UCSB l - :
 
 I
 
 SKETCH OF A TOUB 
 
 REV. HENRY LAW HARKNESS, M.A. 
 
 NOETH MALVEEN. 
 
 SECOND EDITION. 
 
 Loxnox : S. W. PARTRIDGE & Co., 9, PATERNOSTER Bow. 
 JAMES NISBET, BERNERS-STREET, OXTORD-STREET. 
 
 BlEJTINGHAU : C. CASWELt, BROAD-STREET. 
 MALVERN: ALL BOOKSELLER.
 
 SINCE the following Lectures were published, increasing 
 attention has been given to the subject of Palestine, by 
 the foundation of an Association having for its object the 
 thorough exploration of the Holy Land. It is almost im- 
 possible to exaggerate the importance of this subject, 
 bearing, as it does, upon the very foundations of the 
 Christian faith. 
 
 This little book has been corrected and enlarged under 
 the advantages of the reports of Captain Wilson, E.E. r 
 and Lieut. Warren, E.E. Still, it must be borne in mind, 
 that the labours of the Association have been only just 
 entered upon, so vast is the amount of work to be accom- 
 plished. Let me urge upon my readers the duty of aiding: 
 the " Palestine Exploration Fund." 
 
 H. L. HAEKNESS. 
 Malvern, January, 1869.
 
 SMIaJras. 
 
 LECTUEE I. 
 
 Malvern to Marseilles Marseilles to Alexandria Historical 
 Events Pompey's Pillar Cleopatra's Needles Streets and Eoads 
 Climate Dress Furniture Lanterns Watchers Funeral 
 Cairo Mosque of Mahomet Ali Pyramids Expedition to Suez 
 Wells of Moses The Passage of the Israelites through the Red 
 Sea Heliopolis Memphis The Sultan and the Viceroy The 
 Camel Dogs Donkeys Mosquitoes Bazaars Mahometans 
 Dervishes Copts The Church of England Keith on Prophecy 
 Different Eoutes to Palestine Eoad from Jaffa to Jerusalem 
 Jaffa Model Farm Vehicles Eamleh Journey to Jerusalem 
 Ancient Jerusalem Modern Jerusalem Holy Sephulchre Mosque 
 of Omar Jewish Wailing Place Jewish Quarter English Pro- 
 testant Church Castle of David Tomb of David Co3naculum 
 House of Industry Pool of Bethesda Caves beneath Jerusalem 
 Valley of Jehoshaphat The Garden of Gethsemane Tomb of the 
 Virgin Mount of Olives Reflections on visiting the Holy Land. 
 
 LECTUEE II. 
 
 Bethany Tomb of Lazarus Dangerous Eoad Jericho The 
 Dead Sea Accident The Jordan Alteration of Eoute Bethlehem 
 Church of the Nativity Scriptural Allusions Pools of Solomon 
 Valley of Eshcol Hebron Mosque of Hebron Abraham's Oak 
 Solomon's Gardens Rachel's Tomb Well of David A Day's 
 Tent Life Beeroth Eastern Shepherds Bethel Shiloh Jacob's 
 Well Joseph's Tomb Mounts Ebal and Gerizim Nablous 
 Latter Rain Church at Nablous Samaritans Samaritan Pass- 
 over Incident Samaria Jenin Jezreel Well of Trembling 
 Shunem Nain Nazareth Mount Tabor Mount Hattin 
 Tiberias The Lake of Gennesaret Sulphur Baths Cana River 
 Kishon Haif ah Acre Tyre Sidon Beyr out Journ ey to 
 Damascus Prince of Wales Damascus Syrian Massacre Abile 
 Tomb of Seth Ruins of Baalbeo Cyprus Rhodes Patmos 
 Chios Smyrna Ephesus Syra Athens Acropolis Areopagus 
 Sunset Hellespont Constantinople River Danube Silistria 
 Widdin Pesth Vienna Linz Munich T he Rhine Conclusion.
 
 A TOUR IN 
 
 EGYPT AND THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 LECTUKE I. 
 
 W HAVE been requested to deliver two lectures on my 
 Q travels in Egypt and the Holy Land. Of course it 
 ^ will be impossible, in the brief space generally allotted 
 to lecturers, to enter much into detail. I shall, therefore, 
 confine myself to such matters as are likely to prove most 
 profitable and interesting. I will hasten through the first 
 part of my tour, and introduce you almost at once to the 
 wonders of the East. 
 
 On Monday, February 17th, 1862, 1 left Malvern 
 Haivern to for London, reached Paris on Tuesday, at eleven 
 'p.m.., and arrived at Marseilles at half-past six 
 o'clock, on Thursday morning. I at once embarked in the 
 steamer bound for Alexandria. In the course of a few 
 hours most of my fellow passengers were evidently the 
 worse for being tossed about on the Gulf of Lyons. On 
 approaching Malta,* the spot was pointed out where the 
 "two seas met," and St. Paul suffered shipwreck. On 
 Saturday evening we sailed into the splendid harbour of 
 Yaletta. The lights, twinkling upon the heights, gave us 
 some slight idea of the town. Small boats came alongside 
 * Formerly called Melita: Acts xxviii. 1.
 
 2 TOUR IN EGYPT. 
 
 of the vessel, and I went ashore with some of the passengers. 
 As the shops were lighted we were enabled to see sufficient 
 of the place to impress us with the idea that it was one of 
 considerable interest. By eleven o'clock we were again on 
 board, and steamed quietly out of the bay. In less than 
 half an hour the ship began to be tossed by the waves, and 
 from that time for three days the wind was against us. I 
 will not, however, detain you with particulars of my voyage 
 to Alexandria. It is sufficient to say that after a week's 
 discomfort upon the Mediterranean Sea, I arrived at Alex- 
 andria on February 27th. Thus, in the short space of ten 
 days I had travelled a distance of 2,300 miles, at the 
 moderate cast of 28 10s. Od. Such, for expedition and 
 economy, is the advantage of travelling by steam. 
 
 On arriving at Alexandria I took up my quarters 
 Alexandria. a t fa e Oriental and Peninsular Hotel. My window 
 overlooked the large square in the beet part of the 
 town. I called on the British Consul, but it was more a 
 visit of ceremony than of necessity. I was introduced to 
 Mr. Davis, the Chaplain of the English Church, and, at 
 his invitation, assisted him in his duties on the following Sun- 
 day morning, preaching to a congregation of about ninety 
 persons. Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great, 
 (B.C. 331), and called after his name. The modern city 
 stands upon the ruins of the ancient one ; so that when 
 excavations are made, old buildings are discovered. There 
 are in Alexandria 60,000 Arabs and 30,000 Europeans, 
 nearly 20,000 of whom are Greeks. 
 
 Alexandria is replete with historical interest, 
 Htetoricai both sacred and profane. There, the Old Testa- 
 ment was translated from Hebrew into Greek by 
 seventy-two elders (B.C. 286), by order of Ptolemy Phila- 
 delphus, King of Egypt. There, St. Mark the Evangelist 
 " preached Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of 
 God," and received the crown of martyrdom. There, too,
 
 TOUR IN EGYPT. 6 
 
 Apollos was born, " an eloquent man, and mighty in the 
 Scriptures." Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, had also her 
 residence there, amidst all the luxury and voluptuousness 
 which notoriously surrounded her court. The spot is 
 pointed out where her army was conquered by Augustus 
 the Roman Emperor. 
 
 There are few objects in or near Alexandria that 
 P piaaf'* c ^ a ^ m the attention of strangers. Pompey's Pillar 
 is one of its chief attractions, and is situated two 
 miles from the city. It is a solid mass of red granite, ninety- 
 eight feet in height. Within half a mile of this pillar are 
 some catacombs, which are evidently very ancient. But 
 what interested me most were two fine obelisks, known by 
 the name of Cleopatra's Needles. They were erected in 
 the time of Cleopatra, and are supposed to have formed an 
 entrance to her palace from the sea. Each obelisk consists 
 of a single block of stone, one of which, sixty-five feet 
 high, is still standing ; the other now lying prostrate on the 
 ground, was presented by Mahomet Ali to the English, but 
 has not yet been removed. 
 
 Most of the streets in Alexandria are narrow, 
 8t K e otds arid un P ay ed and irregular. The state of the roads is 
 so bad that the wonder is how any carriage can 
 pass over them with unbroken springs. 
 
 The climate is generally considered healthy, but 
 
 Climate. ,. r J e 
 
 few live to old age, as the privations arising from 
 poverty tend to shorten life. 
 
 With regard to the dress of the inhabitants in 
 
 Egypt, a distinguishing feature is its great variety. 
 Most of them wear flowing robes, with turbans of white 
 muslin folded tastefully round their heads. The women 
 wrap themselves in large white garments, concealing the 
 entire person except the eyes, which are dark and brilliant. 
 They usually wear a profusion of ornaments, and even the 
 children seem proud of their rings and bracelets. In the
 
 4 TOUR IN EGYPT. 
 
 course of an hour or two were to be seen representatives 
 of nearly every nation, and people dressed in various 
 costumes, forming altogether a picturesque scene. 
 
 The household furniture in the East is of a 
 Furniture. p 00r description, and the floors are, for the most 
 
 part, stone. In the houses there are no bells ; but 
 the attendants are called by clapping the hands, the sound 
 of which seldom fails to reach their ears. The beds are 
 enclosed in gauze curtains to exclude the mosquitoes and 
 other troublesome insects. 
 
 At Alexandria, one of the first things I found it 
 Lanterns, ^visable to purchase, was a small lantern. I was 
 
 informed that any one found in the streets without 
 a light after dark, was liable to be taken up by the 
 authorities and committed to the watch-house until the 
 following morning. You can form some idea of the con- 
 dition of the lower orders in Alexandria when I tell you 
 that this regulation is made to secure persons against the 
 attacks of the rabble, who are always prowling about for 
 plunder. It was a curious sight to see the streets dotted 
 over with lanterns. Most gentlemen were preceded by a 
 servant carrying a large lantern. 
 
 Another peculiar custom which I could not 
 watchers. f a j} j o o ^ serve a ^ Alexandria, was that of persons 
 
 appointed to keep watch by night, commencing 
 about ten o'clock, and continuing at every quarter of an 
 hour throughout the night, to howl and cry out loudly 
 enough to be heard a considerable distance, to shew that 
 they were on the alert, and ready to detect any attempt that 
 might be made to endanger the security of the inhabitants. 
 Besides the almost incessant noise of these watchmen, there 
 was to be heard the barking and fighting of the dogs, the 
 eflfect of which sounds, during the stillness of the night, 
 was most disturbing and disagreeable. 
 
 One day during my stay in Alexandria my
 
 TOUR IN EGYPT. O 
 
 Funeral, attention was arrested by some strange and solemn 
 sounds in the street, which I discovered to proceed 
 from a funeral procession. Two boys, dressed in white, 
 appeared first, succeeded by four priests chanting. Then 
 came the bearers of the coffin, and about a dozen people, 
 the relatives and friends of the deceased following. The 
 scene brought forcibly to my mind the words of Solomon : 
 " Man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about 
 the streets."* 
 
 After spending four pleasant and profitable days 
 Cairo. a Alexandria, I proceeded by train to Cairo. The 
 country between these two places (a distance of 
 120 miles) is perfectly flat. The heat of the chmate has 
 evidently a relaxing influence upon the people, rendering 
 them constitutionally indolent. Even the train, judging 
 from the slowness of its pace (for it goes only at the rate 
 of twenty miles an hour,) seemed to share in the general 
 lassitude. In fact, nothing goes fast in the East except 
 your money ; but this, you will agree with me in thinking, 
 is not peculiar to Oriental lands. 
 
 The Pacha employed English engineers to make the 
 railway to Cairo, and had the work executed on his own 
 responsibility. On our way to Cairo I saw thousands of 
 wretched looking people, very poorly dressed, working in 
 the fields. On arriving there I went to Shepherd's Hotel, 
 which is the largest in Egypt, and capable of accommodating 
 150 persons. t The present Cairo was founded in the tenth 
 century. It was originally called El-Kahira, which has 
 been corrupted into Cairo. 
 
 The evening of my arrival I accompanied some 
 Mosque of f r j ent l s to see the Mosque of Mahomet Ali illumin- 
 
 Manomet * 
 
 AH. ated with 1,500 lamps. This structure is very 
 remarkable for the richness of its materials, being, 
 
 * Eccles. xii. 5. 
 t Unfortunately this hotel has been recently destroyed by fire.
 
 6 TOUR IN EGYPT. 
 
 with the exception of the outer walls, principally com- 
 posed of alabaster. We drove about two miles through 
 very narrow and dirty streets. The whole population seemed 
 to live in the open air, and were engaged in selling their 
 goods, in smoking, or talking. Our dragoman, or guide, 
 preceded the carriage on a donkey to clear the way, and 
 certainly made no small noise. Some one threw a stone 
 into our carriage, for what cause we were at the time at a 
 loss to conceive ; but aware that the Mahometans look down 
 with hatred and contempt upon Christians, calling them 
 dogs, and finding, as we afterwards did, that they disliked 
 our driving through their streets in the evening, we could 
 have little doubt that the occurrence was to be ascribed 
 to these causes. I may add that this occurred in March, 
 when they keep their chief feast called " llamadan," and 
 during this period they are more than usually fanatical. 
 
 The Pyramids are objects of great interest, and 
 pyramids. ^ e inspection of them, on March 5th, occupied our 
 attention very agreeably for several hours. The 
 gun shone brightly, and at the same time a cool breeze 
 moderated the heat. We passed through Old Cairo, which 
 is situated to the south of the modern city, and then crossed 
 the Nile in a large boat landing at a small town on the 
 opposite bank called Gizeh, from which place the Pyramids 
 take their name. We passed through one or two villages 
 consisting entirely of mud cottages, exciting as we rode by 
 no little curiosity among the copper-coloured inhabitants. 
 When within a mile of the Pyramids we saw a cavalcade in 
 the distance, and in a few minutes were interested to observe, 
 seated upon a camel, no less a personage than the Prince of 
 Wales, accompanied by his suite. We bowed to his Eoyal 
 Highness, and he courteously returned our salutations. On 
 a first, though only distant view of the Pyramids, we 
 ^xperienced a slight feeling of disappoiatrnent ; but on a 
 nearer approach, we became fully impressed with a sense of
 
 TOUR IN EGYPT. 7 
 
 their magnitude. Herodotus, the Greek historian, tells us 
 that the two largest Pyramids occupied 106 years in build- 
 ing, and that 400,000 men were employed in the work. At 
 the foot of Cheops, which Sir G. Wilkinson states to be 
 460 feet high, we were surrounded by some clamorous 
 guides, who were anxious to render us their assistance in 
 climbing to the summit. By their aid we made the ascent hi 
 about a quarter of an hour. As the rest of our party were 
 content to examine the exterior, I was left to penetrate the 
 interior, which I did, accompanied by three Arab guides. 
 The entrance is in the centre of the north side, and is 
 raised several steps above the base of the Pyramid, which 
 is embedded in sand. It is a long slanting shaft, and very 
 slippery. And now imagine to yourselves, my friends, 
 narrow winding passages, sometimes ascending, sometimes 
 descending, through which, lighted by the torches of the 
 guides, I was hurried forward till we reached a large vaulted 
 chamber. Here was entombed one of Egypt's greatest 
 kings, and his sarcophagus still occupies that solitary 
 chamber. Having spent three hours at the Pyramids we 
 returned to Cairo, a distance of ten miles, not a little 
 fatigued by our exertions. 
 
 The following day we made an expedition by 
 E ^P e g^ n train, passing through a sandy desert, to Suez. 
 This place is eighty-two miles distant from Cairo, 
 and is situated to the north of the Red Sea. It is a small 
 modern town, which appears to have sprung up within the 
 last three centuries. 
 
 On March 7th we paid a visit to Ayun Musa 
 ( tne Wells of Moses). We crossed the Red Sea 
 in a boat, and the water being too shallow for us 
 to land, our donkeys were forced, much against their will, 
 to jump overboard, and we were obliged to mount upon the 
 shoulders of two men, and, in this amusing but pre- 
 carious position, ride to shore, a distance of a quarter of a
 
 8 TOUE IN EGYPT. 
 
 mile. More than once we were in danger of falling, but 
 the men seemed accustomed to their work, and landed us 
 safely upon the opposite side. We rode seven miles to 
 the Wells of Moses, escorted by two small boys, who knew 
 as little of English as we did of Arabic, so you may easily 
 conclude that our conversation was limited. We had some 
 experience of desert life, which gave us a longing to enjoy 
 more of that romantic kind of existence. Camels' bones 
 were to be seen scattered here and there, and the scene 
 was of a bleak and wild description. Mountains were 
 visible in the distance, and some parts of " that great and 
 terrible wilderness."* There was a small colony at the 
 Wells, but we met no one, either in going or returning. 
 Pools of water exist there, around which are a few stunted 
 palm trees and tamarisks. Dr. Eobinson states that he 
 counted seven distinct springs, from which these pools 
 issued. " Here, perhaps/' says the Rev, J. Porter, " the 
 Israelitish leader obtained a supply of water to refresh his 
 wearied followers, so that his name has ever since been 
 associated with this place/' 
 
 The spot where the Israelites crossed was, pro- 
 
 o f p t a e age bably, about ten miles down the Red Sea, in other 
 
 Israelites words, ten miles below Suez, and opposite Ayuu 
 
 Red g Sea. e Musa. In consulting the "Pastor's Memorial of 
 
 the Holy Land," I find the author says, " I do not 
 
 affirm that this spot is so distinctly proved as to admit of 
 
 no doubt in minds disposed to cavil and object, but I am 
 
 persuaded that so far as proof can go on such a subject, the 
 
 fact may be considered as established that the Israelites 
 
 entered their pathway through the Red Sea just to the north 
 
 of Ras-Atakah, and that they passed onward to Ayun 
 
 Musa. From thence their route to Mount Sinai lay before 
 
 them/' It seems clear from Scripture history that the 
 
 Israelites journeyed the first day from Rameses to Succoth, 
 
 * Deut. viii. 15.
 
 TOUR IN EGYPT. 9 
 
 the second day to Etham, and the third day to Pihahiroth. 
 Their .position here must have been one of manifest 
 perplexity and peril. In their front was the Red Sea, with 
 a consciousness of possessing no means of crossing it. On 
 either side rose a precipitous mountain, which they had no 
 means of scaling ; and behind them, appeared, to their con- 
 sternation, Pharaoh with his mighty host, bent upon their 
 capture or destruction. Under these circumstances, what 
 course did they pursue? They cried unto the Lord, and 
 said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt 
 hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness ?" And 
 Moses said unto the people, " Fear ye not, stand still and 
 see the salvation of te Lord, which he will shew you to- 
 day ; for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day, ye shall 
 see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for 
 you, and ye shall hold your peace/'* By the direction of 
 God he stretched forth his rod over the sea, and the waters 
 dividing, became a wall on either side, affording them a free 
 and safe passage. The Egyptians presumptuously attempt- 
 ing to follow, were overwhelmed by the closing waters to 
 their utter destruction ; so that the Israelites in the morning, 
 seeing the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore, sang their 
 celebrated song of triumph in praise to Jehovah for their 
 miraculous deliverance. 
 
 Let me now direct your attention to another 
 S p O O f interest which we visited shortly after our 
 return from the Eed Sea, viz., Heiiopoiis. It is 
 situated six miles to the north of Cairo, and was most 
 probably the ancient capital of Goshen. It is derived from 
 two Greek words, which mean the " city of the sun." It 
 is called On in the book of Genesis, f and Bethshemesh by 
 the Prophet Jeremiah. J On our way to Heiiopoiis we 
 turned aside into a garden to see a sycamore tree, where, 
 according to the tradition of the Oriental Christians, the 
 * Exodus xiv. 13, 14. f Gen. xli. 45. J Jer. xliii. 13.
 
 10 TOUR IN EGYPT. 
 
 Holy Family rested, when Joseph arose and took the young 
 child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt. 
 The site of Heliopolis is indicated by mounds of rubbish, 
 evidences of once populous cities. There is but one monu- 
 ment now remaining to indicate the magnificent architec- 
 ture which once adorned the temple of the sun. It is a 
 noble obelisk, sixty feet high, and is supposed to be of the 
 age of the Pharaoh who reigned when Joseph came into 
 Egypt. The hieroglyphics inscribed upon it are only legible 
 in a few places, it being covered with the cells of bees, 
 which give it the appearance of a coating of brown mud 
 dried in the sun. We returned home in ths same direction 
 which the sons of Jacob must have taken when they went 
 to buy corn in Egypt. 
 
 During my stay at Cairo I went to Memphis 
 Memphis. ^fa ^ wo Scotch travellers, who intended to visit 
 Thebes. They had engaged one of the Nile 
 boats, and kindly invited me to join them. We sailed for 
 some distance at the slow pace of a mile an hour, but in the 
 coarse of the evening a favourable breeze sprang up, which 
 quickly carried us sixteen miles up the river. Here we 
 anchored for the night. I left the boat early next morning to 
 visit the ancient Memphis. This place is considered to have 
 been the great metropolis of Egypt, the royal city in which 
 Moses was reared by the king's daughter. But where now 
 are all its temples, palaces, and thousands of inhabitants ? 
 The only remains which mark the site are some extensive 
 mounds, which are being excavated in search of ancient 
 relics. There is, however, one most interesting monument 
 a prostrate figure of Eameses the Great. This colossal 
 statue I found lying by itself in a dilapidated state in the 
 midst of a forest of palm trees. 
 
 Egypt is ruled by a Viceroy, or Governor General, 
 
 nd U thT appointed by the Sultan of Constantinople. The 
 
 viceroy, late Viceroy was a more enlightened ruler than
 
 TOUR IN EGYPT. ll 
 
 his predecessors, and manifested a strong desire to im- 
 prove the political and social condition of his country. 
 This he evinced by visiting England, among other western 
 countries, for the purpose of making himself acquainted 
 with its enlightened and liberal constitution and customs. 
 I must not omit some description of the animals 
 The camel. O f Egypt. The Camel has the first claim upon 
 
 our attention, on account of its usefulness. It is 
 wonderfully adapted by a wise and gracious Providence for 
 the services it has to perform for the comfort and convenience 
 of man, viz., conveying messages or merchandise on the 
 sandy desert, for which it alone is qualified, owing to its 
 peculiar physical conformation. Dr. Eadie, in his Biblical 
 Cyclopeedia, gives us the following information : " Within 
 the body of the camel is a cavity, divided into little apart- 
 ments or cells, that fill when the animal drinks, which 
 usually occupies it a quarter of an hour, and this supply 
 serves it for twenty or thirty days, while traversing the 
 desert/' It walks slowly with measured tread, and is so 
 useful and necessary in the East as to be termed by the 
 Arab " the ship of the desert." Its paces are most uneasy; 
 and it is no wonder that travellers unaccustomed to its 
 movements complain of stiffness after riding. While the 
 camel is receiving its burden it grumbles and snarls, turns 
 back its head and shows its teeth as if inclined to bite. 
 The animal goes on its knees to receive the rider, who is at 
 once admonished to "hold fast" an admonition by no 
 means unnecessary, for its manner of rising is extremely 
 awkward, getting first upon its haunches, then upon its 
 knees, before standing upon its feet. When fairly up, the 
 rider feels, for a while, at a somewhat giddy elevation. 
 
 The dogs in Egypt are not inaptly called "bark- 
 Dogs, yjg pl a g ues ." They are divided into a number of 
 
 small republics, each having its own district, and 
 woe be to the dog who dares to venture out of its boundaries
 
 12 TOUR IN EGYPT. 
 
 in the night, either for plunder, curiosity, or love of 
 adventure. It is chased with fury by all the offended party 
 whose territory it has invaded. An Eastern traveller can 
 scarcely fail to see the force of the figure used by the 
 Psalmist in reference to the enemies of God's people : "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."" 5 * 
 
 The Egyptian donkeys are superior to the 
 Donkeys. English. There were generally about fifty of these 
 
 animals, with their drivers, outside the Hotel at 
 Cairo. It was entertaining to hear the ludicrous attempts 
 of these donkey-drivers at speaking English. Some of 
 them found it answer remarkably well to give themselves 
 such names as " Jack " and " Peter," and to call their 
 donkeys " Jenny Jones," " Captain Snooks," and ' ' Flying 
 Dutchman." One of the boys said to me. "Master, want a 
 ride ? Mine is an exkisit donkey ; my donkey go so fast, 
 he go like the wind." One day, on asking the donkey 
 boy the distance to the tombs of the Mamelukes, he said 
 with a serious face, " Please sir, if your donkey go fast it is 
 a distance of two miles, and if he go slow, it is a distance 
 of three miles." When you appear at the hotel door, and 
 the boys are aware of your inclination to indulge in a ride, 
 a grand commotion commences, which makes it somewhat 
 difficult to stand your ground. 
 
 The mosquitoes, although insignificant in them- 
 Moaquitoes - selves, occasion no small annoyance to travellers. 
 
 They are always troublesome, but especially so 
 when the Nile overflows its banks, and consequently when 
 there is more than the usual amount of damp in the 
 atmosphere. The hotter the weather the greater their 
 voracity, and they have, I understand, a preference for 
 strangers. 
 
 * Psalm lix. 14, 15.
 
 i; KV I:;YPT. 1:3 
 
 While iu Alexandria and Cairo I paid frequent 
 Bazaars, visits to the Bazaars, where articles of all kinds 
 
 are exhibited for sale, amidst the greatest noise 
 and confusion. An Eastern traveller remarks : " It is the 
 easiest thing imaginable, to get ones toes crushed, or be 
 scampered over by donkeys in full canter, urged on by 
 their shouting drivers, or be quietly "walked down by a 
 camel, with his dreamy step and nose in the air. Every- 
 body seems to be in everybody's way, and yet all escape 
 wonderfully." 
 
 The Egyptian religion is principally Mahome- 
 M anj^f~ tanism, the followers of which number little short 
 
 of 100,000,000 souls, or one-tenth of the human 
 race. This sect takes its origin from Mahomet, who was 
 born in Mecca, A.D. 571. At the age of twenty-five he 
 married a rich widow, who became his first convert. At the 
 age of forty he retired to a cave, and said that he was there 
 honoured by visits from the angel Gabriel. He then wrote 
 the Koran, and commenced making known his new opinions. 
 In time he made converts by the sword, and conquered 
 India, Persia, Greece, Asia Minor, Egypt, and Spain. 
 Mahomet viewed Christ as a prophet, but did not trust in 
 Him for salvation. The devout Mahometan offers up 
 different prayers five times a day, and often makes the 
 affirmation, "there is but one God, and Mahomet is His 
 Prophet/' There is much repetition in their services, e.g., 
 they repeat the " perfection of God/' " Praise be to God," 
 and " God most great," thirty-three times, counting the 
 number of these repetitions with strings of beads, like the 
 Eoman Catholics. When visiting the tombs near the 
 Pyramids, an opportunity was afforded me of questioning 
 the guides as to their knowledge of Christ and their hopes 
 of Heaven. I said " do you know anything of Jesus 
 Christ ?" and they answered " no." I then asked them 
 what their expectations were after death, and they replied,
 
 14 TOUR IN EGYPT. 
 
 " If we are good we shall go to Heaven or to Paradise, 
 and live with God, but if we are wicked we shall go to 
 fire." We have, however, much cause to deplore the 
 spiritual ignorance of the Mahometans, and to remember 
 them in our prayers. 
 
 There is among the Mahometans a peculiar 
 Dervishes. sec fc called Dervishes. Mr. Lane, in his work on 
 Modern Egypt, states that they are very numerous ; 
 and that some of them, who confine themselves to religious 
 exercises, and subsist by alms, are much venerated in the 
 country, particularly by the lower orders. I went with 
 some friends one evening, when staying in Cairo, into a 
 mosque, to witness their religious services, where we saw 
 about fifty persons forming a circle, first sitting and then 
 standing, and after uttering some most peculiar sounds, and 
 exclaiming again and again, " Allah, Allah " (which means 
 in Arabic, God), they began various violent gesticulations, 
 snorting during the whole time like swine. The Dervishes 
 wear long black hair, and present a very wild appearance. 
 From habit they are able to continue these fatiguing 
 exercises for half an hour or more. At length one of them, 
 apparently unable to stop, and swaying his body -up and 
 down, worked himself into a frantic state, and dashed his 
 head three times against the wall. He then fell prostrate 
 upon the ground, when a Sheik bent over him and kept 
 him quiet. The whole scene was a melancholy exhibition 
 of fanaticism. There is another class called the " Dancing 
 Dervishes/' who wear a conically-shaped hat and white 
 flowing garments, and whom I saw twirling round upon 
 their toes, with their arms extended at full length, for a 
 quarter of an hour. Is it not strange that any persons 
 endowed with reason should consider that such ceremonies 
 can be acceptable to God ? Is it not one sign among many 
 others, of the gross ignorance of the Egyptians? How 
 far are they from perceiving that " bodily exercise profiteth
 
 TOUR IN EGYPT. 15 
 
 little; but godliness is profitable unto all things, having 
 promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to 
 
 come.*** 
 
 Besides the 121,000 Mahometans in Cairo, there 
 Copts. are as man y as 60,000 Copts. They are the old 
 
 Egyptians, remnants of the Church at Alexandria, 
 and nominal Christians. The Septuagint version of the 
 Bible is received by them, and they have their Bishops. 
 They formerly spoke the Coptic, a compound between the 
 ancient Egyptian and Greek, but now use the Arabic 
 language. They are extremely superstitious, and have in 
 their houses images of the Yirgin Mary, to whom they pray 
 in their affliction. 
 
 It is pleasant to turn from these superstitions 
 
 to the Church of our fathers, as now happily 
 
 established in England. A Church for the resi- 
 dents and visitors is sadly needed. At present the English 
 service is performed in a hired room, capable of accom- 
 modating not more than 100 people, and it is difficult for 
 strangers to find its locality, several intricate streets having 
 to be passed through ere it can be reached. I am glad 
 that Ishmael Pasha, the former Viceroy of Egypt, has given 
 the ground for building a Church for the English residents. 
 Let me now give you a quotation from " Keith 
 Prophecy. on Prophecy." He asks, "What was Egypt 
 
 once? One of the most ancient and mightiest 
 kingdoms in the world. No nation has ever erected such 
 great and durable monuments. Those artificial mountains 
 the Pyramids visible at a distance of thirty miles, have 
 withstood, unimpaired, all the ravages of time. No country 
 ever produced so long a catalogue of kings. The learning 
 of the Egyptians was proverbial. Herodotus tells us that 
 at one time there were as many as 20,000 towns and 
 villages in Egypt. Nature and art united in rendering it 
 
 * 1 Timothy iv. 8.
 
 16 TOUR IN EGYPT. 
 
 a most fertile region, and it was called the granary of the 
 world. Yet the knowledge of its greatness and glory 
 deterred not the Prophet Ezekiel from declaring : ' It shall 
 be the basest of the kingdoms ; neither shall it exalt itself 
 any more above the nations ; for I will diminish them, 
 that they shall no more rule over the nations/ "* 
 
 This prophecy has been literally fulfilled. Egypt was 
 subdued by the Persians in the year 350 B.C., then by the 
 Macedonians, next by the Romans, and finally by the Turks, 
 A.D. 641. After the space of 2,400 years, from the date 
 of Ezekiel's prophecy, Volney, who was a scoffer at religion, 
 but an eye-witness of the facts, thus describes Egypt : 
 " An universal air of misery manifests itself in all the 
 traveller meets, which points out to him a state of oppres- 
 sion. The profound ignorance of the inhabitants preveats 
 their perceiving the causes of their evils, or applying the 
 necessary remedies. As a token of the desolation of the 
 country, mud-walled cottages are the only habitations, 
 where the ruins of temples and palaces once stood." 
 
 Now, let us bid adieu to Egypt, and proceed to 
 roSto P^stine. There is a choice of three routes. 
 Palestine. That taken by the Israelites round Mount Sinai 
 is called " the long desert." It is attended with 
 some difficulties, privations, dangers, and expenses ; occupies 
 thirty or forty days, and a week longer if the traveller 
 determines upon seeing Petra. The second route is by the 
 short desert, but few travellers select this course. The 
 majority go by train to Alexandria, and from thence by 
 steamer to Jaffa. I fixed upon this course, and left Cairo 
 for Alexandria, on the 23rd of March. Two days afterwards 
 I embarked in the steamer for Jaffa, arriving there in thirty 
 hours. It has no port, and steamers have constantly to pass 
 without being able to land passengers. We found about a 
 dozen men and boys up to their knees in water, ready to 
 help us up to a platform some ten feet high. 
 * Ezekiel xxix. 15.
 
 TOUR IX THE HOLY LAND. 17 
 
 A new road has recently been made between 
 ant l Jerusalem. Each village within a 
 Jerusalem, radius of thirty miles was compelled by the 
 Turkish Government to furnish men for a certain 
 number of days, or pay a forfeit of thirty piastres (os. 4d. 
 in English money). The men were marched there as if 
 they were prisoners, and ordered to bring their own food 
 and water. Lieutenant Warren states, in a letter dated 
 Oct., 1867, that the road appears good; but, that fiat 
 stones thrown about, with earth patted over them with the 
 hands, and then pressed down by rollers drawn by children, 
 can have little power of resisting the winter's rain. I met 
 a gentleman at Constantinople in 1862, who had come 
 from England for the purpose of ascertaining how far a 
 railway from Jaffa to Jerusalem a distance of thirty-three 
 miles might be practicable and profitable. He told me 
 he expected it would answer, because there were as many 
 as 80,000 pilgrims to Jerusalem and back every year. 
 
 Jaffa was formerly called Joppa. It is beauti- 
 fully situated on the Mediterranean Sea, and is 
 encompassed with groves of lemon, citron, apricot, 
 and orange trees. Like most oriental towns, however, it 
 looks best at a distance. The houses are huddled together 
 without much regard to appearance or convenience, and 
 the streets are a labyrinth of alleys and narrow lanes. It 
 contains about 5,000 inhabitants, of whom 1,000 belong to 
 the Roman* Catholic and Greek Churches. The first mon- 
 tion of Jaffa in Scripture occurs in Joshua.* It is there 
 called Japho, and is among the maritime towns allotted to 
 the tribe of Dan. It next appears as the port at which the 
 floats of cedar and pine, from Lebanon for the building of 
 the Temple were landed. It was here also that Jonah 
 embarked for Tarshish, in the vain attempt to escape 
 fulfilling the mission on which God had sent him to 
 * Joshua six. 46.
 
 18 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 Nineveh. Here, too, St. Peter raised Tabitha from the 
 dead, and resided many days in the house of Simon the 
 tanner. A dwelling close to the shore was pointed out, 
 said to have been erected upon the site of the house in 
 which Peter was praying when the three messengers sent 
 by Cornelius arrived and called for him. 
 
 Dr. Philip took me over the Model Farm, on 
 iton 1 which he resides, situated a mile from the town, 
 It contains forty-five acres of land. The object 
 of this Institution, established in 1856, is to provide 
 employment and instruction for Jewish converts; and it has 
 been found to answer the expectations of its friends and 
 originators. 
 
 Dr. Philip shewed me his cart, which he said 
 vehicles. wag ^he on ]y vehicle in the whole of Palestine. 
 This statement may excite surprise, but I believe 
 it to be perfectly correct. Horses, camels-, mules, and asses 
 are universally used there. This has been the case since 
 the Turks and wild Arabs have become masters of the 
 country. The roads, if such they may be called, are 
 stony, precipitous, and unfit for carriages. In former days, 
 you may remember, there were vehicles in Palestine. We 
 read of Joseph sending up waggons from Egypt to bring 
 down his father, and of chariots at Jacob's funeral ; the 
 Philistines are also said to have had 30,000 chariots when 
 they fought with Saul in the plain of Esdraelon. 
 
 I joined some companions at the Model Farm, 
 Bamieh. anc | a ft er r i ( ] ul g w ith them over a flat country for 
 three hours, we reached Eamleh at 7.30 p.m., > 
 an hour after sunset. We took up our abode in the Latin 
 Convent. The scene here 'was both novel and interesting. 
 The Monks were very hospitable, and afforded us the best 
 supper they could provide. Eamleh means sand, which 
 abounds here and at Jaffa. It is the chief modern 
 town of the Plain of Philistia, and contains not fewer than
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 19 
 
 3,000 inhabitants, of whom the majority are Mahometans. 
 
 The next morning we left the Convent early, 
 
 T^oiL? having before us a ride of ten hours to Jerusalem. 
 
 Jerusalem. o 
 
 We iound the road in most parts bleak and dreary. 
 The villages appeared almost deserted, and but few human 
 beings were to be seen. On our right were the hills of 
 Beth-horon, on which the Israelites discomfited the Amorites 
 on that memorable occasion when Joshua said in the sight 
 of Israel, " Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon ; and thou, 
 Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, 
 and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged them- 
 selves upon their enemies/'* We travelled along the same 
 road where, nearly 3,000 years ago, David accompanied by 
 30,000 chosen men of Israel, bore the ark in triumph to 
 the tabernacle he had prepared in Jerusalem. f The hills 
 looked beautiful, and there was a splendid view of the 
 mountains of Moab, about thirty mile? east of Jerusalem. 
 We saw them at sunset, which rendered the scene the 
 more charming. 
 
 In the course of the afternoon, Abraham, our 
 incident. D ra goman, preceded us to Jerusalem to procure 
 
 rooms, leaving us under the charge of an Arab 
 and a boy, of whose language we were entirely ignorant. 
 Soon afterwards we encountered a heavy storm of hail 
 and rain, and in vain we sought shelter under the 
 spreading branches of an olive tree. We called to the 
 muleteer, who was about 100 yards in front, to return 
 with our umbrellas and coats, but he disregarded the 
 summons. Upon his refusing to give them up, I rode 
 forward and endeavoured to stop the mules, when he 
 rushed at me with the evident intention of stabbing me 
 with his stiletto. Our party considered it prudent to 
 submit to the misconduct of this viilian till we reached 
 .Jerusalem. We then mentioned what had occurred to the 
 * Jos. x. 12, 13. f 2 Samuel vi. 1216.
 
 20 TOTJR IN THE HOLT LAND. 
 
 Dragoman, who scolded, beat, and kicked him down stairs 1 , 
 I was advised to make a further example of the culprit, 
 and take the matter before the British Consul. The mule- 
 teer becoming alarmed at this, offered to make an apology 
 for his bad behaviour. On my refusing to accept this he 
 decamped, and no doubt made the best of his way home to 
 .latfa. We failed to ascertain his name, or he would have 
 been severely punished by the Consul. 
 
 On arriving within a mile of Jerusalem we were 
 
 ^Jerusalem 1 me ^ ^J au ^ man w ^ P rove( l to be a landlord, 
 and who pressed us to stay at his hotel; and 
 this he persisted in doing, notwithstanding our telling him 
 that we had already secured apartments. With such 
 troublesome obtrusiveness travellers must expect to meet. 
 On approaching the Holy City, the following well-known 
 lines (referring to the Jerusalem above,) occurred to me : 
 
 "Jerusalem, my happy home, 
 
 Name ever dear to me, 
 When shall my labours have an end, 
 Thy joys when shall I see ? 
 
 When shall these eyes thy glorious walls 
 
 And gates of pearl behold, 
 Thy bulwarks with salvation strong, 
 
 And streets of purest gold ? 
 
 Apostles, martyrs, prophets, there 
 
 Around my Saviour -stand, 
 And all I love in Christ below, 
 
 Shall join the glorious band. 
 
 Jerusalem, my happy home, 
 
 My soul still pants for thee, 
 Then shall my labours have an end, 
 
 When once thy joys I see." 
 
 Within a few yards of the Jaffa Gate (which we reached at 
 6 p.m.,) our attention was directed to some miserable 
 looking lepers, begging by the wayside. This was most 
 characteristic of the place. The "Lepers' Tillage" is 
 situated within the walls of the city, close by the Zion Gate.
 
 TOUR IN THE HOl-Y LAXD. SI 
 
 About 200 yards to our right stood some model houses, 
 recently erected by Sir Moses Montefiore. As we entered 
 the Jaffa Gate, we met Dr. Gobot, the respected Bishop of 
 Jerusalem, who has been the honoured instrument, under 
 God, of doing much good, and whom it should be esteemed 
 by us, as Christians, a duty to assist to the utmost of our 
 power in the further prosecution of his " work of faith and 
 labour of love." 
 
 We took up our quarters at the "Mediterranean 
 Hotel/' kept by Christian Hauser, a German, whom we 
 found to be very attentive and obliging. My window 
 overlooked what is called the " Pool of Hezekiah," which 
 is 240 feet long, and 144 feet wide. We are told that 
 Hezekiah " made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water 
 into the city " ; and that " he also stopped the upper water- 
 course of Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west 
 side of the city of David."* 
 
 Jerusalem was founded by Jebus, the son of 
 Canaan, and was at first called after his name. It 
 was probably the Salem where resided Melchizedek, 
 the priest of the most high God. The situation of this 
 sacred spot is of so mountainous a character, that visitors 
 on viewing it can scarcely fail to recollect those descriptive 
 passages in the book of Psalms, " Beautiful for situation, 
 the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the sides of 
 the north, the city of the great King/'t And again, "The 
 mountains are round about Jerusalem."! 
 
 Jerusalem stands upon an undulating piece of 
 nt ^ w W cn has on three sides deep ravines. 
 It was originally divided into two unequal portions 
 by a considerable depression that ran for some distance 
 from north to south, and then turned to the west. Like 
 all other spots that have been thickly inhabited and 
 
 2 Kings xx. 20; 2 Chron. xxxii. 30. f Psalm xlviii. 2. 
 Psalm cxxv. 2.
 
 22 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 subjected to the calamities of war, its surface has suffered 
 very great changes ; the general tendency of such changes 
 being to reduce elevations and fill up hollows. Jerusalem 
 is very different from what it was in the days of 
 its prosperity, under its early kings. The prophecies con- 
 cerning its destruction have received their complete fulfilment. 
 The modern city stands upon the ruins of the ancient. 
 Josephus (the Jewish historian) informs us that Jerusalem 
 was formerly fortified by three walls on its north side, and 
 surrounded by almost impassable ravines, and a single wall 
 upon the other three sides. It is now surrounded by a 
 wall of considerable height, which was erected by Sultan 
 Suleiman, in the year 1542, and is upwards of two miles 
 in circumference. It has four principle gates, viz., Bethle- 
 hem (or Jaffii), Damascus, St. Stephen, and Zion Gate. Its 
 streets are narrow and badly paved. 
 
 Let me introduce' you to the Church of the 
 Holy Sepulchre. The court in front of this build- 
 ing is occupied by vendors of relics to the 
 numerous pilgrims. The original Church was built by 
 Constantine. On entering, my attention was arrested by 
 a guard of Turkish soldiers, stationed here to preserve 
 peace among the rival sects that crowd the sacred 
 building. Near the entrance is a marble slab on 
 which the body of Christ is said to have been anointed 
 after His descent from the cross, but the real stone, 
 it is stated, lies beneath the marble. Eight lamps are 
 suspended over this stone, and are kept always burning. 
 On turning to the right, and ascending a flight of 
 eighteen steps, we entered the chapel of Golgotha, where 
 the Saviour's cross is said to have been fixed ; close to which 
 a fissure is shown in the very rock, which, it is affirmed, was 
 rent at the Crucifixion. We were next escorted into the 
 Eotunda, or the centre of this large edifice. Here stands the 
 Holy Sepulchre, covered by a building 26 feet long by 18
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND 23 
 
 broad. The dome is in a most dilapidated condition, and 
 does not protect the building from rain ; but one sect will 
 not allow another the honour of repairing it. You have 
 probably heard of the so-called miracle of the Hoi)' Fire, 
 which is enacted every Easter eve. It is declared that a 
 miraculous flame descends from Heaven into the Holy 
 Sepulchre, kindling all the lamps and candles there, as it 
 did Elijah's sacrifice on Carmel. The Greek Patriarch 
 enters the tomb at the prescribed time, and the fire is 
 communicated to the expectant and excited multitude 
 through a hole in the wall. Many of the pilgrims rub 
 their faces and breasts against the fire to attest its supposed 
 harmlessness, but they take care that the operation is too 
 rapid to admit of injury. This scene very usually ter- 
 minates in bloodshed, as was the case at Easter, 1862. A 
 fearful tragedy occurred in 1834, and an eye-witness affirms 
 that he saw as many as 400 people, dead and living, 
 heaped promiscuously one upon another. I was present in 
 the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday, and 
 saw the mummeries which were then performed. Great 
 crowds were collected on the occasion, and hundreds of 
 pilgrims, in a state of great excitement, carried about palm 
 branches. 
 
 We next descended a staircase of twenty-nine steps, 
 at the bottom of which we found a vault sixteen -feet 
 below the level of the Rotunda, in which, according to 
 tradition, were dug up the three crosses, the crown of 
 thorns, the nails, and the inscription over Christ's cross. 
 These relics are said to have been discovered under the 
 inspection of St. Helena, the mother of Coustantine. How 
 overwhelming would it be, if we felt certain that the Church 
 of the Holy Sepulchre was erected over the spot where 
 Jesus was crucified and buried ! But, the identification of 
 those holy places has given rise to serious controversy in 
 tlie Christian Church. It is reasonable to suppose that we
 
 24 TOUR IN T1IE HOLY LAND. 
 
 are left in ignorance of the exact locality where Christ 
 was crucified, lest we might be tempted to pervert the 
 knowledge of it to superstitious purposes. 
 
 Another place I visited with considerable interest 
 Thp Mosque i g -what J s commonly called the Mosque of Omar. 
 
 or Utnar. i -i i -IT- 
 
 but is more properly designated Kubbet-es- 
 Sakhra, or the Dome of the Rock. It derives its name 
 from the immense unhewn rock which is enclosed within 
 its walls. Its form is irregular, measuring sixty feet in 
 length by fifty in breadth, and projecting five to ten feet 
 above the marble pavement. It is supposed by some to be 
 the threshing-floor which David bought of Araunah the 
 Jebusite, and where he built an altar unto the Lord, and 
 offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.* Others con- 
 sider it to have been the spot where sacrifices were slain ; 
 but it may have answered both these purposes. At the 
 south side of this immense rock is an excavated chamber, 
 averaging seven feet in height. The Mahometans affirm 
 that this was the praying-place of Abraham, David, 
 Solomon, and Jesus, and they call it the "Noble Cave." 
 Underneath this rock are subterranean chambers, passages, 
 and cisterns. Some of these are natural caverns, and others 
 are artificially constructed. It is conjectured they were all 
 used for the preparation of the sacrifices, and in the dis- 
 posal of the refuse. The exact site of the Ancient Temple 
 will most probably be shortly ascertained by the Palestine 
 explorers. The Mosque of Omar stands on Mount Moriah, 
 where Solomon's magnificient Temple was formerly erected. 
 On the same mountain was built the second Temple, about 
 five hundred years later, which was restored and decorated 
 by Herod the Great. Here dwelt the Shechinah between 
 the Cherubim, and here stood King Solomon when he 
 offered ,up his solemn prayer at the dedication of the 
 Temple. f Here, in the last great day of the feast, Jesus 
 * 2 Samuel xxiv. 25. f 1 Kings viii. 2354.
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 25 
 
 stood and cried, saying, " If any man thirst, let him come 
 unto Me, and drink/'* Here, " the veil of the Temple was 
 rent in twain from the top to the bottom/' and the way 
 into the holiest was made manifest. But how literally has 
 the Word of God been fulfilled : " He hath violently taken 
 away His tabernacle, as if it were of a garden : He hath 
 destroyed His places of the assembly."! " The mountain of 
 the house is as the high places of the forest."J This 
 mountain has become a place of heathen sanctuaries; 
 and it is only recently that Christians have been permitted 
 to enter these enclosures. The dome of the Mosque of 
 Omar is supported by handsome marble pillars ; the ceiling 
 is richly ornamented with paintings, and the windows are 
 of coloured glass. Part of what is supposed to be the 
 beautiful gate of the Temple still remains. We were shewn 
 a building called the " Judgment Seat of David/' which is 
 generally considered to have been built at the same time as 
 the Mosque, viz., in the 7th century. The Mosque of 
 Omar stands upon what is designated the Haram area. 
 This is nearly a level platform, being 1530 feet from north 
 to south, and 960 feet from east to west. The enclosure is 
 surrounded by a wall, near the south-west corner of which, 
 Dr. Robinson, some years ago, observed a mass of stone 
 jutting out from the wall, looking like the beginning of an 
 arch which had once sprung from that point. Close by 
 were found some of the stones which once formed the arch 
 above referred to. Here Lieut. Warren, in 1867, after a 
 little opposition from the Turkish authorities, had a pit 
 dug, and boarded the sides of it to prevent the earth 
 falling in. At the depth of eighty-five feet below the 
 surface was discovered the bottom of the Haram wall the 
 foundations resting on the rock as they had done for ages. 
 Even then the bottom of the ancient Tyropoean valley was not 
 reached. A few yards from the foot of the wall it was found to 
 * John vii. 37. f Lam. ii. 6. J Mic. iii. 12.
 
 26 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 fall thirty feet further, or 115 feet from the present surface. 
 Other excavations show that the rock rises precipitously on 
 the other side up to Mount Zion. In the days of the 
 Kings, this deep and narrow ravine must have completely 
 cut off the Citadel of David on Zion, from the Temple 
 on Mount Moriah. 
 
 The next spot I visited in Jerusalem was the 
 Wailing place. Some of the ancient stones 
 Place, of the Temple still remain. They are of enormous 
 size, one of them measuring twenty-five feet long 
 -and five feet broad. Thither do many of the Jews resort 
 every Friday afternoon to weep and lament before the Lord, 
 and to beseech Him to restore to them their city and their 
 country. They imagine their prayers will find especial 
 acceptance when breathed through the crevices of that 
 building of which Jehovah said, " Mine eyes and mine 
 heart shall be there perpetually."* When I arrived at the 
 place, there were about sixty Jews and Jewesses present, 
 most of them advanced in life. Some were standing, and 
 some sitting, with their faces turned towards the much-loved 
 wall. Most of them had copies of the Hebrew Bible, 
 either in whole or in part, and some of them were reading 
 in a wailing voice, selections from the Lamentations of 
 Jeremiah, the Psalms, and the Book of the Prophet Malachi. 
 Their grief seemed to be sincere, and I observed tears 
 streaming down the faces of several. Some of them kissed 
 the stones of the ancient wall. I am informed that one 
 lamentation they utter is in the words of the Psalmist :f 
 "" O God, the heathen are come into Thine inheritance ; Thy 
 holy Temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem 
 on heaps. We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a 
 scorn and derision to them that are round about us. How 
 long, Lord? wilt Thou be angry for ever? shall Thy 
 jealousy burn like fire ?" Some idea may be formed of the 
 * 1 Kings is.. 3. f Ps. Ixxii. 1, 4, 5.
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 27 
 
 degraded condition of the Jews, from the fact that they are 
 compelled to pay a tax to the Turkish Government for 
 permission to wail at these time-worn stones ; and that they 
 have orders not to wail too loudly. Is not this a sufficient 
 proof of the truth of our Saviour's prophecy, "Jerusalem 
 shall be trodden down of the Gentiles ?"f 
 
 The Jewish Quarter covers a large portion of 
 Mount Zion. The population of Jerusalem has 
 recently been estimated by her Majesty's British 
 Consul as follows: Moslems, 5,000; Jews, 8,000 to 9,000; 
 and Christiams, 4,000 to 5,000. The Jewish houses are in 
 a dilapidated condition, and are situated in a very unhealthy 
 part of the city. 
 
 The English Protestant Church is called Christ 
 R-otestant Church. The close proximity of the Missionary's 
 church, house to this building detracts materially from its 
 appearance ; but it was only on condition that the 
 Church should be so connected, and should form a kind of 
 Consular Chapel, that permission was granted by the 
 Turkish Government for its erection. The workmen were 
 obliged to dig forty feet before they came to a foundation. 
 Curious fragments were excavated, watercourses, and the 
 remains of an ancient fountain were discovered. The Church 
 was built of stone, brought from a quarry nearly a mile 
 distant from the city ; and, owing to the dryness of the 
 climate, it still preserves its beautiful whiteness. After 
 many difficulties and much opposition, the foundation stone 
 was laid by Bishop Alexander in 1842, and the Church was 
 consecrated by Bishop Gobat in 1849. Services are 
 performed there in English, German, Hebrew, and Arabic. 
 Mr. Barclay, the Missionary to the Jews at Jerusalem, 
 requested me to preach on Palm Sunday. I need not pause 
 to describe my thoughts and feelings when preaching on the 
 Saviour's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, in a Protestant 
 t Luke xxi. 24.
 
 8 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 Church on Mount Zion. I must always consider it to have 
 been a high honour and privilege. 
 
 If we now cross the street we shall enter the 
 
 Castle f David, or Tower of Hippicus ; that is 
 
 to say, if we have procured the necessary order 
 from the Governor. The lower part of one of the towers 
 was spared by Titus, when the temple and city were 
 destroyed. This building is now used as the barracks of 
 the Turkish soldiers. 
 
 I obtained admission into the Mosque which 
 T DwM f covers the reputed tomb of David. St. Peter said 
 
 to the Jews on the day of Pentecost, " Men and 
 brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch 
 David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre 
 is with us unto this day."* The tomb is situated on the 
 upper part of Mount Zion, and outside the present walls. 
 It is so sacred in the eyes of the Moslems that they never 
 expose it to the gaze of strangers. 
 
 In the group of buildings over the vault said to 
 c<Bnacuium. con f. aui fa e tomb of David is an upper room of 
 
 fifty feet long and thirty feet wide. Tradition 
 says that our Saviour here, for the last time, partook of the 
 feast of the Passover, and instituted the ordinance of the 
 Lord's Supper; and that here, too, the Apostles were 
 assembled on the day of Pentecost, on the occasion of the 
 miraculous effusion of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 The difficulties to which the Jewish converts 
 indusfr f were exposed on their embracing Christianity, led 
 
 to the establishment, by the London Society, of 
 the House of Industry. Young men here are taught the art 
 of turning and carpentering and they manufacture a large 
 quantity of olive wood ornament. 
 
 The reputed remains of the Pool of Bethesda 
 
 are c ^ ose t St. Stephen's Gate. Here, our Lord, 
 * Acts ii. 29.
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LA.KD. 29 
 
 on the Sabbath-clay healed a man who had been diseased 
 thirty-eight years.* Some fragments of ancient arches 
 and other ruins leave no doubt of its early origin. It is 
 360 feet long, 130 feet broad, and 75 feet deep. The Pool 
 must in former times have been much deeper, as there is a 
 considerable accumulation of rubbish lying at the bottom. 
 
 I visited the caves underneath Jerusalem, and 
 beSh wandered with a guide for forty minutes within 
 Jerusalem, these recently discovered excavations. We crept 
 through a narrow opening, and then descended a 
 bed of soft earth. Their existence was unknown for 
 centuries; and they were discovered about fifteen years ago 
 in a very curious manner. As Dr. Barclay was passing by, 
 he noticed that his dog had found its way into an opening 
 and did not reappear for some minutes ; he therefore came, 
 to the conclusion that there must be a large cavity within, 
 which, upon investigation, he found to be the case. A 
 traveller states that he spent two hours and a half there, 
 and his guide assured him he had not penetrated into much 
 more than half the various caverns.f There seems little 
 doubt that these stone quarries existed in the time of 
 Solomon. A large hole, which is now filled up, has been 
 discovered beneath the Mosque of Omar, where, most 
 probably, the stones were raised for the building of the 
 Temple. The ground is covered with pieces of stone, 
 which have been splintered by the mason's hammer. We 
 read that " the house was built of stone made ready before 
 it was brought thither : so that there was neither hammer, 
 nor axe, nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it 
 was building/l In some places water trickles down the 
 walls, and pools are visible. During the destruction of 
 Jerusalem thousands of Jews, it is thought, found refuge 
 within these extensive caverns. 
 
 * John v. 2 9. t 1 Kings vi. 7. 
 f " Pictorial Tour in the Holy Land " by the Eev. A. Isaacs.
 
 30 TOUR IN THE HOlY LAND. 
 
 Now let us take a walk outside the walls. The 
 The Bailey Valley of Jehoshaphat lies between Jerusalem and 
 jehoshaphat-the Mount of Olives. The upper part of it is the 
 Mahometan burial ground, and the lower part is 
 covered with the tombs of the Jews. Immediately opposite 
 the site of the Temple, the Valley is overspread with 
 innumerable white stones, bearing Hebrew inscriptions. 
 Here the Jews are most anxious to be buried, from a super- 
 stitious expectation of thus escaping the necessity of having 
 to make their way underground to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, 
 in case they should die at a distance. Many a pilgrim has 
 journeyed from the remotest parts of Europe to have the 
 privilege of sleeping with his forefathers in this Valley. 
 The Jews expect to rise from their tombs at the general 
 resurrection, and to be among the first to hail the Messiah. 
 Near the Jewish cemetery is to be seen what is designated, 
 though without conclusive authority, the Pillar of Absalom, 
 at which the Jews throw stones when they pass, and mutter 
 a curse, to shew their hatred of his disobedience to his 
 father ; a heap of stones, therefore, lies at the base of this 
 pillar. A few steps further on is shown what is said to be 
 the Tomb of James, the first Bishop of Jerusalem; and 
 another said to be erected in honour of Zechariah, who was 
 stoned in the court of the Temple, in the reign of Joash.* 
 This is probably the person of whom our Lord speaks as 
 being slain between the temple and the altar.f A little 
 further south lies the village of Siloam, which is still 
 notorious for its wickedness. This is the place where the 
 tower fell upon the eighteen, and slew them.J On the right 
 hand side, a little lower down, is the pool where the blind 
 man washed and recovered his sight. || This pool continues 
 to be supplied with water from a spring above. At a short 
 distance is an old mulberry tree, Avhere, tradition says, 
 Isaiah was sawn asunder with a wooden, saw. (B.C. 698.) 
 * 2 Chron. xxiv. 21. f Matt, xxiii. 35 J Luke xiii. 4. || John ix. 7.
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 31 
 
 On resuming our walk down the Valley, we see on the 
 hill upon our right, the reputed site of " Aceldama/' or, 
 " the Field of Blood/' the " Potter's Field/' bought with 
 thirty pieces of silver, the price of our Lord's betrayal.* 
 This hill overlooks the " Valley of the Son of Hinnom," 
 which is situated at the south of Jerusalem. Here the 
 Israelites offered their unholy sacrifices in the time of their 
 idolatry, and made their children pass through the fire to 
 Moloch, Its rocky and picturesque appearance enables us 
 to realise the prophet's declaration, " Inflaming yourselves 
 with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in 
 the valleys under the nlifts of the rocks."t Looking to the 
 left is to he seen the " Mount of Offence," where Solomon 
 " built an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of 
 Moab, and for Moloch, the abomination of the children 
 of Ammon,"J and thus dishonoured God. At the foot 
 of the valley we arrived at the well of En-rogel (the spring, 
 of llogel), or the well of Job, which is 180 feet deep, 
 and is always full of water. 
 
 The supposed site of the Garden of Gethsemane 
 The Gardenjg b e t w een Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives, be- 
 Gethsemane.side the brook which is called Kidron in the Old 
 Testament, and Cedron in the New. The ravine 
 through which the Kidron flows contains no water in the dry 
 season ; there is however, evidence that a subterranean 
 brook flows under this spot. Around the ground the 
 Koinan Catholics have, within the last few years, built 
 a high wall. Within the enclosure are eight olive 
 trees, one of them measuring no less than 24 feet in 
 circumference. They are said to have existed in OUT 
 Saviour's time, but that is improbable. It is a fact, 
 however, that olive, trees live to a great age in some 
 instances, 2,000 years. Their growth is so slow that it 
 has given rise to the proverb, " No one who has planted 
 * Acts i. 19, and Matt, xxvii. 7. f Isaiah Ivii. 5. 1 Kings xi. 7.
 
 32 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 an olive tree has ever tasted the fruit/' Two Monks 
 showed us the Garden, and presented us with some olive 
 branches. The Greek Church have selected a spot further 
 to the north, which they consider to be the garden where 
 our Saviour ofttimes resorted for prayer. Whichever of 
 these sites be the correct one, it is certain that, from either, 
 our blessed Lord could have distinctly seen the band of men 
 and officers, sent to apprehend him, with their lanterns and 
 torches, descending the hill from Jerusalem, and approaching 
 the garden. 
 
 Between these gardens there is a flight of twenty 
 
 th e vh-hi or thirty steps, which conduct visitors to what is 
 
 called the tomb of the Virgin, and the place from 
 
 which she is reported to have ascended to heaven. A chapel 
 
 now marks the spot. 
 
 A few minutes' walk from the Garden of Geth- 
 
 M oiives >f semane brings one to the summit of the Mount of 
 
 Olives. Its sides are thinly sprinkled with olive 
 
 trees. The mountain does not appear lofty to a person 
 
 viewing it from the Holy City ; but it must be remembered 
 
 that Jerusalem itself is of considerable height. You may 
 
 form some idea of its magnitude, when I remind you that it 
 
 is 1328 feet higher than the Worcestershire Beacon.* 
 
 On the summit of the mount stands the Church 
 of the Ascension, originally built by St. Helena, A.D. 326, 
 on the spot from which the Greek and Roman Catholic 
 Churches tell us Christ ascended to heaven, and where the 
 inhabitants pretend to shew the print of his last footsteps. 
 But, that, tradition on this, as on so many other points, is at 
 fault, admits not of a doubt, for we ore expressly informed 
 by St. Lukef that, Jesus led out his Apostles as far as 
 Bethany, and in the act of blessing them He was parted 
 from them and carried up into heaven. From the summit 
 of the Mount of Olives, I had a commanding view of the 
 * Height of Worcestershire Beacon, 1396 feet, f Luke xxiv. 50, 51.
 
 TOUB IN THE HOLY LAND. 33 
 
 surrounding country, the blue waters of the Dead Sea 
 and the River Jordan running through the Syrian Valley. 
 Looking on the south-eastern side of the hill, is seen 
 the road that must have been traversed by our blessed Lord 
 when He made His triumphal entry into the city. He 
 arrived at a spot from which Jerusalem opened to His view, 
 with all its past and present crimes and forthcoming calami- 
 ties, exciting the deep feeling of compassion to which He 
 gave such tender and affecting expression on the occasion. 
 The scene, with its associations, is thus graphically and 
 touchingly depicted by St. Luke : " And when He was come 
 near, He beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, if thou 
 haclst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things 
 which belong unto thy peace ! but now they are hid from 
 thine eyes."* 
 
 I will now conclude this lecture with merely 
 Conclusion, ad^g^ w } la t a high an( j h ly privilege I found it, 
 
 to be permitted to pass through those sacred and 
 interesting scenes of which I had often read and heard ; but 
 which must be seen to be fully understood and appreciated. 
 * Luke xix. 41, 42.
 
 34, 
 
 LECTURE II. 
 
 fy/ WILL now continue an account of my travels in the 
 JjJ Holy Land. Accompanied by a few friends, I set 
 off, on the 1st of April, on an excursion from Jeru- 
 salem to Jericho a distance of eighteen miles. Crossing 
 the brook Kedron, which is dry during the greater part of 
 the year, we passed by the Garden of Gethsemane, and pro- 
 ceeding about a mile and a half round the Mount of Olives, 
 we arrived at Bethany. 
 
 It was almost impossible to pass this interesting 
 Bethany, village without calling to mind the holy and happy 
 home of those whom Jesus loved Martha, Mary, 
 and Lazarus. "Happy days for the family of Bethany 
 were those when Christ turned aside to tarry under their 
 roof, and by His presence brightened and blessed their 
 family circle."* This place, now a small village, is beauti- 
 fully situated in the midst of olive and pomegranate trees, 
 on the eastern side of the hill. 
 
 The tomb of Lazarus was pointed out to us. 
 "With lighted tapers we descended twenty-six steps 
 to a chamber cut out of the rock. It is impossi- 
 ble to say whether this is the identical place where Lazarus 
 lay four days, and which eventually delivered up its tem- 
 porary captive at the bidding of our Lord. 
 
 From Bethany the road descends all the way to 
 
 D road roua tne Pl ams f Jericho, which illustrates that part 
 
 of the parable, " A certain man went down from 
 
 Jerusalem to Jericho."f Beyond Bethany the country is 
 
 * The Eev. John Anderson. t Luke x. 30.
 
 TOOK IN THE HOLY LAND. 35 
 
 wild and desolate, and we met very few persons. The bad 
 reputation which this road bore in our Lord's time has con- 
 tinued ever since. A few years ago an English traveller 
 was here attacked by robbers, who " stripped him of his 
 raiment, wounded, and left him half dead." We had an 
 armed escort, headed by the Sheik, or chief, of that part of 
 the country ; but fortunately their bravery was not put to 
 the test. As we came near Jericho the lofty Quarantania 
 was seen on our left, supposed by some to be the exceeding 
 high mountain from \vhich Satan, in tempting our blessed 
 Lord, shewed Him " all the kingdoms of the world, and the 
 glory of them/'* After riding through an uncultivated 
 district, covered chiefly with thorn trees, we reached our 
 tents, which were pitched in readiness for us on the site of 
 ancient Jericho, and close to the fountain whose waters were 
 healed by the prophet Elisha.f 
 
 At Jericho we called to mind the fact of the 
 Jericho. Israelites compassing its walls for seven successive 
 days, together with the result produced by the 
 believing use of these divinely-appointed means. The place 
 was formerly called the "city of palm trees/' but every 
 vestige of that great forest has now disappeared. Jericho 
 was, in our Lord's time, next in size and political importance 
 to Jerusalem, having been much enlarged and beautified by 
 Herod. It experienced many vicissitudes, and was finally 
 destroyed in the 12th century of the Christian era. The 
 modern village is insignificant, and the glory of the "palm 
 trees " is departed. A traveller describes some interesting 
 caves and hermitages, which are to be seen on the mountain. 
 Large numbers of mounds were to be seen on the Plains of 
 Jericho. A few of these have been excavated lately, but 
 nothing of importance has been found. Some bricks wi-re 
 discovered] which were probably the remains of wells. 
 The Dead sea. On the following day we were called at four 
 Matthew iv. 8. f 2 Kings ii.21.
 
 36 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 o'clock, a.m., while it was yet dark, and started for the 
 Dead Sea. A ride of two hours across the sandy 
 plain brought us to its shores. It may be considered the 
 most remarkable sheet of water in the world, owing to 
 its peculiar qualities. There must always have been a lake 
 here to receive the waters of the Jordan, but it was of much 
 smaller dimensions than the present one, which Dr. Robinson 
 states to be fifty miles long, and twelve broad in the widest 
 part. In the days of Lot there was a broad margin of 
 fertile and verdant plains, " well watered everywhere like 
 the Land of Egypt," and especially on the southern side.* 
 The water is so salt that the few living creatures which the 
 Jordan washes down into the lake are destroyed. "We found 
 the atmosphere of the Dead Sea intensely hot and close, and 
 no wonder, seeing, if even no other cause could be assigned, 
 it is 1,300 feet below the level of the Mediterranean, 
 whereas Jerusalem itself stands 2,200 feet above it. It is 
 evident, therefore, that we must have made a considerable 
 descent in travelling to it from the Holy City. Dean 
 Stanley has stated that the disproportion between the 
 depths of the northern and southern portions of the lake 
 has given rise to the thought that the latter is of recent 
 formation, it being thirteen feet, while the former is 1,300. 
 He says that the evaporation of the Dead Sea is very rapid; 
 that a deep haze veils its southern extremity, and that strewn 
 along its desolate margin lie trunks and branches of trees, 
 torn down from the thickets of the river jungle by the 
 violence of the stream. Fragments of black bituminous 
 stone are found along the shores, some of which are collected 
 and manufactured into crosses, cups, and other articles. In 
 spite of all that was disagreeable we could not resist the 
 temptation to bathe, and we found the water exceedingly 
 buoyant. Its taste is very bitter. It causes the skin to smart, 
 and proves very painful if it enters the eye. 
 
 * Murray's Handbook for Syria and Palestine.
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 37 
 
 Having joined others on our way, our party at 
 
 Accident ^ s ^ ime cons i s ted of fifteen or twenty persons, 
 and at least twenty servants. Some of our horses 
 were cantering along the sandy plain, when a Nubian 
 servant stood in our path, and instead of getting out of our 
 way he suddenly dropped to the ground, and my horse 
 sprang over him. When he arose he complained of his ancle 
 and walked lame, either from necessity or affectation, saying, 
 that the horse had struck him. The Sheik recommended me 
 to give him some backsheesh, which seemed to satisfy him. 
 The injury he complained of must have been slight, for on 
 the following day I met him at Bethany, sixteen miles from 
 the spot where the accident occurred. 
 
 After an hour's fatiguing ride we reached the 
 The Jordan -banks of the Jordan. This river has its source at 
 the foot of Mount Lebanon, and its course is com- 
 puted at 200 miles, though in a direct line it does not 
 exceed 60.* It annually overflows its banks, and in 
 ancient times the wild beasts were driven from their retreat 
 within its thickets ; hence we read : " he shall come up like 
 a lion from the swelling of Jordan.^ At present there are no 
 lions to be roused ; but the Wild boar, the jackal, and the 
 wolf occupy their places, and are under the same necessity 
 of flying from the swellings of this river. The current of 
 the Jordan is so strong that I saw a gentleman almost 
 drowned by its force while bathing ; and some years ago an 
 aged Greek priest, whilst on his pilgrimage from Jerusalem, 
 actually was carried down the stream, and perished in the 
 Dead Sea. We rested at the spot where, according to 
 tradition, the waters were parted asunder, and the Israelites 
 crossed on their way to the "promised land." It is also 
 memorable and interesting as being near the scene of our 
 Lord's Baptism by St. John, when "the heavens were 
 opened unto Him, and he saw the Spirit of God descend- 
 ing like a dove, and lighting upon Him : and lo, a 
 * Lieut. Lynch' s Survey. f Jeremiah 1. 44.
 
 38 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom 
 I am well pleased."* 
 
 Previous to our leaving Jerusalem we had 
 entered into a contract with our dragoman to go to 
 Bethlehem by the convent of Mar-Saba, but on 
 reaching Jericho he informed us that if we determined upon 
 that route he would not be responsible for our safety; 
 so we gave up our original intention, and proceeded to 
 Bethlehem by way of Jerusalem. We met as many as 
 3,000 or 4,000 pilgrims wending their way down to the 
 Jordan to bathe in its waters. There were amongst the 
 number old men of seventy, and little children in arms, 
 journeying towards the sacred river. Some were riding on 
 camels, others on horses, mules, and donkeys, while a few 
 preferred walking, forming a most picturesque group. 
 
 Bethlehem lies six miles south of Jerusalem, and 
 Bethlehem. f rom one turning in the road both places are visible. 
 The population of this town numbers 3,000, the 
 majority of whom belong to the Bo man Catholic and Greek 
 Churches. A Protestant school has been recently established 
 there ; the master called upon us, and gave an interesting 
 account of the institution. 'I observed that the children of 
 Bethlehem and Nazareth were handsomer than any I saw in 
 Palestine ; they have bright eyes and intelligent countenances. 
 Many of the inhabitants at Bethlehem, employ their time in 
 manufacturing the shell of the pearl oyster into crucifixes 
 and other ornaments, which are purchased by pilgrims, and 
 looked upon by them with a superstitious reverence. They 
 carve upon the shells designs from scripture history for 
 example : the Annunciation, the Natitity, the visit of the 
 Magi, the flight into Egypt, and the Last Supper. 
 
 Bethlehem is well situated on the slope of a 
 M l the Church of the Nativity standing boldly 
 out on the eastern side. This is the chief archi- 
 * Matthew iii. 16, 17..
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLT LAND. 39 
 
 tectural attraction of the place. Entering by a low door 
 in the stone wall, we found ourselves in a long narrow 
 church. Two rows of Corinthian pillars support the build- 
 ing, separating the aisle on either side from the nave in the 
 centre. We descended by a flight of steps into a cave 
 hewn out of the rock, where it is alleged that Christ was 
 born. Lamps are kept burning in it night and day, and its 
 decorations are gorgeous a remarkable contrast to the 
 plainness and poverty in which it pleased the Son of God 
 to enter the world. Somewhere, without doubt, in the 
 immediate neighbourhood of this convent was God made 
 manifest in the flesh. " The Creator of all things appeared 
 a creature. The Almighty, a weak babe. The Eternal, a 
 child of time. The Infinite was contracted into the limits 
 of this poor flesh. Is not this the wonder of wonders, in 
 which appeared the grace which knows no bounds ?"* 
 
 We rode to a spot near Bethlehem which tradi- 
 A s ,^*" e ~tion has assigned as that where the Shepherds 
 
 . -1 rt 1 1 1 " T " 1 
 
 were abiding in the field, keeping watch over their 
 flocks by night, when the glory of the Lord shone round 
 about them, and they were sore afraid. Many scriptural 
 events recurred to us during our stay at Bethlehem ; and 
 among them the history of Ruth, the Moabitess, gleaning 
 barley in the fields of Boaz ; the visit of the Magi to that 
 place ; and the Massacre of the Innocents. Here also the 
 enclosures of vineyard, with stone walls and towers erected 
 for the guards, reminded us of the parable in the pro- 
 phecies of Isaiah, where we read : " My wellbeloved hath a 
 vineyard in a very fruitful hill: and he fenced it, and 
 gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the 
 choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and 
 also made a yinepress therein."f 
 
 On April 4th we left Bethlehem, and reached 
 
 * " Christ is all," by the Dean of Gloucester. f Isaiah v. 1, 2.
 
 40 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 Soiomon f the ^ >00 ^ s f Solomon, after a ride of two hours, 
 along a wretched road. Here are three large 
 reservoirs, one rising above another, built by Solomon for 
 the purpose of supplying Jerusalem with water. The two 
 upper pools only are now full. The aqueduct is in a ruinous 
 condition, but it still conveys water to the city. 
 
 A journey of four or five hours brought us to 
 ^ e Bailey f Eshcol, where the twelve spies cut 
 down the cluster of grapes, which they bore upon 
 two staves to exhibit in the camp, as a specimen of the 
 fruitfulness of the promised land. " In no part of Palestine 
 are the vineyards so extensive, so well kept, and so pro- 
 ductive. They cover the sloping hill sides for a long 
 distance to the W. add N.W. of Hebron. As the Moslems 
 do not make wine, the grapes which are not sold in the 
 market are dried into raisins."* 
 
 It was quite dark by the time we reached 
 Hebron. Hebron, which is one of the oldest places in the 
 world, and was formerly one of the six cities of 
 refuge. It is the most elevated town in Syria, being 2,800 
 feet above the level of the sea. It derives its name from a 
 word, which means ' ' fellowship," though I am informed 
 that anything but fellowship exists there at present. It was 
 originally called Kirjath-arba, the city of Arba, who was 
 the father of the Anakims. For some time it bore the 
 name of Mamre, the Amorite, who in the Patriarch's days 
 possessed it. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob dwelt there when 
 they had no inheritance in the land. David reigned 
 there for seven years before his removal to Jerusalem. 
 
 The day after our arrival, we visited the cele- 
 Hebron f ^ rate( l Mosque. There seems no doubt that this 
 is the site of the Cave of Machpelah. We are in- 
 formed, that upon the death of Sarah, (B.C. 1&60) Abraham 
 bought from Ephron the Hittite for 400 shekels of silver, 
 * " The Land and the Book," by Dr. Thomson.
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 41 
 
 the field, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, 
 and the cave which was therein, and all the trees.* A 
 Mosque now stands upon the site, which measures 200 feet 
 long, by 415 feet broad, and some of its stones are upwards 
 of twenty feet in length. We were not allowed to visit the 
 building, but a few days afterwards the Prince of Wales and 
 his suite obtained permission to see it. Dean Stanley 
 accompanied the Prince, and he says, nothing can be more 
 satisfactory than the state in which the tombs are preserved. 
 Seven persons have been buried in the Mosque of Hebron, 
 namely, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Sarah, Rebekah, 
 and Leah. Two of the Sheiks were not civil to the Royal 
 visitor, owing to their disinclination to give Christians ad- 
 mission to the Mosque. The Governor of Hebron, however, 
 having escorted them out of the building, paid great respect 
 to the Prince, as did also his attendants, saying that 
 they were glad to have an opportunity of showing 
 any civility to one of the Princes of England, to whom 
 their Government was so much indebted. With their 
 shoes off, they passed through an open court into the 
 Mosque. In a recess on the right hand side was the alleged 
 tomb of Abraham, and on the left that of Jacob, each 
 guarded by silver gates. The shrine of Abraham was 
 thrown open after prayer had been offered to the patriarch 
 for permission to enter ; but they were not allowed to see 
 the tomb of Sarah. The chamber where the remains of 
 Abraham lie is cased with marble. They were next shown 
 the tombs of Isaac and Eebekah, which were placed in 
 separate chapels, and closed with iron gates. They were 
 not permitted as male visitors to enter Rebekah' s tomb, 
 nor Isaac's upon any account, because they said he was 
 jealous, and it was exceedingly dangerous to exasperate him. 
 The Mahometans stated that when Ibrahim Pasha, as con- 
 queror of Palestine, had endeavoured to enter, he had been 
 * Gen; xxiii; 17.
 
 42 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 driven out by Isaac, and fell back as if thunderstruck. This 
 story, says Dean Stanley, illustrates the peculiar feeling 
 which tends to preserve the sanctity of this cave. The 
 people have a terror of the great personages who lie buried 
 there, and imagine that they would be sensitive to any 
 disrespect shewn to their graves, and resent it. They next 
 saw the tombs of Jacob and Leah. Against that of Leah 
 were observed through the grating, two green banners, the 
 meaning of which is unknown. They had no difficulty in 
 getting the gates of Jacob's shrine opened, but it calls for 
 no special remark. It appears that Joseph's remains were 
 placed in the Mosque many years after the six persons above 
 named. His tomb is reached by an aperture broken 
 through the massive wall, and is less costly than the others. 
 With respect to the cave itself, the Dean informs us that at 
 the corner of the shrine of Abraham was a small circular 
 hole about eight inches across. This cavity appeared to, 
 open into a dark space beneath, which the guardians of the 
 Mosque believed to extend under the whole platform, and 
 which could hardly be anything else than the ancient cave 
 of Machpelah. The Governor of Hebron said that, about 
 2,500 years ago, a servant of the great king had penetrated 
 through some other entrance. He descended sound and in 
 full possession of his faculties, and returned blind, deaf, and 
 crippled. Since then the entrance had been closed, and only 
 one aperture left. "With this glimpse into the dark cave the 
 world must remain satisfied. 
 
 We will not longer tarry here, but return to Jerusalem. 
 
 About a mile from Hebron we were shewn a 
 
 Abaraham's magnificent oak tree, which some are credulous 
 
 enough to believe was the very oak under which 
 
 Abraham pitched his tent. It is certainly an aged tree, 
 
 and is interesting as the last representative of the oaks of 
 
 Mamre. It measures twenty-three feet round, aud its foliage 
 
 covers a space nearly ninety feet in diameter. Abraham
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 43 
 
 lived near this spot when he heard that his nephew Lot had 
 been carried away captive by the confederate kings, and from 
 thence he set out in pursuit of them with his 318 armed 
 servants, and the A.morites as his allies. * Here too, a few 
 years afterwards, as he sat in his tent door in the heat 
 of the day, he received a visit from the angel of the 
 Lord, who promised him a son, and informed him of the 
 approaching destruction of the cities of the Plain. Having 
 rested under Abraham's oak, and plucked some of its acorns, 
 we revisited Solomon's pools, took a refreshing bathe there, 
 and returned to Bethlehem through a beautiful valley, 
 which was formerly the site of Solomon's gardens. 
 
 It is generally believed that the King referred to 
 Gardens 1 ' 8 these pools and gardens when he says, " I made 
 
 me great works ; I builded me houses ; I planted 
 me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted 
 trees in them of all kinds of fruits : I made me pools of 
 water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth 
 trees." f 
 
 On returning from Bethlehem to Jerusalem we 
 R Tomb' B visaed a small white building surmounted by a 
 
 dome, which covers Rachel's Tomb. The Mosque 
 is modern, but the site is allowed to be the true one. We 
 were here reminded of the simple but touching story of 
 Rachel's death recorded in the sacred Volume.J 
 
 Close to this tomb was pointed out the Well of 
 D \veif 8 David. It was to reach this well that the three 
 
 valiant men broke through the army of the Philis- 
 tines, and obtained for David the water he so much desired. 
 The description of a day in Palestine may 
 tent a we ^erest you. The dragoman, or chief conductor, 
 
 was anxious that we should move off early in the 
 morning, in order that we might journey comfortably before 
 
 * Gen. xiv, 13, 14. f Ecc. fi. 46. t Gen. xxxv. 18 2(X 
 1 Chron. xi. If, 18.
 
 44 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 the heat of the day, and that the horses and mules might 
 arrive in good time at the halting place for the night. 
 About five o' clock, a.m., one of the servants sounded a 
 loud alarm, and proceeded to the several tents saying, 
 " good morning, gentlemen, it is five o'clock, and breakfast 
 will be ready in an hour." One tent was always set apart 
 for meals, and during breakfast time the baggage was 
 placed upon the backs of mules. Indeed, if any luckless, or 
 rather lazy traveller was tardy in shaking off slumber, he ran 
 an imminent risk of having his tent pulled down ere he 
 quitted it, and of being compelled to complete his toilette 
 in the open air. Our caravan being ready, we started on 
 the day's journey. We rode sometimes two abreast, and 
 at other times in file, when the rocky and narrow footpath 
 would not admit of more than one at a time. Occasionally 
 one of the party read aloud for the benefit of the rest. Our 
 dragoman knew the choice spots on the way, and generally 
 took care to select a site for our mid-day repast beneath 
 some shady tree by the side of a fountain. After resting 
 for an hour or two we remounted our steeds, and journeyed 
 onward. But meanwhile the baggage mules had got far 
 ahead, for they never rested at noon, and as we approached 
 the end of our journey, we found our tents pitched near 
 some village, ready for our reception. We retired early 
 to rest, feeling fatigued after a long and not very easy ride 
 upon the Palestine saddles. Such was a day's pilgrimage 
 in the Holy Land, and you will, I think, allow that, 
 notwithstanding its inconveniences and annoyances, it was 
 most enjoyable. 
 
 April the 16th we bid adieu to Jerusalem, and in 
 Beerotii. a f ew ho^g reached Beeroth. This was one of the 
 cities of the Gibeonites, who by their craftiness 
 succeeded in deceiving Joshua, by representing themselves 
 as belonging to a far distant country, and assuming such 
 appearances of distress, occasioned by the long journey
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAJJD. 45 
 
 they pretended to have accomplished, as were calculated to 
 give the colour of truthfulness to their story. Beeroth is 
 the reputed place \vhere the parents of Jesus " sought 
 Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when 
 they found Him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, 
 seeking Him."* 
 
 AVithin a few miles of Bethel we observed a flock of 
 sheep returning home before sunset. As is universally the 
 case in the East, they were following the shepherd, who 
 precedes them, not only to point out the way, but to see 
 that it is practicable and safe. He is armed in order to 
 defend his flock, if need be, from the beasts of prey, with 
 which Palestine is still infested. The sheep soon become 
 familiar with the shepherd's voice ; but Dr. Thompson states 
 that he has watched the effect of a stranger calling, when 
 the sheep stop short, lift up their heads in alarm, and, if it 
 is repeated, turn round and flee away. The sight of this 
 flock of sheep following their shepherd, reminded us of 
 Christ, who styles himself the " good Shepherd," and says, 
 "the sheep follow Him: for they knew His voice. And a 
 stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him."t 
 
 It was nearly dark by the time we reached 
 Bethel. Beitin the ancient Bethel. With no ordinary 
 interest we read in our tent that night the account 
 of Jacob's journey to Padan-aram, and of his dream of the 
 ladder that reached from earth to heaven, on which the 
 angels of God ascended and descended. J We here 
 recalled to mind the fact of Jeroboam erecting a temple at 
 Bethel, in which he sacrificed to his golden calves. The 
 name of this place was afterwards changed from Bethel 
 - house of God, to Bethaven house of idols. Now, only 
 a few miserable huts occupy this site, once so sacred and 
 afterwards so desecrated. Thus the prediction of Arnos 
 has been fulfilled, " Seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, 
 * Luke ii. 44, 45. f John x. 4, 5. J Gen. xxviii. 12.
 
 46 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 and pass not to Beer-sheba : for Gilgal shall surely go into 
 captivity/ and Bethel shall come to nought."* 
 
 The next day we set off with a long journey be- 
 shiioh. f ore us our destination being Nablous. After 
 riding a few hours we were informed that the site 
 of the ancient Shiloh lay only two miles to our right, and 
 we resolved upon paying it a visit. On reaching the summit 
 of a hill our dragoman exclaimed, " there stood Shiloh \" 
 and on looking in that direction we saw the picturesque 
 but desolate valley. On the right side appeared a building 
 said to have been originally an ecclesiastical fabric, but 
 subsequently convertedinto a fortress. On the left was an 
 ancient ruin, concerning which we could obtain no reliable 
 information. Without doubt, we were on the site of the 
 ancient Shiloh, whose position is distinctly marked in 
 Scripture. " 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."f Here the tabernacle of the Lord was 
 first permanently set up, after the entrance of the children 
 of Israel into Canaan ; here the several tribes assembled to 
 receive their promised inheritance ; here Samuel was in his 
 infancy brought by his mother from Eamah to minister be- 
 fore the Lord ; and here the sudden death of Eli occurred 
 on receiving the disastrous intelligence of Israel's defeat by 
 the Philistines that his two sons had been slain in the 
 battle, and what to him was more afflicting than all, that the 
 ark of the Lord had fallen into the hands of the uncircum- 
 cised Philistines. From Shiloh we returned to the main 
 road, and after riding about ten miles came to the foot of 
 Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. 
 
 We were next conducted to Jacob's Well, stand- 
 Jacob's weii. m g ^ the middle o f a ploughed field. It is a 
 noted fact that Christians and Jews, Samaritans 
 and Mahometans, all agree in their belief that this is the 
 * Amos v. 5. f Judges xxi. 19.
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 47 
 
 actual well ting by Jacob, and who " drank thereof him- 
 self, and his children, and his cattle "; and certainly its situa- 
 tion fully corroborates the narrative in the New Testament. 
 Jesus most probably journeyed from Jerusalem by the road 
 which we had traversed, and being weary he sat upon the 
 well, and held the remarkable conversation with the woman 
 of Samaria, when he uttered those impressive words : 
 " Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again : but 
 whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall 
 never thirst ; but the water that I shall give him shall be in 
 him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."*" 
 The mouth of the well was covered over, but through a 
 chink we threw down stones, by which we ascertained that 
 " the well is deep." Its depth was seventy-five feet when 
 last measured. Sometimes it contains a few feet of water, 
 Avhile at other times it is dry. It is perfectly round, and 
 nine feet in diameter. 
 
 What is called "Joseph's Tomb " is about 300 
 Tomb h ' B y ar ds fr m this spot, and is situated at the entrance 
 
 of the Gerizim Valley. On his death-bed " Joseph 
 took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will 
 surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from 
 hence."t And we read in Joshua xxiv. 32, that " the bones 
 of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of 
 Egypt, buried they in Shechem." It appears most probable 
 that his body was removed from thence to the " Mosque of 
 Hebron." This seems to be the only satisfactory way of 
 solving the difficulty of his being buried at Shechem and 
 at Hebron. 
 
 After inspecting " Jacob's Well " and " Joseph's 
 mid G*erUim^ orm V' we T0 ^ e U P ^e valley, passing Mount 
 
 'Ebal on our right and Mount Gerizim on our left. 
 Each of these mountains is 2,500 feet high, and presents a 
 rocky and bare appearance. We read in Scripture that 
 * John iv. 13, 14. f Gen. 1. 25.
 
 48 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 after Joshua had destroyed Ai, he went up to Mount Ebal, 
 and there built an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt 
 offerings and peace offerings. And he wrote there upon the 
 stones a copy of the law of Moses. And all Israel, and 
 their elders, and officers, and judges stood near the ark before 
 the priests, and Levites. Half of them stood over against 
 Mount Gerizim, and half of them over against Mount Ebal. 
 And afterwards Joshua read all the words of the Law, the 
 blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written 
 in the Book of the Law.* 
 
 Nablous is called Shechem in the Old Testament, 
 Nabious. an( j Sychar i n the New : it was formerly one of the 
 six cities of refuge. 
 
 We had intended, according to our original 
 Latter rain.p] an ^ fo } eave ]S T ablous the day after our arrival, 
 but were unfortunately detained there for four 
 days by the " latter rain." This scriptural expression is still 
 used by the inhabitants of the country. The " former rain " 
 falls in December, and the "latter rain" in the end of 
 March. In the year 1862, owing to the scarcity of rain, 
 the inhabitants were fearful of losing their crops. The week 
 before our arrival the Governor of Nablous had ordered a 
 day of humiliation and prayer for this blessing. The 
 Christians had prayed at Jacob's Well, the Mahometans at 
 Mount Ebal, and the Samaritans on the summit of Gerizim. 
 The winds blew and torrents of rain descended during our 
 first night at Nablous. We were awaked by the hurricane 
 and the pelting of the rain upon our tents, which unhappily 
 were not waterproof. Our attendants found it necessary 
 at once to secure the pegs, which were the only 
 support of our unsubstantial dwellings. A travelling com- 
 panion told me that he could find no refuge but the 
 somewhat ignominious one of hiding beneath the bed- 
 clothes. With the change of weather came also a 
 
 * Joshua viii. 3035.
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 49 
 
 change of temperature, for the thermometer fell from eighty 
 to fifty degrees. When we reached the Mediterranean Sea, 
 some days afterwards, -we found that the hurricane had 
 wrought fearful havoc : several ships had been cast ashore, 
 many lives had been lost, and shipwrecked mariners had 
 been obliged to seek a refuge in the convent on the summit 
 of Mount Carmel. Near Damascus the storm had descended 
 upon a detachment of Turkish soldiers, numbers of whom 
 perished through its violence. We were compelled to delay 
 our departure from Nablous for a few days. We kept up 
 a charcoal fire, by which we dried our bedding and clothes. 
 Fortunately, I had a letter of introduction to Mr. Fleish- 
 hacker, the missionary stationed at this place, which 
 procured for some of our party admission to the comforts 
 and hospitalities of his house. 
 
 On Good Friday we accompanied him to a room 
 SlfcS! in Nablous, fitted up as a Protestant Christian 
 Church. Thirty Arab converts were present, and 
 we were pleased to notice the devotion and apparent sincerity 
 with which they entered into the services. We also 
 witnessed the interesting ceremony of the baptism, by total 
 immersion, of an Arab child. This novel event created 
 no small excitement within and without the building. 
 
 Dean Stanley states that "the Samaritans are 
 . T* 1 . 6 the oldest and smallest sect in the world." After 
 
 Samaritans. , , , ,. 
 
 passing through some narrow and dirty streets, we 
 discovered their church. It is an upper room of small 
 dimensions, but so sacred in their estimation that we were 
 requested to take off our shoes before crossing the threshold. 
 They shewed us their Hebrew copy of the Pentateuch, which 
 they affirm to have been written by the great-grandson of 
 Aaron, and to be the oldest book extant. It is a ponderous 
 roll, tattered, patched, and stained, and evidently of gmtt 
 antiquity. The High Priest is a kind and venerable-looking 
 i onrl i s on the most friendly terms with Mr.
 
 50 TOUIl IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 Meishhacker ; but his bigoted attachment to his own ereed 
 was painfully obvious. He was firm in his conviction that 
 the Samaritans were right in their religious opinions, and 
 that ah 1 who differed from them were wrong. His hand- 
 some little boy stood by his side, and laying his hand on 
 the child's head he said, " He will succeed me in the priest- 
 hood, and his son will succeed him : God will not want a 
 man to stand before Him." We asked if he did not think 
 that Christ was the Shiloh of whom Jacob spoke, and the 
 Prophet pointed out by Moses ; but he shook his head in 
 unbelief. 
 
 When the Prince of Wales and his suite were 
 a ^ Nablous, a week before our arrival, they visited 
 Mount Gerizim for the purpose of witnessing the 
 Samaritan Passover. The whole of the Samaritan commu- 
 nity were present on the occasion. A.n hour before sunset 
 the ceremonies commenced. Six young men, dressed in 
 "white, appeared among the crowd, holding six sheep, and 
 as the sun was setting they burst into a wild chant, drew 
 their long knives, and slew the sheep. Then they dipped 
 their fingers in the blood, with which they marked the 
 foreheads of all the children who were present. Next came 
 the skinning and roasting of these animals. This done, 
 the Prince and most of his attendants retired ; but one or 
 two remained upon the mountain to witness the feast, which 
 was eaten in haste, in the early morning, by the Samaritans, 
 who were girded and shod, and held staves in their hands. 
 
 We left Nablous on the 21st of April, and our 
 incident. f r i en( J Mr. Eleishhacker accompanied us on his 
 white horse. As we were descending the slope of 
 the hill, with Samaria in full view, some young men and 
 boys saluted us with a shower of stones. A council of 
 war was held, when it was decided, by a majority of our 
 party, that no notice should be taken of the insult, especially 
 as Mr. Fleishhacker intended to return home alone and
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LA2JD. 51 
 
 unarmed by the same road. But while we were discussing 
 the matter, off dashed one of our servants in pursuit of the 
 offenders. In a few minutes he returned breathless but 
 satisfied, having displayed, according to his own account, 
 prodigies of valour, by attacking the ringleader and, after 
 laying him prostrate on the ground, giving him a severe 
 lecture on his impertinent and rude behaviour. 
 
 We then descended the hill on which stands 
 Samaria. Sebaste, or the ancient Samaria. It was originally 
 built by Omri, the sixth king of Israel, and called 
 by him Samaria, after the name of Shemer, from vvhom he 
 purchased the hill. " It was at one time the capital of the 
 kingdom of Israel. It would be difficult to find in all 
 Palestine a situation of equal strength, fertility, and beauty 
 combined."* Owing to its lofty position, it was never 
 taken by the Syrians ; and the Assyrians spent three j^ars 
 before its walls ere they could reduce it. The inhabitants 
 in clearing the site on which the city stood, in order to 
 prepare it for cultivation have thrown the stones of the 
 ruins down the sides of the hill, where they are still lying 
 in heaps ; so that the words of the prophet Micah have 
 been literally fulfilled : " Therefore I will make Samaria as 
 an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard : and I 
 will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I 
 will discover the foundations thereof, "f As we rode down 
 a steep declivity on the south side of the hill, we saw 
 about sixty columns of an ancient edifice deeply sunk in the 
 soil. They had evidently formed two sides of a colonnade, 
 and are supposed to have been a portion of Herod's gor- 
 geous palace. They extend for several thousand feet, in 
 two distinct ranges, fifty feet apart. 
 
 "\Vhen we were at Samaria we gained admission, into what 
 is called, the Church of John the Baptist, which we found 
 
 * Dr. Eobinson's Biblical Researches in Palestine. 
 t Micah t. 6.
 
 52 TOUR IN THE HOLT LAND. 
 
 in a roofless state. We descended into the reputed tomb 
 of our Saviour's forerunner by a flight of twenty-one steps. 
 But this tradition contravenes the opinion held by Josephus 
 and Eusebius, that he was beheaded in the castle of 
 Machserus, on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. On 
 leaving Samaria, a wide and verdant plain lay before us ; 
 after passing which we ascended a steep hill, leaving the 
 village of Dothan two miles to our left. We must, there- 
 fore, have travelled over the ground which Joseph trod 
 when in search .of his brethren, f 
 
 At Jenin our dragoman fixed our tents close to 
 Jenin. a rullnm g brook, in consequence of which our 
 
 repose was sadly interrupted by the incessant 
 croaking of frogs. The ancient name of Jenin was Engan- 
 niin J (i.e. a fountain of gardens) . 
 
 April 22nd we rode over the plain of Esdraelon, which 
 is eighteen miles in length, by nine in breadth, and has 
 often been the battle-field of Palestine. To our right lay 
 the mountains of Gilboa. 
 
 After riding for a few hours we entered Zerin, 
 jezreei. formerly called Jezreel. Poor and wretched as 
 
 this place now is, it was at one time the residence of 
 Ahab, King of Israel, and the scene of his regal splendour. 
 Here stood the watch-tower from which the astonished 
 guard saw Jehu and his warlike troops driving furiously 
 towards the city. Here also was the vineyard of Naboth, 
 which Ahab coveted, and to obtain Avhich he so cruelly 
 took the life of its rightful owner. 
 
 Leaving Jezreel, we pursued our journey for 
 Wen of h a ]f a m ji e towards the Jordan, for the purpose of 
 
 Trembling ... TT i 1-1 
 
 visiting Am Harod, or what is known as the 
 " Spring of Trembling/' It was so named because Gideon 
 here, by Divine direction, made his proclamation : " Whoso- 
 ever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early 
 t Gen. xxxvii. 17. + Joshua xix. 21.
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 53 
 
 from Mount Gilead."* We could not stand upon this 
 spot without being reminded of that remarkable battle 
 which immediately followed between Israel and Midian, in 
 which the former obtained over the latter so merciful and 
 miraculous a victory. Here also took place the disastrous 
 engagement between Saul and the Philistines, in which the 
 king and his three sons were slain.f David was well 
 acquainted with the ground on which this battle was fought, 
 and the peculiar position which his friend occupied upon 
 it ; and this enabled him so descriptively and pathetically 
 to exclaim, "O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high 
 places,";}: as though the bitterness of defeat and death was 
 aggravated by being on his own familiar and much frequented 
 mountain. 
 
 A ride of three miles brought us to Shunem, 
 stunem. w here a hedge of prickly pear trees sheltered us 
 pleasantly from the heat of the meridian sun. 
 Whilst there, we called to mind the scripture history of the 
 Shunammite woman, whose son was miraculously restored 
 to life by the instrumentality of the prophet Elisha. 
 Starting afresh, we passed over the scene of the battle 
 between the French and the Turks, in April, 1799, when 
 the latter sustained a signal defeat. 
 
 We had not proceeded far when one of our party 
 Nain. inquired what village it was that presented itself 
 to our view on the right, at the -foot of the hill? 
 On hearing that it was Naiu, we felt anxious to see it, as 
 the spot on which our Lord raised to life the widow's son ; 
 but our dragoman informed us that if we made this detour, 
 we could not reach Nazareth before nightfall ; so we were 
 compelled to relinquish that gratification. A few miles 
 further to the east we could discern Eudor, where Saul had 
 his interview with the witch. It is remarkable for its 
 
 * Judges vii. 3. f 1 Samuel xxxi. 6. J 2 Samuel i. 25. 
 2 Kings iv. 36.
 
 54 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 caverns, which are described by eye witnesses as being 
 " irregular excavations." 
 
 We next ascended a rocky hill, to the nigged 
 Nazareth, pathway of which we were somewhat reconciled by 
 the cheering thought that our eyes would shortly 
 rest upon Nazareth, a place in sacred history invested with 
 so many interesting associations. It is a remarkable circum- 
 stance that Nazareth is not mentioned in the old Testament, 
 nor by Josephus, though he notices the adjoining villages. 
 This may be accounted for by the fact that it probably was 
 in former times a small hamlet of insufficient political im- 
 portance to attract the historian's attention. It did not 
 acquire distinction till the time of the Crusades, when it 
 became the seat of a bishopric. During the last century it 
 has considerably increased and is now the chief town of the 
 district. The present population exceeds 3,000, but Dr. 
 Thompson is of opinion that it can never become a great 
 city, on account of its unfavourable position and distressing 
 want of water. There is an incessant contest around the 
 Fountain of the Annunciation for even a jar of it.* Pro- 
 minent among the buildings in Nazareth rises the spire 
 of the Latin Church which is 'designated the "Church of 
 the Annunciation," because some believe it was built over 
 the spot where the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that 
 she should be the mother of our Lord. We rode up 
 through the town, and found our tents pitched on the slope 
 of the hill " whereon the city is built," and close to the 
 Greek Church. Besides other interesting objects, we were 
 shown the Synagogue from which Jesus is said to been 
 expelled. 
 
 On the 23rd of April we ascended to the summit 
 of the hill. Here we saw far to the north the Anti- 
 Lebanon range, and Mount Hermon in all its grandeur ; 
 to the south the vast Plain of Esdraelon; to the east 
 *" The Land and the Book."
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 55 
 
 Mount Tabor; and to the west the Mediterranean Sea. 
 The thought naturally occurred to us, that the scene which 
 we beheld was one that was familiar to our blessed Lord ; 
 and the longer we gazed upon it, the more it became in our 
 eyes invested with thrilling interest. As we walked on the 
 summit of the hill, the further thought presented itself to 
 our minds, that here our blessed Redeemer held that 
 communion with his Father, in which His soul delighted. 
 From the brow of this hill His enemies at a later period 
 of His life wished to " cast Him down headlong.* 
 
 Before leaving Nazareth we paid a visit to Mr. Zeller, 
 the missionary, who told us that there were so many 
 stations and schools in the surrounding neighbourhood as 
 to make his sphere of labour far too extensive for his 
 unassisted efforts. 
 
 A two hours' ride from Nazareth brought us to 
 TabOT * ne ft f Mount Tabor a mountain of noble 
 
 aspect, rising 1,400 feet above the plain, and 
 1,900 feet above the level of the sea. We ascended, 
 threading our way along a bridle path, through a grove of 
 oak trees. The path became exceedingly rocky towards the 
 summit, which rendered it necessary for us to dismount and 
 walk. On this mountain we found a Greek Convent in 
 process of erection, around which we observed some rich 
 land in a state of cultivation. According to tradition, 
 Mount Tabor was regarded, as early as the 5th century, as 
 the scene of our Lord's transfiguration. But this could 
 not have been the case, since Josephus states that a city 
 whose fortifications he strengthened, covered the summit. 
 From Mount Tabor our road lay for a distance of four or 
 five hours' ride through a plain, consisting chiefly of arable 
 land. 
 
 The sun was setting over Mount Hattin as the 
 
 Lake of Tiberias, about three miles distant, opened 
 * Luke iv. 29
 
 56 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 to our view. Tradition says that, on this Mountain our 
 Saviour delivered his memorable sermon."* 
 
 We reached Tiherias at seven p.m., and encamped 
 Tiberias. w ithin the broken walls of the town, and close to 
 the water's edge. This city was built by Antipas, and 
 named in honour of the Emperor. Towards the end of 
 the 2nd century it was the chief seat of Rabbinical learning, 
 and was famous as the place where the Mishna was com- 
 posed. It is regarded by the Jews as one of the four holy 
 cities of the Land of Israel : the other cities being Jeru- 
 salem, Hebron, and Safed. 
 
 The following morning I rose early and wandered 
 by the side of the lake, where I read with 
 
 . 9* i i 
 
 much interest the gospel narratives relating to this 
 region. Nineteen centuries ago these shores were crowded 
 with towns and villages, and thickly peopled with a busy 
 population. How changed is it now ! Tiberias is the only 
 town remaining, and this place was much injured by the 
 earthquake which some years ago partly destroyed Safed and 
 other places in the neighbourhood. The air is, during the 
 summer months, enfeebling and oppressive. The lake is 
 about sixteen miles long, and six broad; but it appears 
 smaller than it really is, owing probably to the clearness of 
 the atmosphere. Mount Hermon, with its snow-capped 
 summit, rose at some miles distance to the north, adding 
 grandeur to the scene. We took the only boat we could 
 obtain, for a day's sail on the lake. The first place we 
 passed to the north-west, was the little village of Migdel, 
 or Magdala, supposed by some to have been the residence 
 of Mary Magdalene, out of whom our Lord cast seven 
 devils. fWe rested in the middle of the day, at 'Ain et Tin, 
 and then passed by the remains of Bethsaida. Chorazin is 
 situated about two miles north-west of the lake. Captain 
 Wilson says, in a letter dated January, 1866, "Lieut. 
 * Matt. v. vii. f Luke viii. 2.
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 57 
 
 Anderson has made a great discovery, no less than the ruins 
 of Chorazin, at Kerazeh. The remains cover a much larger 
 extent of ground than Tel Hum, and many of the houses 
 are almost perfect, with the exception of the roofs ; the 
 openings for doors and windows remaining in some cases. 
 They are nearly all of the same style a wall of rubble 
 masonry, with two or more pillars in the interior to bear up 
 the rafters of the roof ." We rowed in our boat past the 
 ruins of Tel Hum. The sites of Capernaum and Bethsaida 
 still remain uncertain. Many are of opinion that Tel Hum 
 and Capernaum are identical. The name is conceived to 
 furnish an important argument, Hum being taken to 
 represent Nahum ; Tel is often applied to a deserted place, 
 and it might easily have been substituted for Cappar, or 
 Kefr, a village. The ruins here occupy a space of half a 
 mile in length, and a quarter of a mile in width. The 
 recent exploring expedition has traced out the foundations 
 of an ancient synagogue, which may have been the very 
 building our Lord habitually attended. The Jordan empties 
 itself into the north-east of the lake. It is here about 
 seventy feet wide, and is quite clear. On our return to 
 Tiberias a fresh breeze sprang up, but the wind being 
 contrary we made slow progress. So suddenly did the 
 waves arise that we could easily understand how the 
 disciples were surprised and imperilled by an unexpected 
 storm .*" After hard rowing, we reached Tiberias at eight 
 p.m., two hours after sunset. 
 
 On the following day we went to see the hot 
 
 ^athT sulphur baths, which are distant two miles south 
 
 of the town, and are close to the lake. These 
 
 springs are of great antiquity, being mentioned both by 
 
 Pliny and Josephus. Two bath-houses have been erected 
 
 over them ; one of them probably co-eval with Herod, and 
 
 perhaps erected by him ; the other was built by Ibrahim 
 
 Pasha of Egypt. They are now chiefly resorted to by 
 
 * Luke viii. 23.
 
 58 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 invalid Jews and Mahometans. It is clear that volcanic 
 action is still going on underground. We may therefore 
 hear at any time of the destruction of Tiberias by this 
 agency. The water stands at too high a temperature for 
 bathing in, without danger or discomfort, as was proved by 
 one of our party, who ventured upon a dip. In riding 
 through Tiberias, we had presented to us a wretched scene 
 of poverty and ruins. 
 
 Ascending a hill, we reached Cana, after a ride 
 Cana. O f f our nours> Jt is doubtful whether this is the 
 identical place in which our Saviour performed his 
 first miracle, or whether it was a Cana a few miles further 
 north. Departing from thence we passed over extensive 
 plains, covered chiefly with wheat and beans, and reached 
 Nazareth at six o'clock p.m. 
 
 Shortly after leaving this place we crossed 
 Kfcium "that ancient river, the river Kishon;" which, 
 during the greater part of the year, is very shallow. 
 Our horses forded it without difficulty. 
 
 We then came to Haifah, which is situated at 
 Haifeh. tne f oot of Mount Carmel. The following day 
 being Sunday, the service of the Church of England 
 "was performed in one of our tents. Before leaving Haifah 
 we ascended Mount Carmel, whence there is a grand view 
 of the Mediterranean Sea and the surrounding country. 
 We visited the large Latin Convent which has been erected 
 upon the mountain. In the evening a heavy thunderstorm 
 passed over the town, when the servants brought into our 
 tents some immense hailstones. 
 
 The following day we rode along the sea coast 
 Acre - to Acre, a distance of ten miles. We were over- 
 taken by heavy storms of rain, and were compelled 
 to seek refuge among the bushes and sandbanks. There is 
 little to be seen at Acre but the fortifications, which we 
 visited on our arrival. Within the fort is a prison, the
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 59 
 
 unhappy inmates of which were huddled together in damp 
 cells. As we passed the iron bars of the miserable abodes, 
 the prisoners were clamorous for money, and extended their 
 hands to receive what we were pleased to bestow upon them. 
 On the 29th of April we crossed the hills, which 
 T y re - separate Phoenicia from Palestine, and after some 
 hours reached the ancient city of Tyre. Here the 
 dragoman pitched our tents so near the water's edge that 
 one of them was in danger of being washed away. This 
 necessitated our removal to a greater distance from the shore. 
 Tyre, which waa formerly an island, is now connected by a 
 causeway with the main-land. Joshua speaks of it as " the 
 strong city," (B.C. 1444.)* The prophet Isaiah, making 
 use of a well-known Eastern figure, calls it a " daughter of 
 Zidon,"f and says its " antiquity is of ancient days." J 
 The mariners of Tyre brought ceders from Lebanon for 
 David ; and its artisans built him a palace in Jerusalem. 
 Besides which, they assisted Soloman in the erection of his 
 magnificent temple. It is a fact, though difficult to realise, 
 that this place, which at present contains only from 3,000 
 to 4,000 inhabitants, was in. ancient times a city of such 
 vast extent and importance as to suffer itself ostentatiously 
 and profanely to say, " I am a god, I sit in the seat of 
 God, in the midst of the seas."|| Tyre, in such a spirit, 
 might well provoke the jealous God, who will not give his 
 glory to another, to say, " Behold, I am against thee, 
 O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against 
 thee, as the sea causes his waves to come up. And they 
 shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her 
 towers."^[ Hence her downfal and degradation, which 
 cannot escape the traveller's observation, for on rowing 
 round the walls of this desolated city, columns of large size 
 and in great numbers, which must formerly have sustained 
 
 * Joshua xix. 29. f Isaiah xxiii. 12. J Isaiah xxiii. 7. 
 2 Samuel v. 11. || Ezek xxviii. 2. f Ezek. xxvi. 3, 4.
 
 60 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 considerable edifices, appeared several feet beneath the 
 surface of the water. We also saw fishing nets hanging 
 upon the walls, affording us ocular demonstration of the 
 judgment of God, and the accurate fulfilment of His own 
 prediction in the following words : " I will make thee like 
 the top of a rock ; thou shalt be a place to spread nets 
 upon ; thou shalt be built no more : for I the Lord have 
 spoken it."* We found that most of the houses in Tyre 
 were mere hovels, forming streets unusually narrow and 
 irregular. "The walls have evidently been shattered by 
 shocks of earthquakes. The few palm trees which are 
 scattered among the houses and gardens relieve, in some 
 degree, the aspect of desolation, aud contribute to hide 
 Tyre's fallen glory. There is but one gate and the nume- 
 rous breaches in the wall render others unnecessary."f 
 We noticed boys walking about the streets with ink-horns by 
 their sides. This Eastern custom is noted by the prophet 
 Ezekiel : " Behold, the man clothed with linen, which had 
 the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter saying, I have 
 done as thou hast commanded me."J Having a letter of 
 introduction to the British Consul at Tyre, on our presenting 
 it, he accompanied us to the ruins of an old church in the 
 south-eastern angle of the town, supposed to have been 
 erected by Paulinos, Bishop of Tyre, in the beginning of 
 the fourth century. He afterwards invited us to his house, 
 upon entering which he paid us the Eastern compliment of 
 begging us to consider it our home during our stay. We 
 were informed that about 2,000 Christians fled during the 
 Syrian massacre of 1860, to two small islands, situated a 
 short distance from the land, to escape being murdered by 
 the Druses, who had come down the mountains to attack 
 them. The Christians remained on the islands three or 
 four weeks, and were nearly starved to death. 
 
 On leaving Tyre we rode along the sea coast 
 * Ezek. zxvi. 14. f Murray's Handbook. $ Exek. ix. 11.
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 61 
 
 Sidon. tfl\ we arr i ve( J a t Sidon. This place was founded 
 by Sidon, the eldest son of Canaan, and great- 
 grandson of Noah. It has never ceased to be a populous 
 and flourishing town, though small in comparison with its 
 former size. There is still a red silk manufactory carried 
 on in it. We next ascended a high tower in the town, 
 which afforded us an extensive view of the surrounding 
 country, beautifully clothed with olive trees. On the 
 distant hills was pointed out to us the residence of the late 
 noted Lady Hester Stanhope. We afterwards visited a 
 ruined castle, standing on a rock, situated a 100 yards 
 from the shore, and connected with the town by a bridge of 
 nine arches. The following morning we rode to the tombs 
 of the Kings of Phoenicia, where was much to interest us. 
 On our return to Sidon, we found outside the city walls, 
 two miles distant from the tombs, a stone which had 
 recently been dug up, and appeared to be a fragment of 
 some ancient monument, bearing a Greek inscription which, 
 owing to its being partly defaced we could not satisfactorily 
 decipher; but the generally accepted interpretation is as 
 follows : " To this man, the most illustrious, their 
 unfailing patron, the sons of Diodorus have erected this 
 statue." 
 
 After leaving Sidon we had a wearisome ride of 
 Beyrout. n { ne h ours through deep sand to Beyrout a 
 place more European in style than any town in 
 Syria ; the houses and bazaars being superior, and the streets 
 much cleaner. We called on Dr. Vandyck, who was 
 engaged in the important work of translating the Bible into 
 Arabic. In the year 1860 Mrs. Thompson established a 
 school at Beyrout for widows and orphan girls. This 
 good work has gradually increased, till there are now, in 
 1869, twelve schools in Beyrout and the neighbourhood, 
 and seven in Lebanon and Damascus, with a total of 1-33-4 
 children. 
 
 On the 4th of May we engaged a dm-orr>
 
 62 TOUE IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 escor t us to Damascus and Baalbec. The road lay 
 
 for some miles amidst gardens of mulberry, orange, 
 and lemon trees. The ascent of Mount Lebanon occupied 
 three hours, and we encamped for the night on its summit, 
 at least 3,000 feet above the level of the sea : the tem- 
 perature therefore was cold. We found there a French 
 Company engaged in making a new road from Beyrout to 
 Damascus, which is much required. On the following day 
 we breakfasted at six o'clock in the open air. 
 
 At ten o'clock we met the Prince of "Wales and 
 ^afe^ his su ite, on their return from Baalbec, accompanied 
 
 by a large guard of Turkish soldiers. While 
 speaking of the heir to England's throne, I may mention 
 that I had much pleasure in hearing his praises everywhere 
 proclaimed. Wherever he travelled he won golden opinions, 
 and left upon all whom he met a favourable impression by 
 his affable and pleasing manner. He was well received in 
 the East at every place he visited, except Damascus, where, 
 on entering with his suite, the people failed to testify their 
 respect by rising from their seats to salute him. For this 
 want of courtesy, some of them, I was told, were afterwards 
 punished by the Pasha. 
 
 We spent the night at Migdel, a small village 
 about half way between Damascus and Beyrout ; and on 
 the following morning were escorted by two armed guards 
 through one of the valleys, in consequence of some serious 
 robbery which had recently occurred. 
 
 At five o'clock we reached the summit of the 
 Damascus, jjjj]^ f rom whence we obtained our first view of 
 
 Damascus. We paused a few minutes to look at 
 the richly cultivated plain and the city, with the hills in 
 the distance. The valley abounds in fine trees of mul- 
 berry, fig, walnut, pomegranate, almond, and apricot. The 
 minarets and domes looked exceedingly well, rising above 
 the mass of flat-roofed houses. Damascus is one of the
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 63 
 
 oldest cities in the world, and owes its origin, according to 
 Josephus, to Uz, a grandson of Noah. It is a curious 
 fact that, although this city stands in a plain, it is in reality 
 2,000 feet above the level of the sea. We rode by lanes 
 through the surrounding gardens, which are well watered 
 by the Abana, or Barada, as it is now called. We took 
 up our abode in the Hotel of Palmyra, kept by Demetri, a 
 Greek, in the street called " Straight," which is nearly two 
 miles in length. It was a good specimen of a superior 
 Arabian house, the rooms being twenty-five feet high, and 
 built round a court, with a fountain in the centre. We 
 visited the bazaars, which are well supplied with articles of 
 every description. We found that the shopkeepers were 
 generally willing to take half the price they had affixed to 
 their goods. Mr. Crawford, the American missionary, took 
 us over the schools in which he is much interested. We 
 saw there forty-five boys, and twenty-five girls, who were 
 bright looking children, the majority of them belonging to 
 Greek Christians. Their reading was good, and they 
 seemed well taught in scripture. Our guide shewed lis- 
 some of the ancient wall of Damascus, including the place 
 where St. Paul is said to have been let down in a basket, 
 and escape from the hands of his enemies.* We noticed, 
 at the remains of the church of St. John, some handsome 
 columns in the Corinthian style. After looking in at the 
 door of the great Mosque, not being permitted to enter, we 
 proceeded to the Castle, from which a fine view of the city 
 was obtained by sunset. We next went to the Jewish 
 Synagogue, and found a Eabbi instructing some Jews in 
 the law. Then we looked into the house of Lisboni, a rich 
 Jew, who was engaged in chanting parts of the Bible in his 
 court, and who did not seem to be in the least disturbed by 
 our presence. The name of God was written in Hebrew on 
 every door in his house ; and our guide informed us that 
 *Actsix. 25.
 
 64 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 this was universally the case in Eastern Jewish houses. 
 
 We afterwards walked through the Christian 
 
 MaSan-e <l uar t er j which was destroyed in the frightful 
 
 massacre of 1860. It made us feel sad to pass 
 through streets of ruins and to think of the fearful 
 sufferings which must have been endured by the Christians. 
 Ornaments were to be seen scattered about in heaps, and 
 even an orphan asylum was not spared by the savage mob. 
 Mr. Crawford informed us that the number of Greek and 
 Roman Christians killed at Damascus during the massacre 
 was from 3,000 to 5,000 ; and the Rev. Mr. Robson, of 
 the Irish Mission, told us that he owed his preservation, 
 under God, to the kind protection of the Mahometan owner 
 of his house. On Sunday I was requested to perform 
 service at the British Consulate ; and on the following day, 
 May 12th, we bade farewell to the city of Damascus, and 
 after riding for some hours over hills and through valleys, 
 reached the ruins of an old temple, close to the waters of 
 the Barada. 
 
 At Abile we admired the group of cliffs that 
 Abiie. rose f rom th e valley, and the water pouring through 
 
 an old bridge originally built by the Romans. 
 There were tombs cut out so high in the rocks, our wonder 
 was how they could have been reached for the purpose of 
 depositing in them the bodies of the dead. 
 
 After a ride of seven hours from Abile, we again 
 T stii 0f entered the plain of Bukaa, which is 100 miles in 
 
 extent. Here we visited, what is reported to be, 
 the tomb of Seth, upwards of ] 00 feet long, and nine feet 
 wide. It is venerated by the Mahometans ; but it is 
 drawing too much upon our credulity to ask us to believe 
 that Seth was such a giant as to have required so long a 
 tomb. 
 
 Shortly afterwards we came in sight of the 
 
 magnificent ruins of Baalbec. Our tents were
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LA.ND. 65 
 
 pitched in a most romantic spot, within the walls of the 
 temple. At night the moon cast long shadows from the six 
 majestic columns of the Temple of the Sun. The perfect 
 stillness of the night was only broken at intervals by owls 
 hooting their lamentations amid the broken arches of the 
 Temple of Jupiter. Their ruins testify to the magnificence 
 of the temple in its pristine state, and are a fresh proof of 
 the vanity of human designs. Our minds were carried 
 back to the period when men were worshippers of Baal, 
 Jupiter, and other false deities. We could not fail to 
 believe that God, in His righteous indignation, had over- 
 thrown this idolatrous temple. There seems little doubt 
 that it was destroyed partly by earthquakes, and partly by 
 the barbarous Turks. A century ago the circular temple 
 was used for a church by the Greek Christians, but it is 
 now merely a heap of ruins. Baalbec was formerly an 
 episcopal city, and is still the residence of a Greek Bishop. 
 We rode to some excavations situated half a mile from the 
 temple. Our attention was drawn to a monster stone, even 
 larger than the far-famed three in the lower part of the 
 Temple of the Sun. It is sixty-four feet long, and thirteen 
 broad. " Surely/' says a writer upon this subject, " there 
 must have been giants in those days to be able to mtfve such 
 prodigious stones." It is a disputed point how tae ancients 
 contrived to move such immense weights. Having taken a 
 last look at Baalbec, we rode down the valley of Bukaa, 
 which extends as far as Sidon. Our tents were pitched that 
 night on the slopes of the Lebanon. We reached Beyrout 
 the following day. 
 
 On the 18th of May, we bade adieu to the "Land of 
 Promise," and embarked in an Austrian Steamer bound for 
 Smyrna. It was crowded with passengers, having on board 
 350 pilgrims from Jerusalem, who were returning home. 
 
 The first place at which we arrived was Cyprus. 
 
 Cyprus. j t j s meil tioned eight times in the Acts of 
 
 the Apostles as the scene of many successful Apostolic
 
 66 TOTJB IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 labours. It was probably the native Isle of "Mnason, 
 an old disciple," who was called " Mnason of Cyprus /'t 
 Barnabas is said to have been its first Bishop, and 
 there is a church at Larnica, which bears his name, and 
 is built, according to tradition, over his grave. It had at 
 one time its island kings, and as many as 300 Christian 
 churches.* It contains a large population consisting of 
 Mahometans, Greeks, and Roman Catholics, amounting to 
 about 250,000. We went ashore for a few hours, and 
 visited a Latin convent, where the monks treated us to 
 sherbet, a cooling and refreshing beverage, very commonly 
 drunk in the east. 
 
 The following day the hills of Asia Minor came in view. 
 
 We landed at Rhodes, a place once famous for 
 Rhodes, fa (( Colossus " a huge brazen statue of Apollo, 
 which was formerly reckoned one of the wonders 
 of the world, but was overthrown by an earthquake fifty- 
 six years after its erection. The climate of this island is 
 considered one of the finest in the Mediterranean. 
 
 Leaving Coos on our left, we came to Patmos, 
 Patmos. ^ celebrated scene of St. John's banishment 
 during the cruel persecution of the Christians by 
 the Emperor Domitian. Here the monks shew a convent 
 called John the Divine, and a cave in which they say St. 
 John had the visions contained in his book of Divine 
 Revelation. The island is ten miles in length, and five in 
 breadth. Its population is exclusively Greek. 
 
 The next island we touched at was Chios, one 
 Chios. O f the seven places which claim to be the birth- 
 place of the poet Homer. 
 
 Many objects presented themselves to view as we 
 
 Smyrna. sa i] e( j U p the splendid Gulf of Smyrna, and none 
 
 more beautiful than the town itself, which stands 
 
 close to the shore, surrounded by dark green cypress trees. 
 
 * " Wanderings in the Land of Israel," by Anderson, t Acts zxi. 16;
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 67 
 
 A rather precipitous hill rises at the back of the town, 
 surmounted by an ancient castle, which adds considerably 
 to the beauty of the scenery. The church of Smyrna, was 
 one of the seven churches to which the Epistles were 
 severally addressed by our Lord. One of the many charac- 
 teristics of this church was, that it was " rich ;" and it was 
 foretold that though it would be afflicted and tried, it would 
 not be exterminated, but that after the ten days of tribula- 
 tion, through which it would have to pass under the 
 persecution of Dioclesian, it was, as the result of its faith- 
 fulness unto death, to receive a " crown of life/' It was 
 very interesting to stand upon the ground where Polycarp 
 is said to have suffered martyrdom. He was made " the 
 angel of the church in Smyrna"* by St. John (A.D. 82), and 
 was afterwards burnt to death with eleven brethren. They 
 were faithful unto death, and obtained the "crown of life." 
 Smyrna is now a thriving seaport, containing no less than 
 144,000 inhabitants, with an English church, and a resident 
 chaplain. Besides which, there are located here Christian 
 ministers of various denominations. 
 
 May 23rd, we travelled forty-one miles by train, 
 Ephesus. an( j ro( j e he remaining eight miles to Ephesus, 
 where we saw some extensive ruins. This place 
 was, in the first century, the metropolis of Asia Minor, and 
 an opulent city. It was chiefly i'amous for the temple of 
 Diana, whom " all Asia and the world "f worshipped. It was 
 adorned with 727 columns of Parian marble, each of them 
 a single shaft sixty feet high, and it formed one of the seven 
 wonders of the world.J It was destroyed during the 
 invasion of the Goths (A.D. 260). Our guide pointed out 
 to us the probable remains of this magnificent building; 
 and a portion of the amphitheatre, which is said to have 
 held 20,000 people. The sight of this fallen temple 
 reminded us of the words of St. Paul : "If after the manner 
 * Rev. ii. 8. | Acts xix. 27. I Keith's Evidence of Prophecy.
 
 68 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus."* This is, 
 supposed to have been the theatre mentioned in Acts xix. 
 into which the multitude rushed. St. Paul took up his 
 abode at Ephesus A.D. 55, and resided there for upwards of 
 two years. He was the means, under God, of converting 
 many to the Christian faith, and of organising a church 
 there. He was compelled, however, to quit the city in con- 
 sequence of a tumult which was raised against him by 
 Demetrius and the craftsmen, " who made silver shrines for 
 Diana." In the Epistle addressed by our Lord to the Church 
 of Ephesus, they were commanded to return to their first 
 works, and threatened with a removal of their candlestick 
 except they repented of their sins.f Having failed to 
 benefit by this warning, their candlestick was removed and 
 they were left to degenerate to the state in which they now 
 appear, namely, one of extreme wretchedness ; for the place 
 is composed of a few miserable mud cottages, tenanted by 
 Turks ; so that the valuable Epistle to the Ephesians, which 
 is read and prized by the whole Christian world, has at 
 this time no readers in Ephesus. 
 
 On the following day we reached the Island 
 Syra. o f Syra, which stands upon a conically- shaped 
 
 hill, and presents a pleasing aspect from the sea. 
 We heard that there were twenty-five English families 
 residing there. 
 
 May the 26th, we arrived at the Piraeus, a small 
 Athens, town on the sea coast. From thence we drove four 
 
 miles to Athens. This place attained the summit 
 of its splendour and importance in the time of Pericles. 
 (B.C. 460). The extent of its walls at that period was 
 twenty-two miles, and its population amounted to 21,000 
 citizens, 1,000 strangers, and 400,000 slaves. The Greeks 
 were for many years the most learned nation in the world. 
 They became weakened by their luxurious habits and civil 
 wars, till they were subdued by Philip, King of Macedonia. 
 * 1 Cor. xv. 32. t Kev. ii.5.
 
 TOUB IN THE HOLY LAND. 69 
 
 Some years afterwards they were conquered by the Romans. 
 Modern Athens is a handsome and well-built town, and 
 contains a population of 40,000 inhabitants. 
 
 Our first steps were to the Acropolis; from 
 Acropoiia wnence we could see to the north the Mount of 
 Pentelicon, to the south some of the islands of the 
 .ZEgean Sea, to the east the Mount of Hymettus, so famous 
 for its honey ; and far away to the westward Corinth was 
 scarcely visible. The temple of Minerva, called the 
 Parthenon, situated on the summit of the Acropolis, Words- 
 worth calls, " the finest edifice on the finest site in the 
 world." It was in complete preservation in the year 1675; 
 but shortly afterwards it was destroyed by the explosion of 
 a large quantity of gunpowder which had been deposited 
 there by the Turks. The Acropolis was used as a fortress 
 during the war of independence (1821 27), and suffered 
 severely from both Greeks and Turks. 
 
 We visited what to the Christian mind must be 
 Areopagus, the mos ^ interesting spot in Athens, the Areo- 
 pagus, or Mars Hill. It stands many feet below 
 the Acropolis. The solemn Areopagite Council was accus- 
 tomed to sit there in the open air, the seats of the judges 
 being hewn out of the rock. These being still visible, we 
 could picture to ourselves the great Apostle of the Gentiles, 
 some 1800 years ago, surrounded by his Athenian audience, 
 always eager to hear some " new thing." With what 
 thrilling interest must they have listened to his stirring 
 address : " Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all 
 things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and 
 beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, 
 TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye 
 ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you."* 
 
 The next object of interest was the Pnyx, or ancient 
 Parliament. It is of triangular form, capable of con- 
 * Act* xvii. 22, 23.
 
 70 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 taining 7,000 persons. No wonder that Demosthenes, 
 standing on the Bema, or Bostrum, fixed in the centre of 
 one of the angular lines, and under the canopy of heaven, 
 should find it necessary to strengthen his voice in order 
 that he might qualify himself for speaking to so large an 
 audience in a building of such vast dimensions. We stood 
 upon the Rostrum where not only Demosthenes, but 
 Pericles, Themistocles, Aristides, and Solon delivered some 
 of their orations. We also saw the ancient Theatre at 
 Athens, where extensive excavations were in progress, 
 Many of the stone seats are still distinctly seen, the rest 
 being covered by an accumulation of debris to the depth of 
 twenty feet. On one of the stone seats the name of a 
 Greek priest is still legible. 
 
 The time of our stay at Athens having expired, we 
 reluctantly took our leave of it, and proceeded by steamer 
 to Constantinople. 
 
 A more magnificent sunset than the one we 
 Sunset, witnessed that evening I never beheld. The 
 whole scene was one of indescribable beauty, the 
 sky being charged with bright and constantly varying 
 colours. As the sun declined, the Peloponnesian mountains 
 gradually assumed a sombre hue, until the splendour in 
 which they had been arrayed entirely disappeared. Under 
 these circumstances we read with interest the well-known 
 lines of Byron, as being most appropriate to the scene we had 
 with so much delight been contemplating, and which were 
 composed by him in a convent at Athens, in the year 
 1814: 
 
 " Slow sinks, more lovely ere his race be run, 
 Along Morea's hills the setting sun, 
 Not as in northern climes, obscurely bright, 
 But one unclouded blaze of living light ; 
 O'er the hushed deep the yellow beam he throws, 
 Gilds the green wave that trembles as it glows i 
 On old Mgma's rock and Hydra's Isle, 
 The god of gladne&s sheds his parting smile,"
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 71 
 
 Early on the following morning, between two 
 Hellespont. anc j three o 3 clock, some of the passengers arose 
 to get a view of the Hellespont. The plain of 
 Troy, which stood on our right, we could hardly dis- 
 tinguish, hut were satisfied that we were near the spot on 
 which, in a vision, the Apostle Paul saw a man of Mace- 
 donia, who said, " Come over and help us."* We next 
 passed between Sestos and Abydos about two miles apart. 
 Here Xerxes, the fifth king of Persia, crossed with his 
 army into Europe, by means of a bridge of boats. History 
 informs us that the ambitious monarch wept at the thought, 
 that in one hundred years not one of his brave soldiers 
 would be left to display the pomp of his royal power. 
 Lord Byron states that he swam across these waters. As 
 we sailed further up the Hellespont, the Dardanelles 
 appeared on our right, and an hour afterwards Gallipoli on 
 our left. We then entered the Sea of Marmora, and in the 
 course of a few hours came in sight of the magnificent 
 city of Constantinople. 
 
 Minarets, domes, and mosques came in view, 
 c< Sfif ti " an( l as we sau "ed U P the Golden Horn, every mosque 
 (of which, it is said, there are 1000 in the city,) 
 seemed larger than the preceding one. The day after 
 arriving, we went to see the Sultan ride to a mosque, which 
 is his usual custom at noon every Friday. We had a good 
 view of him as he rode by on his charger. We afterwards 
 enjoyed a pleasant row on an arm of the sea, called the 
 " Golden Horn," in one of the light and graceful caiques, 
 to the "sweet waters of Europe," and we noticed many 
 gaudily dressed ladies in their tawdry carriages. During 
 the time we spent at Constantinople we visited, among other 
 things, the Seraglio, which was the former palace of the 
 Sultans. We also saw specimens of the dresses of the 
 Janissaries, and the Mosque of St. Sofia. We went to 
 * Acts xvi. 9.
 
 78 TOTJB IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 Scutari and saw the English burial ground, as also the 
 hospital in which Miss Nightingale and her benevolent asso- 
 ciates attended the sick and dying during the Crimean war. 
 
 June 1st, Sunday. Having been requested by the 
 chaplain to preach in the English Church, I did so both 
 morning and afternoon, and at the former service I found 
 a considerable congregation. The day following I ascended 
 to the summit of the Galata Tower, from which to the 
 northward appeared a large portion of the city; to the 
 southward the Sea of Marmora, and Asia Minor in the 
 distance, with its snow-capped mountains ; to the eastward 
 appeared the Golden Horn and the sweet waters of Europe ; 
 and westward the Bosphorus and Scutari, constituting 
 altogether one of the most splendid views in the world. 
 After taking a general survey of this important city, I left 
 by steamer. Sailing down the Bosphorus we passed by a 
 succession of pretty villages, studding the coasts on either 
 side, until we entered the Black Sea. The Bulgarian coast, 
 which lay on our left, appeared flat and uninteresting. 
 Staying for the night at Kustandgi, we took the train next 
 morning for Schernavoda, a town on the Danube. The 
 country having been recently flooded, we were obliged to 
 pass for upwards of a mile through water, in some places 
 two or three feet deep. This stage of our journey was 
 enlivened by the appearance of cranes, storks, geese, ducks, 
 and other wild fowl. Our two days on the Danube 
 were very enjoyable. This river rises in the black forest of 
 the Grand Duchy of Baden, and after a course of about 
 2,000 miles, pours itself by a number of mouths, into the 
 Black Sea. Soon after starting we reached Silistria, which 
 town acquired a world-wide celebrity on account of the 
 defeat of the Russians by the Turkish army during the 
 Crimean war. 
 
 On June the 5th, the steamer touched at Widdin. This 
 gave us the opportunity of walking through some of its
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 73 
 
 streets, which left the unfavourable impression upon our 
 minds that it was a dirty Bulgarian town. A large amount 
 of tobacco was here exhibited in the shops for sale, as well 
 as various articles of Scotch and Manchester manufacture. 
 On the following day we quitted our commodious steamer, 
 and went on board a small vessel destined to convey us to 
 Orsova. We soon arrived at what is designated the " Iron 
 Gates," where the water is so shallow that even our small 
 vessel could with difficulty pass. These " Iron Gates " are 
 so called from their being formed of hard rocks which are 
 difficult to blast. A drenching rain unfortunately prevented 
 our going on the upper deck to view the exquisite scenery 
 which characterises this part of the Danube. After reaching 
 Bazias we took train for Pesth, where we spent an agreeable 
 day the only drawback being the extreme heat of the 
 weather. We drove across the splendid bridge which spans 
 the Danube, and saw the Emperor of Austria's Palace. We 
 were much struck with the graceful, old-fashioned costume 
 of the Hungarians, which appeared so well adapted to their 
 handsome persons. 
 
 The next place we reached was Vienna. This 
 Vienna. c [^y con t a ins nearly half a million of inhabitants, 
 but appeared to be almost depopulated on the 
 evening of our arrival, the inhabitants having gone out 
 for their usual promenade in the park. The following day, 
 Whit-Monday, being a general holiday, we saw the Greek, 
 Dominican, and Franciscan churches to great advantage. 
 The services from ten to twelve were well attended. We 
 next visited the church of the Capuchins and the Augustines. 
 In the former repose the bodies of the Archduke Charles, 
 the son of Napoleon I., and the daughter of the present 
 Emperor of Austria. In the latter church are deposited 
 the hearts of the Austrian Royal family. We drove to the 
 Emperor's Palace at Schonbrun, situated three miles from 
 the city. The Belvedere Museum, the Treasury, and other 
 places of interest we also visited.
 
 74 TOUll IN THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 A day or two afterwards we passed through 
 Linz - Linz, which is beautifully situated on the Danube, 
 
 and arrived at Salzburgh in the evening. From 
 thence to Munich the view on our left was very grand, the 
 mountains of the Tyrol being visible for about fifty miles. 
 
 We visited the chief points of interest in Munich 
 Munich. suc fa as f^e ex _King Louis's Modern Gallery, the 
 
 Ancient Gallery, the Basilica, and the King of 
 Bavaria's Palace. The principal cities we then passed in 
 our journey to England were Augsburgh, Stutgard, Heidel- 
 berg, and Darmstadt. 
 
 Taking one of the Rhine steamers, we passed 
 The Rhine, down the river, a distance of 127 miles, in nine 
 
 hours. So many descriptions have been given of 
 the Ehine that I forbear to expatiate upon its beauties. 
 After spending a day or two at Cologne we proceeded to 
 Brussels, and visited the Cathedral, the Museum, the 
 Zoological Gardens, and other places of attraction. 
 
 On June the 17th, we drove to the Field of Waterloo, 
 tbat scene of conflict between the French and the Allied 
 armies (A.D. 3815), which terminated in the total defeat of 
 Napoleon. We then pursued our route by way of Calais to 
 England. 
 
 I cannot close my lectures without a grateful 
 Conclusion. r e f erence to our own favoured land. I believe there 
 
 is no country in the world to be compared with 
 England. We are, thank God, a civilised, and to a great 
 extent a Christianised nation ; and we possess many privi- 
 leges and blessings. We ought, therefore, to feel especially 
 thankful that Providence has cast our lot in happy and 
 highly favoured Britain a land of civil and religious 
 liberty a land through which the Bible is extensively 
 circulated, and to which we have freedom of access at all 
 times. We can hear it in public, and read it in private, 
 without interference or fear of exposing ourselves to persecu-
 
 TOUR IN THE HOLY LAND. 75 
 
 tion, imprisonment, and even death, to which the inhabitants 
 of other countries are notoriously subjected, as is the case, 
 more or less, with Roman Catholic, Mahometan, and Pagan 
 kingdoms. 
 
 God grant that we may show our gratitude for these 
 distinguished privileges and blessings, by rendering to Him 
 the gracious Author of them, suitable and abundant fruits 
 in their season. Then may we hope to be exalted among 
 the nations of the earth, and have the blessing of God 
 perpetually resting upon us, which shall cause us to con- 
 tinue a prosperous and happy people. 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 Lieut. Warren states, that a few articles have been 
 recently discovered in Jerusalem. They consist chiefly of 
 pottery, bronze nails, and glass, of the 3rd and 4th centuries 
 of the Christian era. A few Hebrew coins have also been 
 turned up; and a seal, with characters shewing it to be 
 that of Haggai, the son of Shebaniah, and supposed to be 
 of the time of Ezra. 
 
 Printed at the Advertiser Office, 1., Edith Walk, Great Malvern.
 
 BY THE SAME AUTHOR. 
 
 Important Truths. Contents: "Salvation," "God is 
 Love," " The Soul's Value," " Justification," " Ckrist 
 our All," "God's Word is Truth," "Affliction," 
 " Prayer," and " Christian Love." In cloth, red 
 edges, 2s. 
 
 Salvation. 4th Thousand, Id. 
 
 God is Love. 3rd Thousand, 2d. 
 
 The Soul's Value. 3rd Thousand, 2d. 
 
 Procrastination. 3rd Thousand, 2d. 
 
 Christ our All. 3rd Thousand, 2d. 
 
 Justification. 3rd Thousand, 2d. 
 
 G-od's Word is Truth. 2nd Thousand, 2d. 
 
 Affliction. 2nd Thousand, 2d. 
 
 Confession. 2nd Thousand, 2d. 
 
 Thankfulness. 2nd Thousand, 2d. 
 
 Prayer. 3rd Thousand, 3d. 
 
 Christian Love. 3nd Thousand, 3d. 
 
 A Christian's Dying Testimony. 2nd Thousand, id. 
 
 AU Light. 3rd Thousand, id. 
 
 Morning and Evening Prayer, (on card) 2nd Thou- 
 sand, Id. 
 
 A Missionary Prayer, (on card) lOd. per doz.