to Antonio. This circumstance excited many conjectures. We hoped that he had in some way got safely on before us ; although some of the men started the suspicion that he must have fallen into the hands of the Arabs. We journeyed on, and about sun- set met with a company of Bedouins, of a dark and formi- dable appearance, but not armed. They were riding on asses, and each carried a massy club in his hand. They looked closely at us, but passed quietly on, returning our salutation. Our servants supposed that, when they saw that we were Franks, they had imagined that we must be carrying fire- arms. To us it seemed like the deliverance of Jehoshaphat, when " God moved them to depart from him."^ We met no other travellers during the rest of our way. The valley is long, and declines very gently toward the west ; the hills on either side are often finely wooded, sometimes rocky and pic- turesque. The road is one of the best in Palestine, and was no doubt much frequented in ancient days. Issuing from the valley, we saw with the last rays of even- ing, high upon a hill on our left, the town of Abilene, a fine- looking place. There is little doubt that this is the ancient Zehulun, on the border of Asher,^ the modern name being a corruption of the ancient. Travellers who have visited it, have found there the remains of arches and other buildings. We only saw it at a distance and in the twilight. Josephus Bays, that on account of its populousness it was called " Za^ovXuv dvSgwv,"^ (g-. d. well-manned, or well-peopled, Zabulon). Still farther on is a village called Chamforeh. In half an hour after, we left the road, and crossed the valley to the right, to a small hamlet called Fatria, with two other villages, Damoun and Ruesh, on the right hand lower down the slope. 1 u Cbrou. xviii. 31. » Josb. Xin. 27, » B. J ii. 22. VI KW OF MOUNT CARMEL — ACRE. 311 We encamped .by full moonlight, with many camels and flocks all sleeping round. In tlie tent, we felt again called to peculiar thankfulneBs, and all the more on account of the painful uncertainty of our minds regarding the fate of poor Antonio. There seemed great force in the words of the Psalm, " Keep me, Lord, from the hands of the wicked ; preserve me from the man of violent deeds. "^ (July 18.) We struck our tents by sunrise, and pressed on toward Acre, now in sight. From the height, we obtained the finest view of the whole extent of Mount Carmel which we had yet seen. An intervening swell hid the river Kishon, but the fine range of Carmel stretching eight miles into the country, rising higher as it recedes from the sea, the monas- tery on the northern point, the white walls of Khaifa at its foot, the Bay of Acre between us and it, and the blue Medi- terranean beyond, were all gleaming in the morning sun. There are many mounds of earth in the plain of Acre, appa- rently artificial, cast up probably in crusading times, and used in war. The plain itself is said to be eighteen miles in length and six in breadth, beautiful and well watered. We crossed the dry bed of a stream, which flows into the sea a little way south of Acre. This is the ancient Belus or Sikor-Libnah, that is, " Sihor of the white promontory." The Palus Cen- dovia in which it rises, is said to be found six miles in the interior. In another part of the channel, nearer the sea, we found the water flowing in it. Before entering Acre, we passed through a large encampment of the Pasha's troops. The tents were all arranged in military order, but the men seemed to be under little discipline. Entering the gate of Acre, we proceeded through the crowded and well-furnished bazaar. Every where soldiers were parading the narrow streets, and it seemed to be the most lively eastern town we had yet visited. The fortifica- tions of Acre appeared to us by no means very formidable, although there were many strong forts and other buildings. No doubt, its walls and towers must have been much stronger in former days, and its remarkable situation, as the key of this part of the land, has ever made it a post defended and at- tacked with desperate obstinacy. 312 LATIN CONVK.VT — MOXK.!> ESCAPE OF ANTON rc. We were conducted to the Latin Convent, as the best ])lace for refreshment ; and as we had hitherto seen almost nothing ')f the monks of Palestine, we were not unwilling for once to pay a visit to their secret recesses. Oui visit to them was not like that of Paul to the Christians of Ptolemais, when he " saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day."' The main object of the visit, on either side, was that of giving and re- ceiving a traveller's fare. No price is exacted, but the visitor is expected to leave behind an adequate remuneration for tha provision furnished. The monks we found to be coarse men, with no appearance of seriousness, or even of learning. The news of the day seemed to form the whole of their conversa- tion. We were led into a large hall, with a plain wooden table and benches round. Here half a dozen of the frater- nity sat down with us, while two of them served. One repeated a Latin grace in a coarse irreverent manner, and tlien many dishes of solid food, fowls, meat, and vegetables, were brought in on a large board and handed round. The polite invitation to take our place at the table was, " Favo- rkca noi" (" Do us the favour"). After dinner, one of their number left us to embark in a vessel that was to take hira to th3 convent on Mount Carrael ; the rest sat with us a while, and talked over our providential escape from the Bedouins. Meanwhile, to our great joy, our servant Antonio made his appearance. The story of his adventure was very much what we had suspected. Having gone back to Sephourieh in search of the cloak, and not finding it, he rode quickly after us iti order to regain our company. But meeting a woman on the road of -whom he inquired the way, he was directed to a route rl liferent from that which we had taken. He had entered the valley at the very time when we were waiting for him at the old khan, and had not proceeded far, when six or eight Be- douin Arabs, fully armed and mounted on horseback, rushed out upon him. They demanded who he was — what he was doing there — where he was going — and where his company were. Antonio forged a story in reply, saying, that he was servant to a scribe, who had gone on before with a company of twelve men, and would be out of their reach. The Arabs said that he must come with them ; and immediately with their long lances pricked his horse up to the hills. When they had got him out of sight of the road, they tied him hand 1 .Vets x>.l. 7. ESCAPE OF AJSTONIO UJiSfONSIVE SONG. 313 and foot, and led away tis horse, after asking such questions as, " Can it stop suddenly in the midst of a gallop ?" Tlioy then stripped him of every article of dress, and one brought out a large club stuck with nails, threatening to beat him to death ; but he entreated them to spare him, crying out, that he had given them every thing, and that his death would do them no good. At length they left him bound in this state, till the sun went down. While all this was going on, we had passed in the valley below ; and the fact of their attention being occupied with our poor servant, was fhus in the hand of Providence the means of our preservation. After sunset they came and loosed him, and led him a little way farther up among the hills, that he might not soon be able to find his way to the public road, and give information against them. Then bidding him find his way home, they left him. The poor lad, in a state of nakedness, sat all night upon a tree to escape the wild beasts. He said that his face and upper part of his body were as if bathed in water, the perspiration pouring down in streams from the eifects of fear. From the same cause, his mouth was filled with bile, and his voice almost inaudible. As soon as the light of morning dawned, he came down from the tree, and found out the road to Acre. The first person he met was the Pasha's dromedary post, who gave him a small piece of clothing, — and then he reached a village where the people supplied him with more. After this he made out his way to Acre, and sought for us at the convent, where he found us to his unfeigned joy and ours. We could not but perceive the special providence of God in our escape, and again we had reason to sing as at Mount Tabor, " Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers ; the snare is broken and we are escaped." Even the monks seemed to acknowledge the hand of God in it. At night, we heard Antonio and the other servants of our company, singing a song of vengeance on the robbers. It was in the style of those songs we had usually heard from Arabs, a single voice leading, and then a chorus responding, with clapping of hands. It was to this effect — Single voice—" The curse of AlUOi rest!" Chorus — " Upon the Bedouins." Clapping hands. Single voice — " The sword of Allah eoniu f Cho'-^is — " Upon the Bl'Uouli& ' Clapptnj hands. 314 aCBL£ — TICE-COXSUL AGA STXAGOGVE- In style, this resembled Psalm cxxxvi, though, in sentiment it was the reverse of its strain of thantful love. We visited the English Vice-Consul, 31r Finch, an intelli- eent Jew, who speaks German, Italian, and a little EngUsli. He shewed us every attention, and when we told him the whole matter, his remark was, " that surely we were upon God's errand ; otherwise God would not so protect us." He conducted us to the Governor, or Aga, a mild, placid old man, witk an immense turban, and long beard, seated in state upon a carp'et in one comer of his chamber. Taking off our shoes at the door,^ we sat down on the floor, and related our story, Mr Caiman and Antonio being the narrators. He caused his secretary to write it down, and promised to send twenty soldiers to the Wady Abilene to find out the robbers. Probably, he thought no more of the matter after we had left him. WTiile we were in the court, a poor man came in to complain that his garden had been plundered hj the Arabs. The days are not 3ome when " violence shall no more be heard in thy land."* We were anxious to visit the Jews of Acre. Meeting one in the bazaar, we invited him to partake with us in some melons with which we were re&eshing ourselves. He con- sented, and three others soon joined us. They then led us to their synagogue, a very humble one, with a short inscription on a pane of glass above the door. About a dozen Jews gathered round, one of whom recognised ua, having seen us at Tyre. They said that there are sixty of their brethren re- siding here. We had some interesting conversation with three young men, one of whom eagerly read a chapter in the New Testament, though his companion stood by watching us very suspiciously, and apparently imeasy at seeing his friend so employed. An old man then came into the synagogue, and motmted the reading-desk. He placed a jar of water be- side him, then opened his prayer-book, washed his hands, and put on his Tall it h. We were informed that he meant to spend six hours in prayer that day, and the jar of water was intended to keep his throat from becoming dry during his exercise of bodUy devotion. How remarkably this illustratea the words of Christ, " Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye, for a pretence, make long prayer ; there- fore ye shall receive the greater damnation."^ < Pcrb^pt tbii onyalai ciutom is derived from JELxod. lii. & • Ua. Lx. la. • MMt. xxni Ik PLAIN OF ACRE — VILLAGES — NAKOURA. 315 The same afternoon we left the walls of Acre behind us, little thinking how soon they would be laid in ruins. We halted for a time at an aqueduct on the north of the town, which is evidently an ancient work, and is stni used, having a hundred arches entire. Passing a small village called Ismerieh, we came to Mezra, where a fine stream from the hUls runs into the sea, and where is a beautiful garden belonging to Ibraim Pasha. It is enclosed by a row of tall cypresses, while within the lemon and other fruit-trees of the East were clothed with the richest foliage, and fragrant shrubs and richly coloured flowers diffused their delightful odours. Many small villages are scattered over this beauti- ful plain. On the right, a little off the road, stand Sheikh Daud, once a Christian village, and Zeitoun. In the plain where is the spring of water by which the aqueduct is sup- plied, is El Capri, and on the hill Tersecha, and not far off a monumental pillar, Kulat Jedin. After these we came to El Hamsin. StiU farther north, and on the shore, lay Zeeb, three hours from Acre. It is the ancient Achzib. It has a high situation near the sea, and is surrounded with palm-trees. A shepherd in the neighbourhood of this place was playing on his pipe at the head of his flock — a sweet, soothing sound in the stillness of evening, and all the sweeter because so rarely heard in Palestine. After one hour more we came to Boussa, situated in carse ground, and bordered with trees. Here the fertile plain of Acre ends, and the low range of swelling hills that form its eastern boundary for twelve or thirteen miles run out into the sea, forming a high rocky promontory. Looking back from the height, the view of the plain, enclosed by the hills on the one hand and the sea on the other, was rich and beautiful. The plain along the coast south from Carmel, the plain of Tyre, and the plain of Acre, are all very like each other, although the last seems to be the most fruitful. The sun went down behind the Mediterranean Sea as we passed a small ruined fort or khan on the highest point of Nakoura. The khan of Nakoura is nearly an hour farther north, and we made haste to reach it before dark. The graceful gazelles were sporting along the shore, and bound- ing on the rocky heights above us. Sandys mentions that, in his time, leopards and boars used to come down from the brushwood of these hiUs, but we neither saw nor heard of Sl6 SHORE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN — CAPE BLANCO. an J. We slept that niglit in a stubble-field near the khan of Nakoura ; and early next morning were on our way, jour- neying north by the edge of the sea. The shore in this vicinity is often grand and picturesque, the wliite rocks heing worn into curious forms by the incessant dashing of the waves ; and in addition to the natural beauty of the scene, the associations of the past invest the very waters with a profound interest. One of our company thus e.xpressed the impressions of the moment : — These deep blue waters lave the shore Of Israel, as in days of yore! Though Zion like a field is ploughed, And Salem covered with a cloud- Though briers and thorns are tangled o'er, ^Vhere vine and olive twined before — Though turbaned Moslems tread the gate. And Judah sits most desolate — Their nets o'er Tyre the fishers spread. And Carmel's top is withered— Yet still these waters clasp the shore As kindly as they did before ! Such is Thy love to Judah's race, A deep unchanging tide of grace. Though scattered now at Thy command, They pine away in every land, With trembling heart and failing eyes — And deep the veil on Israel lies — Yet still Thy word thou canst not break, " Beloved for their fathers' sake." In a short time we came to a well-built and copious foun- tain, where we obtained a plentiful draught of delicious water. It had a pointed arch and Arabic inscription, and stiU bears the name of the great conqueror of Tyre, " Iscanderoon." Soon after leaving it, we found ourselves on the remains of an ancient causeway, said to be the work of Alexander the Great. This is the " Scalce Tyrioni7n" leading over a high rocky promontory of limestone, which here descends precipitously into the sea, the Album Proinontonum or Cape Blanco, about eight miles from Tyre. The steps on th« northern side are cut out of the rock with immense labour, and a solid parapet is left along the margin, over which we looked into the clear deep waters of the Mediterranean. We saw fish swimming about in great numbers at the base of the rocks, and over our heads the owl perched on solitary cliifs as iu the days of the Psalmist.' From this point we began to OLD TYRE — RAS-EL-Aiy. 317 search along tte shore with deep interest foi any remains cf ancient Tyre. About half an hour from Cape Blanco, we came upon the ruins of some ancient place, where were several cisterns, but no distinct remains. These were the only traces we could find of any thing like a city along the bay south of Tyre. Within an hour of Tyre, we turned aside from the shore to the right, to visit the famous pools said to have been made by Solomon for Hiram, King of Tyre. The place is called Ras-el-Ain, or " Head of the Fountain," evidently because it was the source from which Tyre was anciently supplied with water. It is about three miles from the gate of modern Tyre. There are four large and remarkable reservoirs, three of which we examined. They are considerably elevated above the plain by means of solid mason-work, and you ascend by steps to a broad border, on which you may walk round the water. The fountains springing up from beneath keep them constantly full. Two of them are connected with each other; the one measuring 17 yards by 15 at the water edge, the other 13 yards by 10. The third is a regular octa- gon, measuring 8J yards on each side. From the first two the water is conveyed by a fine old aqueduct to the rocky hill Marshuk, and from thence anciently to Tyre ; but the only use that seems to be now made of the water of the largest one, is to turn a mill for grinding corn. The work is beautifully executed, and the abundance of water makes every thing around look verdant and beautiful, so that we lingered near enjoying the pleasant situation. While we were refreshing ourselves with bread and leban, a man from Tyre joined our party, who told us that, a few days before, a number of Jews from Saphet had come to take refuge in the town till the disturbances of the country should pass over. So truly are the words of Moses still undergoing their fulfilment, " Thou shalt find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest."* It was after midday when we set out again. We did not enter Tyre, but passed at a distance, nearly in the course of the old aqueduct. We came near the hill of Marshuk, which some have supposed to mark the site of Palas Tyrus ; though this cannot be the case, for Strabo says that it lay thirty stadia to the south of the island, whereas Marshuk is 1 Di-ut. xxvxii. C5. 318 TYRE TO SIDON- — SAKEPTA. less than a third of that distance to the east of modern Tyre, Crossing the plain, we soon came upon the same track by which we had travelled in a contrary direction a fortnight before. At the bridge of Kasimieh, we were refreshed by a draught of goat's milk which some shepherds gave us. An hour before sunset, we came to that part of the plain over- looked by Sarfend, the ancient Sarepta. Two of us rode up the steep hill on which the modern village is built by a path worn deep in the rock. We visited the mosque, said to be erected over the widow's house where Elijah dwelt, and the cave beneath it, where a lamp is kept continually burning, and where miraculous cures are reported to have been per- formed. The view from the village commands the plain and the sea, and is very fine. A deep ravine on the south is clad with an olive-grove, and the hills around bear marks of hav- ing been at one time covered with the vine, for the terraces still remain. We passed through a village on the shore im- mediately opposite to Sarfend, called Ain-teen (" the well of the fig"), which some believe to be the true site of Sarepta. The sun being set, we now pressed forward toward Sidon. The gazelles were gamboling on the rocky shore. Seven large stones stand on the roadside, of which a curious legend is told. It is said that these are seven Moslems turned into stone for pursuing a Christian, whose companions were guilty, but who himself was innocent. A little farther on is a cairn, or heap of stones raised over the tomb of a slave, who was executed on this spot for murdering and plundering passengers. It is customary for travellers to add a stone to the heap as they pass. Arriving at a khan called Ain-el-Burak, the owner, who was on the roof, invited us in,' but we thanked liim and pressed on. The near approach to Sidon seemed peculiarly beautiful in the soft moonlight. A sweet fragrance was breathing from shrubs and flowers, and our road con- iucted us through groves of luxuriant trees, while the eye was not pained by the sight of dry dusty fields. We reached the gate of Sidon by ten o'clock, having been fifteen hours on horseback. We were too late for admission into the town, and had to encamp on the outside of the walls. The ground was so rocky and uneven, that it was with difficulty we ma- naged to drive in the pins of our tents, but this did not pre- vent us from enjoying a refreshing sleep. 1 See I'rov ix 14, 15. ARRIVAL AT CEYROUT — SABBATH. 319 We rose early next morning (July 20), and saw the Mos- lem ladies, aU swathed in while, moving out of the town to visit the graves, as much for recreation as from respect to the dead. These are in a pleasant grove of cypresses and other trees which shelter the eastern side of the town. The Eng- lish Vice-Consul waited on us at our tent, and brought us the news of the death of the Sultan of Constantinople. We were soon mounted, and leaving the walls of Sidon far behind us we rode along the bay of Naby-Yoimes again, crossed the Damour, and passed through the mulberry gardens where we Iiad lost our way. On leaving the shore, instead of crossing the bar of sand, our servants guided us by a very pleasant road, through the vast grove of olives that stretches along the foot of Lebanon. In one of the gardens is a khan, which they call a " Sunday-khan," because it is regularly frequented on Sunday afternoons by the Greek priests and their people, who spend the day in amusements and dissipation. We were anxious to reach Beyrout in time to visit the Jewish syna- gogue, for that was the day set apart for the commemoration of the destruction of the Temple, a remarkable occasion among the Jews. But in this we failed. We arrived, however, be- fore the sun went down, and rode in at the gate filled with joy and thankfulness to God for permitting us to visit Galilee, and bringing us back in safety and peace. (July 21. Sabbath.) In the forenoon, Mr Bonar preached on John vii. 37, to a respectable audience in the spacious apartment of the American Consul. We afterwards attended the Sabbath-school in one of the Mission-houses, and had the pleasure of addressing a class of young Syrians who under- stood English. In the evening, Mr M'Cheyne expounded Acts IX. in a large prayer meeting, at which the American brethren and their families were present. And thus we drank of " the streams from Lebanon," in a dry and thirsty land. We now found that the next Austrian steamer would sail for Smyrna in a week ; so that we took up our abode again at the inn of Giuseppe, who paid us every attention. We occv- pied ourselves during this time, chiefly in making up our jour- nals and writing home, and in the cool of the evenings en- joyed a quiet walk along the rocky beach. One evening we saw the funeral of a poor native. The body was carried out of the town, not in a coffin, but on a bier, like the widow's S20 ■ SAIL FOR SMYRTfA. eon at Nam.' A few mourners followed, l&jnenting him with occasional cries. Another evening, we paid a short visit along with one of the merchants of the town to Sir Moses Montefiore and his lady, who were here waiting for a vessel to carry them to Egypt. In tlie middle of the week, Mr M'Cheyne was seized with fever. Dr Gerstmann* of the Jerusalem Mission, himself a converted Jew, waited upon him with all kindness, and or- dered him to be removed to a house upon the height above the town, where the atmosphere was cool. The disease seemed to abate a little on the Saturday, so that the physi- cian recommended us to make preparations for sailing next day. He thought that there would be greater hope of Mr M.'s recovery by enjoying the cool breezes of the sea, than by remaining three weeks longer in the confined atmosphere of Beyrout. Accordingly, on the afternoon of Sabbath, July 28, we bade farewell to our many kind friends, and embarked in the Austrian steamer, called Schnell-Segler, " Swift Sailer," which sailed from the harbour at five o'clock. The four Jews from the Dardanelles, with whom we had sailed into Egypt, and whom we now met for the third time, to their surprise and ours, were the only faces we knew on board. There was one young man in the vessel who could speak a little English. It was a solemn and almost melancholy Sab- bath evening to us. Mr M. was laid down upon the deck, and we kept our eye upon the majestic brow of Lebanon, (the emblem of the Redeemer's countenance^), till it faded from our view in the dim and brief twilight of evening. But here let us for a moment review all that we have seen and heard in regard to the condition of Israel in their own land. We visited every city and village in Palestine where Jews are to be found (with the exception of Jaffa,' and two small villages upon Mount Naphthali), and we have been led 1 Luke VII. 14. 3 On 23d August 1841, little more than two years after, this worthy young physician died of a similar fever at Constantinople, to which station he had l)€en removed. lie was a man of an excellent spirit, one who loved Christ with all liis heart, and was very bold in recommending him to others. One day Lady M. said to liim with great vehemence, that she would rather lose her head than forsake the faith of her fathers; his answer was, "If you do not turn and believe on Christ, you will never see the kingdom of heaven." 3 Song: v Jo GENERAL REMARKS. 321 to tlie conclusion that the Holy Land presents the most im- portant and interesting of all the fields of labour among the Jews. I. The Jews ai-e in affliction in the land of their fathers, and this makes them more friendly there than in other lands. In other countries, where they are wealthy and comfortable, or deeply engaged in woi'ldly business, we found that they care little to attend to the words of the Christian missionary. But, in Judea, the plague, poverty, the oppression of their rabbis, and the insults of the heathen, have so humbled them, that they cling to any one who offers to shew them kindness, however averse to the doctrine which he teaches. II. They are strictly Eabbinical Jews, untainted by the infidelity of France or the neology of Germany. They hold the Old Testament to be indeed' the Word of God. They have a real expectation of the coming of the Messiah ; and this expectation is certainly greater now than it was for- merly The missionary has thus firm ground to stand upon, and, with tlie Hebrew Bible in his hand, may expound to tliem, with intelligence and power, all that is written in the Law of Moses, and in the Projihets, aud in the Psalms, con- cerning Jesus. III. Moreover, Judea must be regarded as the centre of the Jewish world. Every Jew, in whatever country he so- joui'us, turns his face toward Jerusalem in prayer. It is the heart of the nation, aud every impression made there is transmitted to all the scattered members. We afterwards met a poor Jew at Ibraila, a small town upon the Danube, who told us of conversions tliat had taken place at Jerusalem. In this way, whatever is done for the Jews in Palestine, will make a hundred-fold more impression than if it were done in any other land. IV. Anothei' important consideration is, that in Palestine the Jews look upon the English as friends. Three months before our arrival in Jerusalem, an English Consul had been stationed thei-e — a true and zealous friend of Israel, whose jurisdiction extended over the country once given to the twelve tribes, aud whose instructions from the British Go- vernment were, that he should, to the utmost of his power, afford protection to the Jews. The recent changes in Syria have no doubt for a time interfered with these arrangements ; but still, is not the hand of an overruling Providence visible X 322 GENERAL REMARKS ON THE HOLY LAMJ in them ? And is it not our duty to improve to the utmost the interest we have in the affections of the Je\v8, by being the friends of their never-dying souls ? V. In addition to all this, there is no country under heaven to which Christians turn with such a lively interest as Im- manuel's land. " God's servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof." But especially those who love Israel bear it upon their hearts, because its name is inwoven with the coming conversion of Israel. It is upon " the house of David, and %ipon the inhabitants of Jerusalem," that God has said he will pour his Spirit.^ "On the high Tnountains of Israel shall their fold be;"^ and " they shall feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old ;"^ and God himself has said, " I will remember the land."^ On these grounds, we rest our conviction that the Holy Land presents not only the most attractive, but the most im- portant field for missionary operations among the Jews. In the south of the Holy Land, the London Society for the Conversion of the Jews have maintained for several years an effective Mission. Jerusalem is their head-quarters, so that the southern parts may be fairly regarded as pre-occupied. But the north of the land, the region of ancient Galilee, con- taining nearly half of the Jewish population of Palestine, still presents an open^ and uncultivated field. In that beautiful country, the town of Saphet at once com- mends itself as the most favourable point for the centre of a Jewish Mission. It is one of the four cities regarded as holy by the Jews, and therefore they cling to it in spite of the awful convulsions of nature and the ravages of war. Before the earthquake on 1st January 1837, it is said that there were 7000 Jews residing there. It has again gradually been raised out of its ruins, and there were at the time of our visit about 2000 Jewish inhabitants. A ride of six hours from Saphet brings you to Tiberias, on the margin of the Lake of Galilee, another of the holy cities, and containing 1500 Jews. Saphet is also within a few days' journey of Tyre, Sidon, Acre, Khaifa, Beyrout, and Damascus ; in each of which 1 Zech. XII. 10 > Ezek. xxxiv. H. f Mic. vn. 14. 4 Lev. xxvi. 12. ' Of course, as a Presbyterian Church, claiming equal apostolic authority with the Church of England, the Church of Scotland will not consider th* sppointment of a Bishop, which has taken place during this year (1842X a* in any way debarring' ber from coming into the fie,ld. Ad A MISSfONARV FIEU). 323 there are many Jews — so that it forms the centre of a most interesting field. The climate of Saphet is peculiarly delightful, owing to its lofty situation. In one of the holiest days of July, the ther- mometer rose no higher in the shade than 76° F. In Tibe- rias, again, the winter's cold is ecarcely felt at all. If the Church of Scotland were privileged to establish a Mission in Saphet, what an honour would it be to tread, as it were, in the very footsteps of the Saviour, to make the very roi^ks that re-echoed his " strong crying and tears," and the very hills where he said, " Ble680r. 335 oven to the hitherto secluded Jews of Saloniki, some of whom occasionally visit Smyrna. The literary qualifications needful for a missionary to this city are not very formidable. Acquaintance with the Spa- nish and Italian languages, joined to a thorough knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures, and moderate attainments in Jewish literature, would fit the missionary for his work. The cli- mate is one which was highly esteemed by the ancients, who have celebrated the air of Ionia, and many of our country- men who reside there for the sake of trade, have found it by no means unhealthy or unpleasant. The only obstacles in the way of a mission are, the diffi- culty of supporting converts, and the danger of the Govern- ment interfering, in the event of the Jewish community remonstrating against the baptism of any of their brethren. But these obstacles are to be met with every where, and are such as a devoted missionary is entitled to disregard, if " the fields are white for harvest." We are convinced tliat the Presbyterian form of our Church would present no obstacle, and especially that the want of a liturgy would rather be an advantage than otherwise. It is the expressed feeling of many among the Jewish converts that a liturgy reminds them of their former bondage. The field is nearly unoccupied, and yet it is most inviting. We would look for interesting results from the efforts and prayers of thorough Christian labourers in this place, who would not needlessly otfend Jew- ish prejudices on the one hand, and who, on the other, would be as far from trifling with the awful truths of the Gospel, by letting men suppose themselves Christians on any other ground than thorough conversion. Oh that another Barnabas could be sent to Smyrna, and another ApoUos, fervent in spirit, and instructed in the way of the Lord ! Smyrna must ever possess attractions to all who are inte- rested in ancient Asia, or in the churches of the East. Being the chief city of this region because of its commerce, it forms a very important centre for missionary labour. There are, accordingly, missionaries from several societies established in it. With one of these, Mr Jetter, from the Church Mission- ary Society, we became intimately acquainted during our stay at Bouja, and received much interesting information from him. Ho told us that the messengers of the gospel have carried on their labours in this part of the world for thirty years ; and ' Dr Keith visited this town during the few days that he and Dr Black ■pent in Asia Minor, and there be met witli an interestiujf young Jew, who teemed in search of the truth. a Matt, xxiii. 29 SMYRNA — STREETS. 341 pravestones is immense. At such a spot there is awful so- lemnity in the thought of the resurrection, when those my- riads of sleeping dead, who once worshipped the false prophet m their blindness, shall " hear the voice of the Son of God, and come forth." We used to enter the city by a street which is watered by a branch of the Meles, or an artificial canal supplied from it In this street the water occupies the place of the causeway , trees grow on each side of it ; and the houses are behind the trees. Coolness is thus secured to the inhabitants at aU hours of the day. We thought of the street, river, and trees men- tioned in Revelation ;' and of the words of David, " Therf is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God."^ The constant peace and refreshment alForded by God's love and favour are faintly shadowed forth by these images, which an Eastern could fully appreciate. In one street we passed a fountain, erected by some benevolent Mahometan long ago, as the Turkish inscription indicates. The water gushes plentifully into a trough ; and for the greater conve- nience of passengers, there is a large spoon-like cup attached to the well by a chain. No one injures or thinks of remov- ing this. The " bowl is not broken, nor its cord loosed"^ at the fountain. The houses are built sometimes after the Ita- lian and sometimes after the Eastern fashion. A luxuriant vine is ofttimes trained over the portico, and a spreading fig- tree occupies the middle of the court. The inhabitants need every such means of refreshment, for the town in summer is very hot. There is, however, a pleasant breeze called In- hat (that is i/MQarig, " incoming") which generally visits the town in the afternoon, and atFords a time for refreshment in the hottest part of the season. In one of our walks, Mr Riggs gave us some illustrations of Scripture from what he had seen in Greece. There every shepherd uses a large wooden crook, w^ith which he guides and defends the sheep. This is the shepherd's rod mentioned in the Psalm and by the prophet.* It is a common mode of expression among the Greeks to say " such a thing happened thi'ee days ago," when they mean that a day only intervened. They include the two extreme days as if they had been com- plete, — a mode of speech which illustrates the words of om 1 Rev. XXII. 2. f Psa. xlvi. 4. s tccles. rn.6. * Psa, xxiii. 4. Mic. vii. 14» 3-12 MISSIONARY PRO&l'ECTS — SMYRNA. Lord in Matt. xii. 40, " The Son of Man shall be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Throughout all Greece the natives seldom take any food before eleven o'clock, at which hour they have aeiarov, whicli we translate dinner ; then about eight or nine in the evening, they have duTrvov or supper, which is the chief meal. This explains the invitation of our Lord to the disciples on the Lake of Galilee, " Jesus saith unto them. Come mid dine,"^ that is, come and partake of the morning meal. On another occasion Mr Riggs gave us his views in regard to the prospects of Missionaries in this part of Turkey. Theii chief discouragement is the want of any opportunities of speaking freely to the natives, either Greeks or Armenians, on the things of eternity ; a painful state of things, brought about by the watchful jealousy of the priests, in Turkey, the priesthood have far greater influence over the people than they have in the new kingdom of Greece. The Pa- triarch is allowed by the Turkish Government to do what he pleases, so that he may use his arbitrary power to pro- cure the death of any persons opposed to his authority. In Greece, however, Mr Riggs found that at Napoli, where he was formerly stationed, and indeed throughout the whole kingdom, the Greeks are far less under the control of their priests, and are often anxious to be taught the truth. Oc- casionally at Napoli the Bishops came to hear the preaching of the word, and a few of them seemed to have real concern for their own souls. There is nothing of this kind in Tur- key. The candlestick has been entirely removed from Smyrna, as far as vital religion among the Greek Christians is con- cerned. They are thieves, liars, and immoral in a thousand ways. The American Missionaries print a Penny Magazine in the Greek and Armenian languages, which has a consider- able circulation ; but this is an instrument of little value in the way of saving the souls of the people, as its pages contain only general and scientific information. On Saturday morning (Aug. 9), in company with ]\Ir Riggs, we enjoyed a pleasant walk up the hill that rises be- hind the city, where are ruins of the old castle, and where, in the opinion of many, was the original site of Smyrna. \Vc visited the Stadium, where Polycarp was martyred for the truth, A.D. 167. It stands on the face of a hill, the sides of I Johu XXI V2. See oriR^nal ifn^Tr.iruTt. GRAVE OF POLYCARP VIEW OF SMYRNA. 343 a concave valley forming a natural amphitheatre for tbe ac- commodation of spectators. The space may be about 500 feet long on each side, at either end of which rose the seats for the spectators. Near it is a range of broken arches, which formed part of the vaults where the wild beasts were kept. From one of these the people urged the Asiarch to let loose a lion against Polycarp. In the midst of this sta- dium, the aged man of God was fixed to a stake, and the fire kindled around him ; but the flame leaving him unconsumed, he was despatched by the sword of the Roman confector This very stadium was the spot whence his soul ascended up to heaven, "receiving his portion," according to his own prayer, " in the number of martyrs in the cup of Christ." After serving his Lord, and directing his flock " by his step as well as by his voice" during eighty and six years, he was found faithful unto death, and received the crown of life.'"' The Epistle to the Church of Smyrna was to us doubly in- teresting now. A voice seemed still to echo round the spot, " Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer !" A grave close by, over which a tall cypress grows, is said to be the grave of Polycarp. In the narrative of the martyrdom given in the Epistle by the Church of Smyrna, it is recorded that the Jews distin- guished themselves by gathering fuel for the pile ; and it is a singular fact, coinciding with this notice, that at present the Jewish quarter lies close under the hill where the stadium stands, and the Jews are much employed in gathering and selling torch-wood. We wandered on to the ruins of a theatre. A fine arch forming the gateway, remains in tolerable preservation. We could distinctly trace the walls, that enclosed a wide circulat space ; and near the stadium some remains of the ancient wall of the town are still found. Part of the castle also is of great antiquity, and on the hill to the south of it is the Temple of Esculapius. The prospect from this hill is very splendid. The tos^-n below is seen to the greatest advantage. The houses are mostly red- tiled, but the tall dark cypress grove, and the clusters of the same tree shooting up in difterent quarters, with the calm sea beyond, give the town a rich and noble appear- ance. There is a full view up to the very top of the gulf, 344 GREEK CHtRCH. with Bournabat and other villages on the opposite fiflc. In the distance, the island of Lesbos is discernible, and Xhe. place where the Hermus enters the sea, at the head of the gulf. On our way back to town we overheard a curious conversa- tion. — Two boys came along, one riding upon an ass, the other running by his side. The one on foot was eagerly pressing his companion to let him mount the animal for a little while, oiFering as an inducement, " that, if he did so, he would pray for the souls of his deceased mother and sis- ter." The boy on the ass agreed, on condition that he would remember the soul of his little brother also. At the gate some Tattars with public despatches were riding out very merrily. On a wall we saw an ancient Greek inscription which has been often noticed, but is of little importance. A labourer was returning from the country with his pruning- hook in his hand, a long piece of iron curved toward the point. This pruning-hook might once have been a spear, and could easily be converted into one again. The prophets at- tended to the nature of things when they said, " They shall beat their spears into pruning-hooks :"' and again, reversing the command, " Beat your pruning-hooks into spears."^ We entered one of the Greek churches at the time when the peo- ple were assembling for worship ; for all the Eastern churches begin their Sabbath at six on the Saturday evening. The worshippers were summoned together, not by the ringing of bells (for this privilege is not enjoyed by any of the Chris- tians here except the Roman Catholics), but by beating time on a plank of wood, somewhat in the same way in which our workmen in towns are summoned to their meals. As the people entered one by one, they kissed the pictures on the wall of the church, and crossed themselves with three fingers. Near another church we met many Armenians on their way to worship. The most remarkable part of their costume is the head-dress worn by the men, called the kalpack. It is like a four-cornered cushion surmounting their cap, and appears very singular to a stranger. On reaching oar dwelling, we received intelligence of an awful conflagration which had taken place in Constantinople, by which 30,O0C or 40,000 persons, it was said, had been made houseless. We were the more interested in this infor- mation, as we were making preparations for visiting that great I Isa. II. ♦ « Jo^l ui. 10. SAIL Jt^hOAI SMYRNA. 345 city. During the second week of our stay at Bouja, Mr M'Cheyne's health was much improved ; yet it was thought advisable that Mr Bonar and Mr Caiman should leave him, in the mean time, under the care of our kind friends, and should themselves proceed together to Constantinople by the first steamer, to carry on their inquiries there, till by the bless- ing of God their brother should be enabled to join them. It was not without melancholy apprehensions that we parted for a season, and with unfeigned regret we took leave of our truly kind and never-to-be-forgotten friends at Bouja. But, remembering how the Lord had helped us hitherto, we trusted Him again, and went forward. In the afternoon of August 17, we embarked in an Aus- trian steamer called the Stamboul. On the deck, we found ourselves in the midst of people of all nations, but the most were Turkish soldiers, and Greek and Armenian merchants. Many Turkish women sat apart with their faces veiled, and a group of poor Israelites were seated between the cabin door and window, a part of the vessel so frequently occupied by •Tews, that we began to call it the Jewish quarter. Pacing up and down the deck were two American officers, belonging to a vessel near at hand ; next were three Englishmen, then two Maltese, some Germans, and two or three Frenchmen. The engineers were from our own land, one an Irishman and the other a Scotchman, and both had their wives on board with them. A Hungarian, with a large beard and whiskers, and a broad brimmed hat, kept himself in perpetual motion. Three Moors also, and four Persians, who wore high sugar- loaf caps, attracted our attention, and still more, two Turkish Dervishes, marked by their conical white hats. There was something indescribably saddening in the thought which often rose in our mind, that of all this company perhaps not one knew the Saviour. There is a " vail spread over all nations." Yet in such a state of things is the light suddenly to shoot from Zion over the whole world, " For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people : but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee ; and the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising."^ (Aug. 18. Sabbath.) About three in the morning we were off Lesbos, now called Mytilin, where Sappho and Alcseus sang. • Ton t,x. 2. 8 346 TENEDOS — ENGLISH AND FRENCH FLEETS. The vessel anchored for a short time in the harbour of the town, Mytilin — perhaps the very harbour where Paul's ves- sel anchored in its voyage.' In about an hour and a htlf we were opposite Cape Baba, the ancient Lectum, It is the extreme point of the Ida range, and one of the hills within our view was that renowned Ida, which looked down upon the Trojan piams. It is impossible to sail along this shore without being irresistibly attracted by scenes that have ex- cited the interest of thousands in every land. Many an eye nas gazed on these hills and plains, and many a foot explored these ruins. Yet there is to a Christian another and a more delightful feeling called forth, by the thouglit that Paul walked on foot^ from Troas to Assos along the sands of that sea-shore, meditating on " the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God," Toward the top of this same gulf stood Adramyttium,^ one of whose vessels bore Paul to the coast of Lycia in his voyage to Rome. About seven a.m. we were opposite the Island of Tenedos, and our early classical recollections came here fresh to mind — Est in conspectu Tenedos, notissima fama Insula, dives opum, Piiami dum regna manebant.* (" In sight of Troy lies Tenedos, an isle, While fortune did on Priam's kingdom smile, Renowned for wealth.") It is six miles from the coast of Troy, and is considerably ele- vated above the sea, rising at the north-west extremity into an eminence. At the time we passed, many vessels lay at anchor wind-bound, and unable to enter the Dardanelles. We continued sailing along the coast off Troas, the morning being calm and cool, with a bright sunshine, and a deep blue sky. Soon we found ourselves in the midst of the com- bined English and French fleets, consisting of about twenty ships of the line, — more majestic than these of Greece, which once carried its thousand warriors to Ilium. They lay there watching the movements of Russsia on Constantinople. The large island of Lemnos was toward the west on our left, and before us to the north-west Imbros, behind which lies Samo- thrace.^ But still a deeper interest was excited in our mind 1 Acts XX. 14. 2 Acts XX. 13. 3 Aft? xxvii. 2. 4 Virj^'. JP.n. 2 Ql s Acts xvi. 11. HELLESPONT — SESTOS AND ABYDOS. 34? when Eski-Stamboul was pointed out — the site of Troas, the place where Paul saw in a vision a man of Macedonia that said, " Come over to Macedonia (across the ^gean Sea) and help us,"' and where he preached till midnight and raised Eutychus from the dead. Here also was the residence of Carpus, the friend with whom Paul left his cloak, books, and parchments.^ We were gazing on it on the Sabbath-day, '' the first day of the w^eek,"^ and the remembrance of Paul's wondrous labours there helped us to enjoy this blessed day, even when so far removed from ordinances. Very near this point are two celebrated promontories, Rhoeteum^ where Ajax was buried ; and Sigcum, called now Jenesherry, where Achilles was buried. We are told that Alexander the Great stood here upon the tomb of that hero, and longed for an- other Homer to record his own deeds. On the plain of Troy we saw two of the ancient tumuli, each in the form of a small conical hill ; the one probably that of Antilochus, the other that of Patroclus. They meet the eye like " wrecks of a former world." The mouth of the Scamander, and the point of its junction with the Simois, were shewn to us. An oblig- ing young officer kindly pointed out the diiFerent localities, and added, that at present English officers might be found fishing every day in these classical streams. In a few hours we entered the Hellespont, now called the Straits of the Dardanelles, and passed between the far-famed Sestos and Ahi/dos. Near this, the strait is said to be seven stadia, or not quite a mile in breadth, so that two mighty con- tinents seem to approach and gaze upon each other. The mo- dern castles of Romania and Natolia, which have come in place of the ancient towns, are of no great height ; their situation is in low ground near the w^ater-edge ; but under skilful manage ment their command of the strait would be complete. Each fortress is furnished with more than 100 pieces of cannon. It was here that Leander immortalised himself by his adventu- rous exploit. It was here, too, that Xerxes, the king that " stirred up aU against the realm of Grecia,"^ built his bridge of boats, joining Asia to Europe, in order to transport his enormous hosts. When he surveyed them lining the shores of both continents, he wept in the vexation of his proud heart, because in a hundred years not one of all that multi- > Acts XVI. 8, 9. - "> Tim, iv. la. a A.cts xx^ 7. » Dan xi. 2 348 SEA OF MARMORA — VIEW OF CONSTANTINOPLE. tilde would remain to swell the pomp of his power. How un- like the tears of Him who wept over perishing Jerusalem ! The average breadth of the Dardanelles is three miles, and it is about sixty miles long. A delightful breeze and a smooth sea made our sail pleasant and easy ; and we were able to spend much of the day in retirement and meditation. While we were reading in the cabin, two Turks came down from the deck to pray, spreading out their mat, and then prostrating themselves to the ground repeatedly till their head touched the floor. Some of the Jews on board were frank and simple. One had a Hebrew Bible which he had got from Mr Cohen at Smyrna, and on our shewing them our Hebrew Bibles, they took them into their hands, examined them, and then held up some of the leaves between them and the sun, to see if there was not a cross stamped on the paper ! About evening, we came to Gallipoli (which stands opposite the ancient Lampsacus), not in itself interesting, but it gives name to the straits, and is situated not far north of the banks 5f the stream ^gospotamos, at the mouth of which Lysander gave a fatal blow to the power of Athens. The Sea of Mar- mora, the ancient Propontis, opened upon us ; but night came on, and we sailed through it in darkness. At half-past five in the morning we came in sight of Con- stantinople, and every moment as we advanced nearer the scene broke upon us with increasing magnificence. The situ- ation is splendid. Having the Straits of the Dardanelles for its gate on the south, and the Bosphorus for its gate on the north, it could rest securely on its seven hills, and look around on all its prosperity undisturbed by the fear of an enemy. The morning sky was cloudy, but this of itself was delightful to us, who had scarcely seen a cloud for nearly four months. It was like a pleasant summer morning in Scotland, when the mist is still lying on the hills, and the clouds are lingering on the face of the heavens. The first part of the city which meets the view upon entering the Bosphorus from the south, is called StambouL Here the massy dome of St Sophia, and graceful minarets of every kind, crowd upon the sight. Palaces, mosques, and baths, seem to be without number in this renowned capital. And then the rich verdant trees that surround so many of the white marble buildings, and the clear blue sea. which like a deep full river CONSTANTINOPLE — " THE GOLDEN HORN." 349 laves the shore and flows up the harbour, combine to give Constantinople a gorgeous beauty, which is perhaps unrivalled by any city in the world. Old Sandys truly says of the view from the sea, " It seemeth to present a city in a wood to the pleased beholders." We anchored in the well-known harbour called " the Golden Horn," so called from its resemblance to the shape of an ox's horn, and this so filled with merchandise that it is a true " cornu copiae." It is so deep that in many places the largest vessels (it is said) could touch the houses with their prows, while the stern is still floating in the water. We were conveyed to the shore in a caique, a light skiff, in breadth generally three feet, and above twenty in length, re- sembling a canoe, hundreds of which are seen shooting along in all directions with amazing swiftness. We landed at the part of the city called Galata, on the northern side of the harbour, intending to proceed to Pera, and there to take up our quarters in Romboli's inn, to which we had been directed. The inn, however, was already more than full ; the recent conflagration and an overflow of travellers having united to fill it, so that no vacancy was left for us. Alone in this great city, we allowed a young man, a Maltese, to guide us to a lodging in Galata, two porters (here called hamals) bearmg our luggage. It was by no means a desirable locality. The American Missionaries, however, Mr Goodell and Mr Calhoun, on hearing of our arrival, sought us out that same day, and insisted upon our taking up our residence with them m Pera. These American brethren and their families were full of kindness and brotherly love ; and under their roof we enjoyed all the comforts of a home. From their fellow- labourers also, Mr Adger and Mr Hamlin, we received unre- mitting attention. We went out in the afternoon to visit the English Consul, riding up the steep streets on horseback, as the day was exces- sively hot. Somewhat to our surprise, the state of the public mind in the city was calm ; Ibraim Pasha's recent victory at Nezib had made no impression. Indeed, the Turks seem to take every thing with apathy. Sometimes an order is issued on occasions of political excjtement, forbidding two people to be seen together in the streets talking about the weather ; in other words, about the state of public affairs. But at thia time there was less excitement in Constantinople than in Smyrna, and less known in public of the ri.>i state of things. 350 COKSTANTINOPLF, — TURKISH CARRIAGES. In the streets we noticed the Turkish carriages for ladies, called arabah, drawn by two horses, and not much raised above the ground. The windows have no glass, but curtains, resembling veils. Within, it is said, the sides are often orna- mented with mottoes and curious devices, by which some have illustrated the description given of the chariot in the Song, '' the midst thereof being paved with love."^ Waggons drawn by oxen are as common on the streets here as at Smyrna, We saw melons growing on the house-tops, in the very heart of the town, and many vines trained up the walls of houses. The buildings are in general miserable. Often the lower part of the house is of marble (brought like com- mon stone from the neighbouring islands), while all above is a clumsy shed of wood. We passed one of the Dervish esta- blishments, resembling that of a monastery. It was that of the Dancing Dervishes ; some of whom were sauntering in the court, wearing the round, high cap, a mark by which they are easily known. In the evening, we walked among the ruins occasioned by the fire. Several tents, chiefly of Armenian merchants, who had lost their all, were pitched among the smoking ruins. One of these was overheard to say, as a funeral passed by, " Would to God that I too had been carried to my grave. '"^ In the bitterness of his soul, he unconsciously imitated the impatient burst of Job. In our way home, we observed several persons wrapt in their hyke, preparing to sleep under the open sky. Indeed, it is a frequent custom here, and in all the East, to sleep in the open air all night, and this may explain the case of the young man who followed Christ, " having a linen cloth cast about his naked body."-^ (Aug. 20.) We were visited by Mr Farman, the Jewish Missionary of the London Society, who brought along with him a converted German Jew, named Merkuson. Another Jewish convert, since dead, named Jeruschalmai, was pre- vented by domestic circumstances from accompanying them. From them we received much valuable information with re- gard to the Jews. But as yet, no one has been able to obtain accurate statistical information as to the numbers and condi- tion of the Jewish population of Constantinople. They reckon their numbers, including the Jews of Scutari, Ortakoy. 1 Song m 10. 2 Job iii. 90- iL a Jliuk xiv 5L JEWS. 351 and the suburban villages, at 80,000 souls.' Most of these are originally Spanish Jews, whose fathers took refuge here when expelled from Spain. They, therefore, speak the Spa- nish and Turkish languages. There are about 600 German, and 200 Italian Jews. The great mass of the Jewish com- munity here are ignorant and unlearned. Mr Farman, as well as the two Jewish converts, agreed that schools for the children of the German Jews might succeed well. But in order to induce the parents to send their children, it would be needful to offer to teach them French and Italian. The expense of an Italian master could not be less than £3, 10s. a-month, and a French master the same. It would also be needful to teach the boys and girls in separate apartments. A Hebrew teacher could easily be found. It would not be very difficult to find some liberal-minded Jew, who would teach Hebrew from the Old Testament, and who would not object to a missionary's visit to the schools. Mr Farman even thought that the New Testament might be introduced. If such a school were established, probably fifteen boys and as many girls might be persuaded to attend it at once. These remarks apply only to the German Jews. In regard to the Spanish Jews, who constitute the mass of the population, they are very bitter in their enmity to Chris- tianity. But if the experiment were tried with the others, it is possible that they also might be induced to follow the example set them by their German brethren. The reason why the German Jews would be willing to send their children is, that they have brought with them to this country some of the spirit and principles of Germany — they know the value of education, and wish for it. If a German Christian lady were appointed female teacher of the school, it would not be objected to by the Jews. The expenses of a missionary in Constantinople are necessarily great ; it is not uncommon to pay £400 as the rent of a moderately- sized dwelling. But the great hinderance in the way of carrying the gospel to Israel here is the total want of protection to (•onverts and inquirers ; for the Jews, being recognised by Government as a community, have power to get any one of their brethren banished if they desire it. If a Jew is con- 1 Rabbi Bibas of Corfu, whom we afterwanls met, reduced the number to 20,nO0; but without stating any evidence to induce us to credit his assertioa He may have meant the Jews of the city without those of the suburbs. 352 COiN'STANTlJfOPLE — JEWS. verted and receives baptism at the liands of a Protestant minister, the Greeks and Armenians immediately v?ithhold all employment from him ; so that he is cast upon the mis- sionary himself for support. Mr Farman fixed his residence at Beyukdere, and one object he had in view in living so fai from the city was that he might get protection and employ- ment for inquiring Jews, that village being inhabited chiefly by Franks. Sometimes he has been visited by twenty Jews at one time, all desiring Christian baptism, provided only they could be protected. He told us that he knew of many in that condition at that very moment ; and a Jewess had come to him very lately, asking baptism. It is true, their motive is not always good. Perhaps, there are not many of them who care about Christianity itself, or feel burdened with a sense of sin. It is rather a desire to be free from the yoke of Judaism that influences them. Still, such a desire is not to be lightly treated, and may, by the blessing of God upon the teaching of the missionary, be made the beginning of a saving change.' There is a strict adherence to the Tal- mud among the Spanish Jews. They universally expect Messiah ; and many of them had fixed the year 1840 as the era of his appearing. Almost all the large synagogues have a school attached to them ; and at Ortakoy, there are some large schools uncon- nected with the synagogues. In that quarter, they have frequently purchased Bibles from the missionary for their schools. Mr Farman told us that he had laboured here about four years ; Mr Schauffler, the American missionary to the Jews, (and the only one, we believe, that America has hitherto sent to the house of Israel,) had laboured longer ; but had hitherto turned his attention chiefly to translation. To him, the Jew Merkuson owes his knowledge of the truth. Mr Wolff was the first to visit his brethren in this great city. Then Mr Farman and Mr Nicolayson came, and decided upon its claims to be one of the stations of the London Jewish Society. The Jews here have been superseded as bankers by the Armenians, and so have lost much of their influence with Government. They are poor and unlearned ; making money 1 The BSsle " Freund des Israel," in 18:38, states that there were 200 or 300 lews in Constantinople ready to become Christians. But the above statement explains what kind of Christians thej intended to be. SAIL UP THE BOSPIIORUS — SCENERY. 353 Is their great object. They have this remarkable feature that they are very stationary, not moving from place to place. In Ortakoy alone reside 6000 Jews ; in Scutari, 3000 ; in Ismid, the ancient Nicomedia, there are 1000, and in Brousa, 6000 or 7000.^ The whole population of Constantinople is gene- rally reckoned to be 500,000. The same evening we walked out with Mr Calhoun, and saw on the hill opposite to us the aqueduct of Valens, and the place where Mahommed, the conqueror of Constantinople, en- tered the city. We traced also what had been the course of the ancient city walls, and returned homewards through the now ruined houses of Pera. Early next morning (Aug. 21) we enjoyed a sail up the Bosphorus in one of the light caiques to pay a short visit to Mr Farman, the converted Jew Merkuson accompanying us. His residence was at the village of Beyukdere, twelve miles, or almost the whole extent of the Bosphorus, from Pera. As we set sail the caiques were shooting across the harbour in all directions, and the scene varied every moment. We kept near the shore, in order as much as possible to avoid the strong current from the Black Sea, and yet we were so re- tarded by it, that though we set sail at half-past seven, it was half-past eleven before we reached Beyukdere. On our left the winter-palace of the Sultan, though irregularly built, had a striking appearance. We coimted forty columns in front of 1 We were here occasionally led by curiosity to compare our inquiries with the Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela, himself a Jew, of the 12th century. He visited Constantinople some centuries before the Jews from Spain sought re- fuge in it; and tells us that there he found 2000 Jews living in Pera, and 400 Karaites; and that the Jews suffered much at the hands of the Greeks, who used to excite tlie whole world against them. He then sailed southward by Ro- dosto, the ancient Bisanthe, where are still about 1000 Jews. " From this plaee (says he) Rodoste is distant a sea voyage of two days, where is a Jewish congre- gation of nearly 400 persons: whose chief men are Rabbi Moses. R. Abia. and R. Jacob. Then, two days distant is Gallipoli, where are about 200 Jews ; and two days farther, Calash, where are 50 Jews. » » " Two days from thence is Mitilin, one of the islands of the sea, in which the Jews have synagogues at ten different places. And three days from this is Chios, where are nearly 400 Jews, whose chief men are Rabbi Ellas, Rabbi Thoma, and Rabbi Sabbatai. It is here they find trees from which mastyx is gathered. Two days from tliis is Samos>, where are nearly 300 Jews. Throughout these islands are many synagogues of the Jews. Three days off from this is Rhodes, where are about 400 Jews; and four days distant is Cyprus, in which is a synagogue of Jews who follow the customs of their fathers ; but also another synagogue of Jews, called Epicureans, or herptics of Cvprus. These latter are everywhere excommunicated by th« other Jews, for they profane the evening of the (Jewish) Sabbath, and observe the eveuliig of the first day of the weeli." Z 3<)4 CONSTANTINOPLE BOSPHORUS. one wing of the building ; and another witg had eight Corm- thian pillars. The roof has an elegant battlement, and the rows of windows are light and graceful. The steps in front came down to the water edge, and several Turks were pacing backwards and forwards on them with their usual solemn gait, reminding us of the poet's description — "The bearded Turk that rarely deigns to speak, Master of all around, too potent to be meek." In the interior, we could see a square, enclosing fountains and a well laid out garden. Nearly opposite this, on the other side of the Bosphorus, stands the Golden Palace, so called be- cause ornamented all over with gilded work, where the young Sultan was residing at the time. The line of buildings on the European side is scarcely ever interrupted ; there being almost one continuous line of houses for ten or twelve miles. The chimneys of many of them are in the form of a well- shaped pillar, which gives them an air of superior neatness. They are built close upon the water, and often there seemed not above a hundred yards of level ground between the sea and the steep hills that sloped up behind. On the brow of these hills gardens and cypress-trees were waving, which give freshness and beauty to the scene, while the sea flows up to the very steps of many of the houses. We came to Ortakoy, — that is, " middle village," — a large suburb of the city, poor and ill-built, inhabited by Jews, but generally of the lower class. Beyond this is one ledge of sunken rocks, marked by an elegant marble fountain erected above them, and two other simi- lar ledges of rocks, marked by groups of trees planted on them. The English Admiral, Sir R. Stopford, passing the Seraglio, was saluted by twenty guns, the sound of which echoed deep among the surrounding hills. The water was all the time clear, and the channel pebbly to the very edge, the current often so strong as to compel the men to leave the caique, and instead of rowing, to drag the boat with ropes round the point where the current met it. We were met by a steamer from Trebizond coming down from the Black Sea. The sea- fowl were flying round us ; and innumerable porpoises were sporting beautifully in the water. A breeze fi'om the Black Sea and some overhanging clouds gave a grateful coolness to the air. White towers occasionally meet the eye perched on Lhe surrounding heights, and small forts, defended with can non, stand close upon the shore. One remarkable fortress BiiVrKDERE — ii'lSIT TO MR FAKMAN — AHMEMANS. 355 occurs near tne neaa oi the strait, said by some to be of Ge- noese origin, and by otliers to be tlie work of Constantine. Its towers are not round but sharp-cornered, and the walii surmounted witli a battlement. If it be the work of Constan tine, it would be valuable and interesting, for no remains of that illustrious Emperor are to be found in his own city. Passing Therapia, where Lord Ponsonby, the British Ambas- sador, was then residing, we at length reached Beyukdere, pleasantly situated within sight of the opening into the Black Sea. After visiting Mr Farman, and hearing more of his labours, both among the Jews and European residents, we re- turned to the city. The sail back occupied only two hours, the current being with us, and the whole trip cost us only thirty piastres. In the evening one of the American Missionaries, Mr Ham- lin, once assistant to the devoted Dr Payson, but who has now consecrated himself to missionary labour, gave us some account of the Armenians of Constantinople. They are a social com- munity, enjoying much domestic happiness. Their feelings against Protestantism are very bitter, and they hold no open communication with the missionaries. Still there seems to be a secret work of the Spirit begun in the hearts of some of them. One young priest is decidedly pious, and labours si- lently among his brethren. A rich banker, who had done all he could for the schools, continues to be enthusiastic in that object, and friendly to the missionaries. There used to be about sixty young men attending the missionary schools ; and all these still manifest great kindness to the missionaries. This night we remarked the howling of the dogs that prowl about the city. All foreigners are struck with their noise and unsightly appearance. They wander about the streets with fierce hungry looks, and occasionally even attack the lonely passenger in the night. They answer precisely to the description given in the Psalm, " At evening let them return, and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city : let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied."' Next day (August 29), accompanied by Mr Calhoun, we took a caique at Tophana, and crossed the Golden Horn, hop- ing to get a sight of the interior of the famous Seraglio in the train of the British Admiral, Sir R. Stopford, who wa* 356 ST bOPHIA MOSQUE. that day to be admitted within its walls. In this, however, we were disappointed, as the Admiral had left the place be- fore we reached it. From without, its appearance is exten- sive and splendid, adorned with many gilded minarets, shoot- ing up amidst tall and verdant trees. It has been the scene of many a deed of horrid cruelty. The part of the city where it stands is called Staraboul, and is the most ancient. As we walked on we observed in various places small pieces of paper collected together and thrust into openings of the walls. This is done by Mahome- tans, who are careful to preserve pieces of paper with any writing on them, because possibly the name of Mahomet or of Allah may be on some of them. We passed the old divan which was burned down some years ago. Its elegant gate is arched in the form of an expanded leaf, and is said by some to have given its name to the Sublime Porte, whose sittings were held here. We then visited the mosquo of St Sophia, whose dome is the largest in the world. It is a magnificent building, but the Turks have added many of the present portions of the edifice. The mosque of Achmet stands adjoining it, having six minarets, covered, not with gilding, but with gold itself, which retains its lustre unimpaired. There is first an outer court, a space set round with trees ; then, an irtner court, or square, adorned with eight-and-twenty piUars, some of marble, others of granite, and the capitals of each finished off in the form of fringes. The pavement of the court is all marble, and in the centre a fountain pours forth its refreshing streams. Through the open windows we got a glance of the interior also, though a surly Turk from within commanded us to withdraw. The roof is supported by im- mense pillars, and is compacted of layers of stone ; the walls are finely ornamented, and the floor spread with clean mats and carpets. Adjoining the mosque of Achmet is the square called Achmedan or Atmeidan, the ancient Hippodrome, in which Belisarius was seen in the height of his renown, cele- brating his victories by a Roman triumph. In the midst of it is an obelisk, brought from Egypt by the Emperor Theo- dosius, according to the inscription on the pedestal, written in Latin on one side, and in Greek on the other. Beside the inscription is carved a representation of the Emperor's pro- cession, with the people presenting him with gifts, wliUa he CONST ANTTNCPLE — PILLAR — MAUSOLEUM. 357 liimself staiuls at au altar iu tlie act of offering sacrifice ; and on the"! opposite side is a representation of men dragging the obelisk to its place. Close by is a curious brass pillar, in the form of three serpents entwining each other. This was brought from Delphi, and is believed to be the identical pil- lar that bore on its top the golden Tripod dedicated to Apollo after the defeat of Xerxes. Adjoining, there is a rough clumsy pillar, supposed to be the remains of a column which Constantiiae erected here, which was probably once covered with plates of brass, but at present is little else than a heap of unpolished stones. We next came to a mausoleum erected in honour of the father of the late Sultan, and of two other Sultans and their children. The interior is magnificently adorned, rich drapery hung on all the tombs ; many lamps were burning, and there were in it some large candelabra, ready to be lighted on particular occasions. It is a favourite resort of devout INIahometans at the time of prayer. We then visited the bazaar, which occupies a wide space. It consists of many streets and rows of shops, all roofed over for shade and coolness. In one street there is a row of tent- makers ; in another, shoemakers ; in another, sellers of pipes ; in another, shops exhibiting every variety of rich cloth ; then a row of silks and furs ; so that almost every article of com- mon use has a row of shops for itself. At one shop-door we asked for a dish of yaout, — that is, meat boiled with sauce and Ithan, and eaten with toasted bread. We did not find it possible to visit the slave-market. In the afternoon, we crossed over to Scutari, the ancient Chrysopolis, which was the seaport of Chalcedon, on the Asiatic side of the Bosphorus. Our chief object was to visit the howling dervishes. They were beginning their devotions as we entered. At first they prayed moderately, in a kind of chanting voice. In about half an hour they formed a semi- circle round their chief, to whom each went up before taking his place, doing obeisance, while he took off the cap they wore, and replaced it with a lighter one, more fit for the part they were to act. They prayed with every imaginable ges- ture and movement, the body, head, and hands aU being in motion at once. From time to time their chief seemed to ex- cite them to greater vehemence, by crying out with a loud scream, " Ullah, Illah /" in a tone that made us shudder. In a short time, the whole company were engaged in the most 358 CONSTANTINOPLE- -flOTTLING DEKVISHES. frantic movements. Some of them, nearly overpowered with their intense efforts, were gasping for breath, and all uttering a sound, " ocha, ocha," like one panting and ready to sink under exhaustion. A dancing dervish then entered the room, who sat down and played calmly on a pipe, while the rest kept time to the tune in the violent gestures of their bodies. Then three more appeared, and kept whirling about in a circle for twenty minutes without ceasing. The whole ecene was a frightful exhibition of human impiety and fana- ticism, and yet we were told that it is often much more extra- vagant and revolting. The missionaries at Brousa lately saw one of these dervishes work himself up to such a frenzy, that the foam came from his mouth, his face grew pale, and he fell on the ground, like the demoniacs mentioned in the New Testament, till one of his company restored him by beating on his breast, and other restorative processes. We observed hanging on the wall the instruments with which they used to torture themselves, like the priests of Baal." There were hooks, and sharp-pointed instruments, and wires that used to be thrust through their cheeks from side to side ; balls also, attached to sharp-pointed spikes. These balls were made to strike the ground, and to recoil in such a way, that the spike struck its point into their breast. It required a decree of the late Sultan to put a stop to these self-torturing practices. Many persons came in to he blessed by the der- vishes. As they entered, they kissed the hands of the chief. Two soldiers were among the number of the dervishes, and several soldiers came in to receive a blessing. One man, who had sore eyes, came forward to the chief, who prayed over him and sent him away. Clothes also and sick children were carried in to receive a blessing. And yet these dervishes are exceedingly immoral in their lives, being guilty of the grossest licentiousness. We witnessed this painful scene for about two hours, and learned to cry with more intense desire, " Have respect unto the covenant, for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty." Close to Scutari stood the ancient Clialcedon, now called Kadikoy, " the village of the judges," in allusion to the fa- mous Council once held within its walls, the Council which condemned the opinions of Eutyches, who held that there was but one nature in Christ. Crossing to Galata, we enjoyed a ' ' KiiiE's xvm. 28^ JEWISH aUARTER. 359 Bplendid sail, and the view of a magnificent sunset. The rich beams of the sun were playing on the waters, while innumer- able caiques were skimming gaily over them. A Greek ves- sel was leaving the harbour, a ■pilgrim vessel, setting out for the Holy Land. It was a small brig, and the passengers were miserably crowded together, all eager to pay their vows at the Holy Sepulchre. Such vessels as these, manned by ignorant sailors, are often wrecked by sudden storms. The same evening we applied to the Russian Chancellor, to get our passport signed for Warsaw. This he refused to do, assigning as his reason that no ecclesiastic is allowed to pass through Russia, unless he has obtained from St Peters- burgh the special consent, both of the Synod and of the Em- peror. We noticed that, as he spoke, he was all the while noting down our names and appearance from the passport, no doubt intending to send them before us, to prevent us from making any attempt to cross the Russian frontier. Had he known that we were sent on a mission of love to Israel, he would no doubt have been still more determined in his refusal, for Russia holds Israel with a grasp as firm as that of Pha- raoh ; though the day is at hand when God " will say to the north, Give up."^ We were thus obliged to give up the hojjes of returning by Warsaw, and to make up our mind to shape our course through Cracow. Meanwhile, we occupied our time in fresh inquiries into the state of Israel in the city of Constantinople. (Aug. 23.) Setting out for the Jewish quarter, we met two strong Circassians, wearing the caftan and conical Persian cap. We also met a Roman Catholic funeral ; that of a young person. The priest walked before in his black dress, i-eading the prayers, many boys following him joined in the chant; and the bier was covered with flowers. We sailed up the Golden Horn, passing by a wooden bridge and a dockyard, in which we saw no more than two ships building and a few under repair. We landed at the Jewish quarter, called Huski, and soon got a pleasant young Jew, named Nisim, who spoke Italian, to be our guide. He knew no Hebrew, and had little of an Israelite in his character. -He said he was anxious to be away from his countrymen and to get to England. We asked what he hoped to find in Eng- land ; and, in reply, he shewed us that +he sum of his expec- 360 CONSTANTINOPLE — SYNAGOGUES tations was, " that he would get freedom to do as he liked,'' and wear " nuovo capello," " a new hat." He took us to a school attended by about eighty boys. Here the bastinado and the whip hung on the walls as at Smyrna ; yet the children did not appear to be so much oppressed. Scarcely any had books from which to read ; but a few leaves were handed from one to the other. In another school we found thirty children, who were reading extracts from the Old Testament, but they also had few school-books. As we en- tered, they were reading the passage, " For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee.^'^ The syllables and sounds of this they repeated over and over, but did not seem to understand the sense. How little they knew the depths of gracious love to their nation which that verse contains ! We visited two other schools of the same kind, aJid found that the accommodation in all was wretched ; and the teachers illiterate. "We came to a synagogue standing on an eminence, and enclosed within a wall. It was not unlike one of our churches, well built, airy, and clean. The drapery in front of the ark was embroidered in a beautiful manner, and the lamps were handsome lustres of brass. There were sixteen synagogues in this quarter alone, and three in Pera. The Jews seemed very suspicious of us : they scarcely entered into conversation at all, but stood silent, and sullenly noticed what we did and where we went. With some difficulty we now found our way to the synagogue of the Karaite Jews, of whom there are about a hundred families here, all living together in one quarter, being despised and hated by the other Jews. Their syna- gogue is built in a low situation. You descend a stair, over which a vine is spreading its branches, and there find yourself in the area where the synagogue stands. Perhaps it is a satire on their fondness for the literal meanmg of Scripture, but it is said — that the Karaites always have their synagogue low, that so they may literally use the Psalm, " Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, Lord.'''''^ The apartment was neat and clean, the floor covered with mats and carpets. We examined their copies of the Bible, and found one of the London So- ciety's edition among them. They wear "the fringes" or Tsitsith, according to the commandment in Numbers,' of a different form from those of other Jews. It is with them a I Isa. uv. 7. e Psa. cxxx. I. 3 Num. xv. W. KARAITE SYNAGOGUE. 361 sort of sasla or girdle, at the two ends of which are fringes of white and blue, — not merely white threads, like that of the other Jews. We saw also the mezuzah at the door of the syna- gogue, so that they are not altogether free from pharisaical traditions. But they have no Tephillin or phylacteries ; on the contrary, they deride them, and call them " donkey- bridles." They have only one school for their children. Inquiring for the rabbi, we learned he was absent in Stam- boul, so that we resolved to return on the morrow to get better acquainted with this interesting people, the Protestants of the house of Israel. We made inquiry at many Jews about the place which. Joseph Wolff calls " the Valley of Job," and which he said that some Jews thought was " the land of Uz." There is such a spot, but none of the Jews connected it with that patriarch. It gets its name from a famous Saracen named Yob, who was killed in the valley in the great assault on Constantinople, and whose tomb was erected there. It is said that the spot of his burial was dis- covered in a miraculous manner, and a mosque has been built over it, called, after him, the Mosque of Yob, which is much frequented by devout Moslems. (Aug. 24.) A little after five in the morning, we again sailed up the Golden Horn to Huski, and soon reached the Karaite Synagogue. The Jews were already met, in number about eighty persons. Their shoes were all piled up at the door, and they themselves seated upon the ground. A few who came in late seemed to shew some reverence to the mezuzah on the door-post. All sat while reading their prayers ; but when the Law was produced, all stood up in token of reverence, and then sat down again. ^ After reading the usual portion, in which two boys took the chief share, the rabbi, who had invited us to sit by his side, read a passage in Deuteronomy, and gave an oral exposition, of which Mr Caiman took notes. The passage was Deut. xxi. 10-23. " From V. 10 to 15," the rabbi said, " there are given directions regarding the captive woman who was to be married to her Jew ish conqueror ; her hair was to be shaved, her nails pared, and hor raiment changed." " Now (said he), the heart is to be kept with all diligence, for if we allow our hearts to think upon an object, then the desire to have it springs up." This he applied to the mso of the conqueror and the captive woman, I See Nehem. viii. 5. 362 CONSTANTINOPLE — KARAITE JEWS, " To prevent this snare, she was to be deprived of all her attractions, such as her fine hair, and her showy raiment ; and her glowing spirit was to be brought down by making her mourn for her parents thirty days. If, even after this, the conqueror persisted in his purpose, and chose her for his wife, then there was need of directions for him how to act toward her. Accordingly, v, 15-18, Moses speaks of ' the woman hated ;' for a marriage such as this, not grounded in the fear of God, might be expected to produce strife and hatred. And even this is not all. This heathen woman would possibly prove ungodly ; and ungodly mothers will train up their children in ungodliness. Hence, v. 18-22, Moses is led to speak of ' the rebellious son.' " After thus ingeniously tracing the connection of the verses, the rabbi spoke at some length of the responsibility lying upon pa- rents. He exhorted them " to take special care in training up their families, and not to admit persons into their houses, of whose piety and integrity they had no evidence. The captive woman was obliged to make a profession of the reli gion of her conqueror before she could be married to him ; but you see (said he) the chain of misfortunes that suc- ceed when the profession is not a true one." He referred, in conclusion, to the wise provision of the Karaite Jews, that none be admitted into their communion, who have not passed through a probation of five years, during which time they are instructed, and their manner of life watched. If they are found to be sincere and faithful, then, at the end of that time, they are received as brethren, and married into one of their families. There was no greater appearance of real devotion in the Karaite congregation than in other Jewish synagogues. They often spoke to each other even during prayer ; and we ob- served that some of them feU asleep as they sat on the ground. When service was over, the rabbi, Isaac Cohen, invited us to his house — a clean and airy habitation ; and after entering, according to the custom of the country, a servant brought us water and jelly. The rabbi is an elderly man, of some intelligence and learning — able to speak He- brew fluently. He admitted the ignorance of his people, and highly approved of the proposal that Christians should institute schools among them, saying that he would send his own son f^ be a scholar. He remarked that their sect had CONSTANTINOPLE — KARAITE JEWS. 363 Buffered less from Christians than from Jews, and had no enmity at all to the followers of Jesus. He had been told that some Christians believed them to be descendants of the ten tribes, who had no part in the death of Christ. He said that it was 1260 years since they separated from the other Jews. The rabbi of the Karaites must always be a Cohen, that is, a priest, or lineal descendant of the family of Aaron. Our host himself was one, as his name indicated. Their sect has no influence with the Sultan, and the Hacham Pasha of the other Jews has frequently attempted to get them banished from Constantinople, and yet they have been able hitherto to maintain their ground, and resist the attempts of their breth- ren to expel them. He told us that he was himself the au- thor of a Translation of the Pentateuch into Turkish, of which he had only four copies remaining ; the rest had been all dis- posed of to Karaites. Before taking leave, we purchased from him at a moderate price, the following works, all of them very rare, and connected with the Karaite Jews, 1. A Hebrew Prayer-book, used by the Karaite Jews. 2. A Hebrew Pentateuch, with a translation into the Tartar and Osmanli Turkish language, used by the Karaite Jews. This is the work above mentioned of oui- friend R. Isaac Cohen. S. A Commentary on the Books of Moses, by rabbi Joseph Solomon, a Ka- raite Jew. 4. A Commentary on the Prophets, by rabbi Aaron, a Karaite Jew. 5. A Commentary on all the Commandments of the Old Testament, by rabbi Elijah Bsitzi, a Karaite Jew. AU these are now deposited in the Library of the General Assembly of our Church. We were highly gratified that we had been permitted to visit this interesting community ; and all the information that we received concerning them, confirms the report which we had previously heard, that they are a peculiarly upright and respectable class of Jews. The Karaites of the Crimea are so highly esteemed, that on one occasion, when the Emperor wished them to serve as soldiers, they asked him to inquire if ever during 600 years any public crime had been laid to the charge of a Karaite, and pleaded, that if they were sent tt the war, he would lose some of his best subjects. The Emperor admitted the truth of their plea, and desisted from his de- mand. Many of them carry on trade at Odessa ; and it is Baii that there is a colony of them in Lithuania, by the side 864 CONSTANTINOPLE — PROSPECTS Of iMISSIONARlES. of a beautiful lake, where they are agriculturists, and culti- vate the cucumher. Our friend Mr Caiman also met with Karaites in the village of Heet near Bagdad.^ (Aug. 25.) We enjoyed a Sabbath-day not unlike one of our quiet Sabbaths at home. Even the Roman Catholic bells sounding through the city did not disturb us, for they re- minded us the more of our own privileged land. At ten o'clock forenoon, Mr Bonar preached in the room of the American missionaries, and again at half-past seven in the evening. The audience was composed of the American missionaries and their families, and several European resi- dents. At four o'clock we had a Bible class, in which aU the missionary families joined. It was interesting to be so en- gaged in the midst of the heathen, in the city of the first Christian Emperor, and not far from the j>lace where Peter may have preached ; for within view, on the other side of the Bosphorus, stood Mount Olympus, marking out the region of Bithynia. In the region of Bithynia were to be found some of those scattered Christians, to whom Peter wrote both his Epistles, encouraging them to bear " the fiery trial,"'* which came upon them under the governor Pliny, in the reign of Trajan. We were ready to depart on the morrow, having com- pleted our arrangements during the preceding week. We had discovered that, to ascertain accurately the state of the Jewish mind in Constantinople, one must take up his resi- dence there, and gradually penetrate the mass. No mis- sionary has ever done this ; so that this great city is yet an unexplored territory. Mr Schauffler from America, and Mr Farman from England, may be said to have laboured on the outskirts. Any efforts hitherto made have been effective, at the most, only on the German Jews residing here ; whereaa uin ; a pitch fork, furc ; a kettle for boiling water caldare. Many other examples of the derivation of their language from the Latin we met with afterwards. On our journey, on one •ccasion the driver asked if we \ia,& fune, " a rope," which he said was to tie " Ugar" the pole. Coming to a village, we asked a woman for milk, she replied, " non e^:t" " there is none ;" and another said, " aher, ni dulsh est," '• there is sour, not sweet," bringing out a large bowl of sour milk. A porter who carried some articles for us said, " Nosti Momanisti, domne ?" " Do you know Romaic, Sir ?" and often the people used " spoune," that is " tell me," in conversation with one another. Leaving the cottage, we entered the carriage, and swept along over what appeared to be an endless extent of level \)lains, without a single eminence to relieve the flatness, or a tree on which the eye might rest. We saw scarcely any marks of cultivation, but tracts of pasture land, with here md there an immense herd of dun oxen, or sometimes buffa- oes ; horses also, and sheep, and large flocks of geese. Occa- sionally, the cottages displayed a little neatness, being made of wicker-work, plastered over with clay, white-washfid. — APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY. 383 and the roof thatched with reeds. One object that meets the eye in these vast plains is a stone-cross, at various inter- vals. This may be intended to remind travellers of Hiiu \v'ho died for us ; but certainly the people shewed it no reverence. Sel- ilom could we discover even the appearance of devotion among them. In the morning, indeed, one of our rough postilions, before mounting his horse, crossed him- self three times, stooped down, and said a few words of prayer ; but we rarely saw even this attention to religious duties. Mounds of eai^th occasionally appeared between us and the horizon, artificial elevations probably used in an- cient times as watch-towers and beacons. In some places, the lavatera, the foxglove, the hollyhock, and a 'few other flowers, were abundant in the fields. The soil appeared in general to be fertile and soft, and seldom did a single stone occur on the road. The postilions drove well, each having four in hand ; and often they plucked hair from the horses' mane to improve the lash of their whips. The horses, which were small, lean, and active, seemed to prefer the gallop as much as the riders. When any part of the road was cut up, they immediately took a new course, — so smooth and level is this country. About eight o'clock in the morning we passed within sight of a small lake, with rocks overhanging it, — a rare sight in these plains. At the fourth post, horses were treading out corn, and in the gardens was a sort of gourd that is hard as a turnip, and much used for food. Wells now began to be common, having a tall upright pole, over the top of which lay a transverse bar, with a weight at one end to act as a lever in drawing up the bucket. We had seen this before ii Egypt ; and it is commonly used in Poland and Russia. The poor drivers never failed to stop once in a stage to get their jiipe lighted, which they continued to use even when riding at full speed. About midday, we came to a village (the first since leaving Ibraila,) called Slobodzi, having a Greek church, and a con RR4 OBELESHTI — BUCAREST. vent. No monks reside in the convent, but only a superior and his two deacons, to carry on the church service. Here vre crossed a stream by a bridge of boats ; and on the other side, the country rises about thirty feet, after ascending which we came upon a new extent of flat country, on a higher level. This is one of the steppes which are the characteristic formation of this region. As before, crosses were frequent on the roadside, and herds of oxen in the pastures. Passing a field of Indian corn, which had no enclosure, our postilions stopped the vehicle, and deliberately supplied themselves with an armful. Quails and bustards occasionally started up from the corn-fields as we rode past. Towards evening we drove past a large village called Obeleshti, situated on the banks of a small'lake. The people seemed all busily employed, and vast herds of oxen were coming round the sides of the water. The setting sun shed, a pleasing light over this scene, which was peculiarly refreshing to our eye, after the tameness and monotonous level of the preceding part of the journey. The two villages named above are the only places of the least importance which we passed in our long journey of 120 miles. It was three o'clock in the morning (Sept. 8) when we reached Bucarest. We should have arrived at nine the pre- ceding evening, but lost several hours at the different post- houses from our ignorance of the language, and inexperience in this mode of travelling. We went first to the Khan Rosso, to which we had been recommended ; but after knocking and waiting half an hour, our answer was "JVici loghi," " no places" — " no room." Our drivers next found out the Casino di Martin ; but no one would reply to our knocking. While we were lingering cold and weary in the open street of this strange city, we heard the loud hum of many voices, and saw a large upper room lighted up ; — it was a Jewish Synagogue, Por this being their New Year season, the devout portion of them spend the greater part of the time in continual pray- ers. The watchmen on the street and our postilions imitated their loud cries in ridicule of their devotions ; so true are the words of Moses, " Thou shalt become an astonishment, a by- word, and a proverb, among all the nations whither the Lord shall lead thee."' Many Jews were now hastening througli ' DiHit. \ XVIII. 7. KHAN BRITISH CONSUL 885 . t'ae dark streets to the synagogue, and one seeing our di- lemma oiFered to conduct us to a khan. No other help "being at hand we thankfully accepted his services, and followed him through several streets till he brought us to a very large cara- vansera, called Khan Manuk, overhanging the muddy stream Dembrowitza, where we found an empty room, in which we spread our mats, and, thankful for the mercies of the past day, sought repose. (Sabbath.) A strange scene presented itself to us when we looked out in the morning. The khan was of large di- mensions, covering apparently an acre of ground, with high buildings all round. The ground floor was occupied with horses and carriages of all kinds.' The second floor was de- voted to passing travellers, and the third to those who were to stay above six months. The second floor had a wide pro- menade all round, and on it were gathered groups from many diflTerent countries, especially Russians, Hungarians, and Greeks. A mixture of strange barbarian languages filled our ears. We sighed in vain for the holy quietness of a Scottish Sabbath, and being determined if possible to find a more peaceful residence, we removed in the forenoon to a much smaller and cleaner place, called Kian Simeon, kept by a Greek. Here we enjoyed the rest of the holy day, and wor- shipped together in peace and comfort. In the evening the British Consul- General, R. G. Colquhoun, Esq., of Fincastle, found out our dwelling, and welcomed us to Bucarest with all the kindness of a fellow-countryman. Next morning (Sept. 9) we waited on the Consul, from whom during our stay we received much information as to the state of the country, and experienced the utmost atten- tion and hospitality. He insisted on our dining at the Con- sulate every day, which, in as far as our inquiries would permit, we agreed to do. Among his servants were three from Scotland, whose faces were lighted up with joy to see fellow-countrymen in this strange land. Wallachia is a fine country, and, if fully cultivated, might support twelve millions of inhabitants ; whereas at present 1 This Is the st;«l« '.>f all Eastern caravanseras, and may illustrate " the stable ef Bethlehem." There was no room for Joseph and Mary in the apartments set apart for travellers, so they had to betake themselves to the lowest floor; and there the shepherd's found the babe. Luke ii. 7 — 12. 2b 386 WALLA.CHIA — POPULATION. there are not much above two millions. The immense was3^-^ ("TS^^n (halukah rabbonim), " The shirt of the rabbis," a dress which they wear in imitation of the writers of the Talmud, who are said to have worn the same, and in which all rabbis are buried. This rabbi commenced, and soon all joined in repeating the 47th Psalm seven times over. The rabbis think that the verse, " God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet," gives some countenance to the peculiar ceremony of the day, namely, the blowing of a trumpet. They also believe that every New Year's Day is a kind of day of judgment. " Every year, on the festival of Rosh Hashanna, the sins of every one that coraeth into the world are weighed against his merits. Everj one who is found righteous is sealed to life. Every one wno is found wicked is sealed to death." Accordingly, they ima- gine that Satan at this season comes before God specially to accuse every soul. In order, therefore, " to confuse Satan," 390 BUCAREST JEWISH SYNAGOGUE. and prevent him from bringing forward his accusations, and also " to change God's attribute of judgment ivhich was against them into mercy," their wise men of blessed memory have ordained that the trumpet should be blown on the first day of the month Elul every year. The old rabbi made use of a small ram's horn, which ho had some difficulty in getting to sound. One rabbi chanted the word of command, nXTPD (takeeah), at which the other blew through the horn. Nine times this was repeated, and the last was a long blast ; then all present shouted and imi- tated the sound with their hand and mouth. They resembled exactly a company of children imitating a military band, and but for the heart-rending fact that these very follies form part of the strong delusion to which God has given up his ancient people, the whole scene would have been irresistibly ludicrous. The prayers that followed were offered with great vehemence, and a rabbi and three young men sang well the Psalm which does not now apply to Israel, " Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound." In another Polish synagogue close by, we saw the same ceremony. We also visited the Spanish synagogue, where the Jews present were handsomely dressed, and the Jewesses whom we saw at the gate, were enveloped in silk mantles edged with fur. They were engaged in the same ceremony, only they did not seem to be so zealous, and went through it with greater dignity. Alas, Israel, " children are thy princes, and babes rule over thee !"^ " The Lord hath taken away from Judah the stay and the staff, the judge and the pro- phet, the prudent and the ancient." In the afternoon we went to the synagogue again, in ex- pectation of seeing the Jews march down to the river-side, and " cast all their sins into the depths of the sea,"- which they do by shaking their garments over the water, as if casting their sins out of their bosom. But we were too early, and were told that they wait till it is dusk, when the people of the town will not observe them. Mr Caiman pointed us to a proof of the degraded charac- ter of the Jews here, as we were passing a common eating- house. — On the walls of it many German sentences of a jovial character were written in Hebrew letters. Thus, I Isn. III. 4. t Mlc. vir. 19 JEWISH MISSIONARY. 391 lb} "lyS nriTT " To-day 1 have money, "T^J 117 U~lV'2T To-morrow none — n^ipn n^^H ^^ ^^® (Jewish) year 5098." The Jews here, in gaining their livelihood, are employed by persons of all religious persuasions, so that they do not depend on their brethren for supply of work. Perhaps nine out ot every ten carpenters are Jews ; and no questions are asked in employing them, except regarding their capacity as workmen. This is a most irflportant fact, which would remove entirely the difficulty so often felt by Jewish missionaries in the sup- port of inquirers and converts. The Consul was of opinion that a missionary in Bucarest would require £250 a-year. He must have a house with four rooms, which would cost £25 or £30 of rent. He must maintain several servants, for each will do only his own pe- culiar work ; and the state of the streets is such in winter, that he must keep a carriage and two horses, as every re- spectable person does. Provisions are cheap ; a lamb may bo got for two shillings, a sheep for four shillings and sixpence, and an oke of meat (that is 2J lbs.) for one piastre, that is about twopence. But firewood is very dear. A large family often pay £50 a-year for this article alone. The expense of travelling from England to Bucarest, the Consul estimated at £30. As to the prospects of success, he thought that any direct attempt to convert the Greeks would be immediately fatal to any mission. A Jewish missionary must confine his labours to the Jews, and not interfere with the natives. The light will spread indirectly. The only danger to a mission is, that the priesthood, fearing its indirect influence, might bring in the arm of Russia to put it down : and Russia could easily do this in their own secret way if thej had the will. (Sept. 10.) In the forenoon, we set out to call on Samuel Hiilel, a Jewish banker, who was to introduce us to Rabbi Bibas of Corfu. By mistake we were led to the house of a wealthy Spanish Jew, and ushered into a fine suite of apart- ments. Several Jewish ladies came in fully dressed for the festival of the season. They received us very politely, and after discovering our mistake, directed us to the banker's house. He was not at home, but we found his son (who said that he had seen us at the synagogue), and his three daughters, richly attired, wearing diamonds on their head — for the daughters of Judah, even in their captivity, have the same 392 BUCAREST INTERVIEW WITH RABBI lUBAS. love for gay apparel that they had in the days of Isaiah.' In conversation with the son, we soon discovered that he was one of those Jews who care little about Palestine, and do not expect a Messiah, believing that education and civilization alone can exalt the Jews ; to which he added, — " a know- ledge of arms, that they may defend their land when they get possession of it." We afterwards saw his father, who con- ducted us to the house where the rabbi of Corfu was lodging. Rabbi Bibas received us politely. He spoke English with great fluency, told us he was a native of Gibraltar, and was proud of being a British subject. He has a congregation of 4000 under his care in Corfu. On our entrance, he excused himself for not rising, a slight indisposition and the fatigue of travelling obliging him to lie on the sofa. We said, " The Eastern manner became one of his nation." He replied, " No ! no ! the Jews are not Easterns." We said, " Abra- ham came from the distant East." " True ; but you are not to reckon a natioa by their first parent," Immediately he began to speak of the situation of the Promised Land, asking us to say, Why God chose Israel for his peculiar people, and that portion of the earth as their land ? Much conversation arose on these points, and as often as we tried to break off and introduce something more directly bearing on our object, he stopped us by affecting great logical accuracy, and holding us to the point, if we had any pretensions to the character of logical reasoners. He denied tliat God ever meant the Jews to be a people separate from other nations, asserting that He intended them to enlighten all the earth, a duty which they must still perform whenever it shall be in their power. If they had means like the English they ought to send out missionaries. When we gave this reason why God chose Is- rael to be his peculiar people, " that the Lord wished to shew that he was a sovereign God," he disputed this, because His sovereignty was already known to the heathen. He thought we must be content to reckon it among the secret things that belong to God. He then suddenly started another specula- tive question, " Where Eden was, and how four such streams as Moses described could have existed, since they are now nowhere to be found." On this point he at length rested satisfied with the remark, that it must be true, because de- clared in the Word of God. After this he signified to us that 1 X^a. in. 18— L'l. RAB3I BTBAS — CHURCH OF THE METROPOL. 393 it was the hour of prayer, and we must excuse him from far- ther conversation at present. He shewed great craftiness and skill in keeping the conversation from turning upon matters of experimental religion ; for that was evidently his aim. On our rising to take leave, and mentioning that love to Israel had brought us to visit him, he declared that he loved Chris- tians exceedingly, and that no Christian loved the Jews more than he did the Christians. He said that he was travelling for the sake of his degraded brethren, to see what might be done for them ; and was anxious to meet with Sir Moses Mon- tefiore on his return from the Holy Land. He disliked our reference to Scripture. Thus, on his remarking that the Jews must have been a very holy people since God so pre- served them, we replied in the words of Ezekiel, " Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you."' But he hastily changed to another topic. (Sept. 11.) In the morning we went to the church of the Metropol, to witness the Fete of the Prince of Wallachia, on occasion of his birthday It is a splendid building, and the walls very showy within, being covered with gilding, and paintings of apostles and saints without number, with a rich silver chandelier suspended from the roof. The splendid pul- pit, which had the appearance of being seldom or never occu- pied, was adorned with gorgeous gilding, — a poor substitute for " the words of eternal life." The Prince himself was not present, being unwell : but all the principal Boyards of Wal- lachia were present, and also Milosh, the exiled Prince of Servia, a man of duU, heavy-looking aspect, dressed in a ricii purple uniform, with a costly diamond girdle. His son stood by his side. Consuls of difl'erent nations stood around, wear- ing their respective uniforms ; and an immense crowd of well- dressed people, all standing, filled the church. The priests, arrayed in beautiful robes, surrounded the table. The Bi- shop wore a splendid mitre, with a diamond cross on the top, and his garments were stiii' with gold embroidery. He is said to be an amiable man ; and we could not but honour him for this, that he has permitted the free circulation of the Holy Scriptures in Wallachia. The service consisted chiefly of prayers for the Prince ; followed by the responsive chant- ing of men and boys, not very melodious. At the end, tho 1 £zt'k. sxxvi. Si. 394 SLi-EHSTITIOUS WORSHIP OF THE GREEK CHURCH. Prince and Nobles came forward to the Bishop, kissed a cross in his left hand, the Bible on the table, and the Bishop's hand, receiving from him a small piece of bread. This seemed to be the sacramental bread, — a miserable profanation of the holy ordinance of the Supper. When the pageant was done, and most had withdrawn, we remained behind to see the rest go through their devotions. In different parts of the church the worshippers were choosing out the picture of their favourite saint, and after many cross- ings and prostrations on the ground, they kissed the feet and hands of the picture. In one corner an open coflBn was exhi- bited, containing, we were told, the remains of St Demetrius, the patron saint of the Prince. A frank Wallachian who was with us said, somewhat archly, " This was not the old St Demetrius, but a new one." The body was buried iu the channel of a river, and the spot was disclosed to a pious young woman, before whom the waters of the river were miraculously divided. The coffin was highly ornamented with silver, and the dead body wrapped in cloth of silver and gold. A shri- velled hand was all that was left exposed ; and this was the great object of attraction. The worshippers approached in great numbers, men and women, rich and poor, officers and soldiers. First they kneeled to the ground three times, crossing themselves and kissing the pavement. Then they drew near, and reverently kissed the withered hand and a cross that lay beside it, dropping a piece of money into a little plate which lay at the feet. The priest touched their forehead with a little cross in his hand, and muttered some parting blessing. With three prostrations more the wor- shipper retired. One poor boy, more intense in his devotions than the rest, made about twenty prostrations, being often disturbed by the crowd ; and we could not see that after all he ever got a kiss of the skinny fingers. A rustic, with long uncombed hair, and his wife, brought their little baby in thair arms to be blessed beside the holy coffin. The priest laid the crucifix upon its brow. It was altogether a scene of the grossest idolatry, and it Tvas melancholy to see so many respectable, intelligent-look- ing people engaged in it. What a stumbling-block are such /T.ristians in the way of the conversion of the Jews ! And fet there are about 200 Jews in Bucarest who have been SECOND INTERVIEW WITH UABBI BIBAS. 395 baptized into the Greek Church. But of these we were told that only three had made the change from any real concern about their soul. We visited again our friend Rabbi Bibas, and resolved this time to take the start of him in the topics of conversa- tion. Mr Caiman at once began by shewing the wickedness and folly of several things taught in the Talmud. The rabbi's first answer was, that the Talmud was written by those who composed the Sanhedrim, and that God commanded us to bow to their decision on pain of death.' Then he ex- plained away its apparently immoral precepts ; but, in de- fending its errors in history and geography, plunged into gross absurdities, by endeavouring to prove from the Bible that the Holy Land was of immense extent, and that Jerusa- lem once contained many millions of people. In proof of the latter point he referred to a passage, where so many thou- sands are said to have been " at Jerusalem;" but he insisted that 2 must be rendered " in Jerusalem."^ He wished to shew us that Messiah must be a mere man; and directed us to the description of Ezekiel's temple, where " the Prince and his sons" are mentioned.^ We explained that Messiah was not there spoken of, but the Prince over Israel under him. His only remark to this was, " Oh, then, you give us two rulers !" He admitted the state of his people at present to be most wretched. In Poland especially, he said, they were grossly superstitious, for they understood every thing 'u\ the Talmud literally. Indeed, he had not gone to speak with the Polish rabbi, believing that it would be useless on account of his ignorance. The first remedy was to remove their igno- rance. He would have the Jews gathered and educated in schools, where they should read and learn the Bible till ten years of age ; the Mishna from ten to fifteen, and the Tal- mud from fifteen to twenty. He thought that the Collections for the Holy Land ought to be given up, and that the Jews there ought to be obliged to work even were it by the bayonet. Sir Moses Montefiore's plan of purchasing land for them in Palestine he considered useless, as long as there is no security for property there. The people must first be educated and 1 Deut. xvn. 11, 12. « The precise passage has escaped our memory ; but it was some sucn pas- sage as Judg. I. 8, all Juclah lighting in Jeru&Ufm. 3 Ezek. XLVI. 16. 396 bucarest — rouNG jew convert. taught the sciences. He believed from Zechariah xiv. 14, which he translated " Jadah also shall fight against Jeru- salem" that many of the Jews are yet to fall into infidelity, and fight against their brethren. We now attempted to speak still more closely to his conscience, but he refused to argue on the Messiahship of Jesus except in writing. We shewed him the end for which we had left our country and were seeking after Israel. He asked, " For what good ?" We answered, " To send teachers to Israel." " The mo- aient they begin to teach Christianity, all Jews will turn away from them." " No (we said), some will receive the truth," and we pointed to Mr Caiman. The rabbi started and looked quite surprised, for he had not suspected that our friend was an Israelite ; then added, " Ah ! well, there are one or two." We then pressed upon him to compare the blind and wretched state of the dry bones of Israel described in the prophets, with what he knew to be the real condition of his people, and solemnly urged him to inquire if the blood of Jesus, which they were rejecting, might not be the very " fountain for sin," by which Israel was to be saved. He seemed surprised by our earnestness, evidently felt our sincerity, and we parted good friends. Mr Caiman called on an interesting and very respectable young Jew, lately baptized into the Greek Church, named Alexander Rosiski, a teacher of music. Mr C. asked him how a conscientious Jew could ever become an idolater, as the Greeks were. He said that he never worshipped their pic- tures, though he attended service in their church. He had felt a want in his soul, and, from what he heard of Jesus, thought that in Him he would find his want supplied. This first led him to the Greek Church ; but he confessed that his ignorance was still so great, that he could not meet his bre- thren in argument, and therefore avoided them. When Mr Caiman explained Isaiah liii, expounding to him the work of Christ and " the way of God more perfectly," the young man was overjoyed and delighted ; for the instruction thus imparted was more than all he had got among the Greeks. He had a Hebrew New Testament, but understood little of it, and owned that often he had asked himself. Why he had become a Christian ? But now he saw the truth in a way that convinced and established him. He longed for an in- structor, and rejoiced at the idea of a missionary coming to BUCAREST TO FOXSHANT. 397 settle there, and teach his brethren. What an interesting scene does this open up, and how many " hidden ones" God may have among the scattered thousands of Israel, who, like " prisoners of hope," are waiting for some one to direct them to the stronghold ! (Sept. 13.) Having parted with our kind friends at the Consulate on the day before, we bade farewell to Bucarest at nine o'clock a.m., and set out for Foxshany, a distance of eleven posts. The postilions drove like the wind, raising up clouds of dust which annoyed us sadly. Looking back, we observed how the city lies in a singular plain, marshy all round, A well, surmounted by a tall pole and cross beam, is the most frequent object that meets the eye. Fine brush- wood and low trees line the road on both sides for many miles. When we had nearly completed our first stage, the axle-tree of the brashovanca broke, and left us helpless in a wilderness. After long delay, a wood -cutter, who happened to be by the roadside, made two young trees fall for us, and we contrived by their means to support the axle, till we drove gently to the next post, where the broken part was taken to a Zingan, who repaired it. After a detention of three hours we set off again, swiftly as ever, through woods and shrubs. There was something quite exciting in this mode of travelling. The two pos- tilions, with their Walla- chian vest, loose shirt sleeve, large boots, small fur-cap, and unshorn locks flowing behind, cracking their strong whips, and making the woods rever- * " berate their cries, were most picturesque objects. The air also was delicious, and the Hat plains seemed to fly past. At mounting, each postilion springs into the saddle crying Hee, when all the horses start off simultaneously. Their loud, wolf-like cry is very singular. Ono begins very low. gently swelling his voice* till it becomes a stream, then 398 VIt,I,AGE OF BUSEO — ARRIVAL AT FOXSHANY. it dies away. Before he is done the other commences, and so on. They crack the whip at every turn of the hand in set- ting off or coming near a post or town. Near the second post, first one flight of quails passed us, and eoon after another. We descended a steppe into a wide plat- form, and twice crossed a calm flowing stream on bridges made of wood. Towards evening we began to see hills in the distance, and came on a sweet village called Buseo, with its church, r- -''^'s 4^4 from which the evening bells were sounding deep and calm. It reminded us of Longforgan in the Carse of Gowrie, and called our flocks vividly to remembrance. During the night we forded a broad but shallow stream, and, as morning broke, reached a village called Rimnik. For a short space the coun- try was beautiful, with wooded hills on the south-west. But soon the road again became level as formerly. As we pro- ceeded, a wheel of our vehicle rolled off, but by means of a rope, the postilions contrived to bind it. We next crossed a stream, and ascended a stejype to the platform where stands Foxshany, which we reached about ten o'clock a.m. This town is situated pleasantly among trees, and adorned with glittering tin spires, which give it a fine appearance. It has a tolerable khan, dignified with the name of " Hotel de France," kept by a little Spaniard, who is also the French Consular agent, and this khan we were glad to make use of, instead of sitting as hitherto to eat our meals in the carriage, or on the grass. But our patience was not a little tried on finding that no post-horses could be got; Prince Milosh and the Russian Consul had so overwrought them, that they were too wearied to set out again at present. We engaged a Wal- JEWS — DAY Or REPENTANCK. 399 lacbian peasant, who had four horses, to carry us forward next day to Birlat, for a considerable sum. Meanwhile we visited the town, and lighted upon a large school assembled in the open air, under a verandah. At the close, we observed that all prayed and made the sign of the cross. We visited the Jews, of whom there were about sixty fami- lies in the town, all Polish, ruled by a rabbi, who is main- tained by his brethren and carries on no trade. We were told that they have four teachers, each attended by a few children, and supported by the high remuneration which is given by parents for their education. One man gave 12 roubles, or £2, 10s. a-month, for two children ; and another paid £13, for five months for his family. And yet these children learn very little. The Jew who took us to the post- master, spoke to us on the object of our visit, and we explained to him the only way of salvation. Most of the Jews here are mechanics ; very many are tailors and shoemakers. We found such a measure of sincere devotion among them, that no one would lend us his horses, or accompany us on the morrow, simply because it was the Jewish Sabbath. They have two synagogues, and one " Beth-midrash" or public room for study. This evening was the commencement of the " Day of Re- pentance," (n^ltt^n lDV) y^™ teshuvah), a name given to the Sabbath immediately preceding the " Day of Atonement." On the morrow the Rabbi was to preach a sermon urging them to repentance ; and this is one of the two occasions during the year whereon they have a regular sermon, the only other ser- mon being at the Feast of the Passover. In the ten days be- tween the New Year and the Day of Atonement, the Jews abound more in almsgiving and prayers than during all the rest of the year. Accordingly, both their synagogues were full of worshippers, loud and active in their devotions ; even the little boys were rocking to and fro, and reading prayers with great earnestness, their gestures resembling those of the Jews of Saphet more nearly than any we had seen. When the service was over, a crowd came round, and asked who we were, and whence we came. We said that " we came from a far country out of love for Israel, to tell them the way of for- giveness." Not knowing what to make of us, they at last de- manded " whether Messiah had come, or was to come .?" We answered, " that both were true, that he had come once to die, 400 FOXSHANY TO BIKLAT RIVER SERET. and was to come a second time in glory." Many turned away on hearing this, and would listen no more. Foxshany being the frontier town of Wallachia and Mol- davia, we were harassed a good deal in getting our passports rightly signed, having to go first to the Governor of the town, then to the Wallachian police, next to the Moldavian police, and lastly to the British Vice- Consul. A narrow stream running through the town divides the two provinces. At the Wallachian otRce a man was in attendance with the hnout in his hand, a large thick whip, often applied without mercy to those who are in the least degree disrespectful or unruly. (Sept. 14.) We bade adieu to the obliging little Spaniard, the keeper of the Hotel de France, and started at three o'clock in the morning. On reaching the frontier gate, however, the soldier on guard could himself neither read nor write ; and. the examiner of passports being asleep, we were forced to wait till he chose to rise, sighing in vain for the liberty of our native land. It was nearly sunrise before we were fairly clear. We were now riding briskly, in a misty cool morn- ing, on our way to the river Seret, which we soon crossed by a bridge of boats, at a deep and rapid part where lives have frequently been lost. Nearly forty yoke of oxen, dragging heavy laden waggons to the market, were waiting on the other side, and crossing one by one, after paying toll. We then ascended a steppe into a fine plain of vast extent. Soon the country became more undulating and better wooded. Se- veral pleasant villages appeared, with scattered white cottages. The name of one of these was Taoutchy. ISIost of the houses in the villages we came to are built, not continuously, but at small intervals, with trees round each, giving them a pic- turesque and cleanly appearance. The churches are frequently tvhite-washed and surmounted with glittering spires. The tall poles at the well, and the large haystacks aifording pro- vision for their long winter, are characteristic objects ; while the large ugly swine, with immense bristles on the ridge of the back, and the handsome shaggy dogs that rush out as you approach, enliven the scene to a passing visitor. About nine o'clock we stopped and set the horses free to feed and rest, while we got a supply of milk at a cottage, and sat down upon the grass to breakfast, adjourning afterward? to the wooded banks of a stream that wandered through the BIRLAT — SABBATH. 4U] wide vale, that we might taste the joy of the Psalmist, " My meditation of him shall he sweet." We then proceeded, and having at midday reached the '* podovino" (as our drivers called it in Russian), thai is, "half-way," our horses were again turned loose on the grass, while we climbed a woody eminence commanding a wide view of the country. The scenery during the rest of the day was much like the preceding, only it had more of hill and dale. We reached Birlat about five o'clock in the evening, being five posts from Foxshany. We occupied the upper room of the khan, and spreading our mats on the wooden divan, enjoyed a pleasant Saturday evening, writing home, and preparing for the Sabbath that was draw- ing on. Birlat is pleasantly situated, occupying, like all Moldavian towns, a large space of ground, and having a population of 10,000. The principal church has three handsome tin spires, surmounted by four gilded crosses, much ornamented, as the crosses of the Greek church always are. The outside of their churches, especially where there are Russians, have pictures on the walls. In the church-yard, instead of gravestones, they have black wooden crosses ; and by the way-side there are stone crosses, the same as we observed before, often two or three together. (Sept. 15. Sabbath.) We enjoyed a comfortable Sabbath in the upper room of the khan, though it was with difficulty we procured necessary food, as the people at first told us that we could have none without going out to the bazaar to buy it. The atmosphere was pleasant, the thermometer standing at 74° in the shade, as in a summer day at home. In the afternoon, we went first to the principal church, and found only the priest and three deacons, without an audience, hurrying through the prayers, and chanting without feeUng or even melody. We next went to a smaller church, built entirely of wood. Here the priest had six or eight boys, in ragged clothes, who repeated the responses, while two old men and half a dozen of old women made up the audience. The walls of both churches were covered over with pictures and other ornaments, and when all was done, every one kneeled down with the head to the floor three times, crossed them- selves between every prostration, kissed the pictures, and re- tired. The morning service commences at eight or nine, and at 2 c 402 BIRLAT — GREEK CHURCHES SYXAGOOrFS. that time all the churches are crowded ; but after that is over, the whole day is spent in amusements, cards, billiards, and drinking, the priests themselves setting the example. May not a Jewish missionary be blessed to shed some light even on these dark abodes of a heartless superstition ? The synagogues of Corinth and Thessalonica brought salvation to the Gen- tiles in their respective towns ; and it may again be so in these regions, if the Lord answer our prayers and prosper our missionaries. We had seen Jews in the streets on Saturday when we ar- rived ; and now we met one, who led us to their synagogue. There are 130 Jewish families from Russia, Austria, and Germany, who live quietly here, and, generally speaking, suf- fer no persecution. In the synagogue two lads entered very eagerly into conversation with us in German. We began by telling them how different Christians in England and Scotland were from those in their country. They wondered much, and asked, '•' If we wore TepJdllinJ' i. e. phylacteries. We said, " No, for this is not commanded in the Word of God, but only in their traditions." We then spoke a long time on the Scriptures being the word of God, whereas the Talmud was the word of man. We referred to their prayers ; shew- ing that they did not procure pardon, but that Messiah only could do this by becoming surety for us. Both of the young men were very attentive, and greatly surprised that we be- lieved the Scriptures ("IJJ^) as firmly as the Jews do. Mean- while, a group gathered round Mr Caiman. They told him that they all believe in the divine authority of the leader of the Chasidim, in Russia, a Rabbi of wealth, Avho used to have attendants and a band of music following him whenever he rode out in his carriage. He had a chamber in his house, where it was believed that Messiah will stay when he comes ; and at the beginning of each Sabbath went into this chamber, pretending to salute Messiah and wish him " Good Sabbath." He had two fine horses, on one of which INIessiah is to ride, and himself upon the other. Not long ago, being accused before the Emperor by the Jews who are not Chasidim, of sending great sums of money to the Holy Land, and teaching that it is no sin to cheat the Government by smuggling, he was imprisoned at Kiow, and, though large sums have been offered for his release, he is still in prison. They also spoke of another Rabbi of the Chasidim, at Navoritz in Poland, who LEAVE BIRLAT — YOKE FOR OXEN. 403 had been warning the Jews against the belief that Messiah would come that year or next year, being afraid that they would turn infidels if IMessiah did not come.^ When they spoke of their present misery, Mr Caiman said that they should inquire whether the cause of it was not their rejection of Christ ? They said, they still expected Messiah ; and that he is to come when their nation is either very coi^rupt, or very jntre, even as the leper was counted clean either when his whole body was white, or when there was no sign of leprosy at all.^ Therefore, said they, there is no need of our repent- ing before he comes. We gave them some tracts and left them. On leaving Birlat next morning, we prevailed on the keeper of the khan, though with great ditficulty, to sell us a picture of Christ on the Cross, surrounded by devils, which hung on the wall as a charm. On the wall of an inn upon the road, we saw a small picture of the Virgin, having the frame set round with lamps that bore the marks of often being kindled in her honour. Passing some country waggons, we examined minutely the large clumsy yoke which is fastened on the necks of oxen. It is a large wooden frame, so heavy and stiff that the animal cannot put down its head to feed, unless the side pins be taken out, and its neck released from the yoke. This opened up to us the meaning of the prophet, " I was to thenj as they that take off the yohe on their jaivs, and I laid meal unto them."^ Windmills and acacia-trees wero the common objects that varied the scene on the road. A small lake oc- curs not far distant from the town, and near it a pillar on which is represented St Peter with the keys. There are se- veral neat wells, with seats round them for the accommoda- 1 Mr Caiman knew well a pretended forerunner of Messiah at liis own plaoc cf birth, Bauske in Courland. In youth he was himself led away by hi)n " False Christs and false prophets" continue to rise in Israel. a Lev. T,iii. 6, 1" » Hos. xi. i. 404 TATA- MARESTl KHAN — JEWS — WASLUI. tion of travellers, in the Eastern fashion, introduced into this region by the Turks. Farther on, we passed an encampment of Zingans, near a stream, on the opposite side of which peo- ple were dressing flax. At midday, we rested two hours in a pleasant khan, called Tata-maresti. While there, a sick Jew coming up in a cart, we spoke to him and gave him a little medicine which relieved him. The poor man was so grateful that he sent back a mes- senger with the offer of money as a recompence. Meanwhile another interesting Jew spoke with us. He could not believe that we were Christians, because we knew Hebrew. We told him about the Christians in England, and the duty of search- ing the Scriptures. He said that many Polish rabbis forbid the reading of the Bible ; that he had a fine boy whom the rabbis wanted to begin the Talmud, but he was resolved not to permit him ; and spoke of a Jew in Jassy, who was called an Epicurus by the Jews, because he studied the Bible so much. He said that there were fifty families of Jews at the village of Nacoush near Jassy, and more at Waslui, As we proceeded, the character of the country became more varied. Our way lay through a fine open valley with mea- dow land enclosed by wooded hills. A smooth river flowed through the vale. Late at night we arrived at Waslui, and found one Jewish khan already fully occupied with Jews, on their way to Jassy to keep the day of atonement there. In another we found a wretched lodging, though the poor people gave us their best apartment, and slept in the verandah them- selves. We spread our mats on the clay floor and attempted to sleep, but in vain. We cared less for this, however, be- cause it was the night preceding the day of atonement, and we had thus an opportunity of seeing the curious ceremony which then takes place. On the eve of that solemn day, it Is the custom of the Jews to kill a cock for every man, and a hen for every woman. During the repetition of a certain form of prayer, the Jew or Jewess moves the living fowl round their head three times. Then they lay their hands on it, as the hands used to be laid on the sacrifices, and immediately after give it to be slaughtered. We rose before one a.m., and saw the Jewish Shochet, or " slayer," going round the Jewish houses, waking each family, and giving them a light from his lantern, in order that they might rise and bring out their " Cipporah^^ or " atonement," namely, the appointed cock and JEWISH CEREMONIES — THE CIPPORAH — SACRIFICES, 405 hen . We walked about the streets ; everywhere the sound of the imprisoned fowls was to be heard, and a light seen in all the dwellings of Israel. In two houses the fowls were already dead and plucked. In another, we came to a window, and saw distinctly what was going on within. A little boy was reading prayers, and his widowed mother standing over him, with a white hen in her hands. When he came to a certain place in the prayer, the mother lifted up the struggling fowl and waved it round her head, repeating these words, " Thi? be my substitute, this be my exchange, this be my atonement ; this fowl shall go to death, and I to a blessed life" — or in Hebrew, TIE)."''?]! n\ (zeli chaliphathi) ^n"l10ri nt (zeh temorathi) ^n"llSD nt (zeh cipporathi) l\vj ^3^*'t nn^nb i"?^ (m^ijnnn or) '7ij:nn,-r .it This was done three times over, and then the door of the house opened, and out ran the boy carrying the fowl to the Shochet, to be killed by him in the proper manner. How foolish and yet how affecting is this ceremony ! This is the only blood that is shed in Israel now. No more does the blood of bulls and goats flow beside the brazen altar, the continual burnt-offering is no more, even the paschal lamb is no more slain ; a cock and hen killed by the knife of the Shochet is all the sacrifice that Israel knows. It is for this wretched self-devised sacrifice that they reject the blood of the Son of Go^l. How remarkably does this ceremony shew a lingering knowledge in Israel of the imputation of sin, of the true nature of sacrifice, and of the need of the shedding of blood before sin can be forgiven ! And yet so utterly blind are they to the real meaning of the ceremony, that the rabbis maintain that it is not a sacrifice, but only obtains forgive- ness as being obedience to the traditions of the elders. So that the words of the prophet are strictly true, " The children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice."^ 1 IIos. iii 4. 406 LEAVE WASLUI — ARRIVAL IN JASSr. AVe left Waslui about two o'clock in the moi-ning, while it was yet dark, and at seven rested for some hours at a wretched khan, large and nearly empty, under a shed. There were se- veral extensive marshes near, from which dense exhalations were rising drawn out by the morning sun. These must ren- der tliis part of the country very unwholesome. Proceeding northward up a long valley, the summits of the hills being generally covered with trees, the appearance of the country gradually improved, and in the afternoon we came to a really pleasant view. The valley was closed up with hills finely wooded with elms, wild apple-trees, and plums, richly laden with fruit. The woodbine and hop-plant were twining round the trees, and many wild flowers gave a charm to this wilder- ness. Our road was directly over the ridge of hills, and our postilions continued to urge on their horses with their barba- rian cries till we reached the summit. A deep wooded ravine now lay beneath, and beyond it the vast undulating plain of Jassy. Several miles off the city appeared of great extent, the houses white, spires glittering, and much verdure round. We entered it before sunset, and passed through long streets of artisans, the houses all of one story, and poorer than those of Bucarest. The Jews were busily employed in shutting up their shops and dressing. Many families were already on their way to the synagogue ; for no one would be absent on so solemn an occasion as the beginning of the Day of Atonement. Many of them were fine-looking men, and the Jewesses were beautifully attired, some wearing jewels. Putting up our car- riage, we hastened to the synagogue, which we found crowded to excess ; even the women's gallery was quite full, and there were many children. The Absolution Chant, known by the name of " Col Nidre,'" had been sung before we entered. This we wished much to have heard, the tune being plain- tive and beautiful, and one which the Jews believe was brought from Sinai. Three rabbis stand up dressed in white, and in their own name, and in the name of God, absolve all in the synagogue from the sins committed in the year past. The number of large candles lighted, and the multitude of wor- shippers, made the atmosphere quite oppressive in all the sy- nagogues we visited ; and the perspiration was running down in streams from the zealous devotees, whose cries and frantic earnestness might be heard afar off. They clapped their BRITISH COXSUL — SYXAGOGUE. 407 hands, clasped them, wrung them, struck the prayer-book, beat upon their breast, and writhed their bodies, again reminding us of the Jews of Saphet and Tiberias. On this occasion, the Jews keep up prayer all night and all the next day, till the time of evening when " the stars appear." We left them for the present, and found our way to the house of the British Consul-general, Mr Gardner, who received us with great kindness. We afterwards found a lodging in the Hotel St Petersburgh, a large establishment kept by a baptized Jew of the Greek Church. Early next day (Sept. IS) we sought out the synagogue again. The Jews come sp to the solemnity of the Atone- ment from the country, as they did to Jerusalem in former days. We visited twelve of their synagogues, and found all crowded with men, women, and children, in the same manner as the previous night. At one of them we saw many mothers with their children at the breast or in cradles, sitting on the outside dressed in their finest clothes. It reminded us of the fast described by Joel, " Assemble the elders, gather the chil- dren, and those that such the breasts."^ As there was not sufficient room within, many men were sitting under the shade of the walls, looking with their faces towards Jerusalem, and praying along with those inside. The floor of the synagogue was for the most part strewed with straw or hay, to add to the comfort of the worshippers in their long service ; for most of them put off their shoes, the day being so holy. All day the synagogue is full of immense lighted candles. Each fa- mily provides one, and each member has a thread in the wick of the candle. These represent the soul of each person ac- cording to their interpretation of the Proverb, " The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord."^ On so solemn a day as this, no Jew will touch one of these candles, even were it to fall and endanger the safety of the synagogue. To do so would be accounted servile work, and therefore they employ a Gen- tile servant, who is called in when any lights require to be trimmed. In the prayers, they go over the greater part of Lev. xvi, in which the sacrifices of the day of atonement are described. The rest of the service consists in reading a Hebrew poem, of which we were assured that most of the worshippers scarcely understood one word, because it is most difficult Hebrew, » Soto. u. Ifi. 2 Prov. XX. 27. 408 DA7 OF ATONEMENT — SYNAGOGUES. Yet all were engaged in reading it aloud. Sometimes they came to a chant, when the deep bass voice of the chanter was contrasted with the tenor voices of a few young men ; the effect was often very plaintive, and sometimes ludicrous. Again and again the whole congregation broke in with " Amen,'' pro- OLD RABBI READING PRATERS. nounced " Omam." Many of the men seemed already quite wearied with their worship, or rather with their bodily exer- cise, and many had their eyes red and swollen with weeping : a good number of the married men wore the HDI*??! (halukah), or white shirt of the rabbis. Among the women, some were weeping, and others sobbing aloud. A few boys were as se- riously engaged as their elders. There are 200 synagogues in the town, and about thirty of these are large. In one quarter there are twenty all within the space of a street. Some of the buildings had their roofs fancifully painted with figures, representing Paradise and the Creation — wild beasts, trees, and fishes, the golden candlestick also, and table of showbread. In several parts near the entrance of the town, we noticed the Eruv, or string stretched from house to house across the street, to make it a walled town, thn same as we had observed at Saphet.' 1 See p 2S3. JTiWISII STATISTICS — JEWS, 409 We found it impossible to ascertain with accuracy the numbers of the Jews in Jassy. The Consul reckoned the whole population of the city at 50,000, and the Jews at somewhat less than the half, perhaps 20,000. This would coincide with the reckoning of many of the Jews themselves, who gave their numbers at 5500 families. The highest es- timate we heard from a very intelligent Jew was 10,000 families, while the lowest was 3500, or about 15,000 souls. They are regarded by the Government as a separate commu- nity, and the capitation-tax is not levied from them individually, but from their chief men, who are left to gather the sum from their brethren in the way they think most equal and fair. Each family, at an average, pay a duca% equal to ten shil- lings. The way in which the rulers of the Jews levy the tax is as follows : — They lay it not on the provisions of the poor, but on articles of luxury. For example, a goose is sold for about a zwanzig,^ but they put a tax on it of half a zwanzig and eight paras. Thus the rich, who wish luxuries, pay a high price for them ; while the poor, who are content with the necessaries of life, escape. They do not consider themselves oppressed by the Government, but the common people use them ill. As an instance of this, we were told that a Mol- davian would often reply, when asked by a Jew to do some- thing for him, " I would as soon do it for a Zingan." The name " Zingan," and the epithet " cursed," is often applied to them. All the Jews here speak a corrupt dialect of Ger- man. They follow all trades, except that of a smith ; the most are tailors, shoemakers, carpenters, and watchmakers ; a few are idle, and sleep in the streets. There have been about twenty converts to the Greek Church. Three of these are persons of respectability, one the keeper of the hotel, another a carpenter, and the third a student at college — but all were very ignorant. The Jews believe that their true reason for seeking baptism was, that they might get more freedom. It did not make any ditFerence in regard to their employment. If any of the chief Jews were to profess Christianity, many would foUow their example. Some of them expressed their belief that Messiah would come in the year 1840, others think it ia to be in the seven-thousandth year of the world, and then a time of Sabbaths is to follow. There is a belief, too, among many of them, that the Russians (whom they suppose to be I For the value of the diflferent coins see Appendix, No. M. 410 JASSY — SCHOOL — SY>"AGOGUES. the Javan of Zech. ix. 13) are to have the dominion of the world. There are many Jewish Schools in Jassy, but none of them good. Six of the principal families have refused to send their children to any of these schools to be taught the Talmud, be- cause they think that such studies make them mean and de- graded ; they either send them elsewhere, or employ a private tutor. The severe discipline used in Smyrna is not altogether unknown here ; for a Jew who acted as our guide told us that his son often came home with his ears bleeding, his hair torn out, and nose twisted, all by the barbarous treatment of his teacher ; so that the father has frequently intended complaining to the police, or sending his boy to be taught in Russia. About six in the evening, we went to two of the largest synagogues, to see the ceremonies of the day of atonement concluded. When the sun is setting they pray for the last time, and their crying out is intense, far beyond all their pre- vious supplications ; for if they do not obtain pardon of their sins before the stars appear, they have no hope remaining of obtaining forgiveness for that year. When about to utter their last prayer, a trumpet is sounded like that of the New Year, but only one blast. Then all is over ! and forth they come to the light of the risen moon, pouring like a stream from the synagogue. They stood in groups, all turning their faces to- ward the moon, — for the Jews believe that the spots in the moon are the Shecinah. Each group had a lighted candle, to enable one of their number to read the prayer addressed to the Shecinah in the moon. Some held up their hands, others roared aloud, and all shewed by their gestures the intense feeling of their heart. It was a grotesque scene, as well as peculiarly novel, to stand amid such a company, each in hi high fur-cap the tallith round his shoulders, and generallj his beard flowing wide over the book he was reading. As w looked upon the crowds of worshipjiers that filled the spacious court of the synagogue, and saw their white eyes ever and anon turned up toward the bright moon, we were irresis- tibly reminded of the days when the fathers of that singulai people forsook the worship of Jehovah, and " served Baa and Ashtaroth," and " made cakes to the queen of heaven."' This service being done, they appeared as if relieved from the pressure of an overwhelming load, for they had fasted and 1 Judir. II. 13; %. Jer. vil. 18, JEWISH CEREMONIES — CONSUL, 4li prayed for twenty-four hours, and now dispersed themselves in all directions. Many went homewards singing with great glee in the open streets, and shouting aloud to each other, " Peace to thee, and peace to thee !" This is said to be done because their sins are now forgiven. How little they know of pardon! the pardon obtained by God's method of justifi- cation, which would sanctify and draw the sinner's heart to Him, instead of making it return to folly. " There is for- giveness with thee that thoumayst he feared.''^ It is not un- usual for Jews to meet the same night in their synagogue and be merry together, and we soon after saw several public- houses open, at whose door we could look in ; and there were Jews sitting together drinking raJcee, and singing merrily. In one, a Jew was singing over his cups to the full pitch of his voice. False peace leads to false holiness. Thus ended the day of atonement. Alas ! how changed from the solemn day, when the high priest entered into the holiest of all ! During the whole ceremony, we observed that the people of the town never interrupted them in any manner. We got much general information from the Consul, The expenses of living in Jassy are much the same as at Bucarest. There is difficulty in getting a house at all, and the rent is very high. A carriage of some kind is indispensable ; for even tailors and shoemakers require these on account of the badness of the roads. It is necessary, also, to keep many servants. But the necessaries of life are very cheap. Jassy is much improved as a city ; the streets were formerly paved with wood, but this is no longer the case. It has no fewer than seventy churches; the climate is m^A more healthy than that of Bucarest, though there is a violdavian fever prevalent at a certain season. Divorce is i^jt so common as it used to be ; the stream of public feeling is now turning against it. Yet it is too evident that the fear of God is not in this place. Of this the Consul related an aifecting proof. — One evening in January 1838, a great ball was given, at which most of the Boyards were to be present. He and a Moldavian gentleman were preparing to set out, — their car- riage was at the door, — when a dreadful shock of an earth- quake startled the whole town. At his house, the tall mast that bears aloft the British flag rocked to and fro. After some minutes' silence, his friend proposed that they should still set out for the ball. The Consul replied that it would be useless, for no one would be there at such an awful time, 412 JASSY — PRINCE OF MOLDAVIA — JEWS. However, the other pressed, and he reluctantly consented to go. They drove up to the place, and entered the room. It was brilliantly lighted, and the gay company were met ; but all sat silent, pale as death. A large rent had been made in the waU, and the plaster had fallen on the floor. The Consul kept his eye on the door, expecting another shook every mo- ment. In a few minutes, however, one of the company made an effort to strike up an air, the floor was swept, the dance began, and all was mirth and levity. " The harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts ; but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands. "^ The Prince of Moldavia resides in Jassy ; he is very affable to strangers, and was favourable to the circulation of the Scriptures in his dominions ; but the Bishop is a bigoted man, and would not allow it. When the Consul informed the Prince of our arrival, he asked what our object was in travel- ling through Moldavia, and expressed a wish to see us. We delayed our departure a day longer in order to accomplish this visit, but the Prince was taken unwell and could not receive us. There is every reason to believe that the Government will not interfere with the labours of a Jewish Missionary in this province. Late in the evening, an intelligent Jew called on us by ap- pointment, and from him we received some curious facts re- garding the Jews here. Three years ago, a Rabbi, the great- est man in Jassy, began to read the Scriptures much, and to preach against the Talmud. The Jews were so angry that they drove him and his family from the city, so that he was obliged to go to Brody. They gave him 1000 ducats as an atonement, for it is considered a great sin to expel a rabbi A rich Jew here, named Michael Daniel, a man of eighty years of age, has a teacher in his house to instruct him in the Cabala. In Kotsin, twenty miles from Jassy, there is a sec^ of the Chasidim, called ^^j-r Habad (that is persons who profess J^yT n3''3 nD^Hi " wisdom, understanding, and knowledge"). On the night after the Day of Atonement, as a party of them were coming home, with singing and other ex- pressions of joy, they found a Jew drunk, and who had fallen asleep. This Jew had a gipsy servant, who spoke German, and he, for the sake of amusement, dressed himself up in the sleeping Jew's clothes, and headed the Jewish party. They JEWISH SCHOOL. 413 took the drunK man and carried him through the streets to another house in their foolish revelry. The gipsy having a grudge at the Jews, went to the Moldavians and said, " they were imitating the ceremony of the Church," when, at Easter, they carry about a large figure representing Christ. The people were excited, and rushed on the Jews ; one was killed on the spot ; twelve were imprisoned, and afterwards sen- tenced to be hanged ; but Michael Daniel having lent the Prince 6000 ducats, and another Jew having lent 2000, they offered to make a present of these sums, along with 2000 ducats out of the Jewish treasury, to get their brethren re- leased. This was agreed to ; but the guilty persons were sent out of the country. How strikingly these facts shew the fulfilment of the threatening, " Thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shall not prosper in thy ways ; and thou shalt be only ojyj^ressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee."^ We devoted the next day (Sept, 19) entirely to visiting the Jews. First we visited a school of thirty children, both boys and girls, with fine Jewish countenances. A poor sick boy lay on a couch in the same room, far gone in consump- tion. The teacher was busily employed in his work. His method seemed to be to repeat over every syllable, until each scholar could fully pronounce it. The boys and girls got the same tuition, and the prayer-book seemed to be the only school-book. The children were amazed at the entrance of strangers, and ran eagerly round us. We learned from thf teacher that the children were taught only to read, not to U7i- derstand. Nay, he himself could not explain the words of the passage which they were reading. When asked why he did not explain the words, he referred to Psa. cxix. 18. " Open thou mine eyes to see wondrous things out of thy law ;" and drew from it the inference that it was not to be expected that a teacher should be able to explain all that he taught. Several Jews had by this time gathered round, to whom Mr Caiman spoke, trying to shew them how ruinous and deplorable their ignorance of the Word of God is. They seemed convinced, — only they said it was universal in Jassy. We went to see the old Jew of whom we had got informa- tion, called an Epicurus. He was a fine-looking man, of about sixty years of age, mild and thoughtful, and his son, I Deut. xxvm. -9. 414 JASSY — JEW OF THE NEW SCHOOL. an interesting youth, very like liis father, was s.tting with him. They were true specimens of the Xeologian Jews who have cast off the Talmud, but at the same time reject, or almost reject, the Word of God. The old man said that in youth he had been taught that the Scriptures and the Talmud were both divine ; and that now, having been en- lightened to see the fables and folly of the Talmud, he was naturally led to doubt the authority of the Bible also. He added, " he was sorry that he could not believe the Bible to be the Word of God." He told us that he believed none but himself in all Jassy could speak the Hebrew ; that scarce- ly any of the Jews knew their own language grammatical- ly ; and that they did not wish their children to be taught. " They want no change. We are doing all we can to throw in firebrands among the stubble of the Talmud ; but ' Der alte stier will nicht lernen mehr' — tlie old ox will not learn. If you do any thing for them you must hide the good." They had employed teachers to teach the young grammatically, but the parents would not send them ; the children themselves, however, got so fond of them, that they used to follow them on the streets, seeking instruction. When we turned up to Isaiah liii, he said he believed it referred to Jesus ; but that it was written by some Christian after the event. As a simi- lar case of interpolation, he referred to Numb. xxi. 27, 28, as written after Jer. xlviii. 45, 46. He got this idea from Jost's History of the Jews ; but could not give any proof, nor could he answer the arguments that shew the authenticity of the passage. When we pressed him about sin and the need of pardon, he said, " We do not sm against God, because he is infinitely beyond us ; but we sin against our neighbours, and the punishment of sin is solely in our conscience." The young man was much less imbued with Neologian opinions, and said to us, " that he was now more a Christian than a Jew." He acknowledged that we do sin against God, and that nothing but a sense of pardon can give peace. But when we stated that Christians believe themselves forgiven on the ground of the atonement, he said, " I may have as much peace as they, if I believe myself forgiven even on other grounds." He admitted the inspiration of the Pentateuch, but not of the Prophets. The old man told us that both he and his son belonged to a secret society in Tarnapol, a town of Austrian Poland, and that the chief rabbi of the rabbini OLD JEW — CHIEF RABBI. 415 cal Jews there is at the head of it, unknown to his people. They work like Jesuits, conforming externally to Judaism, but diffusing their principles in secret as widely as possible. Their young men are teachers of languages, and have thus opportunity to leaven the minds of the Jewish youth with their sentiments. This young man himself is tutor in six of the wealthy Jewish families in Jassy, whose children are en- tirely under his influence, hating Judaism, and keeping the Christian as well as the Jewish Sabbath. Another son of this old Jew lives at Vienna witli a brother-in-law, who is baptized and is enjoined to bring up the youth as a Christian. There are a great many in Vienna Avho have their children baptized, although the fathers like to die Jews. In Galicia many fathers are bringing up their children to Christianity, and it is said that there are more baptisms than births, " so that in a century (said the old man) there will not be a Jew in all Galicia." When he heard that we were ministers and Calvinists, he said he had read a great deal, and knew the Calvinistic system ; that it was the most philosophical, and added, " If I were turning Christian I would become a Cal- vinist." Both these Jews were very kind to us, the old man saying that this was one of the happiest days of his life. What an awful scene does this interview lay open — half the nation of Israel tottering on the brink of infidelity ! Those who have light enough to see the folly of the Talmud hav( not grace enough to believe the Word of God. The rusty shackles of Judaism are beginning to fall off, but the withered arms of Israel have no life to lay hold on the Saviour pro- mised to their fathers. Thousands in Israel are in a transi- tion state, but it is not such a change as that spoken of in the Prophets, " I will go and return to my first husband, for then was it better with me than now."^ The door is open and the time critical, and it seems plainly the duty of the Christian Church without delay to interpose in their behalf, to allure Israel, and speak comfortably unto her, and to say, " Is- rael, return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity."'^ We next called at the house of the chief Rabbi, where they were beginning to erect a booth for the Feast of Taber- nacles. The rabbi was a fine-looking man, but not learned He seemed fatigued with the hard services of the preceding day. We explained our obiect in general terms, deploring I Ho^. H ■• •> Hos. XM'. 1 416 JA.SSY — JEWISH MAKRIAGE. the ignorance whicli we had seen among the Jews, and urging the need of schools, where they might be taught to read the Word of God grammatically. He assented, and professed to desire the improvement of his people, tut said that we should apply to influential men, such as the merchants, who must exert themselves if these objects were ever to be effected. While we were with him, a young woman came in with some friends, seeking a divorce from her husband ; — for this is as common among the Jews as among the Greeks. In the shop of the principal Jewish bookseller, we found prayer-books, commentaries, and portions of the Talmud, but nothing very interesting. We were invited in the evening to a Jewish marriage. We went at the hour, but a long delay occurred, for the bridegroom not having brought a string of diamonds for his bride's head-dress — an ornament much valued here — she and her friends refused to let the ceremony proceed tUl it was purchased. " Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire?"^ is a natural question in Israel at this day. As we were walking to and fro before the door, Mr Caiman spoke with a tall Jew upon the evils of the Talmud. He seemed to be much convinced, and said, " Well, I see that we are a people without a religion. But what shall we do ? shall we become Christians like the Greeks, who have not the Word of God ?" Returning to the house some hours after, we found that the marriage ceremony had been concluded, and that the company were now seated at the marriage-feast. From Mr Caiman we received an account of the previous part of the ceremony. Early on the marriage day the Bathan (inriH); ^^ poet, who performs a very prominent part, comes to the bride's house, and addresses her most solemnly upon her sins, urging her to cry for forgiveness ; — for marriage is looked upon as an ordinance by which sins are forgiven, just as the day of atonement, pilgrimages, and the like ; and the Jews believe that it will be destined that day whether her luck is to be good or not. She and her attendant maidens are often bathed in tears during this address, which some- times lasts two hours. The Bathan next goes to the bride- groom, and exhorts him in the same manner. This done, the bridegroom puts on the same white dress which he wears on tlieday of atonement, and spends some time in prayer and ' Jer. II- 32. MARRIAGE CEREMONY — MUSIC — SUPPER. 417 confession of sins, using the same prayers as on that solemn day. He is then led to the synagogue, accompanied by a band of music. The band next goes from hira to accompany the bride. The parties are placed near each other, and the marriage canopy on four poles is held over them. The con- tract is read, and the sum named which the husband promised to give the woman in case of divorce. The fathers and mothers, friends of the bridegroom, and the bridesmaids, take the bride by the hand, and all go round the bridegroom, in obedience to the words "a woman shall compass a man."' A cup of wine is produced, and seven blessings pronounced over it. The bridegroom puts the marriage-ring upon the bride's finger, saying, " Behold, thou are consecrated to me with this ring, according to the law of Moses and Israel." Other seven blessings are pronounced over the wine : after which they taste it, and the glass is thrown down and broken, to signify that even in their joy they are no better than a broken shred. They are then led to- gether to the bride's house, where we found them sitting at the head of the table in silence. The bride had her face veiled down nearly to the mouth with a handkerchief which she wears during the whole ceremony. Her dress, and K that of most of her companions, was pure vji white.^ The table was filled with guests, the men being seated on one side, and the women on the other. Before eating ali wash their hands out of a dish with two handles,^ so formed that the one hand may not defile the other. It was singular to see this feast of bearded men, the faces of many of whom might have been studies for a painter. The feast at the marriage of Cana of Galilee was vividly presented to our minds. During the repast the music struck up ; several Jews played well on the violin, violoncello, cym- bals, tambourine, and a harp of a singular shape, which they said was Jewish, not Christian. It was played by beating upon the strings with two wooden instruments, and the efifect was pleasing. It is remarkable that, beyond the bounds of their own land, Israel should have so many instruments of 1 Jer. XXXI. 22. 2 Rev. xix. 7, 8. 3 Mark vm. 3. 2d 418 JASSY — CONVERSATION WITH JEWS. music, w'nile in Palestine, as the prophet foretold, " The joy of the harp ceaseth." The Bathan, or chanter, frequently interrupted the music, and excited the mirth and good humour of the company by his impromptu German verses on the new married pair and their friends. We were not invited to sit at table, — for had we Gentiles touched their food it would have been unclean, — but dishes were handed to us where we sat. Several times a plate went round the company for collections ; the first time it was " for the cook," and this they called " the golden soup ;" the next time was, " for Jerusalem ;" and a third time " for the new married couple" — a present for the entertainment given to the company. The bridegroom should have preached a ser- mon to the company, but he being unlearned, the chanter did it for him. After supper there was a dance, but not after the manner of the Gentiles. Some little girls first danced to- gether ; the uncle, a tall handsome bearded Jew, then danced alone ; last of all he danced with the bride, leading her round and round by a handkerchief. This forms the concluding part of the ceremony enjoined by the Talmud. Wine flowed plen- tifully as at Cana ; but, being the simple wine of the country, not the slightest riot or extravagance was visible. When shall that marriage-day come of which the prophet speaks, " As the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee ?"' On our way home we heard a party of poor Zingans playing and singing for the amusement of some company in an inn. The convent bells were ringing, for the next day was a Greek festival. (Sept. 20.) Our last day in Jassy was mostly spent in conversation with the many Jews who came to visit us. None seemed to be under real soul concern, but aU had an open ear for our statements of the truth. They told us that most of their brethren here have little higher motive for adhering to Judaism than temporal advantage, such as the expectation of money from some relative when he dies. We discussed many passages together, and they appeared interested and anxious, though -very ignorant. After breakfast two Jews came in, one, a very intelligent man, named Leb Keri, an avocat in the town, connected with the courts of law. His special ob- ject in coming was to request a New Testament in Hebrew. I Isa. LXIL & DEPARTURE FROM J ASSY — J50T0UCHAXY. 419 AVhen we presented him with a copy, he said that he had long wished for one, and on getting some Hebrew tracts also, he refused to part with them to any other, " Because," said he, " I have need of them all in discussions with friends on these subjects." He had read Volney's Ruins of Empires, Several other Jews called ; and there were eight in the room at once. Their ignorance of Scripture was such, that the commonest Hebrew words often puzzled them. Mr Bcnar read over Luke xv. in German with one who sat by him, the »ame who used to be our guide through the town. On the other side of the table sat another, an elderly man, with his broad-brimmed hat resting on the top of his staff, while an- other stood behind his chair, listening to all the remarks. Mr Caiman was, at the same time, in full discussion with an old Jew, wearing a white-flowing beard ; whilst two others sat at another part of the table, perusing portions of the New Tes- tament, and examining the Hebrew tracts. Two more moved about from one group to another, listening, and sometimes putting questions. One of them, on being asked to say who was meant by " the man that is a hiding place,"' said, " that he must consult his commentators." Another spoke of our believing Christ to be the son of God, and said, " It is im- possible." A third fixed on the passage, 1 Cor. vii. 28, as teaching immorality, grounding his argument entirely on th^' word ^y^, which is used in some editions of the translation and which the modern Jews always employ in a bad sense. A boy belonging to the hotel, seemed considerably interested \n the visits of these Jews, and at last told us that he was himself a baptized Jew. He had lived for some time in a Greek convent, along with five other converts, to get instruc- tion, but both he and his companions were disgusted with the superstition and behaviour of the monks. This was an interesting day. In the evening, we bade adieu to the Consul, and setting off at nine o'clock, left Jassy ijar behind. When t^e woke up in the morning (Sept. 21), we were parsing through a fine wooded valley, adorned with pleasant villages. On the left stood a romantic-looking church ; and at a row of houses by the road-side, we heard the voice of Jews at prayer, proceeding from a small synagogue, consist- ing of about ten persons. Over a vast plain we obtained a I lea. XXXII. 2. 420 BOTOUCHANY — TESHAWITZ. distant view of Botouchany, witli its manj filtering spires. Near ttie entrance stood a large cross, with a full-length figure of the Saviour wearing the crown of thorns. We arrived about eleven o'clock a. m., and by the advice of the English Vice-Consul, Signore Scotto, who greatly assisted us, we de- termined to take horses direct from this place to a village three hours distant, called Teshawitz, on the Moldavian border, op- posite the Austrian quarantine station. We called at the house of a Jew, whom we found willing to lend us horses though it was their Sabbath. He could not send a Jewish servant with them ; nor would he either name the hire, or take it, yet he engaged a Gentile to go with us and to be his l^roxy. He forgot the words, " ncyr thy cattle, nor the siranger that is within thy gates." This, however, is the genuine result of the hypocrisy taught by the Talmud, Over the door of his house we noticed a framed ornament, with the single word H^TD (mizrach), " The East," in large charac- ters, pointing out the direction in which Jerusalem lies. Botouchany is a peculiarly clean town, containing 20,000 inhabitants, and having eleven Greek churches. It extends over a great space, and there are gardens and trees interposed, which give it a cheerful aspect. There are from four to five thousand Jews in it. We saw great numbers in their best attire, and they appeared far more cleanly and comfortable than those of Jassy or Bucarest. Their houses also were clean and whitewashed, with a small verandah before the windows. The Consul said that they have sixteen synagogues ; but we neglected to make inquiry at the Jews themselves. We enjoyed a pleasant evening ride, and found that three Jewish horses were equal to eight Gentile ones. Our road lay sometimes through deep shady woods, and sometimes through open meadow land. Many herds of swine were feed- ing in the fields. It was rather a hilly region ; but beneath us was a fine plain, beyond which rose the distant Carpathian Mountains in the west. At one point we drove through a long avenue of densely planted willow-trees, till we came to the margin of a broad stream, which we forded. We then descended through a grove of pieasant trees upon the small village of Teshawitz. The sun was setting upon the peaceful scene, and it was too late to admit of our crossing the river Soutchava, which JEAVISH INNKEEPER — INNKEEPER's FAMILY, 421 here forms the Austrian frontier, and getting into quarantine. We therefore took up our lodging for the night in a small inn not far from the river-side, kept by a Jew, named Baruch Ben-Roze ; who had erected a booth before his door of the willows that grow by the river-side, the next evening being the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles, (m3D» succoth). He afterwards shewed us his palm branch, called lidab, and his fine fruit called ezrach, (H'^Ti^ )> supposed to be the " fruit of a goodly tree," spoken of in the law.^ It is a fruit like a lemon, and grows to maturity only once in three years. It is brought from Italy and from the Holy Land, and sometimes more than a hundred dollars are paid to obtain one for the feast. This man had paid four rubles for his, a sum equal to £1 sterling. The Karaites are not so particular ; they use an orange, or any fine fruit. The man had also slips of myrtle^ wrapped in the leaf of the palm. When we entered his house, the Jewish Sabbath was coming to a close. As soon as it was over, the father of the family began to bless the lights, — all which are extinguished on the Sabbath, as the Jews are not allowed to kindle a fire, or even to mend it on that day ; and so, when the Sabbath is done, they light their candle and fire anew, and bless God for it. This Jew blessed also the incense and the drink which was to be used, praying over them all. The reason for blessing the incense is to be found in the ancient custom of using incense at the third meal on the Sabbaths. In blessing the lights, he poured out some rahee on the table, and set it on fire ; then dipped his finger in it, and waved the flaming liquid over his face. This is done to shew that " the commandment of the Lord is pure, giving light to the eyes." After we had got some refreshment, the family were fuU of curiosity to see the strangers, especially on hearing that we had seen Jerusalem. The father, mother, an old aunt, two boys, and a little girl, soon gathered round us. The father (our host) talked freely. He hoped, he said, soon to be at Jerusalem himself. The mother asked if we had seen the remains of the old Temple wall ? We described to her what we had seen ; and then took out a plan of Jerusalem, and pointed out to the boy the various interesting places in 1 Via. xxxvii. 35. » Lev xxiii. 40. i Neh. viii. la. 422 TESHAWITZ — innkeeper's FAMILY. and about the city which we had visited ; and shewed them some of the sketches we had taken. One of them was very ready in shewing his acquaintance with Jewish history ; and both became more and more free with us, wondering much at our interest in the Jews, " Do you wear Tephillin ?" asked one. " How many commandments do you keep ?" said another. Our answer was, " The commandments which you as well as we ought Xo keep are two, ' Thou shalt serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart ;' and, ' Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' " The boy, who had shewed con- siderable knowledge of Jewish history, then asked, " Why we travelled on Sabbath ?" for they were still persuaded that we were Jews. We told him we were to keep our own Sabbath next day. But he, still believing that we were brethren, said, " They have not broken our Sabbath ; they did not work to-day ; a Gentile drove their carriage, and had any thing been broken he would have mended it." The mother then put in a word, asking if we had heard a predic- tion which some Jew told them was uttered at Jerusalem, that, next year, in the month of March, a great cloud was to burst and pour out a ^ood that would drown the world ? We said that we ha', not heard it, and that it must be false ; for God promised to Noah never to drown the world any more by a flood. " But," said she, " after the cloud has done this, the earth is to be restored again." We opened the Hebrew Bible at the passage in Daniel, where Messiah is described as " coming with the clouds of heaven ;" and shewed it to the father, who read it, and said, '' Perhaps that was the source of the prediction." The little girl, whose name was Esther, stood near Mr Bonar, behind the rest. Speaking of her name, as the name of a Jewish queen, he asked her if she knew much of the Bible ? She said that her mother had taught her all she knew, for she had not read the Bible herself. " I know about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph." He asked her to go on, but she said, " I do not know more." He asked her what she knew about God? " God," said the little girl, " is better than all ; better than father or mother, a hundred, hundred times. And if I were ill, my father or mother cannot help me, but God can." Wc told her that she ought to love Him indeed ; for He had no loved us as to send his Son to save us. We asked, " Where is God ?" She pointed upwards, " There." " But is he nowhere else ?" INTERESTING CONVERSATION. 423 She pointed round the room. " Yes, here ;" and then added, " In my heart, too, and everywhere." We asked her if she knew that she was a sinner? She said, " I have no sin." Her mother taught her this, on the ground of her being a daughter of Abraham. We spoke to her of what the Bible declared regarding her sin and danger. No wonder Jewish females are " at ease^^ and *' careless ones,"^ when they are taught to believe that they have no sin ! On getting from us a shell from the Lake of Galilee, she expressed great delight, and said that she would wear it round her neck. The father then brought out a collection-box, which he kept in his own house, for the Jews in Palestine ; and another for a particular rabbi, a friend, who had gone there. He next shewed us a lump of earth, which he had brought from a rabbi's grave, — a rabbi to whom he used to go to get abso- lution, and whom he greatly loved. The mother asked us if we could tell any thing about the rabbi in Russia whom the Emperor had imprisoned, and w^ondered why he had been imprisoned. " It cannot be for his own sins, for he had none ; it must be for the sins of the people of Israel." How strange the ideas that float in the minds of the people of Israel ! Their knowledge consists of fragments of truth, and these all tinctured by superstition. They own the principle of substitution, and yet apply it wrong, — they apply it to a rabbi ; forgetting the Psalm where it is said, ^''None of them can by any means redeem his brother, or give to God a ransom for him."^ The boy wondered why God punished the devil for doing evil, since (according to the Jewish belief) he made the devil as he is. We shewed him that his opinion was erroneous ; for God created him a holy angel. But the boy persisted in his own view ; and with true rabbinical acumen said, " He supposed that God punished the devil for being a hypocrite, for the devil never tempts any one to sin directly, but always says, ' You will get this or that by doing what I propose.' " The father told us that he had been in great doubts about continuing to be an innkeeper^ as it often interfered with his observance of the Sabbath ; but his rabbi, whom he consulted, told him not to give it up ; for if he was in danger of sinning in that way, he made up for the sin by helping poor Jews across the frontier, and assisting them « hen they did not know the Russian and Wallachian lan- 1 Ija. xs.'sii 11 2 Psa. xlix. 7. 424 MOLDATIA AND WALLACHIA AS guages. Jesuitical casuistry is as much a feature of Judaism as of Popery ! Both systems have one author, and are ' pervaded by the same spirit of deceit. After we had sepa- rated for the night, the Jew overhearing us singing the psalm together at our evening worship, asked Mr Caiman what we had been doing. On being told that we were worshipping God together before retiring to rest, he was greatly surprised, (Sept. 22.) We spent the Sabbath forenoon in a calm, retired spot by the river Soutchava, which flows in front of the house, among alders and willows, which grow on either bank. Herds of cattle were feeding not far off, and two or three whitewashed cottages looked down on us from the opposite side. An Austrian soldier on guard, pacing to and fro upon the northern bank, was the only human being in view. Towards evening, finding that there was no rest for us in the inn, we resolved to pass the river and enter into the quarantine. Accordingly, we crossed at the ford, entered the Austrian frontier, and, under the guard of a soldier, were in half an hour lodged in the quarantine station called Bossanze. We passed a neat wooden church, with its ornamented crosses, but could see no marks of the day of rest : we spent the evening, however, in quietness and peace, and tried to sing the Lord's song in a strange land. We had now entered another of the kingdoms of this world where Satan has his seat, till the time when it shall become the kingdom of our God and of his Christ. And now looking back over these two provinces of Moldavia and Wallachia, it is impossible not to feel their vast importance and inviting aspect as the scene of a Jewish Mission. I. The number of resident Jews is very great. In the two capitals there are probably from 25,000 to 30,000, and perhaps as many more in the other towns. So that there is a very extensive field for the labours of a missionary. II. But farther, the fields are also " white unto the harvest," The Jews are in a most interesting state of mind. The greater part of them are very ignorant. We learned that among the many thousands of Jassy, there were only a few who could understand Hebrew grammaticall}', and ir their schools we have seen that even the teachers could not MISSIONARY FIELDS. 425 translate the prayers in the Hebrew prayer-'booi. In this state of things the Secret Society of Galicia above noticed, whose object is to undermine the authority of the Talmud and the whole fabric of superstitious Judaism, are casting their firebrands among the young Jews of these provinces. Many have had their confidence in the Talmud completely shaken, and are standing in this critical situation, that they are ripe either for the teacher of infidelity or for the messenger of the gospel. Surely, then, it is the duty of the Christian Church to step in and offer them the truth as it is in Jesus, in the room of their old superstition, of which so many are weary. III. There is reason to hope that the Jewish Missionary may carry on his work without hinderance. There is a British Consul- General in each of the capitals, and Vice- Consuls in the most important towns, who would protect and countenance a missionary from our Church. If a conscientious missionary felt it to be consistent with duty to refrain from any direct attempt at the conversion of the Greek population, and to spend all his energies in seeking the lost sheep of the house of Israel, it seems probable that his labours would not be interrupted by the government. In the happy event of the light beginning to spread indirectly from the Jews to the natives, the eager jealousy of the priesthood would doubtless be awakened, and persecution might be expected. But these are dangers attending the success of the gospel in every country, and in every age ; the cause of a triumphant gospel has ever been through much tribulation ; and it is our part to move forward in the patii of duty, leaving future events in the hand of God. Vast and ripe unto harvest as these fields are, at the date of our visit no reaper had ever put in his sickle. The Prince of Moldavia needed to ask what our object was in traversing his dominions, for no missionary- had ever carried there the words of eternal life.^ And many of the Jews would not believe that we were really Christians, because they had never before seen a Christian who loved the Jews. IV. Another point of great importance is, that it is believed that inquirers and converts could support themselves. 1 A labourer from the London Society has lately been stationed at Buca rest ; and the Rev. Daniel Edward, accompanied by Mr Hermann Philip, a cod. Tert*»l Jew, has been sent out by our Church, and stationed at Jassjr. 4'2U MOLDAVIA AND WaLLACHIa, &C. Every Jew who arrives in these provinces Is obliged to bring with him a certificate that he is able to earn a livelihood by some trade. We have seen that all the necessaries of life are remarkably cheap, and that the resources of commerce are far from being fully occupied, so that an anxious Jew might easily support himself even when cast off by his brethren in the flesh. Workmen are employed irrespectively of their tjreed, and many Jews, who have been baptized into tho Greek Church, found no difference in their means of living. In this way, one of the greatest difiiculties experienced by the Jewish missionary in other countries is removed. V. Moreover, these provinces border upon Austrian Poland, that land of bigotry and the shadow of death, across whose boundary no traveller dares to carry, except by stealth, even an English Bible. If the Moldavian Jews received the light of the glorious gospel, they might, by means of their constant intercourse with the people, scatter some beams into that dark region where the feet of the gospel messenger cannot go. Here, then, are probably 60,000 Jews, — many of them sunk in ignorance, many of them relaxing their grasp of old superstitions, and not yet fallen into infidelity, not a few shewing friendly dispositions to such Christians as have gone to them in the spirit of the gospel of peace, and some eagerly asking to be shewn what the faith of Jesus is. Who can deny that a peculiarly inviting region is here set before the Christian Church — " an open valley full of bones, very many and very dry," — into which she may send men of the same spirit as Ezekiel, who may cry, " Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live 1" I 427 CHAPTER VIII. AUSTRIAN POLAND. * Behold, they say. Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost ; we are cut oS fcr our parts."— EzEK. xxxvii. U. The Austrian quarantine at Bossanze, in whicli we were to remain five days, was pleasant and healthy. It stands on high ground, having gardens and whitewashed cottages in view, and looks down upon a fine country called Bukovine. The town of Soutchava is about an hour distant. A Hunga- rian in the quarantine spoke Latin with us. His pronuncia- tion diflTered little from ours, but he seemed to attach a pecu- liar meaning to several Latin words. Thus, using " dignatur" in the sense of " is na^ned," he said, *' Hajc regio dignatur Bukovina." The doctor, too, spoke Latin with us, and was very attentive to our comfort, after we had undergone the process of fumigation. Indeed, all the attendants were re- markably civil and polite. Our books were all examined, but none taken from us. This was the third time we had undergone quarantine since leaving Jerusalem, and it was by far the most agreeable. We spent the five days in making up our journals, and writing home ; and were glad also to get a little leisure for reading and study. The doctor often came in, and expressed his sur- prise at our diligence. In the evenings we always enjoyed a walk within the enclosures of our wooden prison. We now also chalked out our future route as far as we could see before us. We proposed to proceed by Czernowitz,^ Tarnapol, Brody, Lemberg, and so out of Austria to Cracow. On the morning of Sept. 27 we left our quarantine in one of the briscas or covered cars of the country, and soon reached the pleasant town of Soutchava, with eight glittering steeples and a castle in ruins, and a considerable population of Greeks, Roman Catholics, and Armenians. Its situation is fine, on « Pronounce! Tcliomovitz. 428 LEAVE QUARANTINE — SOUTCHAVA — JEWS. the high ruggod bank of a stream that flows past, amidst trees of all varieties. The houses are whitewashed, which gives them a clean appearance, and the tiles are all of wood. Half of the town is occupied by Armenians, who deal chiefly in cattle. The Jews here deal much in grain, and many of them are rich and respectable. While waiting for the signing of our passports, we spoke to several of them on the street. They told us that there are 200 families here, and that a school to which they pointed, where German and Latin are taught, was attended by many Jewish children. They expect Messiah and their restoration to their own land. They asked if we were Roman Catholics, and on being told that we were not, and that we came from Britain, they asked if we were Calvinists, which we at once declared we were ; and then re- ferring to their Feast of Tabernacles, and the booths that were before their houses, we told them how Ood tabernacled among men in the flesh for us. When we were entering the carriage, one of them came up and eagerly asked, " How far we were to travel that day ?" The object of the question was to ascertain by our answer whether or not we were really Christians, for, as we so often found, they were not accustomed to be kindly spoken to by any who were not of their own na- tion. We told them how far we were going, and on ascer- taining that we must travel after six that evening, when the Jewish Sabbath commences, one of them shook his head, and said to the rest, that " we were not Jews." We left a He- brew tract with them — one of the few which we were to have it in our power to leave in the Austrian dominions. On leaving the town, our road passed between fences of basket work, curiously defended from the rain by a coping of the same. The road was macadamized, and in excellent con- dition ; the cottages were more comfortable than those of ^Moldavia, and the aspect of the country was more civilized. Plum and apple trees were plentiful in the gardens. We saw several country churches, somewhat resembling the quiet parish churches of Scotland, and came to a bridge of wood, covered over like a penthouse from end to end, the toll of which, as is the case with most of the tolls of that country, was kept by a Jew. Jews are always to be found like Mat- thew, " sitting at the receipt of custom." The road after this for three hours ran in a straight line, through a fine meadow, sometimes rising gently, sometimes SERET — JEWS — SYNAGOGUE. 429 nearly a plain, with the thickly wooded range of the Carpa- thians on our left bounding the scene. The fields were fra- grant, with beautiful autumn crocuses. Two pretty strag- gling villages situated on a hill-side, and a Jewish inn, in front of which were booths for the feast, were the onlv objects of the least interest for several miles. We passed another toll kept by a Jew, and were reminded of home by seeing the country-people cutting down a field of oats with the scythe ; a little farther on, they were gathering potatoes, and there were occasionally fields of hops. About two o'clock, we descended upon the neat town of Seret, standing upon the river of the same name which we had crossed twice in Moldavia. There are barracks here, and we now began to be familiar with the blue uniform of the Austrian soldiers, and the dark green of their otficers, with the ornament of the eagle spreading its wings upwards. In the inn where we rested, many were coming and going, and we had a painful view of the immoral state of the people. When they heard that we were English, they said, " Ah, they have the same noses and eyes that we have !" Many were intoxicated ; and one old man came up to us, and made a long apology, stating that the funeral of a wealthy resident had taken place that day, which had occasioned the revelry, and hoping that we would not carry away an unfavourable report, as if Austrians were generally given to this vice. On entering the town, we had met many Jews in their best dress and holiday fur-cap, and observed a company of them dancing at a public- house. We now engaged in conversation with two of them, and one young man became very communi- cative, kindly consenting to be our guide through the town. There are 300 families of Jews residing here, and they have two synagogues, and three places of study or Beth-midrash. The largest synagogue, a building of considerable size, was shut ; but we entered the other, and there two young men began an interesting conversation. They asked if we were Jews ; we said, No, we were Christians. They replied, " Per- naps you are Jews also," and shook hands smiling. The Jews here expected Messiah that year, or else some grea/ event. They told us of a remarkable rabbi, Haiim, at Cho« sow, eight miles distant, to whom many thousands of Jews go m pilgrimage at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. They enjoy more liberty in Bukovjce than in Galicia ; for in the 430 SIWET — CONVERSATION WITH JEWS, latter province there is a tax on lights, which becomes very severe on the Jews who use so many candles on the Sabbath. On asking if there was much infidelity here, they told us that all were Talmudists, except three Epicuruses — probably mem- bers of the Tarnapol Society. In the synagogue where we were standing were several copies both of the Talmud and Mishna, but only a few fragments of the Hebrew Bible were to be found in the library. The young men scarcely knew a word of the Scriptures, and when I\Ir Caiman shewed them what a different spirit breathed in the Bible from that of the Talmud, they defended the Talmud and the rabbis. One singular defence of their rabbis was taken from Deuteronomy, " And thou shalt love also the Lord thy God," &c.' For they argued that J^^4 (eth) meant " also''' in this passage. " And why does it say ' also ? ' Who else is to be loved with all our heart? It must be the rabbis." Mr C. shewed them that they were thus blasphemously putting the rabbis before God ; pointed out to them their ignorance of the Hebrew language in regard to nhJ ; and pressed them to study their language grammatically ; — for It is true to an incalculable extent, that Talmudism would fall to the ground if the gram- matical Hebrew was understood. It would have the same effect on the votaries of the Talmud, that instruction in the sciences has upon the blinded followers of Hindooism. On pressing the young men with the want of sacrifices among the Jews, they urged, that repeating the passages where sacrifices are commanded, is as good as sacrifice, and quoted Hosea xiv. 2, " Take with you ivords, so shall we render the calves of our lips." They did not perceive that the prophet describes Israel as both pouring out the words of confession, and also returning to the blood of the great sacrifice. They listened, however, when we opened Isaiah liii, and spoke of Him by " whose stripes we are healed," but turned aside its force by saying, " There is a Messiah who suffers for his people in every generation," referring to such cases as that of the Russian rabbi, of whom we had heard as suffering impri- sonment. When Mr Caiman told them that he believed in Jesus (Vlti'V; they did not understand who or wh'J this meant. But when he explained, and shewed them that be was " a Christian," they started back, and with an air of I Deut. ▼!. tk I CZEftNOWITZ — JEWS. 431 doubt and fear said, " And do you still love the Jews ?" Ho replied, " Yes, indeed, I love the Jews still with all my heart." And thus we parted. Crossing the Seret, we continued our journey along a road straight as an arrow. The gentle hills on either hand were well wooded, the plain well cultivated, and the roads excel- lent, as they are in all the Austrian dominions. A full moon enlightened our way to Czernowitz, which we reached at ten o'clock, and found shelter for the night in a very tolerable inn. (Sept. 28.) Czernowitz is a pleasant town, with streets wide, well aired, and clean. The houses are generally two or three stories high, and there are barracks and other public buildings. Most of the names over the shops were Polish The market-place is a wide square, having one side lined with stalls or moveable shops, like sentry-boxes ; and, in the middle, a large cross, with a statue of the Virgin sitting at the foot of it, holding in her arms the dead body of the Saviour, her head adorned with twelve stars, and two angels at her side. A broad street leads from the market-place, down a steep descent, from the top of which is seen the river Pruth wind- ing through the plain below, with a village on the opposite side of the bank, called Satagora, in which many Jews reside. In this street again there is a figure of the Saviour on the Cross, and the Virgin standing beneath it, with a sword pierc- ing her heart, in reference to Luke ii. 35. The situation of the town is fine and salubrious, on the top of a considerable elevation, looking down on the neighbouring river, and sur- rounded with fertile plains on all sides. There are 3000 Jews here, with eight synagogues, only three of which are large. These three we visited, being all under the roof of one large edifice. The congregation were engaged in worship when we entered, but seemed to have little feeling of devotion, for a group soon gathered round each of us at different parts of the synagogue. On saying to those around us, " We have been at Jerusalem," they were immediately interested, and asked, " Are the Jews there like the Jews here ?" We said, " They were, but all could speak Hebrew." They said, " None here can speak Hebrew except the rabbi." " Do you expect ever to return to your own land ?" " We hope for that every day." We said, " Wt Christians are looking for the second coming of the Messiah every day." They replied. " What Messiah? Is it Mes 432 DEPARTURE FROM CZERNOVVITZ. siah ben -Joseph?" This led us to tell of the only Saviour, " who is exalted to give repentance unto Israel, and remis- sion of sins." We told them how Christians in our land loved the Jews, llieir reply was, *' Here they do not love the Jews," This took place in the largest synagogue. In the other two, which belonged to the Chasidim, the wor- shippers were much more intent upon their prayers, and more loud and vehement in their cries. When we were leavinar, one of them came after us to ask, " How much of the temple- wall at Jerusalem was still standing, how high and how broad it was?" The same Jew asked, if we had seen Hebron, and if the cave of Machpelah was known ? The Jews here are very ignorant. Their young people arc not taught to understand the Hebrew, but only to read it ; though many send their children to the public academies where Latin and German are taught. Some have given up their be- lief in the Talmud ; and many are so careless that they come to the synagogue only on the Day of Atonement. The Jew who acted as our guide through the town (for we purposely employed a Jew on all such occasions), said, that he believed the Old Testament Scriptures, but did not believe in a Mes- siah at all. The truth is, that many of them are so entirely ignorant of Scripture, that they fancy the doctrine of a Mes- siah to be one of the traditions of their rabbis, and not a pro- mise of Moses and the prophets. The sight of Israel in this region cannot fail to sadden the heart of those that love them. " Behold, they say, Our bones are dried, our hope is lost." We left the town in the forenoon, in an excellent vehicle, resembling an English hackney-coach with springs, belonging to the innkeeper, who also furnished a man and horses to carry us to Tarnapol. Passing some prisoners at work in chains, we soon crossed the Pruth by a long wooden bridge, and, looking back, got a pleasant view of the town on the height, stirrounded with willows and poplars. The banks of the river also were plentifully clothed with willows. The fields were flat, but appeared fertile, many of them clothed with the plant called retsky, which has a stalk of a fine reddish- brown, tinging the face of the country in a beautiful manner. The toU-bars on the road are aU after one pattern, consisting of a long beam stretching from side to side, one end of which is made to rise upwards at the approach of a carriage, by means of a heavy weight at Uie other extremity. We were. GERTSMAA— ZALESKY. 433 however, painfully reminded, notwithstanding all the outward fertility, that we were now in " a land of graven images," by the many tall crosses and representations of the Virgin by the wayside. "We rested the horses at a village called Gertsman, sur- rounded with trees, and near a small lake. In a large grassy area which forms the market-place, stood a cross with all its accompaniments, the nails and hammer, the ladder, the spear, and sponge ; and near this, under a shed, was an image of a saint holding the infant Jesus in his arms. Surely the peo- ple of this land have the same mark as the inhabitants of ancient Babylon, " They are mad upon their idols !"^ We found only one Jewish family here, and so careless were they that the boy with whom we conversed had no tsitsith, and icarcely knew what the name of Messiah meant. After leaving this village the country was tame and unin- teresting, with few trees to refresh the eye. Crosses and images, however, appeared every now and then. We saw also at every village or cluster of houses, indications of the sojourn of some of the scattered sheep of the house of Israel, in the succoth or booths erected for the Feast of Tabernacles beside the cottage -door. About half-past five, we began to descend into a glen be- tween two hills of considerable elevation, the sides of which were covered with brushwood. As we drew near the mouth of this pass, the spires of Zalesky, shining in the evening sun, appeared through the tall poplars and elms in which the town is embosomed. Before reaching it, a bridge of boats carries you across the river Dniester, deep and rapid, separat- ing the province of Bukovine from that of Galicia, which forms part of Austrian Poland. We rested in the town for a few hours, and found it as pleasant as it appeared to be from a distance. The hills through which we had passed form a high Jaarrier on the south, overhanging the town.. Their sides covered with shaggy wood, and the impetuous river that sweeps their base, add much to the beauty of the scene. At the entrance of Zalesky, a handsome mansion, surrounded with pleasant gardens, attracts observation. The Jews told us that this is the residence of a rich Galician, Baron Brownowitch, a Jew baptized into the Roman Catholic Church. His father and brethren also have been baptized, 2 E 434 ZALESKY — JEWS — JAGLIXSKY — SABBATH. and about twenty Jews, all of the wealthier classes, have fol- lowed their example. It is to be feared that wt rldly advance- ment formed the leading motives for their change ; and even were the motive purer, what is there to comfort the hearts of those who love Israel in conversions from Judaism to Popery ? The Baron is still very kind to his Jewish brethren, and has ample opportunity ; for the whole of this town, and twenty other villages, are his property. There are 3000 Jews here. Their largest synagogue, however, is neglected and dirty, and the service was gone over in a hasty and irreverent manner. We noticed here, what we had seen in some other places, several Passover cakes {the Ajohikumen) hung up in the synagogue, as a charm against fire, theft, or accident. Here, too, the Eruv or string is stretched from house to house, to make Zalesky a walled town. One of the windows of the synagogue had been glazed by the society that buries the dead, called HJi'llp mUn (habrah kedoshah) ; and their name was on the stained glass. Many of the Jews to whom we spoke were careless and worldly, and one of them told us of seven German families who never attend the synagogue. We left this place before it was quite dark, and pressed on through a flat and dreary country, over which the autumn Avind swept cold and sharp. By half-past ten we reached a pleasant village, called Jaglinsky, having a good Polish inn, or, in the language of the country, " Hartsmi." The inmates were all fast asleep, but after much knocking, we found admission, and were hospitably entertained by the gospadina, or hostess. (Sept. 29.) The Sabbath dawned sweetly upon this re- tired Polish village. It was one of some extent, stretching up the sides of a deep hollow. On one of the heights stood the principal church, and on the opposite bank a fort and barracks. Crosses of all kinds and sizes were planted at every approach to the village, and in the church-yq^d every grave had one. Early in the morning all the servants of our khan, jlothed in their best attire, set oif for church ; and we fol- lowed after them, in order to witness the service. On our way we heard the sound of music proceeding from a cottage, and Mr Caiman, thinking that it was a Jewish marriage, entered, when two young women immediately fell at his feet and kissed his boots, thanking him for the honour he had done them in entering their house. It was a Christian mar- CHURCH — SUI'ERSri-nOUS IVORSHIPPERS. 435 riage. The cliurcli was elegantly fitted up, and the walls ^v^ere painted all over with figures of saints and madonnas. During the service one poor woman came in, and, with many genuflexions, presented three pictures, one of a madonna, the two others of saints. The audience was scanty, consisting of five or six young people, and a few old men and women, all kneeling on the open floor. All, as they entered or retired, first kissed an image of the Saviour that stood in the porch, and then bowed down and kissed the cold floor. The singing and organ were tolerable, but there was no food for the soul. We then visited a country church, in the suburbs, built entirely of wood. It was crowded to the door, and many who could not get in had taken their places by the wall, kneeling and crossing themselves as they listened to the ser- vice through the seams of the wooden walls. "Within the church, the women occupied the end nearest the door, and the men, who formed the greater proportion, stood nearer the altar. All present were plain rustic people, of uncouth appearance and ungainly figures ; the men wearing a surtout of sheep-skin, with the wool turned inside, the women a cap with a white kerchief tied over it. Lighted candles glared from the altar, and many of the women held tapers in their hands. At one part of the prayer all knelt except ourselves, and then rose. A plate went round for collecting money, and each gave something. Several pictures, miserably executed, hung upon the walls : among which was one of the Saviour, quite hid by the multitude of flowers that had been thrown upon it by the devout worshippers, and another of the Virgin Mary, decorated with strings of beads suspended round it by her grateful votaries. But the most offensive object of all, was an old diminutive figure of the Saviour on the Cross, standing near the door. This was kissed by most of those who came in, after they had dipped their hands in a vessel of holy water that stood by. Some kissed it on the feet, some under the feet, some more devout lay down and kissed the floor beneath it. The sight of this simple superstition, over which was spread an air of apparent solemnity on the part of the rough peasants, was really affecting. We contrasted the realms of Popery with our own happy Scotland ; and if any thing could stir up a Scottish Presbyterian to a sense of the greatness of his privileges, it is a sight like this, where igno- rance and superstition are leading souls to hell, in peaceful, 436 JAGLINSKY — PEASANTRY — SYNAGOGUE unresisting quietness ! The priest was a respectaKe-looking man, much above his parishioners in point of culture. Oh that God would raise up another Martin Boos in this region of gross darkness, to proclaim the glad tidings of righteousness by the obedience of One ! We spent the forenoon together in the study of the Scrip- tures and social prayer, and about sunset resolved to visit the Jews, who met that evening to celebrate " the Joy of the Law," (ni^n^rjnptt^j slmhath torah). It was the com- mencement of that day which is called in John, " the last day^ that great day of the feast "^ We prayed that we might have an opportunity of proclaiming to them the words of Jesus, *' If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink," and our desire was granted. On our way through the village we noticed that the peasants took off their hats a long way before they met us, — not, however, with the cheerful air of a free-born Briton, but with a sullen servile look, the result of well-remembered oppression ; for the Polish Barons used to keep the peasantry in real slavery, and the want of a middle class in Poland who might link rich and poor together, ha perpetuated the system. Passing the cottage where the mar- riage had been in the morning, we saw a large company on the green before the door, dancing to the sound of the violin and tabret. They have no joys but those of earth, and the Sabbath is their chief day of gaiety and mirth. The Jews have three synagogues here, the best of which is a high and spacious building. On asking a Jewish boy if the building before us was the synagogue of the Chasidim, he replied, " No, it is the synagogue of the lyrostakis,''^ that is, " the common people." He used the word as a term ol reproach ; for the spirit of the old Pharisees remains in the heart of Israel, and they say still, " Stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier than thou."^ Entering the large synagogue, we got into conversation with several Jews, while the congregation was assembling. We spoke to them of the way of a sinner's pardon ; and on our saying that their Cipporah^ was the only remnant they had of sacrifice, one of them replied, " That they did not offer the cock and hen as a sacrifice, for prayer now stood in the place of all sacrifices." How truly are Israel abiding " without a sacri- 1 J tekuphath Torah), intended to give honour to the Word of the Living God. But the chief joy is reserved for the morrow. What a caricature is this on David's " dancing before the Lord with all his might !" and what a contrast to David's calm delight in the word of God, " how love I thy law, it is my meditation all the day." A religious service more silly or childish could scarcely be imagined. We were again reminded of the sure word of prophecy, " I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.'" When all was over, the rabbi sent to say that he wished to speak with us. We accordingly went to his house, " which joined hard to the synagogue,"^ and which was immediately filled to overflow with Jews, all intensely anxious to see the Christians who had been at Jerusalem, and were interested in their welfare. When we had answered several questions as to the condition of their brethren in Palestine, Mr Caiman .seized the valuable opportunity, and beginning with a refer- ence to the ^:rinciples of the Chasidim, who profess to do every thing out of pure, disinterested love to God, shewed them with much aifection, what Jehovah had done to awaken our love toward himaelf in the great gift of his beloved Son. We then parted from them in a most friendly manner, and returned to our inn. How affecting is such a visit to Israel ! " The priests said not, Where is the Lord ? and they that handle the law knew tne not."^ Soon may a better day dawn on Zion, when the promise shall be realized, " I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding .'"^ (Sept. 30.) Leaving our pleasant hartsmi, we swept through the vale and village of Jaglinsky. The morning was clear and fine, but much colder than we had yet experienced. We travelled due north through a vast plain country, where all the crops had been gathered in except the retsky. The highway was straight as a railroad, so that we could see be- fore us for several miles — a dreary prospect to a traveller on foot. We came down upon the large but dull village of Zad- cow, where our attention was attracted by a church-yara 1 Isa. I!:. 4. s \i-ts xviii. 7. ■ Jer. II. S. * Jer. iii. IX 440 JAGLfNSKY TO TARNAPOL — SCENERY. planted with black crosses as thickly as a grove, and hy a large cross at the entrance ornamented with human skulls and bones. Indeed, it is not uncommon in Poland to see the crosses decorated with human skulls and bones, in order that they may more deeply affect the poor blinded worshippers. Here it was discovered that one of our horses needed a shoe, and as the Polish smith proved to be slow at the use of the hammer, we had opportunity to wander about the place. The Eruv and the booths at many cottage-doors, informed us that some of the seed of Abraham had found a refuge here ; and we spoke to two or three on the road, who told us that there are 300 Jewish families in this place. All the peasants, and even the women, wore sheepskin, to keep out the keen north wind. We travelled on through some fine woods of elm, oak, ash, and most of all birch. The villages on the wayside are at wide intervals from each other, yet all of the same character, tame and uninteresting. The churches are often picturesque, especially the old wooden ones : the belfry, too, is peculiar, being generally a building distinct from the church, or some- times an archway over the entrance to the church-yard. Yet these bring no sweet associations of a preached gospel and holy communion seasons. The next large village was Copochinsky, clean and thriv- ing, with its church, crosses, and images. One image espe- cially attracted our attention, standing in a shed in the mar- ket-place, — the uncouth figure of a friar carrying the child Jesus in his arms. After this we passed two very poor vil- lages, the first of which appeared to be altogether Jewish. The country now became bare indeed, though all under cul- tivation, till we came down upon Trembowla, a pleasant town on the banks of the Seret, having the ruins of an old castle overhanging it, and a square fortress at some distance. It has two very handsome churches and one of the large high Polish synagogues, built of wood, but going rapidly to decay. We met several Jews, who told us that there are 1500 of their brethren here, and that their synagogue is 120 years old. They listened to us when we testified of Messiah's atonement for sin. North of Trembowla the country began to improve. We entered a fine valley, watered by the same stream which runs through the town. The fields on either side were fruitful, aud almost entirely covered with hemi). At the upper enJ ARRIVAL AT TARNAPOL. 441 of the vale was a placid lake, out of which the stream issueil. The hills Mere well wooded, and some pleasant cottages over- hung the lake. Ascending higher ground, we drove through woods fit beech and elm, and then through an avenue of poplars, and came to Gulonifsky, a villaoe having a splendid church with three pointed spires, and an elegant mansion, which we un- derstood to be that of the Popish Bishop. Every thing around wore an aspect of neatness and culture, and even the crosses and images were of better workmanship. A peculiar- looking burj'ing-ground on a slight eminence caught our eye as we entered. It had no black crosses, but white upright stones over the graves. We soon discovered that this was the place were the Jews bury their dead. How many souls of Israel have passed away even from this one country village to the judgment-seat of Christ, hardened in the rejection of his gospel, by the surrounding idolatries of the Church of Rome ! Shall they not take up the words of their fathers ? " The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say ; and. My blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say."' About sunset we arrived at Tarnapol, one of the finest towns of Austrian Poland, a hundred miles^ north from Czer- nowitz. It is of some extent, and finely situated, overlook- ing an extensive lake on the north-west, out of which flows the Seret, encircling part of the town. The churches and public buildings are large and handsome, and there are thriv- ing academies. The Jewish burying-ground is on the right hand of the road at ^he entrance to the town. Many Jews were upon the streets in their best clothes, and many Jew- esses, sometimes six or eight in a company, enjoying them- selves upon this night of special festivity. P'utting up our carriage, we set out to visit the synagogue »f the New School. The service was not begun, but vast numbers of well dressed Jews were already assembled, walk- ing up and down in the porch. The females, too, in their richest attire, were occupying their quarter of the synagogue. As for devotion, there was not even the shadow of it to be seen ; the synagogue seemed to be regarded as a place of 1 Jer. LI. 35. » Travelling \Yas so cheap here, that the whole expense of this lourney «a« »nly £2. 442 TAUNAiOL JEWISH SYNAGOGUES. public amusement and display ; and the words of the prophet might that night have been rung in the ears of the daughters of Ziou, " Tremble, ye women that are at ease ; be troubled, ye careless ones."^ Three Jewish soldiers, in Austrian uni- form, were among the crowd that waited for the opening of the doors ; and several Jewish boys shewed their courtesy to strangers by offering to take us to a seat. They could talk Latin, having attended the Academy, and seemed not a little proud of being able to make use of a learned tongue. The sy- nagogue was at length opened. It was a commodious and ele- gant apartment with galleries for the women, handsomely painted and illuminated with wax-candles, resembling the fine synagogue at Leghorn, though not equal to it in size. The Jews were very polite, but the service was uninteresting ; the company and their dresses seemed to be the principal en- tertainment. We left them, and proceeded to a synagogue of the Chasi- dim. Here were assembled a much poorer class of Jews, who read prayers with all the fervour of devotion. In a little after we had entered, they began the procession in honour of the law. A standard-bearer went first, then the rabbi, then six others, each carrying a roll of the law. Upon the standard was embroidered the Austrian eagle with the words, " I bare you on eagles' wings. "^ From this synagogue we sought our way to the great synagogue of the Rabbinical Jews. We wished to see the joyful procession from the rabbi's house to the sy- nagogue, — a scene of uproar and folly. Several Jews were discharging pistols and fire-works in the open street. The doors of the synagogue were not yet opened, and the crowd in the porch were running to and fro in boisterous mirth. Alas ! there was none of Jacob's feelings, " How dreadful is this place ! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." At length, the old rabbi and his friends arrived, with lighted candles and torches carried before them, and a banner, amidst the shouts of the multitude. The doors were thrown open, and the crowd rushed in. The brazen lustres poured forth a flood of dazzling light, revealing a very large old synagogue, with a high vaulted roof. It is about 600 years old, and in style bears a resemblance to some of our least ornamented Gothic churches. The gallery of the females occupied one side of the building, entirely closed from view by I I.s.'i. xxxii II « Kxod. xxx. 1 LAST DAY OF THE FEAST. 4i8 a lattice-work. After prayer, thirty-six Jews were called uji to give honour to the law, and each was intrusted with one of the rolls out of the ark. The lighted standard, and a flag with a lighted candle at the top of the staif, were carried foremost, then the rabbi, a staid respectable-looking man, with thirty-six bearers of the law, followed after. There was no dance nor extravagant shouting, but a company of young Jews sang many lively airs, often imitating the sound of trumpets and other musical instruments of a military band ; the spec- tators clapping hands while the procession moved seven times round the synagogue. And this is all the joy of the Feast of Tabernacles, which Israel knows now ! Where now are the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, when " the joy of the Lord was their strength" — when they made booths and sat under the booths, '' and there was very great gladness ? Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God ; and they kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly according unto the man- ner."^ Surely " the Lord has caused the solemn feasts to be forgotten in Sion !"^ It is not thus that Israel shall worship on that approaching day, when "they shall draw water with joy out of the wells of salvation, because the Lord Jehovah is their strength and song."-* Nor shall it be with our feelings that the believing nations shall in that day look on Israel's holy service, when " they go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, and to keep the Feast of Taber- nacles."^ (Oct. 1.) Tarnapol has 15,000 inhabitants, and of these there are 1800 families of Jews, probablj' more than half the f)opulation. The Academy is said to be a /ery good one; we met some of the students walking in the meadows near the lake, carrying their books upon their heads. The Jews spent this day in prayer, on account of the anniversary of the death of JNIoses. We visited a synagogue of the Chasidim, in a part of the town where we had not been before. Our entrance caused considerable commotion among the worshippers ; their faces assumed an aspect of terror, their chanting was all but silenced, and they whispered anxiously to one another. The reason for their alarm was, that they thought we were oflScers of the Aus- > Neh. VIII. 17, 18. » Lam. ii. 6. s Isa. xii. 3. * Zceb. xiv. 16. 444 TARXAPOL — JEWS OF THE NEW SCHOOL. trian Government, come to spy out their doings, and find a pretext for oppressing them Hoa- truly those words havo come to pass, " I will sond a faiutuess into their hearts in the lands of their enemies, and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them ; and they shall flee as fleeing from a sword, and they shall fall when none pursueth."' Mr Caiman soon re- lieved their fears, and in a little time, we saw the dance in ho- nour of the law renewed with greater vehemence than ever. At first they danced two and two, thenthreeor four all joined hand in hand ; they leaped also as well as danced, singing at the same time, and occasionally clapping hands, in a manner that reminded us of the Arab dance and song in the East. A few seemed quite in earnest, with a wild fanatical expres- sion in their countenances, while others were light and merry. One mild, elderly Jew spoke to us, and after listening to what we said regarding Messiah's once offering himself for sin, kept by us all the time, followed us when we left, and shook hands, heartily wishing us God-speed on our journey. We paid a second visit to the Jews of the New School. They were finishing " the procession of the Law" as we en- tered ; for they go through aU the ceremonies of the other Jews, although in their heart they despise them. There la great mutual contempt between the Jews of the Old and those of the New School. They told us that the rabbi who founded the New School in Tarnapol had died there that very day, and all the Chasidim were rejoicing at the news. This man had been the means of introducing the new system of edu- cation for the Jewish youth of this place, by instituting an Aca- demy where the German, Polish, Latin, and Hebrew Ian* guages, as well as many branches of science, are regularly taught. He and his party had such influence with the go- vernment that at first they were empowered to compel all Jewish children to attend the Academy ; but this order was afterwards withdrawn, only they were allowed to put a tax of three kreutzers on the ok^ of meat, fc r every boy who is not sent. In spite of this, the Rabbinic il Jews cling aa firmly as ever to their old system, and only 200 children have been sent to the Academy, though there are 3000 Jewish children in Tarnapol. It is not, however, altogether from real attach- ment to their old system that the majority thus oppose any change ; it proceeds in many cases rather from a regarxi to ^ L«T. TLXVI 36. OPINIONS OF THE NEW SCHOOL JEWS. 440 self-interest, and in some from personal dislike to the present rabbi. It is much to be lamented, that even those who are taught in the schools of the New Synagogue do not acquire a grammatical knowledge of Hebrew, which would be of the greatest importance, as it would enable them to read th*- Word of God with ease and intelligence. The reason of this is, that they are not allowed to attend the Academy until they have attained a certain age ; so that most of those who go to the teacher there have already been taught in some degree by a private instructor, but have not had a solid foundation laid. We found much difficulty in ascertaining the real opinions of the New Synagogue here. To some extent they might be called infidels, for they do not make the Bible the foundation of their faith. But they diiFer widely from the infidel Jews of Germany and France in this, that they have great respect for the Bible, and seem to have cast it otf rather from a be- lief that they can arrive at truth Avithout it, than from any positive dislike. They are still interested in whatever regards the Holy Land, though they do not expect to return to it. Many of them, however, believe, like other infidel Jews, that political emancipation is the only Messiah they are to look for. It was the rejection of the Talmud that led them to re- ject the Bible also ; and yet they retain the rabbinical cere- monies, though they do this chiefly because the Chasidim have accused them of forming a new sect, which the Austrian Go- \ernment rigorously forbids. It is plain from this fact, that there is little of cons' *=intious belief among them. Self-inte- rest and the favour tf ..ae world appear to form their princi- pal rule of life. Several Jews of this class called on us at our lodging, and were exceedingly polite. One said, " The Bible had served its day ; there was need of something else now." Another, on being asked why they retained the ceremonies and forms of Judaism since they rejected the Talmud, gave this Jesuitical reason, " that by maintaining their profession, they obtained access to the families of other Jews, and thus had opportunity of quietly dift'using their doctrines, and un- dermining the prejudices of their brethren," At Odessa, some of their sect have gained the approbation of the Russian Em- peror for their schools. Only two have been baptized in Tar- napol, and these were females, who were induced by the pros- l^ct of being married into good Roman Catholic families. Wb 446 TARNAPOL — RAjBI RAPAPORT — YOUNG JEW. spent many nours m aiscussion witn tftese men. At one time we had five in the room. Mr Caiman spoke plainly to them of true Christianity ; and Mr M'Cheyne explained and ap- plied Zech. XII. 10, to one interesting Jew who spoke Latin. He said that he was one of about twenty who were able to converse in that language. In the evening we paid a visit to the chief man of the rab- binical Jews, Rabbi Rapaport, the same of whom we had heard in Jassy as being at the head of the secret Society for undermining Judaism, — considered one of the most learned Jews in the world, both in regard to languages and general knowledge. He received us politely, but at the same time with somewhat of the stiffness of assumed dignity. He put many questions regarding Palestine, and seemed to be fami- liar with the events of the day in that country. He inquired as to the progress and success of Ibraim Pasha, and also concerning the visit of Sir Moses Montefiore. We asked his opinions regarding Messiah ; to which he replied very cautiously, " that there was no fixed time for his coming, and that the doctrine of a Messiah was not one of the ori- ginal articles of the Jewish creed. These (he said) related only to God, the resurrection, and the final judgment of men." One of his attendants spoke out his opinion more fully, say- ing, *' It would have been better if Messiah had never been foretold !" Later in the evening, a well-educated young Jew called on us. Hearing that we had been inquiring about the practi- cability of instituting schools among the Jews, he came to of- fer himself as a teacher. He thought himself qualified, hav- ing taught in the Academy of the Jesuits in the town. He conversed with us in Latin, always addressing us by the title of " Dominatio vestra." When telling us that he had given up all expectation of the restoration of his people to their own land, and of the coming of Messiah, he used this remarkable expression, " Despero, desipero" that is, " I have no hope of it," the very term used by the prophet Ezekiel, when he foretold what would be the state of Israel before the breath should enter into them, " Behold, they say, Our bones are dried and our hojje is lost."^ This young man professed still to believe the Bible ; and we urged upon him the duty of be- lieving things because God had revealed them, and not be- t E7ek KxXV'i. U JEWISH BURYING PLACE. 44? cause reason suggested them. Nearly one half of the Jewish population of Tarnapol have joined the new sect ; yet the op- position on the part of the Rabbinical Jews, and especially the Chasidiiii, is very strong. One example of this is curious. — The new sect made a proposal to form a colony under the sanction of the Government, The Chasidim, in order to counteract this, distributed among the people charms, con- sisting of small pieces of paper, on which some mystical He- brew sentences were written, one of which, as a curiosity, we procured. We visited the Jewish burying- place, a large plot of ground ornamented with trees near the entrance of the town. It is covered with upright gravestones, some of them 200 years old, having inscriptions generally in good preservation, and some elegant monuments over the Rabbis. The device upon the stone where a cohen or priest lies buried, is two hands in the position of one pronouncing the blessing, and below are the words, " On this ivise shall ye bless Israel."^ A cluster of grapes, lighted candles, an eagle, and a gazelle, were some of the other devices. Several of the inscriptions were poeti- cal, but none were interesting. A little boy was buried while we were there. They brought him to the grave bound up in a white shroud, and lying on a bier. A Gentile dug the grave, — it being unlawful for an Israelite to do servile labour on a solemn feast day. A small pillow was filled with earth, and laid in the grave to be a resting-place for his head. The face was left uncovered, and a loose board laid over the body, to prevent the earth from injuring it when thrown in. The covered board is loose, that the dead may have no trouble in getting out at the resurrection, and some- times, we were told, they put a staff beside the body to help the person to rise at that day ! Before the body was laid in the grave, f\ti attendants went through a miserable supersti- tion ; the friends present bending over him and asking the dead to forgive them if they had injured him in any way du- ring his life, and to forgive his father and grandfather, or any other friend who had done so. We were shewn the grave of a Jewess, who died 200 years ago, named Galla, the daughter of a rabbi, who is said to have lately wrought mi- racles on diseased persons who prayed at her grave. Some time ago, she appeared in a dream to several people in town, and told them that she had got this power. Many went to 44.8 DEPARTURE FROM TARNAPOL. the place, and, according to the story of our guide, were cured. A heap of twigs lay piled up several feet near her gravestone, each one put there by the hand of some grateful Jew or Jew- ess who had reaped the benefit of a visit to her grave. Our guide assured us that his grandmother had been completely cured of a desperate disease, by coming to pray beside this grave. The prophets of Israel foresaw this feature of Jewish apostacy, " Should not a people seek unto their God ? for the living (shall they go) to the dead ? To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, there is no light in them."' In the cool of evening, we enjoyed a pleasant walk on the banks of the neighbouring lake, and met a company of about thirty Jews, singing together in a joyful mood. There is a better day coming, when after they have sown in tears, " they shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads."^ (Oct. 2.) Early this morning we observed the young men who attend the gymnasium, on their way to the principal church to be present at morning prayers for half an hour. There were perhaps 300, all marching in regular order, with their ushers wearing the dress of the Popish priests. Thus the chains of Popery are riveted on the hearts of the rising generation. Before the door of the church stood an immense cross, with a small picture of Christ near the foot. As the young men retired, many of them approached the cross and kissed the picture, making obeisance before it. What must Israel think when they see the best educated of the Polish youth worshipping an image in the open street, as well as the blinded peasantry bowing down to huge crosses and un- couth images of saints, that disfigure the wayside and are crowded round every village, — what can they think in such a land as this, but that Jesus taught his followers to bow down to wood and stone, like the worst of the heathen ? Surely, in the skirts of Babylon shall be found, not only the blood of prophets and of saints, but the blood of many a Jew. " As Babylon has caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth."* Several Jews called and took leave of us in a very kind manner. Before setting out about nine o'clock, a great crowd began to assemble round a house opposite to our lodging. It was the house of rabbi Pen, tne great reformer and founder t l8u. via. i>J, ^U. ■ Imi. XXXV. lU s Jer. l/i. 49 ZALOSC — SARETSKY. 449 jf the New School, who was that day to be buried, and about 500 Jews had met at tliat early hour to do honour to his re- mains. We left the town in a Jewish hrisca, a light waggon without springs, not very comfortable, driven by a bearded Jew, who was not very steady, for he stopped at the first house of entertainment on the road, and when we asked the reason, said very honestly that he wanted snajjs, — the common namt in that country for strong drink. The day was warm and fine, but the country bare and uninteresting. The crops were all off the ground, except the potatoes, which the peasants were gathering. Sometimes the road was sandy and heavy, sometimes a pleasant wood of oak or birch relieved the weary eye. At one part, a beggar boy seeing us approach bowed to the ground, kissed the dust before us, and then, with clasped hands and imploring look, asked an alms. About one o'clock we came to Zalosc, situated, like very many of the small towns of Poland, on the margin of a lake. Here we stopped at a Jewish khan, and partook of " 3Iit-tag,'^ or" midday meal," as it is there called. Pike taken out of the lake was set upon the table, along with some of the rem- nants of the previous day's repast, at the close of the Feast of Tabernacles. A picture of the famous rabbi, Landau, hung upon the wall, a favourite ornament in all the Jewish houses. We were told that there are 100 families of Jews residing here. Not far from this is another village called Saretsky, on the margin of a considerable lake. A few Jews were in the streets as we passed through. Images abounded on the roadside, and especially round the village. How long shall it be ere the Lord a second time bring to pass the words written, " Therefore, behold, the days come that I will do judgment upon the graven images of Babylon."^ At sunset, we came in sight of a prominent eminence, crown- ed with a beautiful church, and near it a large building in a grove, which we conjectured to be a convent. The name of the place is Potkamin, one of the most sightly villages of this part of the country. Many Jews were walking in the large square or market-place, and the shomesh or " beadle" was in the act of going round the village, knocking loudly at the door of every Jewish house, to give warning that the hour for worship in the synagogue had arrived. We spoke a few minutes with some of them, who said that there are 300 families of Jews 1 Jer. u. il. 2 F 450 POTRAMIX JEWS — ARRIVAL AT BRODY, We told an old man, and a friend who was witli him, that we had come from the Holy Land ; on hearing which, he asked us, " If we had prayed over the graves of the saints at Jeru- salem ?"' Mr Caluian replied, that the Word of God forbade us to do so. But the old man quoted Eccles. iv. 2, " I praised the dead that are already dead more than the living that are yet alive," and confirmed his interpretation of the passage by referring to the Gemara, which says that Solomon prayed to the dead. Mr Caiman shewed, that in following the Gemara the Jews were trusting to the word of man, which would ruin their souls. Upon which one that stood by replied, *' How could we know when a spoon or a pot should be used, if we had not the Gemara ?" Mr C. answered, that that kind of knowledge was of no consequence, but the knowledge of our true state before God, as taught in his word, was infinitely im- portant for us all. With another intelligent Jew, under a shed before his shop-door, we had time to converse a little. We told him we came from Scotland, had been in Palestine, and loved the Jews. He spoke freely, and on our saying that he had no atonement for sin to offer, replied, " All that is required is prayer, not sacrifice." We spoke of Messiah coming for the very end of making atonement, and that we looked also for his coming again the second time. He said that all the Jews of that village were Chasidim, and that they were all hoping for Messiah's coming. At this place, instead of the common Eruv or string at the entrance of the town, there was a gate- tfay of wood across the street. Soon after leaving Potkamin, the road became rough and irregular, and in many places was made of soft sand. Dark- ness came on, and we saw little more till we found ourselves approaching Brody, through an avenue of tall pines. It was late when we arrived at the gate of Brody, but it was opened to us on the ground of our being English travellers, and we were soon comfortably lodged in a respectable inn, kept by a German Jew. The distance from Tarnapol is eight German, or forty English, miles. (Oct, 3.) At an early hour we were disturbed in a most unceremonious way, by a series of officious Jewish hawkers coming to our chamber, eager to dispose of their goods. First of all the door was pushed open, then a fur-cap and long beard thrust in, while a voice demanded, in German, if we needed knives or combs. No sooner was this visitor gone, than another t S«e agmu Isa. viii. 19. JEWISH POPULATION. 451 similar head was thrust in, and a voice asked, if we wished to buy soap. This singular kind of annoyance was repeated by eight similar visitors before we were fully dressed, and we were obliged at last in self-defence to lock the chamber-door. Brody is situated in the midst of a sandy plain, and is fivo miles distant from the Russian frontier. So completely level is the country all round, that the distant village of Potkamin is the only object beyond the town which arrests the eye. When a traveller approaches Brody there is no city visible, there being only three spires, and all the houses being hid by the trees of the environs. Its nearness to Russia gives it im- portance, and increases its trade. There are no more than three Christian churches in the town, two of which are Greek, and one Roman Catholic, while there are 150 synagogues. The streets in general are tolerably clean, and there is a side- pavement entirely of wood. The appearance of the popula- tion was certainly the most singular we had witnessed. It seemed wholly a Jewish city ; and the few Gentiles who ap- peared here and there were quite lost in the crowd of Jews Jewish boys and girls were playing in the streets ; and Jewish maid-servants carrying messages , Jewish women were the only females to be seen at the doors and windows ; and Jewish merchants fiUed the market-place. The high fur-caps of the men, the rich head-dress of the women, and the smaU round velvet caps of the boys, met the eye on every side as we wan* ■lEWISII BOT WEAKINO THE VKLVBT CAJV 452 BRODr — HEAD-DRESS OF THE JEWISH WOMEN. dered from street to street. Jewish ladies were leaning over balconies, and poor old Jewesses were sitting at stalls selling fruit. In passing through the streets, if we happened to turn the head for a moment toward a shop, some Jew would rush out immediately and assail us with importunate invitations to come and buy.^ In the bazaar, Jews were selling skins, making shoes, and offering earthenware for sale ; and the sign-boards of plumbers, masons, painters, and butchers, all bore Jewish names. In the fish-market, the same kind of wrangling and squabbling heard in our own markets was car- ried on by Jewesses, buying and selling. Jewesses also pre- sided at the flesh and poultry market, and in a plentifully stored green-market. Near these were shambles for torn meat, to be sold only to Gentiles, Jews being forbidden in the law to eat " any flesh that is torn of beasts."^ The fondness of the daughters of Zion for a fine head-dress, which called forth the indignant warnings of Isaiah, still lingers in the hearts of the Jewesses at Brody. They wear a black velvet coronet, adorned with strings of precious stones or imitation ])earls ; and though this piece of finery costs several pounds, yet so devotedly attached are they to tlieir " round tires like the moon,"^ that scarcely can an old woman be found seated at her stall who does not wear one, as if they were queens even in their captivity. There is indeed a complete air of Judaism over the whole town ; and at the Post-office, the notices as to the delivery of letters are printed not only in the German and Polish, but also in the Hebrew language. The number of Jewish families enrolled at the last census was 5000. An intelligent Austrian, whom we afterwards met at Zloozow, — the superintendent of the district, — reck- oned that there were 25,000 Jews and 10,000 Christians in Brody. His estimate of the Jewish population is probably very near the truth, though the proportion he assigned to the Christian or Gentile pojjulation was perhaps too high. There are a few professed Protestants resident here, whom the Ger- man minister of Lemberg visits only once a-year, when he preaches in the hall of the inn where we stayed. How pre- cious would the truth appear to some of our congregations in Scotland, were they subjected to such a famine of hearing the word of the Lord ! 1 S«e I.<>a. IT 2 Excd xiu. SI. » Isa. ui. 18. I JEWS — SYNAGOGUE. 453 The Jews of Brody carry on a consideraWe trade with Leipsic and Odessa. They have great influence in the town, and often act as spies to the Austrian police. About six years ago, Mr Reichardt, now Jewish missionary in London, with another Christian friend, passed this way and distributed tracts ; information was immediately given to the police, by whom they were detained two weeks till the authorities at Lemberg had been consulted, and then were ordered to be removed forthwith beyond the border. There are perhaps forty rich Jews in the city, who may be worth about £10,000 or £20,000, but the greater part are poor. There are many adherents of the New School, al- though they have only one synagogue. Most of the rising generation are giving up the study of the Talmud ; and se- veral have been baptized. There is some learning among them ; for in one synagogue we met with several lads who understood and spoke Hebrew. Many of the young men are beginning to attend the Government schools, in which they are taught Latin, and acquire general knowledge. The rabbi of the New School speaks Latin and French. We visited one of their finest synagogues. It is like an ancient Gothic church : the roof very elevated, and supported by four immense pillars in the massy Gothic style. Brass lustres in great profusion were suspended from the roof, especially in front of the ark, all handsome and brightly polished. The place might easily contain two or three thousand worshippers. The voice of prayer, and the loud Amen of the congregation, must, sound very solemnly through the vaulted aisles. In the porch stand vessels of water for washing the hands ;^ and the whole prayer-book is pasted up on boards upon the walls, for the sake of the poor. In a Beth-midrash adjoining the sy- nagogue, we found a company of Jews engaged in study, and each of us gathered a group around him. Several were able to speak Hebrew fluently; but there was a reserve about them all, that distinguished them from the Jews of Moldavia and Wallachia. They had secret suspicions that our object in visiting them was connected with the Austrian Govern- ment ; and our inquiries after some of their books excited their suspicion still more, for some of their books, which speak against the idolatry of the Church of Rome, are pro- hibited. 1 See Johu il. 6. 454 BRODY — JEWISH HOSPITAL. We visited the Hospital belonging: exclusively to the Jew- ish communitj, called by them □'•pnnr!''.!! (beth-haholim), " the house of the sick," situated in one of the suburbs. Over the door is a Latin inscription, " JEgrorum saluti." All the wards were remarkably clean and well arranged, fully equal to those of our own hospitals. There is a commodious kitchen, where the food is prepared after the English fashion, and there are baths and a flower-garden for the use of the pa- tients. The physician, two surgeons, and the nurses be- longing to the establishment, are all Jewish. There were fifty-three cases under treatment at the time, each patient having a board over his bed, with his name and disease writ- ten on it. It was a sad sight to look upon the pale faces of dying men of Israel. that " the great trumpet were blown for those that are ready to perish /"^ The expense of this establishment was stated to us at £25 weekly, which is de- frayed by the interest of legacies, and by contributions from the town. We then went to the new burying-ground, opened in 1831, when the cholera made its ravages in this country, at which time, for a space of three months, there were in Brody 150 deaths every day. This extensive burying-ground is already half-filled up, although the tombs are thickly planted toge- tt^r. The monuments are of a soft chalky stone, and most of ,*hem adorned with curious emblems. The stone is gene- rally painted, and the epitaph is of a bright colour, or some- times in letters of gold. One had a crown painted on it, with fT,i lU the words ^ItO UVJ '^.T)p (kether shem tov), " the crown of a good name." Another had a cup and platter ; marking the I Isa. XXVII. 13. JEWISH BUKYING-GROUND. 455 grave of a Levite, who poured water on the hands of tha priests. The outspread hands were frequent, marking the tomb of a Cohen or priest, with the words tD''3rTD "inp (ke- ther kohanim), " the crown of the priesthood." One stone had two lighted candles painted on it, and another had a golden candlestick. The grave of a lady of wealth, who in her life- time had gone on a pilgrimage to Palestine, was marked by the figure of a ship on the sea, and Noah's dove flying to- wards it. A gate broken off its hinges and in the act of fall- ing, represented the door of the ark in the synagogue rent in mourning for some eminent worshipper, who had been mo- ther of a numerouc family. A band holding an open book, 456 BRODY — TEPHILLIN — MEZUZAH — TALLITH. shewed the tomb of an author. A hand, pouring water out of one vessel into another, was painted on the tomb of a wo- man who used to carry water for the synagogue. One mo- nument had a painting of Abraham's house in the plains of Mamre, surrounded by oak-trees, with his flocks feeding near ; it covered the grave of a man named Abraham. A house and a human heart, a lion, a roe, an eagle, a palm-tree, and many such like, were very common emblems. The whole scene brought forcibly to our remembrance the words of the Lord Jesus to the Pharisees, " Ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous."^ The same spirit remains in Israel to this very day. Standing with us among the tombs, our Jewish guide gave us an af- fecting account of the death of Rabbi Landau, whose picture we had so often seen in Jewish houses. He came from Lem- berg when the cholera was raging, and visited this burying- ground, where he prayed very earnestly over the graves of the rabbis, asking of them forgiveness, and promising to be with them soon. He returned to town, sickened, and died ; and next day was buried. In the evening, we went to the shop of a Jew, and bought Tephillin or phylacteries, the broadest which he had. These consist of little scrolls of parchment, in which are written cer- tain passages of the law, enclosed in two black leather boxes, which are bound by leather thongs on the forehead and left hand, during the time of prayer. It was to these that our Lord alluded when reproving the Pharisees, " All their works they do for to be seen of men ; they make broad their phy- lacteries." We got also the meziizah, a small scroll of parch- ment, on which a portion of the law is written, with the name of God on the back in transposed letters, which is folded up and nailed obliquely on the door-post of every Jewish house. Both of these superstitions are derived from a misinterpreta- tion of the command in Deuteronomy, " And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes ; and thou shalt ivrite them ^ipon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."^ The natural heart, in all ages and in all nations, is well pleased to substitute mere external observances in the place of spiritual heart-religion. We after- wards purchased a Tallith, a white woollen shawl, striped with blue at the edge, and having white fringes called Tsitsith at 1 Matt. XXIII. 'J9. 2 Dent. VI. C, 9. COMMISSAR\ OF POLICE — YOUNG JEW. 457 the four corners. The Jews \year this over their head during prayer, while they hold the fringes in their hands, and fre- quently kiss them in obedience to the commandment, " Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in tlie borders of their garments.''''^ The Saviour also alludes to them, " they enlarge the borders of their garments."'^ Upon the part which comes over the forehead, the Jews often wear a band of silver embroidery. A Jewess who had been employed to prepare the Tallith for us, refused to sew the embroidered band upon the robe, unless we procured for her a silk ribband to put between them, alleging, that other- wise she would be breaking the law, which forbids them to mingle " woollen and linen" together,^ (Oct. 4.) Early this forenoon, we were sent for by the Commissary of Police, a sharp bustling Austrian, with a pipe in his mouth, who examined us very roughly. We be- lieve that they had suspicions of our being missionaries, and in order to entrap us, alleged that we were Jews travelling under a false passport. The Commissary held a letter in his hand, which he had received from Jaglinsky, stating that we went into the synagogue there, and joined in the Jewish prayers, even using " Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is one God." " And further," added he, " why did you buy Tephil- lin last night ?" We were somewhat perplexed as weU as amused by this attempt to shew that we were Jews and not Christians, and were now made aware of the system of jea- lous espionage maintained in this kingdom of Popish darkness. We answered that we were Protestant pastors from Scotland, and that all ministers in our country are instructed in Hebrew ; that we had read in the synagogue only to shew the Jews that we knew their language ; and that we had bought the Tephil- lin as curiosities. This seemed to satisfy him, and we re- ceived our passports for Lemberg ; " only," he said, " you must go by Zloozow." In paying a second visit to the two principal synagogues, Ave met with a young man belonging to one of the best Jewish families, who requested an interview at the inn. His name was Moses Weitbeit, of a very pleasing appearance, gentle and serious in his manners, and able to speak Latin freely, 1 Num. XV. 38, 39. Deut xxii. 12. 2 Matt. XXIII. 5. This is said to be tlie hem of ffis garment whick the woman touched, Jlatt-ix. 20. 3 Lev. xix. 19. 4:58 BRODV — DETENTION AT CUSTOM- HOUSE. and a little Italian, He said he belonged to the New School, and yet believed the Scriptures to be the Word of God. He iid not look for the restoration of the Jews to the Holy Land, thought the emancipation of the Jews was to be their Mes- siah, and that true religion consisted in the natural feeling of \ove to God. His mind was evidently not at rest ; he had never read the New Testament, and, though he understood the law, could not understand the Psalms and Prophets. When we shewed him a small New Testament in German, he ear- nestly entreated us to leave it with him ; and when we told him that were we to do so, the circumstance might come to the ears of the Police, in which event we should be detained and brought into trouble, he immediately declared that he would shew it to no one till we were gone. Hiding it in the bosom of his Polish gown, he said " Nemo sciet, nemo sciet /" — '* no one shall know." We complied with his request, and could not but breathe a prayer that he might be enabled to draw living water out of this fountain, in a wilderness where blind guides tremble lest one drop from heaven should fall on the thirsty soul. He kept his promise, but we soon found that our caution was needful, and that the suspicions of the Austrians concerning us were not removed. Having hired a comfortable vehicle to carry us to Lemberg, we intended to set out before the gates were shut for the night, and accordingly drove up to the custom-house. But here we were detained for three hours, which the custom- house oificers and soldiers spent in making complete search into every article we had with us. Not a corner of the car- riage escaped fheir strict, suspicious search ; every thing ex- cept what was on our person was examined. Every book, in whatever language, was taken from us, even our Hebrew and English Bibles ; and we were left the alternative of allowing them to be sent to Lemberg, to be examined by the Censor ''here, and waiting for his opinion on their orthodoxy, or of it once allowing ourselves to be deprived of their use until we should be be3'ond the dominions of Austria. On our prefer- ring the latter alternative, they agreed to seal up our books in a parcel and send them on to Cracow, to await our arrival. AVhen we pleaded to be allowed to retain our English Bible, the only answer we received was, " It is not allowed in Aus- tria." We were still farther annoyed by their finding seve- ral sealed letters of introduction to Consuls and others lying DEPARTURE FROM BRODY. 459 in our desk : and on account of which they imposed a fin3 upon us. Tlie greater our annoyance, the greater the satis- faction of the officers appeared to be. They seemed to fee. that it was not every day two Protestant ministers were in their grasp. We were not allowed to leave that night, and therefore lodged in a Jewish khan near the gate. Here v/e experienced several painful proofs of the rapacity of the Jew- ish people. The keepers of the khan, seeing our anxiety to depart next morning, threw every obstacle in our way, charg- ing two or three prices for every article we had used, and striving in every way to extort money from us. We could only pray that the prophecy of Zephaniah might be soon ful- filled, " The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies ; neither shall a deceitful tongue he found in their inouth."^ (Oct. 5.) We at last got away, about midday, and enjoyed a pleasant drive through a well-cultivated plain, with gently swelling hills on the left, the young wheat springing fresh and green. About five miles from Brody the country became more varied. The road lay through the estate of a Polish Count ; the woods were finely kept, and at that time tinged with the red and brown of autumn. The castle and neigh- bouring village are called Potchoritz, and there are two churches, the one a rude structure, the other beautiful, situated on the top of a wooded eminence. In front of the latter there is a whole range of pillars, each supporting the figure of a saint ; and the large square of the village has in the midst of it a high pillar, with a figure of the Virgin on the top. At three o'clock, we rested a little in a clean inn belonging to the village of Sassow, where we found a small synagogue of wood, and 200 Jewish families, all of the old school, and hoping for the Messiah. Their burying-ground, filled with plain, white tombstones, was at the entrance of the village. Here, too, was a curious specimen of the old Polish church and belfry, both entirely of wood. At the inn we met a Tyrol- ese, wearing the tall conical cap of his country, who had /ately travelled to Palestine in the service of an Englishman, and was very communicative. The Polish hartsmi, or inn, is a curious long building, having a wide entrance at both ends, BO that you drive in at the one end, and in leaving drive out at the other Within, there are stalls for twenty or thirty 1 Zeuhaii. >u. 18 460 SASSOW — POLISH INN OK HARTSMI — ZLOOZOW. horses on each side of the building, and a few rooms at the one end, affording tolerable accommodation to the weary traveller. The only bed is a heap of straw enclosed in a frame, over which they sometimes spread a sheet, while your own mats and cloaks are your covering. Leaving this village, the fields were beautifully tinged with a reddish-brown, from the colour of the stalk of the retsky, which had been here cut down. About six in the evening we came to Zloozow, a large village, with three handsome churches. Here we found out that it was not without some design that the Commissary at Brody had caused us to get our passports signed here, instead of sending us on direct to Lemberg ; for we were met at the entrance of the village by a Government officer, who was waiting to conduct us to the Kreisamter, or superinten- dent of. police. This person was an exceedingly pleasant, in- telligent man, and could speak English fluently, having been much in the company of English residents in Vienna. He engaged each of us successively in conversation, and then at once rose and said, that we should have our passports without delay. While our horses were getting ready, we wandered through the town. In front of one of the churches stood a pillar, supporting the image of a saint with the child Jesus in his arms, with this inscription — " D. o. in. Ex veto statuam hanc Sancto Joanni erexit Francisca Loeivel, anno 1824" [i. e. " Francisca Loewel, in the year 1824, erected this statue to St John, in fulfilment of a vow"). A poor Polish woman was crossing herself and repeating a prayer as she passed it. There are said to be 500 Jewish families here. We met a very serious and interesting Jew returning from evening wor- ship, who told us that all the Jews of this place are Rabbi- nists, and so superstitious, that they had been ill pleased with him for shaving off a small part of his beard. He said, " he I ZOPKA SABBATH — ATTACK. ON MR m'CHEYNE. 461 was not one of the New School, yet thought that they did good in many ways. As for himself, he hoped that he would be saved if he kept free from whatever his conscience condemned, and was honest in his trade, which very few are." In reply we spoke of its being the first point in religion to find a sin olfering, which would cleanse the conscience. He seemed se- rious and interested, but our time was gone, and we soon left him and the quiet village far behind. Late at night we ar- rived at Zopka, a hartsmi in a very solitary situation, kept by a Jewish family, who received us kindly, and tried to make us comfortable. (Oct. 6.) We enjoyed a calm Sabbath morning, the day warm and pleasant. A range of wooded hills bounded the view on the north, and there were but three cottages within sight. After morning worship we separated for lonely medi- tation, agreeing to meet at a certain hour. "We did not at the time know that Galicia has frequently been the scene of violent robberies and atrocious murders ; but the little we had seen, and afterwards saw, of the natives, convinced us of their profound ignorance and barbarous habits. Mr M'Cheyne having gone about a mile and a half toward the hills, sat down to read in a sequestered spot, when two Polish shepherds came and sat down beside him. After try- ing in vain to exchange ideas with them by signs, Mr M. rose to leave them, but they shewed a determination. to detain him by putting themselves in his way, and endeavouring to force him up into the woods that crowned the hills. A des- perate struggle ensued for about a quarter of an hour, till, exhausted by these violent efibrts, Mr M. lay down on the ground. They stood by, and spoke together for a few mi- nutes — then suddenly plunged into the woods. It seems every way probable that they intended to plunder him ; and some of the people at the inn wondered that they had not drawn their large knives. What raoved them so suddenly to depart we could not conjecture. We felt that the hand of God, that had delivered us out of so many dangers during our previous wanderings, had been eminently stretched out again. The rest of the day we spent together. Our host provided MS with his Hebrew Bible, and we had retained an English New Testament in one of our pockets, so that we enjoyed a profitable Sabbath, realizing the promise, " Yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall 462 PKEMYSLAW — FAJNIOUS RABBI — RaBBI RUGEX. come."* "Waggons, heavily laden with merchandise, were passing along the road all day without intermission ; for a Sabbath of holy rest is a thing unknown in the dominions of the Man of Sin, Our Jewish host told us of a town called Premyslaw, two German miles distant, so thoroughly devoted to Judaism, that no Jew dare appear on its streets unless dressed entirely in the Jewish manner, in case the Chasidim should tear him to pieces. Only a short time ago it was a very insignificant town, but prosperity came to it with a certain great rabbi. This rabbi is one of those to whom the people repair from all Bukovine and Galicia in times of sickness and distress, askuig him to pray for them. They always go as Saul did to Sam- uel,^ with some present in their hand, which they call (?T»7g, pedeeon) a ransom. The week before our arrival one man brought him a sum equal to £6, seeking to be delivered from some calamity ; and during the Feasts, no less than 3000 persons have been known to visit him, each bringing a pre- sent. He has in consequence become very rich, and frequently entertains 500 Jews at his table, spending even £30 a-weeK in supporting his dignity. He assumes the character of a prophet, pretending to have knowledge of future events, anr) to divine the particular sins of any one by looking stedfastl> in his face. How applicable to such a man are the words of Jeremiah — " I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran ; 1 have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied."* Our host told us also of a visit which the now imprisoned Rabbi of Rugen paid to this part of the country about four years ago. He travelled with three carriages of his own, and the Jews flocked to him in such crowds, that more than 700 vehicles were upon the road either accompanying or going to meet him. He slept at this inn on his way from Brody to Lem- berg. The crowd of Jews that visited him was such that he could hardly get rest, and many came to look upon his face while he was sleeping. So great was the excitement, that the Austrian Government became alarmed, and ordered him to leave the country in three days. The mother of the inn- keeper had often visited this rabbi, seeking peace to her con- science. We shewed them the Psalm, " None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom I Ezet Ti 16. » I Saxii. ix. 9. s Jer. xxiii. 21. FEATURES OF THE COUNTRY. 463 for him ;' and the command of God, " Call upon me in the day of trouble."^ (Oct. 7.) We left the place before daylight. During a ride of four hours to Lemberg, there was no object of interest except a beautiful village called Yeniky, surrounded by wooded hills, the trees aU variegated with the tints of au- tumn. There were many Jews on the street, and Polish peasants whose hard, unmeaning countenances indicated is- POUSH WOMAN CARBTrXG WATEE. norance and neglect. Before entering Lemberg we were ex- amined at the custom-house, where many waggons were un- dergoing a strict scrutiny. One man had a cart of sticks ; a soldier passing by chose one of the best, and carried it off as a prize ; the man resisted, and entreated him not to take it, but in vain, the soldier only threatened him and beat htm otF, This little incident shewed us something of the military op- pression common in this country. Descending upon the town we came once more upon paved streets, handsome houses and other marks of European civilization. The upper classes were attired very much after the English fashion, except that the ladies wore no bonnet, but carried a diminutive parasol instead. We found a quiet and comfortable lodging in the Hotel de Russie. Lemberg is a large city, having 130,000 inhabitant* , it lies in a fine valley, running nearly north and south, the hilla on either side beino: of con.*iderable elevation. On the east ' P«a. XLix. 7. t Foa. I. 1& 464 T.EMBERG — JEWISH MARKET-PLACE. the hill is laid out so as to form a fine drive or promenade From the summit we obtained a commanding view of the town and environs. The houses are high and well buUt ; the streets, and squares are open and airy. There is one very handsome church on the rising ground to the west, and ten other spires rise over the buildings of the town. There are several pleasant walks and boulevards, adorned with fine trees, in» the heart of the town. There are barracks, and other large and elegant public buildings, especially one with a foun- tain at each of the four corners, and over each fountain the statue of a heathen goddess. An immense theatre was in the course of being built ; the bricks were conveyed to the builders on the wall by a row of boys and women, standing on the steps of a very tall ladder, who handed up each brick from one to another. Looking to the east, we observed the tents of a large body of soldiers, who were then under re- view, all pitched in military order. But the country in that direction appeared bleak and uninteresting. While we were standing here, a train of splendid carriages swept past, con- taining the Archduke of Austria and several officers, fine- looking men, in handsome uniforms, the former wearing a dazzling star on the breast. Returning through the city we passed a church, having a figure of the Virgin, with this truly Popish inscription over it, " Praetereundo cave ne taceatur Ave."^ Rows of wooden stalls instead of shops are as com- mon here as at Czernowitz. Three regiments of well-disci- plined soldiers passed us on their return from exercise. We were told that there were 30,000 encamped within three miles of the city. One painful sight, which reminded us of Italy, was the vast numbers of criminals who are condemned to public infamy by labouring in chains upon the streets. They are used in building and other kinds of hard labour through the day, and we saw 120 of them returning at night to their prison, dragging heavy fetters after them. We visited the Jewish market-place, but did not find it so clean and pleasant as that of Brody. Israel here looks poor, oppressed, and degraded, dwelling in the dust. The Russian fur-cap or broad black hat and black Polish robe are beauti- ful on respectable Jews with clean flowing beards ; but when • " 111 passing by, Ikvvarc, Lest thou forget this prayry he for good ^ We spoke with an affable Jew, who LEMBERG TO CKACOW. 46? eaid, that the meaning of the passage which predicts that, in the days of Messiah, " thy people shall be all righteous," was, there will be no hypocrites, all will be openly good or openly wicked. Talking of the days when the Talmud was in its full glory, he mentioned to us a Jewish proverb. — Two towns in Russia, Kiow and Saradow, were so famous for the study and defence of the Talmud, that it used to be said, " From Saradow shall go forth the Law, and the word of the Lord from Kiow." " Full well do they reject the command- ment of God, that they may keep their own traditions."^ (Oct. 8.) We left this pleasant town in a tolerable Jewish carriage, an old Jew with a long beard driving us. We might have got places in the " Eil-tvagen" or stage-coach, but we wished to be masters of our own time, and therefore preferred the offer of this Jew, who undertook to carry us the whole way to Cracow, a distance of nearly 200 English miles, for 45 gulden, equal to £4, 10s. The country through which we travelled reminded us of the vast undulating plains of France, fertile but uninteresting, with a long level road stretching before. The young crops were springing, and the peasants gathering their potatoes as we passed. In three hours we came to Grudak, a pleasant village, containing a council- house and two churches, adorned with shady walks and a fine stream of water. Here we saw several Jews in the street, but had no conversation with any. Three hours more brought us to Sandovawizuia, a large vil- lage, also upon a pleasant stream, with two churches, and many images of saints under its shady trees. The half of the population appeared to be Jewish. Towards evening, we passed through Moschiska, where the principal street had an Did piazza, under which many Jewish children were playing, and we were told that there were 600 resident Jews. We slept at a Jewish khan, near a small village called Laskovola, where are six Jewish families. Our hostess was a simple Jewess, asking a great many questions, and expressing great surprise. The whole family were kind, and made us promise if ever we came that way again nut to forget to visit them. (Oct. 9.) Next morning we turned to the north, leaving tne main road to get a nearer way, and came on a rustic village, Bejepee> close to a nobleman's seat. The white- ISIark vii. 9- 468 LEMBERG TO CRA.COW, washed mansion, the lawn, gardens, and handsome trees, re- minded us of similar scenes at home. But they are rare indeed in Poland. The wicker fences being kept in good condition, formed a neat enclosure, and also an excellent protection to the jonng trees. The wooden shed full of images in the square, was absolutely ridiculous. The whole land is polluted with these abominations, sometimes under shady trees, sometimes in glass-cases by the wayside, and it may well be said, " According to the number of thy cities are thy gods."^ Crossing the Saan, a tributary of the Vistula, by a floating bridge, we came to Jaroslaw, a small town containing 1200 families, with several churches, a few public buildings, and a busy market-place. We saw many respectable Jews upon the street, and many Catholic priests. In the suburb stands a handsome convent, with three spires, and above the principal entrance a painting of the Virgin Mary, spreading her hands over the monks of the order kneeling round her, having this inscription, " Siih tuum prcesidium" " Under thy protection." How truly may a Jew call such Christianity by the name of foul idolatry ! We now travelled due west, through rows of willows, oaks, and elms, for miles together, till we came to Zeworsk, a vil- lage with a covered walk in the market-place, where Jews were loitering. A neat obelisk marked the entrance to some baron's country-seat, and a temporary triumphal arch, adorned with leaves, intimated the expected approach of some of tho Royal family. We noticed here a broom erected at several doors, to show that a soldier was billeted there. The beggars were very loathsome and deformed, and some, to prove that they were Christian, not Jewish beggars, led a pig behind them by a string ! Even a wretched beggar in Poland is careful not to be mistaken for a Jew. In the evening we drove through Lanshut, and, late at night, crossed a deep stream, and entered the town of Rzezow, about half-way between Leniberg and Cracow, (Oct. 10.) AVe left this clean, well-built town very early, and pursued our way through avenues of trees, till we reached the village of Zenzow, where a company of Austrian soldiers were exercising. We saw many idle Jews, and signboards in the Hebrew character. J JEWISH KHAX. 469 An hour after, we came to Eopsitza, a decayed village, The market-place had (as usual) a piazza all round the square, and a covered well in the centre. At one end of the church was a singular " house of gods." There were two figures of Christ on the cross ; then images of Christ and the three dis- ciples of Gethsemane ; and lastly a painting of the whole scene of the Saviour's agony in the garden ; all the figures being as large as life. There are sixty Jewish families here, All poor mechanics. Before noon, we rested at a Jewish khan to partake of mit-tag. These khans or inns are everywhere to be met with, and are certainly peculiar in their kind, though comfort is seldom one of their qualities. First, you enter at a large gate, and drive into a long dark covered stable, among horses and briscas; then alighting, you proceed through a large cham- ber at one end, which includes the guest-room, drinking and smoking rooms, kitchen, bed-room, aU in one. The things which strike the eye as peculiarly Jewish, are the mezuza on the door-post, the misrach hanging on the eastern wall, to shew in what direction Jerusalem lies, and the brazen lustre or Sabbath-lamp suspended from the roof. In one corner is a fire without a grate, and the dinner boiling in earthenware cans, standing beside burning faggots. Brass and earthen kitchen utensils, bright and clean, adorn the wall ; — and the washing-tub has its corner. Being a family room, there are two tolerable beds, — serving for sofas by day, a cradle also, and a fine infint in its little carriage. The mother and daughter are preparing the food, and the married daughter, with fine Jewish features, cares for the children. The cow, unreproved, is drinking out of a tub, and hens are wandering about, finding supply at the feet of the diiferent guests, while one more expert than the rest is catching flies at the window. Such was the khan where we rested. Being also a public room, four Jews with long beards were dining at the end of one long table, while we occupied the end of another, and two others were dining at a chest of drawers. One Jew was sitting idly on the cradle ; several others, each with a German pipe in his mouth, wandered in and out ; while two Gentiles from Breslau stood trying to make us understand their Ger- man. — In spite of all appearances, the dinner was excellent, and the cost only 8d. a-head. In the afternoon we passed through T'usno, and soon after +70 TARNOW — BOCHMA — NUMBER OF BEGGARS. met the royal carriages, accompanied by soldiers. A peasant on the road, looking at the Jew who drove our vehicle, called out to him quite gratuitously, and by way of insult, " Ver- fluchtet Jiide," " accursed Jew'" — shewing how completely God's ancient people are " a proverb and a by-word," and how the heathen that are at ease " help forward their afflic- tion." After sunset we arrived at Tarnow, where was another temporary arch, and passed great crowds on the streets, who had been hailing the arrival of their nobles ; the most were well-dressed Jews. Late at night we arrived at a solitary khan, not even so comfortable as the one described above. Two travellers had already taken possession of one part of the floor, and were fast asleep, while a Polish servant was sitting at the bar serving out snaps to the postilions and others, who called even during the night. We preferred to sleep in the hay-loft, where we spread our mats for the night. When we were taking refreshment, a Jewish girl, who had brought us bread and butter, on seeing one of us about to take up the knife that lay on the table, rushed forward and removed it, lest we, Gentiles, should pollute the knife which they themselves used. The same damsel, however, in the morning said we must be good men indeed, having visited the Holy Land. (Oct. 11.) A thick easterly fog overspread the country, so that we saw nothing till we came to Bochnia, where we re- marked that the number of beggars was very great. It was common to meet with individuals of them in the country kneeling by the road-side ; but in towns they move about in crowds. We had entered a baker's shop to buy some pro- vision, when forthwith fully twenty assembled at the door, and assailed us with their importunities as we came out. Popery brings all sorts of miseries in her train. We met with a curious instance of superstitious conscien- tiousness this morning in the Jewish boy, who attended his father, the driver of our vehicle. We gave him bread anc? butter at breakfast, but observed that though he looked eagerly 1 Deut. xxvtii. 37. " A by-word among all the nations,"— however different in other respects, they act alike in this. And no doubt this Roman Catholic would have joined with the Greek of whom we heard at Smyrna (p. 330), in alleging as his reason, that the Jews were enemies of Christ. '• Their adversaries »flld, We offtiKl not, because they have sinned apainst the Lord, the hubitatioo of Justice, even the Lord, the hope of their fathtrs." Jir. l. 7. CRACOW — EXAMLVATION OF TRAVELLERS. 471 at it, he laid it aside till some hours should elapse. The reason was, that he had just eaten Jlesh, and if he had imme- diately tasted butter, it would have been considered a viola- tion of the precept, " Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mo- ther's milk."^ Leaving the main road, our vehicle moved on, and in the afternoon brought us to Vieliczka, a beautiful village, sur- rounded with gardens and orchards, which fill the bosom of a deep valley. It is chiefly famous for its remarkable salt- mines, much visited by travellers. We felt a wish to exa- mine its curiosities, and enjoy its scenery ; but our one object impelled us forward. On reaching the neighbouring height, Cracow came full in view, about four miles distant, with the deep- flowing Vistula (or Weichsel) winding through the plain. We soon reached Podgorze (which means " near the boundary^^), the suburb of Cracow on the Austrian side of the river. Our passports having been examined, we crossed the river on a bridge sup- ported by floats, and, entering the ancient capital of Poland, found a good lodging in the Rosa, an inn kept by Joseph Cnoxes. No sooner had we arrived than we were subjected, like all other travellers, to minute investigation ; indicating a state of society not over-certain of its own stability. The following printed questions were put to us by the Police : — 1. Your name and surname? 2. Your rank, and office, and employment ? 3. Your native counti-y, and place of birth? 4. Your age? 5. Your religion? 6. Your condition in life, unmarried, married, widowed? 7. From what place you have last come? 8. How long you propose to remain here? 9. Did you come alone, or had you companions ? 10. Had you a passport ? 11. Where do you intend to go after leaving this ? It was easy to answer all these questions, but not easy to forget the suspicious tyrannizing spirit exhibited by the ex- aminers. No country has freedom like our own, because no land on earth has had the truth of God so fully preached, and so widely embraced. The same evening we were guided to the house of the Lutheran minister, Mr Otremba, a benevolent man, who re- ceived us very kindly, although we afterwards learned that 1 Bxod. XXIII. Ifl. 472 CRACOW — MR inSCOCK, JEWISH MISSIONARY. he is neither orthodox in his views nor friendly to the Jewish Mission. From him we learned that Dr Gerlach, the mis- sionary of the London Jewish Society, had been removed from this station to Warsaw, and had died there some months ago, but that an English missionary was now labouring among the Jews here. Cracow was a very considerable city in former days, when it was the capital of Poland ; and it still retains many features of majesty. It has not the handsome look of Lemberg, but it has more of the air of antiquity. The houses are lofty and often massy, the churches old and picturesque. The front of one is adorned with statues of the saints as large as life ; and another has the scene of the crucifixion, in which the figures are larger than life. The ancient castle and cathe- dral, built upon the same hill, rise over the city, and these, along with its University and other public buildings, testify its ancient greatness. There is a delightful promenade, of great extent, shaded with tall poplars, quite round the town, adding greatly to its beauty. Cracow is the grand cemetery of the ancient Kings of Poland ; but when we saw the hills of Moravia appearing in the distant west, the recollection of the many men of God who had been born there, whose names are inwoven with the triumphs of the gospel in some of the darkest regions of the world, spread a holier interest over the scene than could be done by all its associations with Polish kings. (Oct. 12.) With some difficulty we found out the residence of the Jewish missionary, the Rev. Thomas Hiscock, a clergy- man of the Church of England, whom we soon found to be " a brother and companion in tribulation, and in the king- dom and patience of Jesus Christ." It was truly an agree- able surprise to us, when we found ourselves seated as if at home with this valuable missionary, his wife, who seemed to 'be indeed a handmaid of the Lord, and their two children They had lived for some years almost in perfect solitude, in the midst of this great city, hated by the Papists because they were Protestants, and by the Protestants because they had no sympathy with their worldly spirit and Neologian theology, so that our coming made their heart overflow with joy and kindness. Mr H. laboured first in Westphalia for one year, wandering up and down with a knapsack on his back, visiting the Jews, and not without tokens of the LUTHERAN CHUKCH ^73 Divine blessing. Since that time, he has heen stationed here, where the hardships which he has been called to endure have been very great. His enemies have at different times excited tumults among the Jews before his window, that the blame might fall upon him in the eye of the Government. He injured his health by a long period of excessive exertion when teaching German, Hebrew, and Latin, to young Jews, in order to get an opportunity of preaching to them " all the words of this life." Intent upon his Master's work, he seldom loses an occasion afforded by a Jew calling upon him in the way of trade, of speaking to his soul ; and he addresses the poorest and meanest whom he meets in the street,— a thing which no Gentile here would do on any account. Often, too, he goes into their shops to purchase small articles, simply in order to gain a hearing. (Oct. 13. Sabbath.) In the morning we attended the Lutheran church, and, after the Liturgy had been read, Mr Otremba preached upon, " Cast thy burden on the Lord," — a general discourse, without one doctrinal statement. Here our best feelings were shocked by seeing at one end of the church a bronze figure of the Saviour on the Cross, larger than life, the veins and bones carved in such a way, that they appeared to be starting through the racked body. It was brought from Breslau, and placed here by the President of the Senate, a Roman Catholic priest, for the purpose of ex- cluding the Jews from Dr Gerlach's evening lecture, by pre- judicing their minds against the Protestants in general. The present clergyman used no efforts to prevent its introduction. The altar was covered with a cloth of gold, and had four candles burning on it, with a crucifix on one side, and the brazen serpent on the other. The organ was good, and the singing fine ; the audience numbered between fifty and sixty, — the men occupying one side by themselves, the women the other. The minister stands at the altar while reading the Liturgy, and the people sit during prayer and singing. The minister prefaced his discourse by a short introduction, and then gave out his text, on the reading of which all stood till the words were finished. They rise, also, at the Lord's prayer. We met for worship in the afternoon, in the missionary's room, whore Mr Hiscock preached to us from Matt. xvi. 13, " Whor:. do men say that I am ?" In the evening we joined 4:74 CKACOW — LORD'S SUPPER — PROTESTANTS. together in the same place, a small company of five, in the midst of a city given over to the darkness and wickedness of Popery, in " shewing the Lord's death till he come." Mr M'Cheyne conducted the service in the Presbyterian form, and it was felt by us all as a time of refreshing from the pre- sence of the Lord — a well of salvation " in a dry and thirsty land where no water is." It was four years since Mr H. and his wife had enjoyed this ordinance. They do not think it right to receive it at the Lutheran church, both on account of the error of that church in regard to consubstantiation, and also on account of its cold dead services. They spend silent Sabbaths, and yet are not alone, for they experience much joy in the midst of their afflictions. The God of the missionary is a covenant-keeping God, and he gives them " a hundred-fold more" than all they have left behind, " with persecutions." During our stay at Cracow we gathered a good deal of in- formation. In regard to the Protestants, there are about 600 in the city, and 200 more in the country round, but the most of them, it is to be feared, are inclined to infidelity. For a year and a half previous, to our visit, their only public wor- ship had been a forenoon service every Sabbath, with a sermon of twenty minutes' length. Their minister lately had a ball on Sabbath evening, at which eighty persons were present; and such parties are not unfrequent. On one occasion, an awakened Jew, going to the Lutheran minister to be examined for baptism, found him playing at cards, and was invited to sit down and join in the game before proceeding to any serious business. The Protestants often tell the Jews here, that it is quite as well for them to remain in their Judaism. What a stumbling-block are such Protestants in the way of Israel? " Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ; for ya shut up the kingdom of heaven against men ; for ye neither go in yourselves, neither sutFer ye them that are entering to go in."^ The Poles in Cracow are exceedingly depraved, and immo- rality is not looked on as a crime. They are always seeking revolution, and would rise in revolt to-morrow if the Austrians were to retire. Lying, stealing, swearing, drinking, gambling, and adultery, abound. Not long before our visit, a fearful assassination took place in a quiet part of the town. A young 1 Matt. XXII. 13. GOVERNMENT IMMORALITY — UNIVERSITY. 475 man was suspected as a Russian spy ; and his body was found with thirty-five stabs in it. We were often reminded of the dark pictures drawn of human nature in the Holy Scriptures, for every feature of it is realized here. " There is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land : By swearing, and iying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood."' Masters in general strike their servants unmercifully, and men-servants are often lashed with the whip. At one time they were even murdered without any investigation ever following. The police publicly flog servants, male or female, that are brought to them by their masters. The nobles oppress their vassals even more cruelly than the Russian conquerors have treated them ; and the vassals in their turn oppress their servants not less severely. Popery is very strong here, and most intolerant. Monaste- ries and nunneries abound, and the priests are notoriously abandoned in their lives, while many of the people are " mad upon their idols." Yet among the upper classes there is much infidelity ; for they despise Popery in their hearts ; and even among the peasantry, there is scarcely one in a hundred that will now go down on their knees in passing an image, whereas, till within these few years, every one invariably did so. Cra- cow is governed nominally by a Senate, composed of eight members and a president, two of whom are Roman Catholic jjriests ; but as every matter must receive the sanction of the three Residents of Austria, Russia, and Prussia, the protecting powers, they in reality govern. Indeed, Austria seems to have the whole power in her own hands. The Austrian soldiers took possession of the city three years previously, and have occupied it ever since. The University is said to be the oldest in Europe, except that of Oxford. It might be a very efiicient institution, were t not that the Austrians are unfavourable to it, believing that t sows the seeds of revolution among the young men. Many students belonging to the best Polish families are very desirous to learn English, and Mr Hiscock told us that, if we would send him fifty English Bibles, he could distribute them pro- fitably to these young men. Since our return, the Edinburgh Bible Society, at our request, kindly engaged to send this sup- ply to Cracow. We were interested in hearing that Mr Dow, who was deposed some years ago from the ministry in Scot- 1 Kos. IV 1, i 476 CRACOW — JEWS. land for following Mr Irving's views, had paid a visit to Mf Hiscor.k, not long befpre our arrival ; but with what object we could not learn. He had come from Russia, and Mr H. be- lieved went to Odessa. The upper classes are dressed very much after the English manner, but the common people wear a white surtout with red lining, a broad hat, and long boots. The women wear a white coarse stuif, with the handkerchief round the head, red or white. The Jews wear the fur-cap and long black robe, ge- nerally very squalid and torn, said to be a remnant of the dress of the ancient Polish nobles. The population of Cracow is generally reckoned at 49,000, of whom 22,000 are Jews. The latter live together in a quar- ter by themselves, divided from the city by a stream, called "the Little Vistula." This quarter is named Casimir, from Casirair the Great, King of Poland 500 years ago, who mar- ried Esther, a beautiful Jewess, and granted to her nation at her request permission to settle there. There are about 10,000 more in other parts of the republic. They follow all trades, and yet have no bread to eat. They are so poor that, out of all the Jews in the republie, there are not 10,000 who could afford to pay one shilling for a Hebrew Bible. Twelve families are often lodged in one room in winter, the floor be- ing chalked out into so many portions, and a whole family huddled together in each, the children generally remaining in bed to keep themselves warm, as they have no clothes to de- fend them from the cold. It is no uncommon thing for a Jew to pull aside his long black gown and shew that he has nothing to cover his limbs. How truly the word of God by the mouth of Moses has come to pass, " When I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall hake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight ; and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied."' The Jews here are so strict Talmud- ists, that a man of some abilities, who had seen and ridiculed the absurdities of the Talmud, was solemnly excommunicated. They universally believe in the coming of the Messiah, and would not listen to one who doubted it. The Papists, in their zeal to make the Virgin Mary every tiling, cast discredit on the doctrine that Christ will come again, and try to persuade the Jews that Mr H. is not a Christian, because he believes in Messiah's coming again in glory. 1 Lev. XXVI. \.t). JEWS — 1}APTI?MS. 477 The Government some time ago erected a school for Jewish children, and employed a Jew to teach Hebrew, German, and Polish ; but no Jew would send his children, because it had been instituted by the Christians. The University also is open to the Jews, so that they may study there free of expense ; and Mr H. has frequently prepared young Jews for attending it. The object in granting this privilege no doubt is to bring them over to Popery. The Government seem afraid, like Pharaoh, lest the Jewish become more numerous than the Gentile population, and have enacted a law that no Jew be allowed to marry unless he can read and write Polish. Of late years, fifteen Jews have been baptized by the Lu- theran minister here, nine of whom were instincted by Mr Hiscock. Of some of these he entertained good hope that they were brought to a saving knowledge of Christ, but still more of others, who were melted under the power of the Word, and apparently convinced, but who soon left the place. "When a Jew comes to a missionary desiring baptism, if he has good reason to believe that there is a real change in the man's heart, he applies to the Senate for a protocol or exa- mination. Often a delay of six weeks occurs before an an- swer is given. The examination of the candidate for baptism is then carried on before either a Canon or Roman Catholic magistrate, and the Lutheran minister. If they are satisfied, the Jew is baptized by Mr Otremba, and registered in the Lutheran church. This most pernicious law must be submitted to. As soon as a Jew is known to have applied for baptism, his brethren cast him oif ; the Papists also, and Lutherans, shew him no kindness, so that the missionary has often had to maintain him till the examination and baptism were over, selling his own and his wife's clothes for their support. In such circumstances Jews are obliged, after baptism, to leave Cracow, and generally go to Hungary to seek their daily bread, so that in this country they must " suffer the loss of all things," if they would " win Christ." If tliere were any means by which converts could support themselves, Mr H. was persuaded that one-half of the rising generation of tho Jews would become Christians. At least eighty persons have applied to him for baptism, but as far as he could judge, only from worldly motives, and he accordingly discouraged them. It is an interesting fact, that since the Protestant Mission hasj been established here., very few have been baptized into the i78 CRACOW — JEWS. Roman Catholic church. A Jewish doctor, who has consider- able property, was baptized by the Lutheran minister. He is an Arian, but offered to maintain Jewish proselytes on his estate, provided the London Society would allow them to keep their Jewish festivals. In labouring among the Jews, the missionary here does not go to the synagogue to reason with them, because if there be an ill-natured Jew present, he easily excites a clamour, of which the police would take advantage in a moment. For the same reason he does not preach to them on the public street. He generally goes into a shop, buys a book for a few groschen or pence ; and while he is making the bargain, he begins to speak on the subject of sin and atonement, and the shop is soon filled with Jews. When Jews or Jewesses come to his door to sell liieir wares, he always detains them till they have heard the gospel of the grace of God. When we were dining with him one day, two Jews came to the house to sell some of their articles. Mr H. spoke very plainly to their consciences of the true way of peace. They wished to buy a Hebrew Bible between them for 3s., but he gave one to each of them, to their great joy. Often thirty such visitors come in one day. We were re- minded of the way in which Paul laboured at Rome. " Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding hira."^ He also invites the young men to come to his house and learn any of the languages he knows, — English, French, Ger- man and Latin. When they come he puts the Bible into their hands, and teaches them out of it. At one time the rabbi pronounced a herem or curse of excommunication against all Jews who should visit the missionary's house, and ap- pointed a man to walk round his house constantly for several months, to watch if any Jew went near him. But notwith- standing all this opposition, Mr H. finds them ready to hear in their shops, and sometimes in a quiet retired square. Fre- quently when he has been addressing a crowd of them, the Popish priests have come past and tried to draw the Jews away. He is allowed by the Government to distribute Bi- bles and tracts in Hebrew, German, and Polish, among the ' Acts xxviil. 30t 31. QUEEN ESTHER'S POOL. 479 Jews; and in this way the Word of God finds its way indi- rectly among the Poles also. His passport from Lord Pal- merston ensures him protection ; but the Government are ex- ceedingly unwilling that any more missionaries should come. The president hinted this to liim when he spoke of getting an assistant in the Mission, by saying, " You know there is not work for any more." More than once we crossed the bridge over the Little Vis- tula, and visited the Jews in Casimir, their own quarter. The* crowds of bearded Jews, almost all meanly dressed, moved our bowels of compassion. One Jewish lad whom we met said, " I believe in the God of the Jews and in the God of the Christians ; I believe in Jesut, and in Mary, and in all the gods." He afterwards added, that he believed in no hea- ven and in no hell. Without doubt this is not a solitary case in which Popery has led to profane infidelity. The Jews here, still more than in Brody, have the custom of pressing you to buy their goods. They rush out of their shop, and stepping up to you, warmly recommend their arti- cles ; often coming as far as the middle of the street, and sometimes even taking you by the sleeve. Thus earnestly will they one day press men to buy " the unsearchable riches of Christ."^ We went into a small book shop, and conversed with several Jews. One immediately said, " You are Eng- lish." We asked why he thought so. " Because," said he, " you begin at once to talk about religion." Mr Caiman shewed them many of the errors of the Talmud, and their idolatrous worship of the moon. They were very eager in their defence, shewing more feeling than is common. Our Jewish factor or guide said once, when we were speak- ing to him, " Who knows whether Moses ever lived or not ?" This shews that the secret unbelief, so common in Galicia, is spreading here also beneath the surface of Judaism. Y"et they frequently boast that they are so steady in their faith, that no Polish Jew has ever been baptized. This, however, is contrary to truth. One fine evening we walked out together about a mile from town, to a large pond called Esther's Pool. It is sur- rounded by willows, poplars, and beautiful acacia-trees ; an old chateau, once her palace, stands near, and there are pleasure-grounds on every side. King Casimir the Great, in ' See Zech. iii. 10. 480 CUACOW AS A MISSIONARY FIELD. the beginning of the fourteenth century, married a heautiful Jewess whose name was Esther. Like Queen Esther in the Scriptures, she loved her nation, and procured them all the privileges which they enjoy in Poland to this day. One day the king discovered on her head the marks of a dreadful disease, common among the poor in that country, called plica polonica, which mats the hair, and produces other disgusting appearances. His love was turned to hatred, and in his rage he condemned her to be drowned in this pool, which was im- mediately done, and all Jewesses were commanded to veil their faces in public, lest they should ensnare the king by their beauty. The palace and grounds were all laid out for her. A little way oiF we climbed an artiiicial mount, made that Queen Esther might view the surrounding country. From this we saw the high artificial hill raised in honour of Kotsiutzo, one of their greatest patriots and generals, who died in America. His bones were brought home, and this hill raised over them, every citizen being commanded to carry a basket of earth to the spot. There is another conical hill of the same kind near the gate, sa«red to the memory of King Cracus, founder of the city. We were deeply impressed with the importance of this city as a field of labour in the cause of Israel. Their vast numbers, their afflictions, and their readiness to hear the truth, seem to invite the efforts of the Gospel Missionary. At the same time the diflSculties are very great, from the opposition of a Popish government, the worse than indifference of nominal Protestants, and the want of temporal support for awakened Jews. Since the date of our visit, Mr Hiscock has been removed from Cracow to another station. His residence there was evidently blessed to the Jews, he being a judicious, yet devoted labourer, of a pensive spirit, but full of love to Israel, willing to spend and be spent for Christ. May the sniUe >f the God of Israel be upon all his ways I 481 CHAPTER IX. PRUSSIA AND HAMBURGH. " from Ihe daughter of Zioa all her beauty is departed."— Lam. i. e. (Oct. 15.) With unfeigned regret we parted from Mj Hiscock and his family, for we had taken sweet counsel to- gether with these " hidden ones." None but those who hava experienced the same can imagine the feelings with which true Christians meet and part in such a land. We had received from the Austrian police the sealed parcel containing our books, of which we had been deprived at. Brody ; and now, disposing of our sleeping mats — hitherto indispensable articles — we prepared to enter the bounds of more civUized Prussia. At nine a.m. we set out in the Prus- sian Schnell-post, a most comfortable vehicle, which was to carry us to Breslau, a distance of 185 mUes, for a sum equal in our money to 19s. each. Our road lay nearly north, through the fine strath in which Cracow lies, ornamented with sheets of water and forests of pine, the Carpathian range bounding the view on our left. The whole territory of Cracow, though very small, is beautiful, hUl and dale alter- nating. A convent, embosomed in wood, several picturesque churches, and an old castle crowning an eminence, were the principal objects, tUl we passed within sight of Zarnow, where ai-e 1200 Jews ; and crossing the Vistula, entered the Prussian province of Silesia. We met with little trouble at the custom-house, and none of that inquisitorial suspicion that characterizes the authorities of Austria. Indeed, we felt as if we breathed a freer air as soon as we knew we were beyond the dominions of the Man of Sin. Crosses and images, however, on the road-side met our view, — the undis- turbed relics of Popery, which still prevails in these districts. In the first small village we came to, called Berun, all built 2h 482 CRACOW TO BRESLAr. of wood, with a graceful spire, there was a shameful image of the Virgin, lu the clear twilight, we saw the spires of Xicolai, and late at night rested for half an hour at Gleiwitz, a full October moon lighting up the old market-place. Here we were accosted by one of our fellow-travellers, a Jew, and relative of our friend Mr Cerf, lately Jewish missionary in Edinburgh and Glasgow. He was curious to hear of our wanderings among his brethren, and very kind. We passed on over an excellent road, macadamized like the roads of our own country ; and awoke about five in the morning, while entering Oppeln, a large pleasant town, with a council-house and other public buildings, — a good specimen of the general cleanness and neatness of the Prussian towns. The inns afford every comfort to the traveller, and the boys, with satchel on back, hastening to school, shewed us that we were in Protestant Prussia. Here we were made aware of a re- gulation of the Schnell-post worth recording. If one waggon be full, the travellers are forwarded in a second ; if that be filled, a third is provided, so that no traveller can be disap- pointed of a place. We left Oppeln while the new-risen sun was glancing sweetly along the river Oder, upon which it lies, surrounded with pleasant walks. At a church-yard in the suburbs, the funeral service was performing over some one at this early hour. Men, women, and children, a decent company, all kneeling round the grave. It was a cheerful resting-place for the dead, the graves being laid out in the form of small gardens, and a beautiful bloom of flowers covering most of them. The drive to Breslau has little to interest a traveller. The road is uniformly lined with trees (often fine poplars) at regular distances ; the fields are cultivated with great care and beauty, by a peasantry who seem industrious and happy ; and on the horizon, we generally caught a glimpse of a thriv- ing village with its spire, and tall poplars vying with the spire. We frequently passed on the road the travelling journeymen, so common in German^', all covered with dust. They go from town to town to gain experience in their trade. Occasionally, too, we met a travelling Jew. After taking our midday meal at Brieg, a town with an old church, and fountain in the market-place, in two hours more, we passed through Ohlau, with its fields of tobacco, and about five o'clock evening entered Breslau. Occasionally some of our BRESLAU — UMVERSITY. 483 companions during this journey were Jews. But we could hardly recognise them except by their features. The "beard, the dress, the language, the manners, in a word, all that gives them nationality is gone, and they seem desirous to imitate the Christian population in every thing. At one place, two Jewesses carao into the fo-j^ \vaggon. Mr Caiman recognised them at once as belonging to his nation, though their gay dress and manners indicated nothing different from those around them. He told them of the Holy Land, but could not get them interested ; indeed, they were quite un- willing to be recognised as belonging to Israel. (Oct. 17.) Earl}' in the morning, a Roman Catholic monk came to our room in the inn, asking charity for the hospital. We did not refuse him, although we saw that the design of the papists in being thus forward in supporting such institu- tions is to gain public confidence and credit for humanity. Soon after another came asking us to give a little for the Sisters of Charity, telling us their good deeds to the sick and poor. But this we positively refused to do, telling the monk that we were Protestants, and that we could not countenance Popery in any way, however indirect. Breslau is a fine old town, surrounded by a trench, and containing 90,000 inhabitants. The banks of the river Oder, on which it stands, have pleasant walks, shaded with trees, and there are many trees gracefully planted throughout the town. The oldest houses are built of wood, and are strange, crazy-looking structures. There is one fine old square used as a market-place, where the houses have the gable end to- ward the street, some forming a sharp angle, others of a fan- ciful shape. In the centre is a bronze statue of Neptune, standing on dolphins, with a fine jet d'eau bursting forth from his trident. At one place, there is a fine statue of Blucher, with one hand grasping the sword, and the other lifted up, as he addresses his army in these words inscribed below, *' Mit Gvtt fur Konig und Vaterland," " With God's help for King and Fatherland." There are eleven Protes- tant, and thirteen Roman Catholic churches, several of the latter being ancient and spacious. We visited the University, a large antique building, on one side looking out upon the river. The session was not begun, so that we saw only the class-rooms, venerable and spacious, like those of our own Universities. We then vi- 484 BRESLAU — SCHOOLS — DR NEUMANN. sited one of the Gymnasia or Prussian schools, so justly cele- brated over the world. There were 100 children present in the same room, arranged in three classes — the first containing children from four to six years of age, the second from six to ten, and the third from ten to fifteen. They began by singing a hjnnn, " Qott ist gut," the girls singing the air, the boys the tenor, while the master accompanied them on the violin. All sang from music books, and the effect was pleas- ing and delightful. The teacher offered up a short prayer, ifter which every scholar produced and shewed his pencil, »aper-book, &c., and sat down to draw, the girls copying llowers and patterns, the boys plans of architecture, &c. This was the employment of that hour ; and all the scholars are required to provide themselves with pencil, compasses, and rule, which art, kept in a case and carried along with them. They learn Luther's " Kleiner Catechismus" or " Shorter Catechism," and read the New Testament. The passages of Scripture to be committed to memory are written upon a black board, and also the lessons for next day. They seemed fine quiet children, very tidy, and several young Israelites were among them. All pay about 8d. per month. On our retiring, they rose and whispered softly with one voice " Adieu." We now found our way to the house of Dr Neumann, a converted Jew, of established Christian character, and one of the five professors in the University of Breslau, who are of the seed of Abraham according to the flesh. He and his lady and son received us very kindly. His eldest son is mi- nister of some Protestant Germans, who settled at Rio Janeiro in Brazil, and sent for him to come and labour among them. His second son is a doctor of medicine, a fine young man, who speaks English well. Of the 90,000 inhabitants of Breslau, there may be 30,000 Roman Catholics, and 54,000 Lutherans. Ration- alism cannot be said to be on the wane in this quarter, for many of the ministers and professors hold these views, and few indeed stand up to oppose its progress. The recent death of Olshausen was a severe loss to those who defend the truth. There are probably 6000 Jews, although some make their numoer 2500 families, and they have twelve synagogues. During this year nine Jews had been baptized, but in other years many more. In 1836 there were twentjy-six baptisms. EWS — SYNAGOGUE. 485 The great majority of the Jews here arc casting oiF the Tal- mud, and the Bible along with it. They are very careless of their religious observances, the young Jews npTer observ- ing their own Sabbath, but keeping their shops open, neglect- ing even the morning and evening prayers, which they leave to be performed by the old men. Many, it is said, are bap- tized without making it publicly known. In the rest of Si- lesia there are about 10,000 Jews of a similar character, among whom a missionary who could speak German might labour with the full approbation of Government, and with good prospects of success. In the evening we resolved to visit the Jewish quarter, and on our way met an interesting old Jew from Kempfen, who took us to their finest synagogue, a large building with win- dows of stained glass. There were not more than a dozen Jews met for evening prayer, and one of them was a soldier. Yet few as they were, they seemed to be very devotional. In the shop of a Jewish bookseller, we asked a young Jewess if she liked to read the Bible ; she replied at once, " nein," " No." We purchased here some copies of a prayer-book for travellers, JJ^^n '*"l2'iy nSsTl' " Prayers for those that journey." On our way to our inn, we noticed many of the signboards in the Hebrew character. (Oct. 18.) We started at nine a. m. in the Eilwaagen fc Posen, twenty-one German or one hundred and five English miles due north from Breslau, through a country of the most uninteresting sameness of character, and over roads of loose sand the greater part of the way. About eight miles from Breslau, in another direction, the 400 Tyrolese who lately left their native valleys, because of their attachment to the Protestant faith, are settled in the Coppal mountains. A*^ three we entered the village of Prausnitz, while the bells were tolling the requiem of some deceased citizen. In the Prus- sian villages there is always a large square, in which the houses have their gable end toward the street, and the broad cross beams are visible, giving the houses a fantastic appear- ance. Many doors had the Tnezuza on the outside, and a He- brew signboard appeared here and there. Out of a popula- tion of 2000, there are 100 Jews. The country is well cultivated, but not interesting. Traen- berg is another clean village, with its square, old Popish ehurch, and image at the gate. Ten Jewitja families live ■486 posEN. here, and we spoke to some of their children on their way to the synagogue. There is a fine avenue of poplars close by, a handsome baronial residence, and a stream, being the seat of Baron Hartsfield, whose father was once Prussian ambas- sador to England. Late in the evening we passed through Rawitz, and during the night through Lizza, an important Jewish town, the native place of the rabbi of Glasgow. (Oct. 19.) Next day at noon we reached Posen, the chief city of the Grand Dutchy of Posen. It was the Jewish Sab- bath, and as we passed through the pleasant Boulevard, we met numbers of well-dressed people walking for pleasure, whom we recognised at once by their features to be children of Israel. Like Popish Christians they make their Sabbath a day of show and parade. In the evening two Jew boys guided us to the residence of Mr Bellson, the worthy Mis- sionary of the London Society, Avho, with his wife, gave us an aifectionate welcome. He is himself a Jewish convert from Cassel Hessen, and had laboured among his brethren in Holland for four years, in Bromberg for three years, and latterly in Posen. We called with him on Mr Klee, a true lover of Israel, and a person of influence, and also on Dr Cohen, one of the most eminent medical men of the place, a man of learning, and a sincere convert from Judaism. From both of these men we experienced the kindest reception. Posen has a population of 34,000, of whom 20,000 are Roman Catholics, 7000 Protestants, and about 7000 Jews. There are three Protestant churches in the town, but it is only in the Garrison church that the gospel is preached in purity. Rationalism, of a more refined but not less dangerous kind than formerly, is still making progress. Very few even of those who seem to be truly pious people believe in the divine inspiration of the Old Testament, and scarcely one among ^Jiem ever studies the prophets. The arbitrary attempt recently made by the late King of Prussia, to unite the Reformed and Lutheran churches into one, was resisted by a body of men who still maintain the an cient doctrine of the Lutherans, that " the very body of Christ" is present under the elements of bread and wine in the Lord's Supper ; but their opposition is grounded mainly upon the principle, that the King's interference with the church in matters spiritual is sinful. They are in fact main- taining the great scriptural principle for which the Church of GYMNASIA — MISSIONARY SCHOOLS. 487 Scotland is now so earnestly contending, — that the Church of Christ is free, and not to be controlled by any civil power in matters purely ecclesiastical. There are two Gymnasia in Posen ; to which the wealthier Jews send their children to be educated, so that they are fast renouncing the Talmud. The Christians here take no interest in the conversion of the Jews, with the exception of a few pious men, such as those to whom we were introduced. And yet there are in the whole Grand Dutchy of Posen upwards of 73,000 Jews, there being some in every town of the province — a vast field for a Jewish Missionar}'. At the time of our visit, the Lon- don Society had three labourers in this part of the vineyard, none of them ordained, but one of them a " Candidat Pre- diger" or probationer, of the Prussian Church. Their la- bours are uninterrupted, and they find them peculiarly inte- resting. There were likewise seven missionary schools for Jewish children, in different parts of the Grand Dutchy, under the superintendence of the missionaries and of an influential com- mittee in Posen. Each of these is supported at an average expense of from £35 to £40 yearlj'. The teachers are re- quired to be men regularly educated at a normal seminary, examined, and licensed by Government, as none but such are allowed to teach a school in Prussia. The committee use their utmost endeavour to engage only such as give evidence of personal piety, though this is often matter of great diffi- culty. They never employ converted Jews, because this would excite a prejudice against the school. Not long ago, one of their teachers, who had become very decided in his views of divine truth, joined the Lutherans, on which ac- count the Government threatened to displace him. In all the scohols, the children receive the common Prussian education. Hebrew is not taught, for that would require a teacher of higher attainments ; but the Old Testament is used as a school-book, and the teachers freely introduce the histories and doctrines of the New Testament. In more than one school the New Testament itself has been introduced, and in one the children are acquainted both with the New Testa- ment and the elements of Church History. It is a wonderful providence of God, that the Jews are willing to send their children to schools conducted on such principles. In towns, where the Jews have schools of their 488 POSEN — SCHOOLS FOR JEWISH CHILDREN. own, it would not be possible to draw away the children, and prevail on them to attend a missionary school ; but in small villages, where there are no other means of education, the Government oblige the children to attend. There are many such places in the Grand Dutchy, where schools might still be planted with good hope of success, and the Jewish children are most anxious to attend, and have been known to entreat their parents with tears to allow them to become scholars. In the town of Posen, the school had for a time been nearly dispersed, on account of the baptism of two of the girls. After this event, it was reduced all at once from eighty-three scholars to thirteen, in consequence of the threats of the rabbis. But storms of this kind have occurred be- fore, are to be expected, and may soon blow over. Our own missionaries in India have several times experienced the same trial after the baptism of native converts. The late King of Prussia, the present King (at that time Crown Prince), and other members of the Royal family, were in the habit of receiving an annual report of these schools, and re- turning to the missionaries their thanks, along with their subscriptions. This was instrumental in inducing the Jews to treat the missionaries with kindness, because they believed them to be in favour with Government. (Oct. 20. Sabbath.) Mr Bellson conducted us to the Gar- rison church, to hear sermon from Mr Niese, an Evangelical minister, who had lately come. All the serious people attend there, because it is the only church in Posen where they can hear " the words of eternal life." It is also the fashionable church, because the officers of the garrison are to be found there. It was crowded, and we had to stand in the passages along with many others, including some devout men from the country, who wore ear-rings, according to the custom of the place. After a very short Liturgy, the congregation joined in a psalm, and though there was a large organ leading, the sound of it was almost drowned in the full swell of human voices, carrying all the parts of music in a way unknown in our churches. After a short preface, the minister read out the text, Ephesians vi. 12, " We wrestle not with flesh and blood," during the reading of which all stood up. He began by remarking, that though some might think this passage suited soldiers best, yet every Christian is a soldier ; even in times of perfect peace there is war around him. One of his OARRTSON CHURCH — MEETING VT MR BELLSON's. 489 chief foes is the devil, the leader of a host — the unseen " ruler of darkness," who is crafty, suiting himself to the dispositions of every man ; if he be a poor man, tempting him to murmur, if rich, to be proud. Therefore we must take the " whole armour of God." The " righteousness " here spoken of is Christ's righteousness ; for oijir own could never give us courage to stand. The word of God is " the sword," as we see it proved to be when Christ used it against the devil, giving him always this stroke, " Es steht gc- schriehen, Es steht geschrieben, Es steht geschriehen," " It is written, It is written, It is written." We overcome through him in the same way. And (said he) " Christi Bruder ist Satans ilberwinder," " A brother of Christ is a conqueror of Satan." Therefore, watch. A soldier on watch cries to each that passes, " Who's there ?" [Wer da?) But is that all? No, he musf seek help. Therefore, also " pray." He then, in a strain of most animated eloquence, suiting his gestures to the words, spoke of the " hope, of salvation," and made allusion to the battle of Leipsic, the anniversary of which had taken place the preceding week, as a time when for seven years there had been one cry through all Germany, " Mit Gott filr Konig und Vaterland," " With God's help, for king and country." So must it be with us till our con- flicts are crowned with victory. A short prayer followed, after which he pronounced a blessing ; the people sang a hymn, and dismissed. It was an interesting audience, and an impressive service ; yet we were told that many were offended, for they are not much accustomed to hear the truth. In the evening we met together in Mr Bellson's for prayer and conversation on the Scriptures. Dr Cohen and Mr Klee were present, and at their request, we conducted wor- ship in English. There was also present an interesting young man, who is condemned to imprisonment for life in he fortress, because in his college days he had joined a con- spiracy against kings and governments. He has been lately impressed with the truth, and by the influence of Mr Klee has his bonds often loosed, (Oct, 21,) We found only eleven Jewish children at the Missionary school in Posen, and these very young, the rest being for the present deterred from attendance by the in- fluence of the Rabbi, The teacher appeared to be a man of an excellent spirit. He examined his class upon the early 490 POSEN — MISSIONARY SCHOOLS. life of Christ, and then they sang a hymn, while he led theni :)n the violin ; one little girl, named Lina, accompanied him with the voice by herself in another hymn. Up to the time of the baptisms this was a flourishing school. There were at one time twelve children in it of whose real conversion the teacher had every reason to hope well; and two of these were the girls lately baptized. The average number attending the seven missionary schools in this province, in the year 1839, was 267. In several of them an evening class is maintained, which is frequently well attended by elderly Jews, even married men. In Posen, as many as forty or fifty have come, induced chiefly by the desire to learn writing, though reading and explaining the Scriptures are always the principal business of the class. All the schools are gratuitous, for if the parents had to pay they would not send a single scholar. Every teacher gives in a monthly report of his school to the mis- sionaries, marking the attendance or absence of the children every day, and stating their progress and behaviour. Sub- joined is a specimen of the attendance of the children during five months in 1839 : — April. May. June. July. Aug. At Margonim, 44 42 32 34 40 Evening Class, 27 30 25 21 27 At Storchnest, 27 25 26 26 26 Evening Class, 21 16 16 16 15 At Kempen, 69 60 61 60 60 At Inaworclaw,! 21 46 48 34 20 At Schliclitingsheim , 24 25 25 At Posen, 58 67 76 39 33 At Rogasin, ... 24 3C 32 The books used are the usual elementary school-books, a book of history for children, and the Old Testament. The evening classes are not considered to be under the charge of Government, and therefore the system pursued in them is not so complete, nor the reports so full. In their reports, the teachers frequently mention the impressions made on the minds of the children by what they hear of the Saviour. The girl mentioned as baptized nine months previous to our visit, was Bertha Louisa Brache. She was one who had been imder deep impressions of divine truth for four years ; but 1 Pronounced Iiiavorclav MEETING Of SCHOOL COMxMITTEE. 491 the teaclier to whose instrumentality she owed her knowledge of the truth, removed to another station a great way off, in Prussian Poland, so that she had no one to whom she might open her mind. Bertha, however, became very decided in her views. Her mother was dead, and her father being her only companion, she loved him exceedingly, but he was a determined Jew, and bitterl}'^ opposed her desire to be a Christian, so that she resolved to seek baptism and a refuge elsewhere than in Posen. One morning she set out very early, with her Bible and hymn-book, to find out her teacher, who now lived so far off; but her father, suspecting which way she would go, pursued and overtook her. On being brought back, she said that as she went along that morning she was exceedingly happy, singing hymns and reading the word of God freely. Her father treated her very severely, taking every book from her, even her Bible, and not suffer- ing her to attend school ; at last she made her escape a second time, and her case becoming known, a very excellent man, who has an estate at Pinne, six miles from town, took her into his family. She was baptized at Pinne, by the worthy pastor of the parish, Dr Klee, and seldom has there been a more impressive scene than that baptism. The other girl, whose conversion is also very decided, is named Maria Charlottina Wilensia. In the evening a meeting of the committee who superin- tend the schools was held at Mr BeUson's house. There were present two officers from the garrison, affectionate, Christian men, who embraced us in the German fashion, kissing each cheek. Dr Cohen also attended, and one of the pastors of the Garrison Church, a worthy man, yet like some other of the good people of Germany, totally ignorant of the Old Testament, and not reckoning it inspired. We had some interesting converse with this person in Latin, and sur- prised him not a little by telling him that in Scotland we all received the Old Testament with the same reverence as the New. We removed some of his objections, but he knew so little that he could scarcely find out the books to which we referred, in the common German Bible. He told us that he had read some of Dr Chalmers's works translated into Ger- man, and desired much to see his sermons. We had often heard the missionaries remark that those Christians in Ger- many who take a lively interest in the Jews, are all of them 492 POSEN — PRUSSIAN TEACHERS. persons who have begun to take an interest in the Old Testa- ment ; but this clergyman seemed to be an exception. How defective must be the knowledge, sanctification, and spiritual attainments of many German Christians, since " all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, &c,, that the Qnan of God may he perfect, throughly furnished unto all good worJcs." How thankful ought we to be that we live in a land where from our youth we are taught that every word of the Holy Bible is divine. Dr Cohen explained to us the manner in which all Prus- sian teachers are licensed. — They are obliged to attend one of the normal seminaries for three years, and at the end of this period receive a testimonial with the signature and seal of the proper authorities. The most proficient get testi- monial No. I. ; the next, No. H. ; and those who have made least progress, No. IH. The following are the heads of the testimony: — 1. Religion; 2. German Language; 3. Elocu- tion ; 4. Writing ; 5. Reckoning ; 6. Geometry ; 7. Geogra- phy; 8. Natural History; 9. Singing; 10. Piano and Organ ; 11. Violin ; 12. Theory of Music ; 13. Drawing ; 14. Aptness to teach. After each head is written " tolerable," " well," " very ivcll," according as the case may be. Why is enlightened Scotland so slow to imitate the many excel- lencies in the Prussian System of training her teachers ? The teacher's salary in their Jewish schools is only £20 annually, and a present varying from a few dollars to £3. The female teacher, who is engaged two hours a-day in teaching the girls knitting and sewing, receives £4 a-year. The rent of school-room, cost of materials, &c. must be added to this, and about £5 at the outset to fit up the room. So that the whole cost of maintaining a Posen missionary school is from £35 to £40 a-year. At how small a sacrifice may Christians in this country open up more of these " wells of salvation " for Jewish children, who are " ready to perish " in Prussian Poland, The same evening we walked round the fortress of Posen, which is in the course of being erected. It is of vast extent, and the walls are of a peculiarly hard brick cemented to- gether, having bastions of earth impenetrable to cannon-balls. At the corners stand bomb-proof redoubts, small forts so constructed that twenty men could maintain them against a host, and these have undertrround communications with dis- VISIT TO JEWISH SCHOOL AT STOUCHNEST. 493 tant fortifications. When the whole works are finished, there will be five such fortresses completely encircling Posen, and frowning defiance on the Northern Bear, so that it will be one of the strongest fortifications in the world. Certainly we never saw anything like it in any of the countries we passed through ; but, how much happier did the towns of our own free country appear, which have neither gates nor bars ? And yet happier Jerusalem whicli shall have neither walls nor battlements, — for " I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a vail of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst «f her."^ We left Posen at 12 o'clock the same night in company with Mr Bellson, to visit one of the Jewish schools at Storch- nest, being anxious to be there next morning (Oct. 22) iu time to see its operations. The blowing of the bugle in the Prussian " Post-waagen," is a very enlivening sound. The Suarrow or driver imitates the sounds of the horses going at different rates of speed. " Blasen sie ' Die Fahr-post,' " said Mr Bellson, and the driver imitated the sound of the common mail-coach. Then " Blasen sie ' Die Schnell-post,' " and he gave us the rate of the express-post. We retraced part of our Breslau journey for three posts, and then turned off to Storchnest. The morning was dull and hazy ; we were well wrapped up in cloaks and furs, and iSIr B. occasionally beguiled the way with Hebrew chants, till about 10 in the morning we reached Storchnest, a small quiet village with a green in the centre. We found thirty-eight children in the school, of whom only fifteen were girls, all very poor, but having fine Jewish faces. As there are no other means of education, the Government makes it obligatory on the Jewish children to attend this missionary school, and the Burgo- master of the village is warden, and must take care that this is done. The teacher seemed a good young man, and the children were reading the life of Joseph in the German Bible as we entered. We afterwards heard them examined on Bible history, grammar, geography, and natural history, in all which they answered well. Lastly, they sang sweetly three of Luther's Hymns, the teacher playing the violin. On the whole, we were reminded of a well-conducted small parish school in Scotland ; only the singing was far more beautiful. We then proceeded to Lissa, a town of 10,000 : Zeca. 11. 4. 5. 494 FRAUSTADl MR HARTMANN. inhalyitants, of whom 4000 are Jews. It was here that Emma de Lissau lived ; and her relations are still here. The Jews of Lissa are noted for bigotry and attachment to Judaism, and the missionaries, though they sometimes visit it to discuss the truth with their learned men, have no opportunity to preaeh to the people, because the Protestant clergyman is a rationalist, and opposes them. At evening we came in sight of Fraustadt, said to be one of the cleanest towns in Prussia. The number of windmills erected near the town is quite remarkable. Ninety-nine were in sight, all in active operation grinding corn, which is car- ried to Berlin and the towns around. AVe spent the evening at Fraustadt with Mr Hartmann, a probationer of the United Church of Prussia, and one of the missionaries of the London Society. Mr Graif, another of their missionaries, also joined our party, for these two make Fraustadt their head-quarters, and both seem " workmen that need not to be ashamed." Mr Hartmann is allowed to preach in almost all the churches of the Grand Dutchy of Posen and of Silesia, and this liberty he uses on Saturdays in preaching to the Jews. When the missionaries arrive in a town, they spread among the Jews a few printed notices intimating their arrival, and also that there will be sermon at such an hour, mentioning the text or theme. These sermons in the parish church, are attended by a congregation of Jews and Jewesses, from 200 to 500 in number. They behave quietly, not answering again, as they would do in a room ; only when he quotes a passage of Scripture (which he always does in Hebrew), they repeat the quotation along with him, and sometimes correct him if he makes a slip in any word. He preaches to them plainly that Messiah is come, and that Jesus is the Messiah. On one occasion, he preached in the parish church of Kroto- sheim, to an audience of nearly 800 Jews, who listened with great propriety and stillness till he came to the end, when he began to declare in the most explicit terms, that Jesus Christ was the Messiah. This he had no sooner done than they rose and left the church in great confusion. At Pleschen, where there are only 600 Jews, he had lately a congregation of 300, and at Kobylin there were 200. On such occasions, the children attending the missionary schools delight to be present, and often bring their friends. At ths three fairs held at Frankfort-on-the-Oder, in May, JEWISH MISSIONARIES. 495 July, and November, the missionaries attend and preach to great congregations of Jews, both on the Saturday and Sunday. Mr H. preaches once a-month at Walstein, and once a-raonth at Glogau, but if there were more either of candidats or of ordained missionaries, they would traverse not only the Grand Dutchy, but Silesia also. These two atfectionate Germans told us that they had been labouring for twelve years in this pro- vince, and they observe a very marked change in the state of the Jewish mind. Twelve years ago, the Jews would not have come near a Christian church, nor were they willing to converse upon matters that affected their soul. But now they seem to be convinced in their heads that Judaism is false, and that Christianity may be true ; but they feel not the burden of sin, and therefore do not really change. The present is the time for Christians to use every effort to send the gospel to them, otherwise infidelity in some form will occupy their minds. What a sphere is this for missionary labour ? Here we might have our Scottish system of a parish school and a parish church realized among the many thousands of Israel ! Nowhere have we yet seen such an inviting field to one who feels that the simple proclamation of the glad tidings is a minister's chief duty. He may go through the provinces freely, enter the churches, assemble Israel, and, like another Paul, declare to them " the hope of Israel" as already come. Mr Bellson, by way of contrast, related some of the diffi- culties he had met with in labouring among the Jews of Hol- land. There are 25,000 Jews in Amsterdam, but many of them being rich and influential, are difficult of access, and bitter in opposition, while the meaner Jews do not hesitate to shew their dislike on the streets. On one occasion, they beset his house, and tried to raise a tumult. A man of a pe- culiar mould might be useful there, one who could face much opposition ; and it appeared to us that our Scottish churches in Amsterdam and Rotterdam would render the efforts of our missionaries more easy. (Oct. 23.) We left Fraustadt, accompanied by the three brethren, all in the missionary waggon as they called it, a car drawn by two active ponies, and driven by Joseph — a Roman Catholic, but a useful servant in gathering the Jews together, when we visit small towns. We shortened the journey by conversing on Israel, and the labours and prospects of the missionaries, and soon reache 1 496 SCHLICHTINGSHEIM — SCHOOL. Schlichtingsheim, a neat Polish village, built in the form of a square, with pleasant grass and trees in the centre. In the school were twenty- three Jewish children, all young. The elder scholars had very lately left the school, after complet- ing their term of attendance, which is eight years. There are only twenty Jewish families in the village, and every child of the specified age was present. The scholars were lively and interested ; and the teacher seemed to have the true art of fixing their attention. He examined them on the books of Moses. When they repeated the promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, he asked, " Who is this ?" They repUed, " Messiah." He then asked for the next prophecy in the Bible in regard to him. They quoted the words of Jacob, " The sceptre shall not de- part from Judah till Shiloh come," and said that Jesus Christ was foretold there. He pointed to a map of Palestine, and asked them to shew Bethlehem, bidding them tell who was born there. They quoted INIicah's prophecy, and explained it of the birth of Christ. They then pointed out Nazareth, and other places in the Holy Land, telling what had hap- pened at the several towns. The Burgomaster, himself a baptized Jew, turned to us and said, " These children have more knowledge of Christianity in their hearts than the chil- dren of the Christians." The teacher has an excellent me- thod of dealing with the children, for he rather makes them draw him out to sceak to them of Christianity, than forces it SsCttcICHTlNGSHEIM TO GLOGAU — ANJiCUOTfi. 497 apon them. They have frequently asked him to allow them to read in the New Testament, which he sometimes does, and we saw their German Bibles piled up, each containing the New Testament. Each child has also a MS. book of hymns well thumbed, the music written in figures. The parents are either too indifferent to make objections, or their own faith in Judaism is shaken. The teacher then examined them in mental arithmetic, in which it is said that the Jewish boys always excel. He also shewed us specimens of their writing and drawing ; and they ended by singing one of Luther's hymns, " Lobe den herrn." At one of these schools, on the day before Christmas, the teacher told the children that there would be no meeting of the school next day, and explained the reason. He was sur- prised in the course of the afternoon, when some of them re- quested to be allowed to come next day, and learn about the Saviour, whose birth he was to celebrate. He gladly con- sented ; and accordingly next day almost all the children came, and he then enjoyed the fuUest opportunity of instruct- ing them in the knowledge of Jesus. A similar incident oc- curred to another teacher. When walking in the fields one day with some of the children, they gathered round him and entreated him to tell them about his Messiah. He imme- diately sat down with them in the field, and fully proclaimed the Saviour to his little flock. In the school at Kempen, we were told that there are children who really appear to have the grace of God in their hearts. The same has been the case in the school at Posen, so that God is pouring out his Spirit on the seed of Jacob. We set out again in the missionary waggon for Glogau, passing through a village which a few years ago was swept away by the Oder overflowing its banks, but which is now re- built. An interesting anecdote here related to us, shews what blessed efi^ects might flow forth upon the Jews, if the Prussian Christians among whom they live were all Christians indeed. — An aged Jew was sitting one summer evening beside a really Christian woman, before her cottage door, as is the cus- tom in Germany. The Jew said to her, " If you would tell what you really think, you would say that Jesus is not the Son of God." She answered very solemnly, " As sure as we are sitting here, and the sun shining from heaven, so surely is Jesus the Son of God, and very God himself: and unless you 2 I €38 GLOGA.U. believe in him you must surely perish." He made no reply, but went liome, and soon after took to his bed, and was evi- dently at the gates of death. The Jews, according to their manner, lighted candles ; but once and again he revived. At last he cried, " Herr Jesu,'' Lord Jesus, " Have mercy upon me !" Upon this, all the Jews left him, and he died alone, calling loudly on the name of the Lord Jesus. Another an- ecdote was told us of a less pleasant nature. — Some time ago, when the missionaries were travelling through the Dutchy of Posen, they met a poor Jew who asked alms, and told them his history. He had had a large family of daughters, but no sons ; and had become excessively anxious that the next birth in his family might be a son. He prayed earnestly for this, and went so far as to say that if God would grant his request, he would submit to any suffering or disease, and would even be willing that his wife and daughters should die. Some years after, his wife did bear a son, but she herself was shortly after removed by death. Next one of his daughters sickened, and died ; then another, till at last all were taken from him. To crown his misery, he himself was seized with that loathsome disease, so common among Polish Jews, the jylica jyolonica,' and at the same time was reduced to poverty. He considered himself as a monument of the severe justice of God, who had thus punished him for insisting upon a change in the arrange- ments of his Providence. Crossing a wide drawbridge, we entered Glogau, a fortified town on the Oder, having 12,000 inhabitants ; of whon? 1500 are Jews. It has several Protestant churches, one o^ which is built of brick, and is 500 yf art old. Its gymnasium is reckoned one of the best in Prussia for teaching the Latin language. We called upon one of the Evangelical clergy, Pastor Anders, a young but faithful minister, who is exposed to much reproach for his Master's name. He spoke with us in Latin, making many inquiries into the constitution of the Church of Scotland. We here parted with deep regret from our three missionary friends. Although our acquaintance had been so recently formed, we had nevertheless found each other to be brethren, 1 This disease, already noticod in the history of Queen Esther, p. 480, will remind the student of i)rophecy of the words of JSroses, " The Lord sliall sniit« thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, froiii the sole of thy foot unto the top of thine heal." Deut. sxvin. a& PRUSSIAJV POLAND — JEWISH SCHOOLS. 499 and our hearts were knit together in love to the same Lord and in compassion for Israel. And now looking back on the view we then obtained of the field of labour in Prussian Poland, our sense of its importance has been deepened rather than diminished. It has many pe- culiar advantages : — 1. The Jeu'ish Schools, under the superintendence of the Missionaries, are not confined in their range of instruction to the common elements of a general education. The aim steadily kept in view has been, to give the young Jews such instruc- tion as will lead them to Christ. The Committee have suc- ceeded in finding godly men, trained in the Normal schools of Prussia, who are willing for a small salary to devote them- selves to this work. There was something in these schools that made us feel as if we were visiting our own parochial schools in Scotland ; only they were Jewish villages that sent forth the groups of playful children, and Jewish parents that came to make excuses for an absent scholar. The instances of conversion that have occurred, shew that they have " the good will of Him that dwelt in the Bush," for already young olive plants in this soil are partaking of the fatness of Judah's true olive-tree. Many more such schools might be added, if the Committee had the means ; indeed, they might be multi- plied to an indefinite extent. Surely some Christian hearts will be touched with pity for the children of Zion, " who faint for hunger at the top of every street." ' Since our visit, three additional schools have been set in operation by the contribu- tion of Christians in Scotland ; and the ease with which this has been done, proves hotv possible it would be to multiply them. 2. Along with these interesting schools, a missionary here has an open door for preaching the word to the Jews. Per- haps there is at present no other place where one whose delight is to lift up his voice as a herald of divine truth to Israel, could find such an opportunity of gratifying his desire. The mis- sionary has free access every week to the parish churches, if he be inclined to avail himself of the privilege, and on such occasions may be seen a crowd of Jews and Jewesses, with their children running by their side, moving to church to hear the Word of truth proclaimed. Particular occasions also, 1 Lam. II. 19. 500 .STATE OF THE JEWISH MIND. such as the Frankfort Fair, furnish them with even wider op- portunities. Let a man of apostolic mind and energy arise, and unimpeded by Government, he may stand in the midst oi Jewish multitudes, proclaiming, " Ho, every one that thirst- eth, come ye to the waters !" 3. The state of the Jewish mind in this province at present is most favourable to missionary efforts. In other places they delight to enter into controversy, here they have patience to listen to the exposition of the word ; and parents manifest an extraordinary, unsuspecting readiness to send their children to the schools. The authority of the Talmud with the mass of Jews is altogether shaken ; and yet they have adopted no other system in its room, as if Grod were keeping open the door for Christian labourers. The ftict, too, that there have been more converts from the Jews of this province than from any other country, of itself would confirm the favourable hopes that might be entertained from further exertions among them. And, when to aU this we add, that the qualifications required for a well- furnished missionary are by no means difficult of attainment, being simply a fluency in the German tongue, and a good knowledge of pointed Hebrew, does there not open to the view a field " white and ready to harvest ?" It is not a controversialist that is here required, butrather one, who, having the unction of the Spirit, would, like Paul at Rome, '* expound and testify the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening."^ After our missionary brethren had departed, Mr Klopsch, Director of the Gymnasium, called upon us, and invited us to spend the evening with his family. We complied, and were received with the utmost warmth of aliection. Besides his wife, his three boys were in the room, and his daughter con- tinued to work busily at the spinning-wheel all the evening, while taking an active share in the conversation at the same time. With the old Director, our whole conversation was car- ried on in Latin, and we imderetood one another easily. One of his seven surviving children he had called " Immanuel," because his mother's life was despaired of at his birth, but God was ivith her ; another he named " Reinardt" (i. c. pure- hearted)^ to intimate the purity of heart required by God ; 1 Acts xxviii. 23. CONVERSATION WITH MR KT-OPSCH. 501 and so with the others. When we asked why lie had not pfiven names to his daughters on the same principle, he re- plied, " Because at the time of their birth, I myself did not know the Lord." At his desire, we described the present state of Palestine, while he and his family put many ques- tions about the towns and places mentioned in Holy Writ. He told us that there are forty Jewish boys attending the Gym- nasium here ; some of whom left the Roman Catholic gymna- sium, and came to him, because he was kind to Jews. Of one Jewish boy he had much hope, for he came of his own accord, like Nicodemus, and asked to be taught concerning the Chris- tian faith. He knew a good deal about Scotland, and said that the visit of a German traveller, Gemba, who described the manner in which the Sabbath is kept by the Scottish peo- ple, first drew forth his love to our country. He was inte- rested in the questions at present agitating our Church, and had already heard that the Veto Law was pronounced illegal. He seemed to appreciate fully the Scriptural constitution of our church, in being free from all civil control in matters spi- ritual, and felt deeply that the treatment of the Lutheran church by the Prussian King was an act of encroachment by the civil power, resulting from their church possessing no spiri- tual jurisdiction distinct from the State. One of his favourite books was Rutherford's Letters, which have been translated into German. During the evening, a German Candidat csune in and joined the conversation in Latin, and also a gentle Moravian with his wife, from whom Mr Caiman received an interesting account of some of their settlements. The com- pany of believers seems to be very small in Glogau, but they are full of love. They have to suffer many things. Meet- ings for prayer are not allowed, lest they should be used for political purposes, and when they wished to have a Sabbath evening school in the church, the police prohibited it, on the pretence that the church might be set on fire, though the theatre is open with its blazing lustres every night. We told them how ditferent it was in happy Scotland. Late in the evening, we bade them an atfectionate farewell, happy to have had a glance into one of the believing families of Prus- sia. (Oct. 24.) We left Glogau in a raw foggy morning, before dawn, and in two hours were at Klopschen, Soon after wt- passed through Xeusaltz, a Moravian village, where Kol- 503 BERLIN — JJEWS. raeister lives, a venerable missionary, who laboured for thirty years at Labrador. At midday, verdant vineyards were on each side of the road, on the sloping hills around the pleasant town of Grunberg. Toward evening, we reached Lessen, ivhere the Oder is joined by another stream. The broad river, the opposing hill, mantled with vines, and the hand- some church, gave it a beautiful aspect. The dark blue kerchief which the women wear on the head in addition to their white caps, gives them a singular appearance. By nine o'clock we arrived at Frankfort-on-the-Oder, and next morning by daylight entered the capital of Prussia. Berlin is now so well known in this country, that any lengthened description would be here out of place. It is really a handsome city, situated upon a plain, with the Spree, a tributary of the Elbe, flowing through it, spanned by many bridges. The public buildings have much of the air of royalty about them. The castle, the museum, the dome church, the theatre with a church on each side (a painful combination, and an emblem, it is to be feared, of the state of religion in Prussia), are all handsome buildings, worthy of such a capital. The long walk under the linden- trees, with the king's palace and many fine houses on either side, all the way up to the splendid Brandenburg gate, forms one of the finest promenades in Europe. The streets are wide and lively, without being overcrowded like those of London and Paris. (Oct. 25.) Our main object being to acquire information regarding the Jews, we eagerly sought out Mr Becker, mis- sionary of the London Society. We found hira engaged with the captain of police, in a consultation about some Jewa who had come from Poland without a pass, professing to wish baptism, and one of whom at least seemed really in earnest. Up to 1830, Mr Becker was maintained by the Edinburgh Jewish Society ; and laboured in Magdeburg, until he was compelled by the late Duke to leave that station. He was then engaged at Frankfort-ou-the-Maine, and lat- terly at Berlin. During the year then past, fifty-four inquiring Jews had come to hira, of whom he had baptized five, but many had drawn back. There were about 5000 Jews in Berlin, though others make the number 8000 ; and between 900 and 1000 proselytes. Of the latter, the great proportion are very poor, a few only rich, but these have JEWS. 503 ao concern about the salvation of their brethren. Two Jews came in while we were with Mr Becker, one an inquirer, the other a baptized convert, a rabbi from Galicia, named Abra- ham, whom he had met in London, and who had been lately sent over to study under Mr Becker's care. He is a very learned man, but proud, and unwilling to submit to the labour \>f acquiring elementary knowledge at his time of life. There is a society in Berlin for aiding in the support of poor proselytes and inquirers, and which is thought to be absolutely needful. The plan is not to give help directly, but in return for labour, getting pious men to employ in- quirers or proselytes at their dift'erent trades. In the even- ing, we met with the Committee of this Society, and were introducedjto the Rev. Mr Kuntze, and Mr Focke, the Secre- tary. We heard a statement of thirty cases of those who receive support. " Most of our experiences are sad (said Focke), but some are joyful." One of their first steps was to advertise for Christian masters, who from love would be willing to take Jewish inquirers and converts as apprentices. Thirty-three masters agreed to this, but it was not all of them that had patience and long-sutfering with the young Jews sutScient to lead them to persevere. They thought an Institution for proselytes would be advisable, where they might be fed and watched over, and from which they might be sent out as apprentices, for at present they sleep each in the house of his master. They had been instrumental in re- lieving the wants of about seventy proselytes during that year, the support granted ditfering in ditferent cases, — some requiring clothes and every thing necessary ; only they never give help directly, but always in return for labour. The " Basle Frcund des Israel," published at Basle, is conducted on the same principles. Mr Becker mentioned that he had preached at the gaol on the previous Sabbath to 400 prisoners, among whom were forty Jews. The Director is a good man, and has been use- ful to several of the prisoners, and among others to a young Jew. This youth was confined two years for theft, during which time he learned the catechism and much of the Bible, and now that he is set at liberty, he comes regularly to the missionary asking in good earnest what must he do to be saved. Mr Focke also told ua of a man who had murdered bis mother, and who, during his confinement, appeared to be 604 BERLIN — STATE OF RELIGION. truly converted. The minister who attended him said that his confession of sin was the deepest he had ever heard. It was likewise mentioned that three persons of note had lately laid before the King of Prussia a proposal that the European powers should at this time bring Jerusalem again under Christian sway, or give it into the hands of the Jewish nation by a bloodless crusade. The king answered that he highly approved of their object, but that he had no influence, and advised them to lay the proposal before the other powers of Europe. They were said not to be religious men, but men moved by general views of philanthropy. Dr Neander, though himself an Israelite by birth, takes no special interest in his brethren. He cannot be made to see that means ought to be used for their conversion, and his opinion is that the efforts of societies are not to succeed. On the other hand, Dr Hengstenberg has done much for the Jew- ish cause, and has frequently recommended it to his students. Walking home with the faithful Kuntze, we received from him an account of the religious state of the capital. Berlin has a population of 250,000 souls, and seventy churches of different denominations. Three ministers and two churches have boen added lately upon the principle of our Church Ex- tension Scheme, for the Government discovered that the po- pulation had greatly increased, while scarcely one additional church had been built for a hundred years. Some rich peo- ple subscribed to the new churches, but the Government were the chief promoters of the scheme. Rationalism is not in fashion at Berlin; only three of the ministers are Ration- alists, and these are not attended by more than fifty hearers. The late king was a supporter of all good things, though he did not firmly press on his ministers all that he himself saw to be right. The present King (at that time Crown Prince), was thought to be much more decided, and supported the truth in direct opposition to all his father's Neologian councillors. Three of the King's ministers, of whom Kuntze is one, preach the Gospel unflinchingly. There is also some success accompanying the preached word in Berlin, and many come inquiring what they must do to be saved. Gossner, who was brought to the knowledge of the truth through Mar- tin Boos and wrote his life, is pastor of the Bohemian church here, and has been remarkably blessed in awakening souls. The real Christians of Berlin do take an interest in the cause N£VV SCHOOL SYNAGOGUE. 505 of the Jews, but not equal to its vast importance, for missions to the heathen are far better supported. Kuntze himself is engaged every week in the instruction of inquirers, both Jew- ish and Gentile, and has baptized 112 Jews from the com- mencement of his labours, forty of whom were from the Grand Dutchy of Posen, and almost none from Berlin. " It is a cause (he said) which needs much patience and long-suf- fering ; but the more they are sunk and degraded, so much the more we should compassionate them. And how cheering is that promise, * As ye were a curse among the heathen, house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing.' "' In passing the palace, Kuntze pointed to the King's sleep- ing apartment, the light in the window of which is the com- mon intimation to the people that the King has retired to rest. We could not but contrast his peaceful reign with that of the Sultan of Constantinople, whose palace is far removed from his capital, in order to ensure his safety, (Oct. 26.) Rabbi Abraham called and conducted us to one of the New School synagogues, connected with their semi- nary for youth. A choir of fine Jewish boys sat on either side ; the older Jews, wearing no distinctive dress except the Tallith over the shoulders, sat in the middle ; the women were placed by themselves, but not concealed by any lattice- work. After a short prayer, a fine Hebrew psabn was sung by the boys responsively, and then the rabbi, Dr Auerbach, gave an extempore prayer in German, and preached a sermon on Abraham oifering up Isaac, enforcing from it the duty of serving and obeying God. His quotations from Scripture were given in Hebrew, but always followed up by a German translation. We spoke with several of the Jews present. One who had travelled with us from Breslau seemed a fine young man, and seriously inclined. Another spoke with us in Latin. While leading us to the synagogue, he said that he still studies the Talmud, though he does not receive it as the Word of God, and that he believes the Old Testament to be divine. The old synagogue is a fine large building in the Gothic style, like that of Brody, but not so handsome. We visited the splendid Museum, which is freely open to the pubUc ; and afterwards called on Eisner, agent for the Bible and Tract Society, a warm-hearted, godly old German, 1 Z< ctu vni, 13. 506 BERLIN — MR BECKER — KLOSTER-KIRCHE. a truly zealous and useful man, and one of those who are raised up by God to be the helps of the ministry in spreading the glad tidings over the world. He gave us the Reforma- tion Tract, newly printed. The Saturday following was to be held as a sacred festival, in commemoration of the Refor- mation, it being exactly 300 years that day since first their King publicly owned the Reformed religion, by partaking of the Lord's Supper in both kinds in the Old Church of Nico- lai (2d Nov, 1539). The present Royal Family had re- solved to partake of the Lord's Supper in the same church on that day. On our way home, we did not fail to visit this venerable structure, with its sharp-pointed spire, the Nicolai Kirche, where Bucholzer used to preach. (Oct. 27. Sabbath.) At nine, we went to hear Mr Becker preach in the Roman Catholic " Kloster-Iiirche," a dismal old church, built of brick, with galleries covered over with ancient paintings, and an immense image of Christ on the Cross with the women standing by, suspended from the roof. These do not suit our Presbyterian, nor even our Protestant taste, and must be an object of abhorrence to a Jew, There was a small congregation of serious old people, and a few Jews. We first heard the Lutheran liturgy, then a psalm, and a discourse on Exod. xxiii. 21, " My name is in him." Mr Becker is in the habit of advertising in the newspapers the day before, the subject on which he is to preach, thus : — " AVERTISSEMENT. ' Kehret wieder, ihr abtriinningen Kinder, so will ich euch heilen von eurem Ungehorsam.' Die Alt Testamentliche Predigt iiber Jerem. in. 22, 23, wird am Busstage, den 24^**^'" April, fruh 9 Uhr, der Prediger Becker in der Kloster-Kirche halten." " Advertisement. ' Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your back- sliding.' The Old Testament discourse on Jerem. in. 22, 25, will be given on the Fast-day, 24th April, at nine o'clock A.M., by Mr Becker, in the Kloster-Church." We next went to the Dom-Kirche, where the King and Royal Family generally attend. It is a modern building, with a lofty fretted roof, supported by a range of pillars on either MR K.UNTZE — SABBATH DESECKATION. 507 side. The altar is adorned with a beautiful painting, two lighted candles, and a crucifix. Five services are conducted here every Sabbath by different ministers, at different hours. As we entered, we saw the conclusion of a marriage ceremony, which was performed in front of the altar. A short liturgy was then read by an aged minister, and a fine choir of boys sang a hymn, aided by a noble organ. A younger minister preached on " The two debtors," with a good deal of anima- tion in his manner. Reading sermons, or even the use of notes, seems unknown among Prussian pastors. At two, we heard Mr Kuntze preach in the " Waisen- Kirche" (Orphan-Church), to a large and evidently impressed audience. The singing was delightful, and the discourse de- livered with great fervour and warmth, from the words " Ye were once darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord." He referred in the course of his sermon to the Reformation, and the third jubilee of it to be celebrated that week. At every mention of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, whether in prayer or in the sermon, the greater part of the congregation bowed their head. Most of them sat during prayer, though some kneeled, and some stood. After the blessing was pro- nounced, all sat still for a minute in deep silence, and then rose to depart home. The Sabbath desecration of Berlin is most lamentable. It is not like the gay pleasure-day of Paris, nor like the day of show and parade in London, but it is like a common business- day. Most of the shops are open and busily frequented, and most of the people wear their week-day clothes. In the even- ing, it was saddening to see the large theatres open and lighted up. Guilty city ! Paris sins in comparative ignorance, but Berlin sins against the light of a faithfully preached gospel, and the testimony of many holy believers. (Oct. 28.) We visited the Jewish school belonging to the New Synagogue, where 150 boys are educated. There are four classes, of which the highest is taught Hebrew thoroughly ; one of the boys translated a portion of Isaiah while we were there. They have a small library apparatus for experiments in natural philosophy, and a piece of ground cultivated for the" study of botany. The director, Auerbach, paid us every at- tention, gave us their printed reports, and conducted us through the orphan-house adjoining, where sixteen orphan children ar-j niaintained. When educated, thfse )rphans are sent out i* 508 BKRLIX — GOSSNER — BOHExMIAN CHURCH. work under Christian masters, and two of them have been bap- tiz(xl. At four o'clock, we went to hear Gossner preach in the Bo- hemian Church. It was crowded with an audience of pecu- liarly solemn and devout worshippers. The king's brother and his lady are among his most regular hearers. He preaches with much fervour and great plainness, not sparing the sins oi high or low. His remarks were often very pointed. " Some of 3'ou cheat, lie, swear, and come to the Bohemian Church and are among my most attentive hearers, — and why ? Tha* you may balance your sins with your devotions." He preached first from the New Testament, and then from the Old, both discourses being very brief. At the close, the congregation sang a missionary hymn, with special reference to their brethren who have gone to Australia ; Gossner reading the line, and all singing in the sweetest manner. We spent the evening with Mr Focke, and learned some- thing more of the brotherly love of German Christians. Mr F. is the translator of Rutherford's Letters, and the works of bome other Scottish writers, into German. (Oct. 29.) We had an opportunity of hearing Dr Nean- der lecture for an hour to about 400 students. He stood without any gown, carelessly dressed in a brown surtout, lean- ing over a rude desk. His large shaggy eyebrows and pro- minent Jewish nose, give an expression of depth and power to his face, but his whole manner and appearance are most ungainly. His utterance is very distinct, but with a good deal of effort, and with so many pauses that the students were able to write down every word ; and when he came to any unusual proper name, he spelt it to them. The lecture was on the authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews. In the midst of his dissertation the bell rang, whereupon he immediately closed his papers, scarcely finishing the sentence, bowed to the students, and was the first to leave the class-room. There is no prayer either at the commencement or close, for this would be considered Pietisrti. The Doctor is a singular man. When visitors go to call upon him, they have often to seek about his room in order to find him, for he is hidden behind shelves and folios. In conversation they must draw him out, question after ques- tion, for no one gets from him more than he asks. Yet he is very kind to his students, and entertains them twice a-week at tea. UNIVERSITY — GO.SSN£R. 509 Berlin University is now tlistinguished in all iis branches. The great aim of the late king was to make it the first Uni- versity ill Germany, and he has succeeded, by gathering the ablest men to be professors there. Its theology is on the whole the. soundest of_any in Germany. Hengstenberg is professor of Biblical Criticism, and confines himself to the interpreta- tion of the Old Testament. He seems to be the firmest and Doldest opponent of Rationalism and German philosophy in all Germany, but there are not many professors who adhere to him, Neander is standing still wliile others are becoming more orthodox, and his views of inspiration would be con- demned by every body of Christians in England. We called upon Gossner, and found him a lively warm- hearted old minister. He does not take a particular interest in the Jews. " This is the time (said he) for angling them out one by one, but not for the general haul." He spoke much of Martin Boos, saying, " He was a man like Luther, but very mild, and I myself am a monument of his success." He believed that the chief reason why Boos never joined any Protestant church was, that he could not bear the coldness and infidelity so widely prevalent among them. Thirty-seven Bavarian priests were the fruit of his labour, who continue ii\ the Roman Catholic Church, yet preach the truth as it is in Jesus. Many of his people became Protestants, but others could not stand the trials to which they were subjected. He shewed us a picture which represents him with a cap on his head. We had afterwards an interesting account of Gossner's own labours in St Petersburgh. It is eighteen years since he was forced to part from his people there. Many in the Russian capital were becoming concerned about their souls under his ministry, and for this reason he was suddenly commanded to leave. Chained to a soldier, he was conducted out of Russia, when multitudes of his people followed him, weeping as they went for ten miles ; till he entreated them to return, and im- plored a parting blessing upon them. Although so many years have elapsed, still some of his people meet together upon his birthday every year, to pray that his useful life may be preserved. How lasting is the tie that unites a Christian people to their spiritual father ! We spent the evening with Mr Kuntze and two interesting Jewish coDvsrts. one a medical man, who desires earnestly to 610 maRLIN — KUNTZE — SABBATH SCHOOLS. be employed as a medical missionary among his brethren, the other a useful member of the Berlin Society for Visiting the Sick, and both esteemed as truly Christian men. From thera we learned something more of the real condition of Christ's kingdom in Berlin. Faithful ministers are on the increase, and they maintain three meetings for ministerial conference and prayer. One of these contains seven pastors, who meet every Monday evening for the study of the Scriptures ; the Hebrew and Greek Bible, and Hengstenberg's Christology be- ing before them. After supper they go over each of the ser- mons of the past Sabbath, and communicate freely ministerial experiences and difficulties. What a salutary influence such meetings must exercise, and how worthy are they of imitation by the faithful pastors of our own beloved Church ! Sabbath schools are not allowed in Prussia. Mr K. insti- tuted them, and carried them on quietly for three years, but they were put down by the Government on the ground that the teachers were not licensed. Even meetings for prayer are not allowed, through fear lest republican sentiments should be promoted ! Yet Mr K. holds a meeting every Wednesday evening, in a large saloon, in the house of Baron Kotswitz, a faithful old gentleman of eighty-three years of age, and this is fiUed to overflowing by an audience of above 400 persons. There are many awakened souls in Berlin asking the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward, and for the most part these are either in the highest ranks or in the poorest, the middle class being the most ungodly. Several of the faithful pastors visit from house to house through their parish, as amongst ourselves, but generally with the help of a Candidat, owing to the vast extent of their parishes. The division of parishes is hindered by the minis- ter's salary depending in great part on the marriage fees, &c., which would be much lessened by diminishing the parishes. The schools are entirely under the care of the clergy, so that they can direct the books to be read, and the portions of Scrip- ture to be learned. We parted from this affectionate servant of Christ after solemn prayei . Next day we visited the Normal Seminary, conducted by Mr Diesterweg, reckoned one of the most skilful normal teach- ers in all Prussia, and an author on the subject. We found him in the upper room, instructing sixty young teachers in the elements of logic. Oral catechetical instruction seems to be NORMAL SEMINARY — MISSIONARY IN'STITUTIUN 511 3ne principle of the system. He proposes a question, aiiJ all who are ready to answer hold up the forefinger. He namec one who answers, then another, with the greatest rapidity, keep- ing up a continuous stream of lively examination among all. The young men are taught in this way for two years, when they are introduced into the classes below to teach the children, the director privately observing and correcting their faults. We went through six classes of the school in which this process was going on. In one, the children were exercised in mental arithmetic. In others, instruction in French, Anatomy, and Natural History, was given, all in the same lively manner ; and in one class, they read a brief history of the Reforma- tion, and repeated a hymn. We were much gratified by this visit, and longed to see the same system fully realized in Scot- land. We next visited the Berlin Missionary Institution in Se- bastian Street, and were kindly received by the Directors, two gentle Christian men. They have a hall for prayer, com- fortable apartments for the students, a small library, and a neat chapel adjoining. Several young men were studying there at the time, who have devoted themselves to the mis^- sionary cause ; one of whom was Jacobson, a converted Jew, full of love to his Lord, and under training to carry the glad tidings to his brethren. The expense for each student is £30 a -year. The same evening we had the pleasure of calling on Dr Robinson, the American Professor, author of Biblical Re- searches in Palestine, — a most valuable work, to which fre- quent references have been made in a former part of this narrative. He was then residing in Berlin for the purpose of bringing it to a completion. Our inquiries being now completed in the Prussian capital, we set out for Hamburgh (which is thirty-two hours distant) late at night, good old Eisner seeing us away, and supplying us with tracts for distribution. Passing through Spandau and many villages during the night, we came next da) about noon to Perleberg, and shortly after to Ludwigslust This latter place is surrounded with gardens and pleasure- grounds, having formerly been the residence of the Duke of Mecklesberg, in whose territory it lies. At evening wf reached Boitzemburg, t.ben crossed a strip of territory be- 512 HAMBURGH — MR MORITZ, JEWISH MISSIONARY. longing to Denmark, and early next morning entered Ham- burgh. The environs of Hamburgh are beautiful , fine avenues of tr'a&s afford shady walks, through which the scenery of the river Elbe at different openings meets the eye. Many of the houses are old and picturesque. There are 150,000 in- habitants ; and it is reckoned one of the most vicious towns in Europe. The city forms a kind of republic, governed by a senate, who seem to be opponents of the truth. The established religion is Lutheran, but the pastors are far from being faithful or even orthodox. A little before our visit, two Candidats had been preaching against the Divinity of Christ, and nothing was done to check them ; whilst another faithful Candidat, who printed a tract opposed to Socinian views, was tried, fined, and forbidden to preach for three years. In the whole Hamburgh territory, there are twenty- six Lutheran pastors, but of these, only six have come boldly forward to defend the truth. One member of senate, who is a faithful man, has published a protest against the Socinianism of some of the ministers. There are 4000 English resident in this town, and these have an Episcopal clergyman. Mr Rheder, a minister of the Congregational persuasion, and a worthy man, labours quietly among his fiock, and is undisturbed. Mr Oncken, the agent to the Edinburgh Bible Society, preaches to a small Baptist congre- gation, but not without interruption. We found our way to the house of Mr JMoritz, missionary of the London Society, by birth a Jew, who for thirty-two years, has maintained a consistent profession of the truth. When he first went to London, before his conversion, he lived at the house of a Jewess. On Saturday, instead of going to the synagogue, he spent the whole day in going through the city, gazing at every novelty. On Sunday morning, he was astonished at the quietness of the town, and ^till more when he saw the shops all shut. Inquiring what it meant, his Jewish landlady said, " The people of England are a God-fearing people, and if we had kept our Sabbath as they keep theirs, Messiah would have come long ago." This word from the lips of a Jewess was the first arrow of con- viction that pierced his heart, for he always thought that Christians were idolaters. The arrow remained, and never left him till he was brought to the feet of Jesus. After his. WR MORITZ — JEWS. 613 I»Apllsni, he read in a newspaper one day a proposal by Alexander, Emperor of Russia, to establish colonies ot Jews near the Sea of Azoph, whereupon he wrote to a trr^nd in St Petersburg, that Gospel missionaries should first be sent among the Russian Jews. His letter was laid before the Emperor, by whose desire he was immediately engaged in that work. From 1817 to 1825, he went through many provinces of Russia, Volhynia, Courland, and the Crimea, preaching the gospel to the Jews with great acceptance, and often with success. His own aunt and her two sons were the first fruits of his labours. He was often invited to preach in the synagogues of the Jews, where the Jews listened with deep interest. Frequently, in order to attract them, he made use of their own style, and conveyed the truth in the form of a mashal or parable, — for the Jews still delight in this form of speech, as their fathers did.^ Once in the synagogue of Kiow, being asked to preach, he spoke the following parable. — " A poor Jew wanted very much to be rich ; he thereiore put a bandage on his eyes, that he might pray to Mazal or Fortune, and went everywhere through the streets, looking up to heaven, and crying, ' Mazal, Mazal, make me rich.' At length, Mazal threw down a great bag full of precious treasure, which fell right before him. The poor man did not take off the bandage, but ran on, and stumbled over the treasure. Neither did he even then turn back to see what it was, but went on, still crying, * Mazal, Mazal, make me rich.' Mazal seeing her gift neglected, took it up again into heaven, and the Jew remained a beggar as before." The Jews present requested an explanation of the parable, which he gave them, by referring to Isaiah ix. 6, and the 2d Psalm. A deep silence followed. At last some young men isked, — And will the bandage always be on our eyes ? He told them to pray that the Spirit of God might take it away. Five of these young men seemed to receive saving impres- eions that evening.^ 1 Judg. IX. 7. 3 In one of their own books on Psa. xxv. 22, they tell this mashal by way of illustration. — A poor man was travelling on a hot day, cai-rying a heavy load up- on his back. A rich man passing by in his chariot took pity on him, and invited him to take a seat in his chariot behind. Shortly after, on turning round, the rich man saw the pilgrim still oppressed with the load upon his back, and asked why he did not lay it on the chariot. The poor man said that it was enough that he had consented to carry himself in liis chai-iot, and he could not pr*- 2 K 514 RUSSIA AS A MISSIONARY HELD. In 1819, he was in Dorissow, preaching the gospel to th,' Jews, when a rabbi from Kletsk (six German miles distant), accompanied by some of his young men, called, and asked why he did not come to their town to preach the gospel to them. Mr Moritz said he was willing to come if they would receive him. The rabbi said, " We will treat you kindly, I and my people will hear you, and I will tell them to treat you kindly." Accordingly he went, and was well received ; he declared the gospel freely to them, and gave away all his tracts and New Testaments. He did not hear at the time of any particular result ; but a year ago, letters came from Warsaw from forty Jews of Kletsk, asking if one Moritz was still living, and where he was, offering if he were at Warsaw to come there and be baptized. " Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days." This excellent missionary regards Russia as by far the most important field for a Jewish mission. There are at least two millions of Jews in European Russia, not including Poland, and all are Talmudists except in Courland, where a little more light has broken in. But there seems Little hope of obtaining leave for Protestants to labour amongst Israel there, for the Government are doing all they can to crush Protestantism. The Basle missionaries who went to the Caucasus, obtained permission to baptize their converts, but a year after they were all sent out of the country. In the regions bordering on the Baltic, Protestants marrying Greeks were formerly allowed to bring up some of their children as Protestants, but now all must be Greeks. Before, when Protestants were far from a Protestant minister, the Greek priests baptized the children, allowing the children to remain Protestants ; but now all such children must be brought up a? Greeks. From Mr Moritz we obtained the same favourable account of the Karaites in Russia as that given before. There are two colonies of them near Wilna, inhabiting a town and a village, the one having 1500, and the other 300, who sup- port themselves by cultivating the ground. At a place called Kareimisky Neustadt (" new town belonging to Ka- sume to ask more. " foolish man " (was the reply), " if I am willing and able to carry you, am I not able also to carry your burden ?" Thus it is with God, when he once receives a poor sinner, if he accepts his person, he will carry his burden of cares too. JEWS IN RUSSIA. — SWEDEN — GERMANY. ii5 raites") in Lithuania, they are employed in agriculture, and the cultivation of hops and cucumbers. In the Crimea, there are above 4000, who are nearly all farmers. They are a very moral and trustworthy people. Once they did not re- ceive the prophets, but only the law, but now they receive both as divine. They keep the externals of the law very strictly, never kindling a fire on Sabbath in the coldest win- ters ; but they are full of self-righteousness. Jews in Russia are now taken into the army, so that no Jew can leave the country without special permission ;' yet still they succeed in obtaining passports by bribery. In Sweden, of which Mr M. is a native, there are only 250 families of Jews, and these are obliged to live in four cities. At Stockholm there are 600 Jews ; at Gottenberg, 450 ; at Narkoping, 100 ; and at Carlscrona, 40. Mr M. had visited them all, and so little hinderance is there in the way of labouring among them, that one of the Bishops offered hira a church in which he might preach to the Jews. In Denmark it is otherwise ; there are 2600 Jews in its capital, Copen- hagen, and the same number in Altona, and about 1000 more throughout the country ; but no missionary is allowed to seek their salvation. Mr Moritz having also visited other parts of Germany, gave us information concerning them. In Baden there are 20,000 Jews; in Bavaria 30,000; and in Wurtemberg 1200. In Baden, the greater part of the Jews have cast away the Talmud, except those in Carlsruhe. In Bavaria. there is a mixture of Rationalists and Talmudists, and little has been done for the Jews there, two-thirds of the popula- tion being Roman Catholics. In Wurtemberg, the most of the Jews are Rationalists, but very friendly. No missionary has ever been stationed there, though it is a most inviting field of labour, and he would find delightful Christian fami- lies, who love Israel, in almost every town and village ; and were his labours blessed, might be permitted to establish around hira a congregation of converted Jews. The desira- bleness of forming such a congregation was a subject on which Mr Moritz often dwelt. " You will never make a deen impiussjon on the Jewish mind," (he would often say,) " until you form such a congregation. If your church would lay down ber plan, and present it to the King of Prussia, you See Isa- suu.6. 516 HAMBUKGH — JEWS. would, no doubt, receive permission to gather all the converts round the missionary, as in the Moravian settlements, so that they might support themselves, sympathize with one another, and be nourished by sound teaching. I know a great many Jewish families in Wurtemberg who would at once join such a congregation ; but, at present, they are kept back in some degree by the feeling, that most of those who profess Chris- tianity around them are infidels ; while, at the same time, their convictions are repressed by the difficulties and painful struggles that are in the way of converts." Hamburgh itself presents a difficult field for missionary labour. There are 9000 resident Jews, and a fluctuating class of travelling Jews from Poland, Bavaria, and even occasionally from Constantinople and Asia, who come here in the way of trade. The majority are Talmudists, but far from being devout ; the New School Jews have an elegant synagogue, where they use an organ and German tunes to their hymns. When Mr Moritz first arrived, he sent a circular of inti- mation to the Jews, and immediately great crowds visited him. Many soon threatened to kill him ; and the rabbis both of the Old and New School used all their influence, so that in a little while all Jews ceased to come to him. He next opened a school, and taught twenty-four poor Jewish children for several months ; but the rabbis threatened to withdraw their proportion of alms, and so all were removed from him. At the time of our visit, Mr M. preached every Tuesday in his own house to about seventy hearers ; of whom, however, the most were Christians, with four or five Jews occasionally. He has found some fruit of his labours among them. Many of the foreign Jews who visit Hamburgh, come to him for a tract or a Bible, when he opens to them the gospel, and often they come again. That very week ten such inquirers had been with him. The Jews have great in- fluence over the Government, two-thirds of them being ric'i, and holding the greater part of the trade in their hands. They have a police of their own, who permit no foreign Jew to stay more than two days without their leave ; if he is' sus- pected of inquiring into Christianity, he is sent off imme- diately. Still Hamburgh is a most important station, and wa heartily thanked God when we found so warm-hearted a mis- sionary there, " going forth weeping, bearing precious seed." NEW SCHOOL SYNAGOGUE. 617 On our way to the old synagogue, we met Mr Oncken, newly arrived from a visit to Denmark, a kind, intelligent Christian, who went with us. The building was large, and well filled with careless-looking Jews, with nothing distinc- tive in their dress except the Tallith worn by some. They have little real devotion, and seem to cleave to the supersti- tions of the rabbis in outward form only. We next visited the New School synagogue or temple, " a temple without a Shecinah," as Mr Moritz well expressed it. The rabbi, Mr Klee, dressed with a small Jew cap and Tallith, black cloak and bands, was in the pulpit, reciting u German hymn with much energy. He then gave a short preface, and read the text in the same way as the Lutheran ministers ; and delivered with much elocution, a sermon on patience and submission to the will of God. He quoted a Christian author and several hymns, and even spoke of Christian patience. There were about 200 present, the ladies occupying the gallery and a side compartment. When the sermon was finished, and the blessing pronounced in the mode of the Lutherans, the preacher withdrew, and a Ger- man hymn was given out, the organ playing one of the fine national psalm tunes. Another rabbi then began the Hebrew prayer, but most withdrew during this service. The pecu- liarity of their prayer-book is, that they have erased all mention of Messiah. " Have I been a wilderness unto Israel ? a land of darkness ? wherefore say my people. Wo are lords ; we will come no more unto thee ?"^ It is pain- fully interesting to remark, that though they borrow so many of the externals of the Lutherans, they have a most bitter hatred at Christianity. Like the father of young Hannibai, they administer an oath to their children at confirmation, to the effect that they will never become Christians. Mr INIoricz had frequently conversed with a young Jewess, who had deep convictions of the truth, but who always waved any decided expression of her views by saying, " Ich habe geschworen, Ich habe geschworen," " I have sworn, I have sworn." The same evening we walked out at the Hamburgh gate, and along the Hamburgh Bar, famous or rather infamous over all the world as a scene of deepest profligacy, where many a British sailor has been hurried on to ruin, and where the poor Jews are too often made to share in the sin of Cliris- 1 Jer. II. .31. 618 HAMBURGH — NEWS FROM HOME. tians. At the end of this walk wb came to Altona, connected with Hamburgh, yet in the province of Holstein, and belong- ing to Denmark, a fine town, containing 30,000 inhabitants, with a shady walk under linden-trees, and a beautiful view of the winding Elbe, and a tributary entering it. It contains 2600 Jews, and many of the shops were open, though it was their Sabbath. It was this day that we first heard of the wonderful work «)f God that had lately taken place in Scotland. Mr Rheder, who shewed us much kindness, brought us a newspaper, con- taining brief references to the Revivals at Kilsyth and Dun- dee, thinking that we would be able to give him fuller de- tails ; but all our letters having been sent to Warsaw, we were in utter ignorance of what had occurred, God having re- served the good news till our wanderings were nearly done. The notices were of the briefest and most imperfect kind ; and though Dundee was named, we did not know how nearly we were interested in the shower of blessing. We were, however, filled with joy, by hearing that God had poured out his Spirit as in the days of old ; and we felt it a special kindness to ourselves, that the glad tidings should meet us when we were almost in sight of our native land. It appeared also worthy of special notice and thanksgiving, that God had done this in the very year when the Church of Scotland had stretched out her hand to seek the welfare of Israel, and to speak peace to all their seed. And we felt that the same promises that had so often supported us in our trials, had been made good also to our Church at home — " Blessed is he tliat blesseth thee :" " Pray for the peace of Jerusalem ; they shall prosper that love thee." Those only who have experienced what it is to have been long separated from a beloved flock, and in distant solitudes to pour out the heart to God in their behalf, can understand the feelings with which we now longed to visit our parishes again, and to know if they had shared in the grace that had dropped on the pastures of the wilderness. (Nov. 3. Sabbath.) Mr M'Cheyne preached in Mr Rhe- der's chapel, on the words " They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony." It waa the first time he had preached since laid aside by that pro-' ARRIVAL IN SCOTLAND. 519 vidence wliicli liad led to our mission being proposed. We afterwards enjoyed tbe privilege of sitting down at the Lord's table with a small company of serious people, among whom were four converts of the house of Israel. Mr Bonar ad- dressed the communicants, and then preached in the afternoon on Jer. xxxi. 3-7, giving a sketch of what we had seen of God's ancient people. In the evening we had a pleasant meeting in the house of Mr Moritz, who read the 102d Psalm, and sent us away with affectionate prayer. A little after midnight we left Hamburgh, and came to Shulau, where we embarked on board the Lonsdale steamer for London. After a prosperous voyage we entered the Thames on the morning of the third day (Nov. 6), and the same afternoon arrived in London. After spending a few days there among the many kind friends who had been interested in our wan- derings, we hastened to Scotland, and, " according to the good hand of our God upon us," arrived in peace. We were welcomed home by the Committee of our Church who had commended us to the Lord when we went forth, and solemn thanksgiving was oiFered for our return, with earnest prayer for our two elder brethren whom we had expected to find arrived before us, but who were detained by dangerous illness abroad. A few days after, the Commission of the Ge- neral Assembly received us in the same spirit of love, and re- quested to hear from our lips " concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Je- rusalem ;" and " we rehearsed all that God had done with us, and how he had opened the door of faith to his ancient peo- ple." Not less fervent was the welcome we received from the people of our respective parishes on the day we returned to them. And now that we can look back on all the way that God led us, we are constrained to say, to the praise of the glory of his grace, that He has blessed this undertaking from the be- ginning to the end. Both in the towns and rural parishes of Scotland, a deep, and we trust. Scriptural interest has been excited in behalf of Israel ; an interest which has penetrated to the very poorest of our people. While going from parish to parish to tell the things we have seen and heard, there is one gratification we have never missed — namely, the presence 620 RESOLUTION" OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLX. of the aged, patriarclial-looking men of our Scottisli peasan- try, (seated ofttimes on the pulpit-stairs,) that they might hear of " the seed of Abraham, God's friend," — the nation for whose ingathering their godly sires used fervently to pray, as they dropt a tear over the narrative of their miseries. It was a considerable time before Dr Black and Dr Keith were able to return. The former was detained some months at Vienna, and the latter till the following spring at Pesth in Hungary, by severe illness. Both, however, returned by the blessing of God with renovated health, bringing with them much interesting and useful intelligence regarding the countries they had visited. Immediately on their arrival, a report was drawn up, and submitted to the General Assembly of 1840, when it was unanimously resolved, that the cause of Israel should from THAT TIME FORM ONE OF THE GREAT MISSIONARY SCHEMES OF OUR Church. In July 1841, a similar resolution was passed by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ire- land. So thus one grand result of this undertaking has been, that the venerable Church of Scotland, in days of darkness and perplexity, along with her revived and vigorous offspring in Ireland, has been led to acknowledge herself debtor both to the Jews and to the Greeks, and humbly to imitate the Apostolic Church of Jerusalem, by sending forth some of her sons to the heathen, and some to the circumcision.^ True, when we turn our eyes on the millions of the blinded hea- then, and the scattered bones of Israel that whiten the valley of vision, we feel that absolutely nothing has been done at all adequate to the awful need of a perishing world, and the weight of our responsibility. Yet a beginning has been made ; the cry, " Come over and help us," is now distinctly heard in the remotest corners of our land. And all who take pleasure in tracing the steps of the Son of man, as he walks amidst his golden candlesticks, cannot but thank God that these two Churches have now come forth in their full Evan- gelistic character — preaching Christ and him crucified to their people at home, and stretching out their hands abroad, with the offer of the water of life to the distant Gentiles and the dispersed of Judah. " Not unto us, liord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake," APPENDIX. No. I. PEOGRAMME OF THE COURSE OF INSTRUCTION PURSUED VV THE RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS OF THE ISRAELITISH UNIVKR- SITY OF LEGHORN, IN THE YEAR 1839. Institution for Males, religious and moral instruction. Elementary Schools. 1st School— Formation of syllables, exercise on the vowel points, and the reading of the Hebrew tongue. The current read- ing of the principal prayers. (The system of mutual in- struction.) 2d School — Catechetical instruction, moral and religious: a firstwor elementary class, and a second or superior class. 3d School — Reading and translating the prayers. The read- ing of the Pentateuch, and some chapters of the Prophets (nil3Bn)' with the tonic accents (cnyto)- _ Italian rendering of Hebrew vocables. Rules for the vowel points and tonic accents. More Advanced Schools. 1st School — Complete and progressive reading of the Bible, and the oral rendering of it into the vernacular language. 1st Class — The Pentateuch and first historical books. 2d Class — The other books of the Bible. Rudiments of Hebrew Grammar. Religious dutieLi of the Jews. Hebrew text, read and translated, of Maimonides 'W'h 113n> Part I., abridged. Hebrew text, read and translated, of Jarchi (>ti^"l) on the Pentateuch. Hebrew text, read and translated, along with tlii Chaldee paraphrase of Onkelos. 2d School — A course of Hebrew grammar. 3d School — Oral and written translation of the Bible. Selections and moral illustrations of the same. 522 APPENDIX. HIGHKR RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION. Preparaiory School. 1st Class — The first Book of the Pentateuch, with Jarchi's Commentary translated and illustrated. The four first historical books of the Bible, with grammatical and philological comments, (jm^JQ IV^ mi^iDT 111) «'• «• the book called For- tress of David, and Fortress of Zion). 2d Class — Continuation and conclusion of the Bible, with grammatical and philological comments, (as bo- fore). Introduction to rabbinical and theological studies {ub^V T\^yhr^ "ll^i^p^ *'• «• an abridgment; of the Tahnudical work called " Everlasting Ways"). The ritual of Caro — rules regarding the prayers (vol. i. p. 1). Select treatises of the Mlshna. (The Mislma of rabbi Bartenora). Literary School. Higher Hebrew Grammar. Translation of Themes from Italian into Hebrew.^ Complete course of Biblical Illustration — including gramma- tical, moral, philological, and archaeological comnienis. Rabbinical School. Talmud — select treatises, with illustrations (such as JTl^"^3,» "Blessings before meat;" r\2\i!' "Sabbath;" JQ^, "Festi- vals"). Maimonides — select illustrations (such as Jl'i~l1D^^ 71173 i^T^j " forbidden meats"). A complete course from the Rituary of Caro, with illustratioHs. 1 As a speciinen of the way in which they teach the scholar to write He- brew, we subjoin the following. The master of the class took up a book that was lying by him, and read the following sentence in Italian. " I counsel thee to read with the pen in your liand, and to write on the book the useful and new ideas. This is the best means of imprintint? tliem in your mind ; and far- tlier, being in this way able always to find them, they will be helpful to you in your conduct when they are good." A lad, in the course of a few minutes, thus rendered the passage into Hebrew, using the current Hebrew hand : — nnD"?i D3T1 iDiniT dv nnsDi ^^np^ ddfi^^ \t ^^s* Nn^in"? W'lr^ DJ^^^t:^n nt in'?Qi ddii"?! did'''? 2r^r\ APPENDIX. 523 The commentaries of the Mishna (such as n3\I?n ti'^^'^» "New Year;" H^ID' " Feast of Tabernacles"). Opinions of the rabbis on questions regarding ceremonies. CIVIL INSTRUCTION. Elementary Schools. 1st School — Formation of syllables and reading. Penmanship, Arithmetic, the four first rules and fractions. (The system of mutual instruction). 2d School — Instructive readings. 3d School — Drawing. Geometrical figures — ^principles of or- nament and architecture. More Advanced Schools. 1st School — Penmanship and Orthography completed. Higher arithmetic, applied to Commerce. Italian Grammar. 2d School — " Scrittura Doppia." System of weights, measures, and coins. Mercantile Correspondence. 3d School — The French language. 4th School — Elements of history, geography and cosmography. 5th School — Lessons and exercises in vocal music, as used in the sacred songs of the synagogue. Institution for Females, t. Religious and Moral Instruction. Formation of syllables, exercises on the vowel points, and read- ing of Hebrew. Reading of the daily and common prayers, in Hebrew. Oral translation of the same. The Catechism. Daily reading, in the assembled classes, of moral and religious books, with illustrations and applications. II. Civil Instruction. Formation of syllables, and reading of Italian. ( I'he system of mutual instruction.) Instructive moral readings. Penmanship. Arithmetic. 11. Instruction in the Common Domestic Aiif. 1. Sewing, knitting, &c. 2. Embroidery, and works of the aecdl o. 524 APPENDIX. No. II. VALUE OF THE COINS MENTIONED IN THE COURSE OF THIS "WORK. A Piastre in Syria, in Asia Minor, . in Moldavia, Harieh in Egypt and Syria, A Para, A Zwanzig, = IJd. = 2d. ^ 3d. = 9 piastres. = 40tli part of a piastre =: 8d. A Kreutzer, -^-^ of a Zwanzig, less than a halfpenny. A Polish Gulden, . . . . = 6d. A Preuss Gulden, . . = 2s. We may subjoin a speciuien of the endless variety of Turkish coins which annoy jvnd perplex the traveller. At Smyrna, the fol- lowing note of the value of coins was given us along with our bag of money. Piastres. Paras. 133 Duckisly, at value of 9J^ piastres, = 1280 5 80 Rubbi Zenzerly, 9|8 . = 760 101 Addly Adzem, 19 . = 199 20 5| Addly Shdeed, 17 = 93 20 64 Spanish Dollars, 23 . = 1472 6 Austrian Dollars, 22 = 132 20 Faunus, 11 . = 220 4 Rissilik, 17^ = 70 2 five Piastre Pieces, = 10 2 five Para Pieces, 5 4237 10 No. III. HISTORY OF RABBI SIMEON BEN YOCHAI. We give the following as one out of a thousand specimens of Jew- ish credulity. — Rabbi Simeon is said to have lived in the second or third century. One day when some of them were met together, a rabbi named Pupas, who had visited Rome, related to his friends the wonders he had seen, — dwelling especially upon the works of public utility, such as the bridges, the baths, and the highways. Rabbi Simeon was much displeased at his commendation of the Romans, saying, that all they bad in view was self-exaltation. Upon tliia APPENDIX. 625 rabbi Piipas, deeply oftended at being contradicted, went to Kome &nd informed against rabbi Simeon. He Avas, accordingly, siun- moned to Rome ; but for a long time escaped the vigilance of tlie police On one of these occasions, when the police were in close pursuit of Simeon (who was in company with his son Eliezer), God revealed to him a cave, in which was a fig-tree and a spring of water. In this cave, both of them took shelter, and were nourished twelve years on the fruit of the tree, and refreshed by the spring of water. During this long time they were instructed in the cabbala by the prophet Elijah. On coming out of the cave at the end of twelve years, so absorbed were they in the study of the cabbala — the only true way of knowing God — that they looked on every secular pur- suit as profanity, unworthy of men created in the likeness of God. By their frowns they consumed many towns and villages, with hun- dreds of people, and the cattle that were plcugliing in the fields within their sight. On this, God commanded them to return back to the cave, lest the whole world should be consumed by them ; and there they remained other twelve years. During this period rabbi Simeon composed the Book of Zohar, still enjoying the instruction of the prophet Elijah. On leaving the cave the second time, the frowns of rabbi Eliezer were as destructive as rabbi Simeon's had been the first time, but the blessing of rabbi Simeon restored all that rabbi Eliezer laid waste. They hid the Zohar, in the cave, where it was found 400 years after, the roll being as fresh as if written only yesterday. Pilgrimages are performed to the rabbi's grave at Marona every year by Jews from all parts of the world. They re- main at it three days, spending the time in mirth and festivity. Often hundreds of pounds worth of shawls, dipped in oil, are burned in his honour. Vows are made to bim, and prayers presented for deliver- ance from any misfortune. Even in the time of the late earthquake, hundreds came to pour out their prayers over his grave. No. IV. JEWS OP CORFU. Communicated by a Resident there. (See page 392 ) The number of Jews in the island of Corfu is about 2000. They all reside in a particular quarter of the town, but are not separated from the rest of the population by any enclosed wall, as is the case at Rome, Ancona, and other places in Italy. They have two syna- gogues, and two small oratories. There is some trilling difference in the ceremonies performed at the two sjmagogues, but not such as to prevent a Jew, who is in the habit of attending one of the syna- gogues, from frequenting and worshipping at the other. The Jews at Corfu I consiler a very unfavourable specimen of their race. They are, in general, filthy in the eitr«uie in their liouses and in their 526 APPENDIX. habits, ignorant and ill-informed beyond all belief, very few of them knowing even the heads of their own interesting history. Their morality is at a very low ebb, but certainly not lower than the mass of tlie Christian population around them. The better class of Jews are principally merchants and shopkeepers (the greater number dra- pers), the middle cla.ss are artisans, and of tailors there are an im- mense number, tlie clothing both for town and coimtry being princi- pally made by them. The lowest class, of which there^are a great number, are dealers in old clothes, common porters, seamen, and ga- therers of rubbish. They have one good quality, which is industry, and, as a natural consequence, in the midst of a wretched, starving population, "they ai-e generally well oiF, and many of them rich. They are hated be- yond measure by the Greeks, who take every opportunity of insult- ing and ill-treating them ; and were it not for the protection of the British arms, their situation would be insecure and wretched in the extreme. Twenty years ago, a Jew dared not venture to shew his face in the street during Passion-week. Detachments of troops at that sea- son of the year, were stationed at their synagogues to protect them from insult and violence ; but a great change has taken place since then, and they may now walk about the streets even on Good Fri- day with impunity. The chief rabbi is a native of Gibraltar, and calls himself an Eng- lishman. His name is Bibas. He is a genuine Pharisee of the old school, rigidly observing the Jewish law. Some time since he pro- hibited his people from carrying an umbrella on the Sabbath, as a violation of the fourth commandment. The Jews here are generally very strict in their observance of- the Sabbath, which they will not violate for any temporal consideration, but they revolted against the prohibition to carry an umbrella on tliat day. In reply to the in- quiry wliether there are any Christians at Corfu who care for the souls of the Jews, I can only say that the Christians here, whether Greeks, Roman Catholics, or Protestants, care little, generally speak- ing, for their own souls, and therefore have little thought for the souls of the Jews. No. V. JEWS OF DAMASCUS. Commimicated by Ebasmus S. Calmak, from persona' "*>•' — »tion a few years ago. The Jews of Damascus are, like their brethren at Bagdad, th« descendants of the first and second captivity ; their descent may, Euuiy (appose, be traci^d as far back as the reign of King David. APPENDIX. 527 The Jews at Damascus at present point out a cave, or grotto, about three miles from the town, as having once formed the tempo- rary abode of the prophet Elijah, when he was sent to anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. The identity of this place, they say, has been handed down to them by an unbroken chain of witnesses, from the prophet to the present generation ; and here their ancestors vi- sited him, and brought to him the necessaries of life. The grotto is now metaniorjihosed into a kind of underground synagogue, and is resorted to on tlie last day of every month, wliich they spend in prayer and supplication. It is also a refuge in the time of danger. The number of Jews here in the time of the apostles must have been very great, but many of them were cut oft' during the wars of the Jews with the Romans, from which calamity they never recovered — and their number now does not exceed 5000 individuals. Their secular occupation is much the same as that of their breth- ren at Bagdad — banking and traflic ; but on a much smaller scale. They have little influence, and so have escaped much of the envy of their fellow townsmen. They live with more harmony and peace with the rest of the people than in any place in the East. Their prejudice to Christiimity is on that accoimt also much less than amongst the Jews elsewhere. They converse freely with the mis- sionary, and interchange visits; they willingly receive Christian books and tracts, and are very communicative. The fact of the Jewish quarter being at % distance from that of the -Christians, cuts ofl" any kind of intercourse except tliat of business, and this deprives them of every opportunity of giving vent to their ill-humour, which they might otherwise have done, and likewise lessens their dislike to Christianity. The Pasha of Egypt, since he has taken possession of Syria, has wrested all the secular authority from the hands of the rabbis, which is another reason for the liberal opinions of the Jews at Damascus. I would thus conclude, that Damascus, as a mission- ary station, is of the utmost importance, not only as it regards the direct preaching to the Jews, but also as it concerns the distribution of the word of God. Caravans come and go regularly from Damas- cus to Bagdad, Mosul, Aleppo, and other large towns, several times in the year, where the Jews purchase every copy of the Scriptures they can obtain from the British and Foreign Bible Society's Agent, and send them to the above-mentioned places, from which again they are sent to Persia and Curdistan ; and this is the only channel I am aware of, by which the word of God can reach the Jews in these distant regions. The Society's edition of the Bible is almost the only one which is tised in their families and the schools. Schools for Jewish children may likewise be easily established there, where the Hebrew, Arabic, and English should be taught. The latter language grows daily in importance since the trade with England increased. At Beyrout, where the number of Jews is comparatively small, not amounting to more than 1 00 individuals, several families of Jews send their children to the American school 528 APPENcrx. intended for the native Christians there, and parents mate no o« jection to their being instructed in the New Testamert It is interesting to read the above observations, written before thg sad persecutions of these Jews had somewhat changed their feelingg and situation. Perliaps, however, even after all they have suffered at. the hands of persecutors, on the ground of an alleged murder ot a Christian, British Christians will be found as welcome to tho Jews of Damascus as ever before. For British Christians have come forward to plead their cause as well as British Jews. Among others, the General Assembly of our Church in 1840, unanimously agreed to memoralize Government to interpose in behalf of the per- secuted Jews at Rhodes and Damascus, No. VI. JEWS OF BAGDAD. Communicatetl by Erasmus S. Caiman, who personally visited them. The Jews of Bagdad believe that they are descendants of the Jews who were carried thither in the first captivity. They still have over them one called " Head of the captivity in Babylon," '^^^^n i^l/wl" J£^i^~l 5 3^ office which arose in the first or second cen- tury. About the same time arose the office of ss^m S>>W3 Wi>J'n> ' Head prince of the Holy Laud." It is probable that these titles and offices arose from a desire to counteract the prophecy of Jacob, " The Sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come." They still apply the first part of this passage to their " Head prince of tlie captivity," and the " Lawgiver" to the " Head prince of the Holy Land. The Ro mans abolished the latter office, so that tlie Jews now content them- selves with referring to the first. They further say, that none were made princes who could not prove their descent from Judah. It is said that the Jews themselves applied to the Romans to put down the Head prince of the Holy Land, because of his oppressions. At present, tlie Prince of the Captivity is not a descendant of Judah. but is raised up by the Porte and the local Government at Bagdad to exact from his brethren the money levied on the Jewish nation there. The people hate the office, and wish it was abolished. Mr Caiman, on a visit to him, once asked him " If he really thought him- self the sceptre that was to remain in Judah ?" He gave no answer ; he would not say that he believed it, but only smiled. Yet the ex- APPENDIX. 529 istonce of t/iis office is an argument used by the Jews in Jie East against Christianity. The number of Jews in Bagdad is estimated at 5000 or 6000. Nine years ago there were five times as many ; but they have been destroyed by the plague, the civil war, and the inundation, — all which followed each other in rapid succession. The population jf the whole town was at that time reduced from 120,000 to not more than 20,000. Their moral and religious state is bad to a proverb. They are generally as bad as the rest of the population, which is saying the worst of them. This change has taken place since these judgments, a.s if they thought the arrows of God were all spent, and tliere re- mained no fear of wrath, or as if they had grown hardened like Pha- raoh. This applies only to their moral state ; as to their superstitious belief, they observe the traditions of the Talmud bigotedly. They spare neither money nor trouble in performing duties enjoined by the Talmud. They comit the performing of pilgrimages one of the chief works of merit ; and accordingly many families every year ac- company the caravans that go to Damascus and Aleppo, in order to visit the graves of their favourite rabbis, such as the author of the Zohar, at Marona. The poorer classes, who have not the means of making pilgrimages to the Holy Land, go on pilgrimages to the in- numerable graves of the writers of the Talnmd, in the vicinity of ancient Babylon. Some go to the graves of the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel, who are supposed to be buried on the frontiers of Per- sia, making vows and prayers to them. They are occupied in bartering and traffic, the commerce of Bag- dad and its vicinity being entirely in their hands. They have oc- casionally stopped ti-^de by withdrawing their capital from the mar- ket, when the Pasha attempted to make alterations in the currency injurious to their interests. Few have any manual trade, except writing out the Pentateuch on parchment scrolls, for which they are famous in all the East. They are bitterly opposed to Christianity and to missionaries. The reasons of this are — If any Jew were to embrace Christianity, the Head of the Captivity lias power to pimish him ; and he has done this occasionally in so severe a way that the criminal has died under the lash. Another reason is, that Christians — Armenians especially — avenge themselves on the poor Jews for wrongs done them by the Mahometans. The peculiar hatred which the Jews bear to the Armenians may arise from a charge often brought against tliem, namely, that Haman was an Armenian, and that the Arme- nians are the Amalekites of the Bible. When Mr Caiman visited Bagdad with Mr Groves in 1 832, to try to open a school .among the Jews, the attempt completely failed, chiefly through the fear they have of the Prince of the Captivity. The Cabbala is more a matter of study than the Talnmd, both here and in the East generally. Poland, instead of Babylon, may 2 L 530 APPENDIX. be said to have become the seat of the Talmud. The reasou an signed for the comparative neglect of the Talmud, and preference of the Cabbala, in a country where the writers of Talmudism once flourished, is, that more than half the Koran was taken from the Tahnud, so that to them it is associated with Mahometanism. About two days from Bagdad is a place called Heet or Hith on the banks of the Euphrates, in the desert between Bagdad and Da- mascus. Here about twenty families of Karaite Jews reside. Mr Caiman visited them : they prosecute the business of silversmiths, making trinkets and ornaments for the people of the town, and for tlie Arabs of the desert. Finding it diillcult, after all, to subsist by tlieir industry in that small town, they tried to settle in Bagdad or its vicinity ; but met with such determined opposition from the rab- binical Jews, that they were compelled to remain in this spot, where they have been for centuries. But the days are coming when " the liouud of the great trumpet " shall reach the ears of those that are " ready to perish in the land of Assyria."' When Mr Caiman vi- sited their Hacham, he was dressed in a long, coarse shirt, with a rope about his loins. A small square chamber served him both as a study and a synagogue. He had a few manuscripts, which he would not part with for any price in the world. He was delighted when Mr C. told him that he was as much opposed to the Talmud as himself; and tlien listened to him when he shewed in the Old Testament the declarations of the prophets regarding a suifering Sa- viour. The Radiants main objection to Christianity was Isaiah XLV. 4, "a people that eat swine's flesh. "^ Mr Caiman shewed him that this was not a reference to Christians, for the people spoken of " sacrifice in gardens," &c. The Karaites seem to be preserved as living witnesses against the Talmud, in the very seat of its for- mer dominion and its birthplace. No. VII. STRIKING SIMILARITY IN THE MAIN FEATURES OF JUDAISM AND POPERY, PROVING THAT THEY HAVE ONE AUTHOR. The object of both the systems of Judaism and Popery, is to lead men to (]o about to establish their own righteousness, and thiLS pre- vail upon them to live and die without submitting to the righteous- ness of God. In the system of Judaism, the working of Satan is seen in excluding Christ, and offering the sinner a substitute for him : in Popery, his work is seen in including Clirist, yet still pre- senting a substitute for him. On the forehead of both is written — Mystery ok Iniquity. I Ituv. xxvu. 13 t Isa. Uiv. i. APPENDIX. 531 POPERT Saj 6 ! The Bible is not the onl^ rule of faith. The Church is to determine what is to be believed. The traditions of the Fathers and de- crees of General Councils, are to be re- ceived as authoritative and binding. 3 The Pope, or at least the Pone along W'.tb a General Council, is infallible. Jtdaism sa^s; The Talmud and the Cabbala are as good authorities as the liible. Nay, the Talmud is wine, but the Scrijitures, taken by themselves, is only water. 2 All tne ti-aditionsof the rabbis are to be implicitly believed and followed. The rabbis and the authors of the Talmud cannot err. J'he laity ought to be guided by the priests, and have no right of private judgment. We will excommunicate them, if they judge differently from the nterpretations of our holy mother, the Church. It is the commentators. Jarchi, &e that are to settle the meaning of Srri|h ture, and not private judgment. We will fulminate our Herern against you if you interpret passages differently from us. It is not safe to give the people at large the plain text of Scripture. And the prayers must be read in Latin, not in the vernacular tongue. 6 There is great merit in giving alms, and in prayers, pilgrimages, and other good works. There is a purgatory. The best of men must be purged after death, instead of at once entering into heaven. The plain grammatical sense of Scrip ture is to be taught to few. And «9 must never use^nyijiit Hebrew prayers however few may understand them. 6 " Alms deliver from death." There is merit to be stored up by prayers, pilgri- mages, feasts and fasts. "Touch not; taste not, handle not." 7 The Jew after death must undergo n trial of fire, and roll under theeartn t« the Valley of Jehoshajihat. No man can be sure of salvation till the very hour of death. Therefore he must try to make his vague liope somewhat surer by every means whitli the priests and the Church choose to point out. 9 It is right to pay the priests for the Confessional, saying Mass, &c. 10 Prayer for the dead is useful to free the soul fi'om purgatory. Therefore, after you die, we will pray for you, if 'ou pay us for doing so. 11 Prayers to dead saints and to the Vir- gin Mary, are of gi-cat benefit in time of j-ouble. 12 tVorship may be paid to images and pictures; yet not exactly to them, but unly U wfiat tfcey represent No Jew in tliis life can come to a set tied hope of acceptance; wherefore, he must use every means that the rabbis choose to appoint to make his hope surer. The rabbis require a present for giv. ing you advice, praying for your dead friends, &c. 10 "May God remember the soul of my honoured father A.B., who is gone to his repose; for that I now solemnly vow charity for his sake. In reward of this may his soul be bound up in the bundle of life." This is a prayer at the Feast of T.ibcrnactes. 11 Every Jew ought to pray over tl*. gi-aves of the saints, asking them to in tercede with God for him. It is right also to plead the merit and services ol our rabbis, and our father Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 12 On the Evening of the Day of Atone- ment, Jews must pray to the Shecinali in the moon, yet not as if to the moou- 532 A.PPENDIX. PoPERT says: 13 Pilgrimages to holy wells, to holy places, and above all to the Holy Sepul- chre, are meritorious. 14 Kiss the crucifix, and exalt it every- where, yet pretend that you do not adore it, but him who died on it. 15 Read much of the Gospels, little of the Epistles, and do not encourage private reading of Scripture. If any read much of the Bible in private, he is a heretic ; out if he read much of the Fathers, he is a good son of the Church. 16 Keep the Sabbaths after forenoon service is over, by being gay and merry, and going to the theatres, &c. 17 Christ will receive those who make themselves holy before they come, that is, who recommend themselves to him by theu- works, and their fidelity to the Church. 18 It is lawful to put a baptized man, woman, or child, to death, if they re- nounce the true Church. 19 There is no salvation out or tiie Church of Rome. J0CA18M says; 13 Pilgrimages to the tombs of rabbis, such as Marona, and to the Holy Land. and offering prayer at the stones ot the Temple wall, are acts of high merit 14 Adore the Torah — kiss it, and yet not as if it were any thing itself, but on pre- tence of adoring the Giver of it. 15 Read much of the Latu, and the His- tories, and the Psalms, little of the Pro- phets. If any read much of the Scrip- ture, he is an Epicurtis, that is, a here- tic or infidel ; but if he study much ol the Talmud, this is meritorious. 16 Keep the Sabbaths, when not occupied in synagogue worship, by eating and drinking more than usual that day, tak- ing three meals, and by walking about in gaiety, and calling on each other. 17 It is not with pardon that Messiah has to do. He is to reward his faithful people, who are pardoned already by theu- alms, fa«ts, and prayers. 18 It is right to persecute, even to death, any Jew who becomes a Christian. 19 " Heretics and Ejiicureans go down to hell and are judged for eve.." Such is a specimen of the coincidence between the doctrines of Judaism and those of Popery, and the instances could easily be multi- plied, proving to a demonstration that both systems proceed from the Father of lies, the great adversary of Christ, and of the souls of nieu. Of the great ma.ss of the deluded people under both systems, it raav truly be said, " God has sent them strong delusion that they should believe a lie," while their priests and rulers subject themselves to that sentence from the lips of Christ — " Woe unto you. Scribes and Phari- sees, hypocrites ! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men ; for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." 533 PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE REFERRED TO OR ILLUSTRATED. Chap, iii. X. xii. XVll. xviii. XX. xxi. xxii. xxiv. xxvi. xxviii. xxix. xxxiii. XXXV. xxxvii. xli. xlii. xlvi. xlviii. zV.x. Genesis. Verse. 18, 3, 1, 6, 8, 3, 8, 18, 5, 18, 7, 12, 77 25, 6, 8, 1, 28, 1, 15, 2,9, 11, 12, 18, 11, 12, 13, 2, 4, 16-20, 25, 28, 42, 3, ■ 27, 1, 4, 29, 22, 13, 20, 22, 31, la. Papfe. 119 167 3 213 205 205 44 184 44, 179 90 80,84 ,274,303 59 81 94, 184 91 182 94 80 145 80 94 205 94 80 80 175 94 256 84 55, 253 94 84 72 213 286 232, 265 213,217 181 V8l Exodus. Chap. Verse. Page. i. 14, 373 ii 15, 80 iii. 5, 68,314 vii. 18, 68 xiv. 15, 438 XV. 20, 61 23, 85 27, 77 xvii. 6, 85 xix. 4, 442 xxii. 31, 452 xxiii. 19, 471 XXV, 5,10, 79 xxix. 22, Leviticus. 105 i. 10, 14, 270 iii. 9, 105 xi. 40, 230 xiii. 6,13, 403 xvi. 407 xix. 19, 457 xxiii. 40, 421 xxvi. 26, 476 34, 226 36, 444 39, 324 42, 322 NmiBERS. vi. 23, 447 xi. 5, 52,79 xiii. 22, 72 23, 107 33, 113 XV. 38, 360, 457 39, 457 XXI. 27,28. 414 534 TNDEX OF SCRTPTURE REFERENCES, NmiBERS — coniimied. 1 Joshua — contimted 1 Chap. Verse. Pape. 1 Cliap. Verse. Pagft xxii. 1, 195 X. 16, 204 xxiii. 10, 144 xii. 20, 22, 281 xxiv. 9, 61 XV. 3, 100 XXV. 1, 195 8, 150 xxxiii. 22, 81 9, 175 xxxiv. 8, 241 16, 19, 178 101 Deuteronomy. 25, 115 43, 116 ii. 23, 94 xvi. 8, 223 iii. 9, 229 xvii. 9, 223 25, 83, 241 11,12, 228 vi. 5, 430 16, 226 8,9, 456 xviii. 12, 204 viii. 7, 116 16, 153 9, 98 25, 205 xi. 10, 72 28, 175 ,266 30, 213 xix. 1-9, 94 xvii. 11, 12, 395 8, 99 xxi. 10, 23, 361 12, 304 xxii. 8, 193 27, 267, 310 12, 457 28, 266 xxiv. 6, 98 29, 238 ,260 XXV. 4, 116 34, 285 13, 98 35, 295 xxvii. 12, 211 38, 288 xxviii. 23, 117 41, 112 29, 413 xxi. 28, 304 33, 330 xxiv. 30, 207 35, 498 32, 213 37, 304, 470 33, 20" 62, 118 65, 273,317 Judges. 66, 273 i. 8, 395 xxxiii. 13, 14, 217 31, 238 15, 209 ii. 13, 410 23, 285 iv. 5, 94 ,204 24, 25, 265 fi, 302 xxxiv. 1, JOSHLUA. 144 10, 11, 14, 15, 271 301 226 V. 6, 225 268 ii. 1, 270 10, 63 6, 115,274 11, 268 vii. 2, 204 19, 226 ix. 201 21, 235 17, 200, 204 25, 110 x. 2, 201 26, 62 12. 202 ix. 7, 210, 513 INDEX OF SCRIPTURE REFERENCES. 636 Judges — continued. Ch X. xiii. XIV. XV, XVI. xxi. II. iii. Tin. Lx. xm. xiv. xvin, xix. XXV. xavii. xxviii. xxix. XXX. Verse 20, 21, 6, 2, 25, 5, 5, 17, 3, 19, 21, Ruth. 22, 14, 2-7, 15, 1,11, I Saimuel. 1, 3, 12, 1,2, 5, 11, 4, 3, 9, 26, 2, 14, 26, 5, *-, 4, 2, 17, 6,7, 22, 1, 2, 9, 1, 10, 15, Papc. 210 203 410 114 112, 114 114 203 103 102 208 208 177 110 301 113 91 )99 114 115 122 144 114 199 199 89 4G2 295 199 175, 199 199 204 94 204 124 110 61 200 199 182 96 300 303 16 100 Chap i. Xll. xvii. XVlll. XX. xxi. xxili. xxiv. VII. viii. XV. xvi. xviii. XIX. xxii. Samueu Verse. 21, 24, 12, 26, 2, 12, 7, 17-25, 13, 17, 18, 19, 18, 8, 14, 19, 4, 30, 7, I Kings. Page. 276 232 202 17S 204 182 190 136 26 153 90 274 157 202 ,, 199 206 89 207 260 9, 153 38, 39, 135 41, 153 5, 202 5, 202 9, 107 20, 108 33, 182 41, 27? 143 3, 191 27, 99 29, 84 27, 224 15, 224 13, 233 28, 358 42, 234 43, 230, 234 44, 226 46, 49 4, 175 18. 307 11, 366 536 INDEX OF SCRIPTURE REFERENCKs.. II Kings. Psalms. Chap. Verse. Page. Chap. Verse- Pat-^ i. 8, 76 i. 3, 93 iii. H, G8, 253 4, 309 iv. 29, 110 ii. 12, 307 vi. 24, 222 iv. 7, 9 vii. 17, 223 xvii. 5, 96 ix. 20, 226 xix. 2, 89 xxii. 16, 192 I Chronicles. xxiii. 2, 3, 184 96 xi. 17, 185 4, 341 xxi. 17, 145 XXV. 22, 513 XXXV. 10, 278 11 Chronicles. xxxvii. 35, 421 xlv. 8, 59 iii. 1, 145 xlvi. 4, 341 xi. xiv. 6, 9, 177 115 xlvii. xlviii. 1, 61 1-3, , 147,389 129 xviii. 31, 310 12, 133 xxvi. 10, 236 xlix. 7, 423, 463 xxviii. 18, 117 1. 15, 463 xxix. 30, 1 li. 25 xxxiii. 6, 133 Iii. 8. 106 XXXV. 23, 226 Iv, 17, 22, 59 513 N EHEMIAH. lix. 6, 48 i. 2,4, 1 14, 15, 355 iii. 130 Ixviii. 31, 48 15, 154 Ixix. 12, 91 viii. 5, 361 Ixxii. 5, 330 15, 421 Ixxiv. 2, 12 17, 18, 443 Ixxvi, 1, 94 xi. 30, 150 Ixxviii. 12, 43, 72 Ixxx, 10, 124 Esther. Ixxxv. 1,2, 42 xxxviii. 15, 84 i. 6, 104 1 xxxix. 12, 276 vi. 14, 67 46, 31 xcii. 12, 54 Job. xcviii. 8, 61 cii. 6, 268,316 iii. 13, 14, 160 civ. 10, 12, 120 20,21, 350 25, 39 V. 4, 91 cvii. 34, 82 xvi. 15, 249 ex. 25 yxiv. 18, 279 cxix. 18, 413 xxix. c>, 110 cxxii. 3, 140 XXX, 11, 62 cxxiii. 2, 9S, 174 xxxi. '^7, 70 cxxiv. 7. 313 xxxix. tj. 8. 84 CIX». 1, 133 INDEX OF SCRIPTURE REFERENCES. 637 Psalms — continued. IsAiAU — continued. Chap Verse. Page. Chap. Verse. Page. cxxv. 2, 125, 144 i. 7, 118,264 cxxvi. 4,101 ,117,218 8, 03, 188, 228 cxxx. 1, 360 15, 237 cxxxii. 3, 06 ii. 4,297,299,344 cxxxiii. 1, 148 iii. 4, 399, 439 cxl. 4, 311 12, 55 cxliv. 14, 373 ,„ 189,183,254 >\ 392,452 ECCLESIASTES 21, 274 ii. 5,6, 177 24, 392 iv. 2, 450 iv. 6, 85 xii. 4, 110 V. 1, 11 5, 141 V. 2, 178 6, 341 6, 297 12, 412 Song of Solomon. vi. 11, 12, 109 vii. 3, 14, 135 i. 5, 104 23,24, 119 7, 109, 208 viii. 6, 155 ii. 7, 139 8, 252 8, 9, 296 67, 296 ix. 19,20, 448,450 1, 2, 285 13, 178 3, 106 15, 203 6, 25, 513 iii. 10, 350 xi. 1-5, 380 iv. V. TJi. 1, 4, 8, 12, 15, 4, 15, 5, 11,12, 82 190 230 177 154, 241 112 241,320 236 123 xii. xiv. xvii. -xix. 8, 232 3, 443 18, 160 5, 136, 150 13, 297 5, 6, 52 7, 52, 77 10, 72 11-13, 74 viii. 11, Proverbs. 123 xxii. 21, 22, 25, 48 9, 134 15, 16, 160 vi. 6-11, 95 22, 112,249 viii. 2, 96 25, 62 ix. 14, 15, 318 xxiii. 4, 256 xi. 1, 274 7-11,18, 263 xvi. 11, 98, 274 xxiv. 4, 6, 101, 164 xvii. 19, 186 7,8,11, 118 XX. 27, 407 23, 173 yxi. 1, 93 XXV. 4, 97 x>v. 25, 90 xxvii. 5, 76, 282 13, 454, 530 Ualah. ' xxviii. 1, 222 1. ■4. 2t;4 21, 13n, 202 4. 5. 197 ' 27,' 64,134,308 538 INDEX OF SCRIPTURE REFERENCES. Isaiah -continued. Chap. Verse. xxviii. 28, XXX. 24, xxxii. 2, 11, 12, 13, 15, xxxiii. 20, xxxiv. 11, XXXV. 2, 7, 10, xxxvi. 2, 13, xl. 16, xli. 19, xliii. 6, xliv. 5, 22, xlv. 4, xlix. 16, 22, ]. 5, liii. 4 liv. 2, 7, Iv. 1, 12, Ivli. 5, Iviii. 3,4, 12, 13, Ix. 2,3, 6,7, 18, Ixii. 5, 6,7, 10, Ixv. 4, 5, Ixvi. 12, Jeremiah. ii. 8, 18, 31, 32, iiL 15, Iv. 17, Page. 64 77, 153 81, 85 97, 419 423, 442 119,298 117,227 117, 119 62 54 235, 241 54 448 3, 135 252 79 167,359 515 92, 198 48, 182 530 92, 198 48, 182 161 414,430,437 62 21,360 452 147 228 279 130 7 345 79 314 418 1 143 530 436 49 439 56 517 416 439 J 04 Jeremiah — continued. Chap Verse. Pag6 vi. 1, 150 185 13-15, 387 vii. 12, 207 18, 410 viii. 7, 374 ix. 11, 130 17, 465 xi. 13, 468 16, 106 XV. 5, 366 xvii. 6, 7 3,82 19, 91 xviii. 14, 241 xix. 6, 133 xxii. 6, 239 20, 144 xxiii. 21, 462 XXV. 10, 110 22, 256 xxvi. 18, 133 21, 47 XXX. 18, 13U xxxi. 5, 222 21, 47,55 22, 417 33, 5 xxxiii. 11, "56 XXX viii. 7, 91 xxxix. 3, 91 xli. 8, 112 xliii. 7, 80 xlvi. 14, 80 18, 238 298 xlvii. 5, 102 103 6,7, 95 xlviii. 45, 46, 414 1. 7, 470 38, 433 li. 35, 441 47, 449 49, 448 Lamentations i. 6, jr<4 481 12, 191 ii. 1, 197 1,5, 129 6, 145, 443 9, 130 It 12fi INDEX OF SCRIPTURE REFERENCES, 530 Lamentations — continued. Chap. Vll. iz. XXlll. XXV. xxvu. xxviii. XXIX. xxx. xxxu. xxxiii. xxxiv. xxxvii, xxxviii. xlvi. xlvii. Verse. 19, 2, 3, 4, 5, 16, EZEKIEL. 14, ] 5, 24, 2, 4, IG, 4, 10, 11, 46, 49, 50, 40, 16, 17, 4, 21, 34, 36, 19, 22, 12-16, 15, 14, 18, 23-26, 17, 30, 2,3, 14, 29, 8, 23, 26, 32, 9, 11, 20, 16, 16, Daniel. 2, 3, 9, Page 499 367 292 437 193 70 145 92 147 462 84 76 89 195 8 183 103 102 262 261, 262 262 262 256 373 61 75 80 373 160 329, 331 148 322 109 123 264 238 393 30 427, 446 124 395 241 Chap. XIU. xiv. HOSKA. Verse. 7, 9, 11, 12, 15, 4, 1,2, 1, 8,9, 4, 5, 8, 11, 14, 4, 8, 2, 1, 2, 6, 7, Joel. 12, 20, 16, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, Amos. Page. 415 107 12!1 107 405, 437 475 298 198 117 204 204, 206 153 286 403 195 307 415 430 106 232 100, 108 117 407 344 152 117, 123 347 179 237 1, 187 2, 236 7, 103 9,10, 261 12, 66 5, 206 15, 91 J, 222 3, 233, 235 9, 181 13, 108 15, 25 OSiiniAH. 19, 144 20, 16; 640 INDEX Of SCRIPTURE REFERENCES. Mi'.'iu. Matthev — continued. Chap. Verse. Page. Chap. Verse, Pa«a. ^1 { 130, 219 iii. 12, 309 1* 220 iv. 13, 285 12, 1 129, 130 15, 16, 43 ,323 111. 133, 145 18, 63 ,294 iv. 3, 299 v.- 19, 76 4, 105 vii. 13, 96 V. 2, 27, 175 viii. 24, 294 vii. 2-6, 148 ix. ], 287 14, f 236, 322 20, 457 341 23, 141 19, 390 x. xi. 42, 4! 17, ,87 104 465 Habakkuk. 20, 22, 287 256 }j. 11, 283 xii. 23, 24, 40, 287 342 Zephaniah . xiii. 1,2, 31, 289 138 ii. 4, 102 44, 387 c>, r 1 100, 103 XV. 9, 283 112 21-28, 258 7, 104,111 39, 288 iii. 13, 459 xvi. xix. 18, 3, 91 247 Zechariah xxi. 5, 18, 19, 53 237 ;. 14,15, 1 33, 178 il. 2, 127, 135 xxiii. 5, 457 4,5, 493 13, 474 iii. 10, 108,479 14, 314 viii. 13, 505 27, 82 ix. 5, 103,111 29, 340 ,456 13, 410 37, 136 X. 4, 62, 66 38, 277 xii. 10, 322 xxiv. 17, 297 11, 226 XXV. 1, 57 xiii. 1, 149,264,291 32, 82 xiv. 4, 159, 189 xxvii. 7,8, 151 14, 396 29, 190 16, 443 50, 51, 145 20, 6,106 Mark- ISIatthew i. 19, 289 ii 10, 174 32, 35, 37, 288 14, 84 ii. •*, 89 15, 47 iii. 7, 289 1«, 200 vi. 4.5, 53, 287 iii. 4, 76 vii. ;i, 417 INDEX OF SCRIPTURE REFERENCES. 541 Mj^ RK — cont imied. John — continvtid. Cnap. vii. dii. xi. xiii. xiv. Versf 9, 24- 13, 1, 14, 15, 35, 15, 30, 22, 27, 2, 20, 23, Page. 467 258 287 196 197 147 129 137 Chap. iv. V. vi. vii. Verse. 35, 4, «, 3-14, 15, 16, 37, { Page. 216 156 62 297 277 145,197, 436 51, 350 ix. X. xi. 4, 1,18, 154 174 158 Luke. xii. 1-3, 69 i. 39, 115 xiii. 10, 51 it. 7, 7-12. 187 385 xiv. 32, 19, 203 159 10, 24, 35, 175 ,187 270 431 xviii. xix. 2, 11, 20, 162 161 140 iy. 44, 16, 203 168 XX. xxi. 5, 160 293 29, 306 12, 342 vii. 11, 14, 300 320 Acts. 36- 38, 69 i. 11, 159 ix. 10, 287 19, 151 52- 56, 209 ii. 29, 132 X. 4, 110 iii. 44 xii. 8, 270 iv. 36, 324 27, 139 vii. 16, 181 xiii. 6, 124 58, 142 x-v. 17, 67 viii. 8, 223 XV. 22, 256 26, 101 xvi. 20, 68 58, 142 xvii. 13, 214 ix. 35, 122 26, 30, 7 X. 9, 69, 223 31, 274 xvi. 8,9, 347 xix. 1- 4, 99 11. 346 41, 157 14, 337 xxi. 24, 137 xviii. 7, 193, 439 xxiv. 32, 200 24, 47 50, 51, 159 xix. 25. 24-29, 337 337 70HN. XX. 4, 339 i. 44, 287 7, 347 48, J 08 13, 14, 346 tl. 6, 453 15, 326 iU. 29, 57 31, 337 IT. 11. ai2 xxi. 1, 32.5 542 INDKX OF SCRIPTURE REFERENCES. Acts — contmued. II Timothy. Chap Verse. Page. Chap. Vetse. Page. xxii. 5, 264 i. 18, 328, 337 7, 230. 312 iv. 13, 347 8, 229 43 Titus. xvii. 2, 347 iii. 13, 45 7, 44 39, 35 xviii. 23, 500 Hebrews. 30,31, 478 xi. 9. 37, 88 153 xiii. 12, 140 Romans. V. 8, 162 I Peter. I Corinthians. iv. 12, 364 vii. 28, 419 II Peter. ix. 10, lie xi. 26, 11 Corinthians. 189 i. 18, Jude. 30 1 iv. 6, 137 7, 195 V. 1-4, 62 Revelation. Galatians. ii. 7, 335 ii. 9, 520 10, 12, 328, 34.3 336 Ephesians. iii. 4, 10, 1 16, 2, ) 336 j 33J' iii, 18,19, 337 vi. 10, 31 vi. 12, 488 vii. 9, 16, 17, 54 88 COLOSSIANS. xi. xiii. 8, 1, 7,8, 326 li. 1, 338 XV. 3,4, .46 IV. 13, 15, 16, 338 xvi. 12, 16, 20, 339 301 326 II Thessalonians. xviii. 7, 17 iL 4, 23 , 38 22, 110 six. 7,8, 417 ixii. 2, 341 INDEX THE CI-JIEF PLACES AND SUBJECTS. Page. Page. Abarim, hill of . 144 Alexandria, Governor's garden 51 Abbeville G Allasio . 16 Abilene^ ])as3 of 310 Alpes 12,16 town and valle y of 310 Altona, Jews of . 515,516 Aboukir, Bay of 55 Akhisar, or Thyatira 337 Abraham's Oak . 184 Am-el-Fehm 227 Absalom's Monument 146 Amsterdam, Jews of 495 Pillar 157 Anata or Anathoth . 130,136 Abu-Dis, or Bethphage 195 Ancona, Jo^s of 20 Abugilbany 83 a Jewess of 329 Abusat, flock of . 117 An - Means for sending gospel to 246 Population, different ac- ) -jjo counts of . ( Number and condi- ) 148, 164 tion of Jews in ) 173 Missionaries to 193, 248, 321 qualifications of 193 Means of support in, for Jews Palm-tree few in Palestine Pabnosa or Patmos, Palus Cendovia Pamphylia, coast of Paris, road to appearance of Jews in Sabbath in Parma, Jews in Paros Paths, places of Patmos, now Palmosa Pavia, Jews in Pergamos, now Bergamo Jews in Perleberg Petra Philadelphia Philistia Philistines, coast of Piedmont, Jews Pilsno Pisa, Jews in Pisgah Pilesti, Jews in Pleschen, Jews in Plough, Eastern 246 53 99 326 311 325 5 5-8 8 7 19 42 55,96 42,326 19 336 336 511 138 337 103 103 19 469 19 144 380 494 GO. 298 Podgorze . . 471 Poland, Austrian . 427 Prussian, as field of ) 499 missionary labour ) 500 Polish superstition . 436 Polycarp's grave . 343 Popery in Boulogne . 3 in Breslau . 484 in Brody . 457 in Civita Vecchia 34 in Cracow . 476 in Genoa . 17, 20 in Jaglinskv . 435 in Leghorn' . 22, 23 in Malta . 36 in Paris . 7 in Poland . 435, 448 in Posen . 486 in Rosetta . 56 in Syra . 42 in Smyrna . 328 in Tamapol 448 similarity with j 424, 530 Judaism { 532 Porcupine or kangfud 54, 138 Post-cart, WaUachian 376 Posen as a missionarv 1 oio ion station . •] 242,486 Jews in schools Potkarain, village of Jews in , Potchoritz Prausnitz Jews in Precipitation, Mount of Premyslau Jews in Propontis Protestants in Boulogne in Chalons in Cracow in Dijon in Leghorn in Lyons . in Marseilles in Paris . in Posen Provence Prussia, Sabbath schools not ) allowed in . . f nor prayer meetings Prussian Schnell-post . School Teachers, mode of ) licensing . . ) 486, 487 487,489 449 450 459 485 485 306 462 462 348 3 11 297 9 21 12 15 7 486 13 510 510 481 484 492 552 INDEX. Prussian villages, cliaracter of 485 Pruth, the . 432 Ptolemais. See Acre. Quarantine at Carmel 230 at Galatz . 369 at Bossanze 424 Quern or handmill . 71 Rachel's Sepulchre . 175 Ram ... 200 Ramah . . . 143,199 Ramah of the south . 99 Ramallah . . 200 Ramath-lehi . . 103 Ramea . . . 218, 269 Ramla ... 124 Ramouni, perhaps Hadadl 226 Rimmon Rapha Raphat, ancient Raphia Rasel-ain Raujeeb Rawitz Reineh, village of Rhfeteum Reading places, or \ Yishvioth J Reeds, disappearance of, m\ rn Egypt . . J Repentance, day of . 399 Rephaim, plain of 135, 150, 174 Rhinocolura Rhone, scenery on Island at mouth 96 203 317 209 486 307 347 168, 193 Rhodes Jews in . Rice Mill Rissa, El Arish Rimnik, village River of Egypt . Rome, Jews in . Ropsitza, village of Jews in Rosetta journey to convent rice-mill bazaar Jews in Ruesh, village of Russia, Jews in as a missionary field Rzezow , of 12 14 325 325 58 81 398 90 19 469 469 55-60 54 56 58 58 57 310 513, 514 514 468 Sabbath — at Balteen in Berlin , in Beyrout . in Birlat in Bouja in Bucarest at Carmel in Constantinople in Cracow . in the Desert French in Galatz in Hamburgh in Jaglinsky in Jerusalem sacrament in Leghorn in Palestine in Paris in Posen in Saphet at Sea in Smyrna . near Soutchava in Zopka Saccas, village of Saffeen . Salmone, now Sidro Saloniki. See Thessalonica Samaria road from Sych; hill of . • ruins of natural scenery mountains of Samaritan villages synagogue 63 506,507 250, 319 401 328 385 230, 233 364 472 78 6,7 371 516 434 137, 188 188 23 94 7 488 282 34, 44, 346 328 424 461 274 115 44 332 223 218 218 219 222 223 209 215 326 346 102 72 467 241 224 11 272-285 143, 148, 164 246, 247, 322 synagogue worship 278 a missionary •> 034 302 station . j " t - Sardis or Sart . . 338 Sarepta or Sarfend . 257, 318 Saretsky, village of . 449 Samos Samosthrace Samson's hill San, or Zoan Sandovawiznia, Jews in Sannin, hill of . Sanour Castle Saone Saphet Jews ar to INDEX. 553 Sarfend, iincient Zarept Sassow, village of Jews of Sawee Scamander Satagora, town of Schlichtingsheim Schools — at Breslau . at Constantinople at Cracow . at Damietta Aral), at El Arish at Jassy none in Jerusalem in Leghorn in Lyons in Marseilles in Paris in Posen at Schlichtingsheim Jewish, at Smyrna at Storchnest at Syra Sabbath, not allowed 1 ol8 459 •359 ;.>08 317 431 49G 484 360 477 70 91 410, 413 131 19,26 12 15 7 488, 489, 490 327 327 493 40 510 326 136 353, 357 200 266 82 340 65 in Prussia Scio, ancient Chios Scopus, hill Scutari, Jews in Sechu Sedeekin, village of Seir, HUls of . Sedekoy . Senana, village of Sephardim 246, 278, 282, 291 Sephela, plain of . 114 Sephourieh or Sepphoris 307, 309 Seret, river . . 400 town of , , 429 Jews in , . 429 • — conversation with 430 Seriphos Servants, Eastern Sestos Sharon . Shdood . Sheep, Eastern Sheikh Daud Juide 39 68 347 . 122,201 104 82, 104, 174 315 94 207 281 79 Shiloh . Shimron-meron . Shitta-tree and Shittim-wood Shittim, vaUey of . 175, 195 Shulau . . 519 Shunem, or Solam 303 Shur, desert , . 80 Sicily, distant view of Si.l Sidon, approach to town of synagogue Jews in Sidro, or Salmone Sigeum, now Jenesherry Sihor Sihor-Libnah Silesia, province of Jews in . Siloara, fountain of hymn on 34 71 253, 318 254, 256 254 148, 255 44 347 58 311 481 485 153, 156 village and pool Simeon, tribe of Singeel, village of Sipheer, village of Sipylus, Mount . Sirah, well of Sirbonian Lake . Sirocco . Slobodzi, village of Smyrna . a missionary station Jews school , cypresses Solam, ancient Shunem Solomon's Pools Sorek, valley of . Soutchava, town of Jews in Spandau . Spezzia . Stanchio, ancient Coos St Denys St Julian Storchnest Stockholm, Jews in Subuste, village of Sweden, Jews in Sycamore-trees . Sychar, valley of town of . synagogues Jacob's Well Joseph's Tomb lepers bazaar . Jews and Samaritans Jews in , a Jew boy Symplegades Synagogues. See under va- rious towns. 156 197 93 207 177 339 178 83 97 383 327, 345 334 330,336 334 340 303 176, 317 107 427 428 511 39 325 6 37 493 515 219 515 99 209 211 211, 215 212 213 214 214 215 216 217 367 554: INDEX. Synagogue, ancient remains of 270 Syra (Scyros) . . 39^2 schools in . . 41 Syrophenicia . . 258 Talieriah Tabor 290 276, 297, 298, 300-303 Tallith, description of Tamarisk Tamyras, river . Tantour or Horn Tahpanhes Tarnapol synagogues Jews in Popery 456 80 253 248 80 441-448 441 443 448 276, 296 470 339 400 404 187 82 Tarlclifta Tarnow . Tarsus Taoutchy, village of Tata-Maresti Tekoah . Tel-Faramali, ruins of Temple- wall of Jerusalem, old 191 Tenedos, island of . 346 Tents ... 62 of Kedar . , 112 Tephillin, description of 456 Terebinth-tree . . 100 Tersecha . . 315 Terraces . 119, 121, 123 Teshawitz, village of . 420 conversation with Jews 422 Thrashing-floor . . 64, 116 Thessalonica, Jews in . 308, 332 Thitcrin . . 114 Thorns and briers in 1 Palestine . 1 Thyatira . . 337 Tiberias . 276, 290, 296 Jews in, 143, 148, 246, 291, 322 Hot baths . 295 Tiristria . . 368 Tobacco a common plant in Palestine Tombs of the Kings of the Judges in the mosque at He- 117, 119 bron Tomi Tortiira, ancient Dor Toulon . Tournou Tracts for Jews, their importance Traenberg, Jews in 97 160 198 181 368 228 15 11 24.1, 378 485 Transfiguration, Mount of Trenibowla Jews in Trevoux Trees, few in Palestine Troas, coast of . Eski-Stamboul Troy, plain of Troyes . Tsitzith . Tultsha . Turin, Jews in . Turkey, depopulation of influence of priesthood 342 3v.i 440 440 11 100 346 347 347 9 456 369 19 339 Turkish coins Turmus Aya Tuscany, Jews in opposition to the truth in Tyre, now Sour town of Jews in ■ harbour Synagogue Old Tyropoeon Upper room Valence . Valetta, harbour Varna Verona, Jews in Venice, Jews in Veniky, village Vieliczka . Vienne Vines 524 207 18,24 23,31 of . 238, 259 260 148, 164, 263 260 263 317 152 . 137,189 13 and town 35, 37 367 19 19 483 471 13 107, 123, 279 Wallachia, country religion of prevalence of crime importance of, as a 1 385 371 387 424 377 missionary station dress — Jews in 380, 388, 424 — — Synagogue in 388 Feto . . 393 Waslui, Jews in . 404, 406 the Cipporah . 405 Water, mode of I 51 72, iil_ll5 drawing J ' ' bitter , . 85 " Rivers of" . 93 Watering fields, mode of 96 Wells . . . 61, 85 555 Wheels, Egyptian . 51 Persian . . 98 Wilna, Karaite-Jews in 514 Windows, Eastern . 67 Women, Eastern . 48,89. dress of . .43, 59 Druse . . 248 Moldavia . 374 Wurtemberg, Jews in . 515 42 Xiphos . Yishvioth Yoke for oxen . 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Each with Illuminated Side and Frontispiece, Cloth Neat. I . Alice Shaw and Ellen Gordon. 16. Sarah's Present. 2. Captain John's Adventures. 1 7. Sketches of Broadbum. 3. Elspetli Sutherland. 18. The Fir-Tree of the Jura. 4. Fanny Gordon. ig. The First Christmas-Tree. 5. The Gardener's Daughter. 20. The Rescue. 6. Henry and Eliza. 21. The Two Friends. 7. The Highland Chairman. 22. The Lieutenant's Daughter. 8. Jessie Allan, the Lame Girl. 23. Widow Gray. 9. Little Patience. 24. The Young Cottager. 10. Little Sabbath-Breakers. 25. The Dairyman's Daughter. 1 1 . Mary Grant. 26. The German Pastor. 12. Mary and Archie Graham. 27. Dick Ennis. 13. Military Blacksmith. 28. How to be Beautiful. 14. Old Margie's Flower Stall. 29. Pleasant Words. 15. The Orphan of Kinloch. THE PEAR L SERIES. I. The Pearl of Forgiveness. 9. The Little Woodman. 2. The Pearl of Contentment. 10. Waste not, Want not. 3. The Pearl of Peace. II. The White Dove. 4. The Pearl of Meekness. 12. The Bracelets. 5. The Pearl of Faith. 13. Paul Cuffee, the Black Hero. 6. The Pearl of Diligence. 14. Blanche Gamond. 7. Little Henry and his Bearer. 15. Little Blue Mantle. 8. The Little Forester. THE SUNDAY-S CHOOL SERIES. I. Ways of Wisdom. 7. Susy Miller. 2. The Best Work. 8. Susy's Birthdays. 3. The Best Warfare. 9. Happy EUen. 4. True Heart. 10. Kitty Brown. 5. Little Henry. II. The Best Friend. 6. The Little Woodman. 12. Red and 'White Roses. In Eight Volumes, large crown Svo, price £,2, 8s. , KITTO'S DAILY BIBLE ILLUSTRATIONS, An Entirely New Edition, Revised and Annotated By Rev. J. L. PORTER, D.D., LL.D., Author of " The Giant Cities of Bashan," etc. With Numerous Illustrations on Wood and Steel. MORNING SERIES. Vol. 1. The Antediluvians and Patri- archs. 2. Moses and the Judges, 3. Samuel, Saul, and David. 4. Solomon and the Kings. EVENING SERIES. Vol. 1. Job and the Poetical Works. 2. Isaiah and the Prophets. 3. Life and Death of our Lord. 4. The Apostles and the Early Church. "They are not exactly a Commentary, but what marvellous expositions you have there ! You have reading more interesting than any novel that was ever written, and as instructive as the heaviest theology. The matter is quite attractive and fascinating, and yet so weighty, that the man who shall study those eight volumes thoroughly, will not fail to read the Bible intelligently and with growing interest." — C. H. SpH7-geo>i. WORKS BY THE EEV. THORNLET SMITH. THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH. Fifth Edition, with New Chapter. Crown 8vQ, price 3s. 6d. THE HISTORY OF JOSHUA ; Viewed in Connection with the Topo- graphy of Canaan and the Cu.stom.s of the Times in which he lived. Third Edition. Crown Svo, Illustrated, 3s. 6d. THE HISTORY OF MOSES AND HIS TIMES ; Viewed in Connec- tion with Egyptian Antiquities. Third Edition. Illustrated. Crown Svo, 3s. 6d. WORKS BY PROFESSOR MELANGTHON W. JACOBUS. ' NOTES ON MATTHEW ; Critical and Explanatory. With Harmony of the Gospels. vSecond Edition. Crown Svo, 2s. 6d. NOTES ON MARK AND LUKE. Second Edition. Crown Svo, 2s. 6d. NOTES ON JOHN. Second Edition. Crown Svo, 2s. 6d. EDINBURGH : WILLIAM OLIPHANT & CO. LONDON : HAMILTON, ADAMS, & CO., AND ALL BOOKSELLERS. /I, CENTRAL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY University of California, San Diego DATE DUE Nnv2Gi,q^? HQ\r:^7mi JUN 1 1 1983 ^EC2 0infi^ a 39 UCSD Libr.