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EXCURSION TO JERICHO.

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CHAPTER VI.

Excursion to Jericho and the Dead Sea.-Procession of the Pilgrims to Jordan. Military Escort.- -The Governor of Jerusalem and his Suite.Motley Crowd before St. Stephen's Gate.-Beggars.-View from the Bethany Road.-The Route to Bethany.-Road through the Mountains. -Khan. - Field of Blood.-Ruins.-Ancient Aqueduct.-View of the Plain of Jordan.-Descent of the Mountain.-Scene of the Temptation. -Mount Quarantina.-Ruined Town.-Encampment by Jericho.-Ibrahim.-A Disappointment.-Turkish Justice.-Robberies.-Story of the Good Samaritan.-A Walk over the Plain.-Aqueducts.-The Plain.— System of Irrigation.-Products of the Plain.-Its ancient Fertility.Saracen Era.-Unpleasant Meeting.-Fountain of Elisha.-Its Water.Ruins near the Fountain.-Woodland.-The Dom.-The Zockum.-Myrobalanum.-Nightshade.-Apples of Sodom.-Ancient Products of the Plain. Its present Products and Capabilities.-Our Camp.-Representatives of many Nations there.-Cossacs, Armenians, &c.-Modes of Travelling. Customs and Costumes.-Night Scene.-Walks through the Camp after Midnight.-Reflections.-Early Departure for the Jordan.Encounter with the returning Procession.-Trophies.-Religious Ceremonies at the River.-Baptism of Trinkets.-Grave-clothes, &c.-Equestrian Fêtes.-Modern Jericho.-Rihah.-Frail Bulwark.-House of Zacheus.-The Sycamore.-The Bazar, &c.-Site of ancient Jericho.-Probable Changes.-The Plain of Jericho.-Ruins.-Route to the Jordan.The second Bank.-The lower Plain.-Banks of the Jordan.-Trees and Shrubs.-The River-Scene of our Lord's Baptism.-El Ghor.-Tributaries of the Jordan.-Its Inundations.-The Jordan of the Bible.-Transit of the River by Joshua.-Gilgal.-Pisgah.-The Plain of Moab.Climate.-Ride to the Dead Sea.-Incidents.-Aspect of the Plain.—A Bath in the Sea.-The Peculiarities of the Water.-Fatal to Animal and Vegetable Life.-Drift-wood.-Birds fly over the Sea.-Description of the Sea. The surrounding Mountains.- Appearance of the Sea from the Plain of Jericho.-Its Dimensions and Depth.-Great Evaporation.-Its Depression below the Mediterranean.-Ford.-Scripture Names.-Asphaltum.-Situation and Destruction of the Cities of the Plain.-Hypothesis on this Subject.-Fœtid Stone.-Nitre.-Sulphur.-Salt.-Return to Jerusalem.-Birds.-Deer.-Aspect of the Mountains.-Difficulties of this Route.-Tomb of Moses.-Incompetence of our Guides.—An ancient Well.-The Mountains.-Approach to St. Saba.- Cedron.-Artificial Road.-Fatigues of the Day.-Arrival and Accommodations at the Convent.-Description of the Site and Convent.-The New and Old Church

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STIR IN THE CITY.

es.-Chapels.-Traditions of the Monastery.-Descent into the Ravine.Defences.-History of the Convent.-A painful Incident.-Route to Bethlehem.-Obstacles to Tillage.-The Latin Monks.-A Storm.-Mohammedan Tyranny.-Personal Matters.

EXCURSION TO THE JORDAN AND THE DEAD SEA.

APRIL 20. A large party of more than a dozen Americans and English left Jerusalem this morning on a visit to Jericho and its vicinity. To-morrow is the day chosen by the concourse of pilgrims now in the holy city for bathing in the Jordan, in commemoration of the blessed Saviour's baptism; and, as the distance does not admit of making the journey and attending to the ceremony upon the same day, the first night is usually spent in an encampment near Jericho. It is an anniversary esteemed of great importance, not only by the Christian pilgrims, who observe it as a religious festival, but by the Turkish authorities. The governor of Jerusalem is always present on this occasion, accompanied by a suite of officers and a large guard of mounted This precaution is indispensably necessary for the maintenance of good order in so large and promiscuous a company, not less than to protect it against the predatory bands of Bedouins, who are always more numerous, as well as lawless, upon this route than anywhere else in Palestine, and who are sure to be on the alert upon an occasion so favourable for the commission of robberies.

men.

The governor, with his train of soldiers and a band of music, was in motion very early in the morning, parading the principal streets of Jerusalem without any apparent object besides that of making a display of dignity and military force. Perhaps, too, these martial prolusions were designed to give notice to the pilgrims, who were scattered throughout the city, that the time for the departure of the caravan was at hand. The oc

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casion or the bustle seemed to have called out the entire population of the holy city; and the streets were thronged with men, women, and children, spectators of the pageant, and with pilgrims of many creeds and languages, mounted upon horses and donkeys, and not a few on camels, all hastening to join the assemblage that was gathered outside of St. Stephen's Gate. I left my lodgings at eight o'clock, but found, upon reaching the appointed rendezvous, that the caravan had already departed, accompanied by the governor and military escort. A mixed multitude of, I should think, several thousand persons, covered the steep declivity of the Valley of Jehoshaphat, from the city wall quite to the channel of Cedron. The Garden of Gethsemane was also filled with spectators; and many small companies and single individuals were seen, seated or in motion, all along the side of the Mount of Olives. The sight was highly picturesque and full of animation. It was Oriental throughout. Everybody was in holyday apparel, all flowing and gorgeous. The men and women formed separate groups, according to the custom of these countries. Mohammedan females wore long veils, that covered the face and descended low towards the earth; while the Jewesses, of whom many hundreds enlivened the scene, were distinguished by their white muslin scarfs, which, resting on the head, fell down quite to the feet, and concealed the whole person, with the exception of the face. Nearly all were seated upon the groundthe women usually in a gay and social mood; while their turbaned lords, who were much less numerous, sat in silence, smoking their long pipes, or idly gazing upon the spectacle. Such gala days are not frequent in Jerusalem, and this had roused all the classes and creeds of its idle population.

The zigzag, paved road leading from the gate down VOL. II.-R

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to the bridge over Cedron was kept clear, though two interminable rows of females were seated on either side of it, forming parallel, zigzag lines from the top to the bottom of the hill. We descended slowly, as the steepness of the declivity and our cumbrous loads of baggage rendered unavoidable. All the beggars in Jerusalem were on the alert on this high occasion, which, I presume, custom has endowed with some peculiar immunities in favour of the unfortunate and the suffering. With the exception of pauper pilgrims, I had previously seen few of the mendicant class in or about the city. Now they equalled in numbers and importunity all I had seen in the streets of Rome or Naples. The maimed, the halt, and the blind sallied up to the road, uncovering their sores, and thrusting their mutilated limbs into notice, and almost into our faces. The most of them were content with making this silent appeal to our sympathies, and did not utter a word. Others were loud and clamorous. The blind and more feeble were led by little boys or girls, ostensibly their children, who also seconded their applications in piteous tones. Not a few, whether from being more infirm, or acting upon higher notions of dignity, continued seated at a little distance from the way, calling our attention to their wants by striking upon a small drum which they carried for the purpose. Some of them, I believe, were lepers, who are not allowed to come in contact with other persons.

After proceeding a quarter of a mile or more beyond Gethsemane, along the western side of Olivet, I had occasion to make a halt, and wait for a friend who had left the city by the Damascus Gate, and, consequently, fallen in the rear. The view of the multitude before St. Stephen's, from this elevated and more distant point, was peculiarly striking and picturesque. The eye em

ROAD TO BETHANY.

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braced the entire animated field at a single glance. The double row of women, lining the sides of the paved way, and glittering in their immense mantles, were conspicuously visible from the top quite to the bottom of the mount. Their white, resplendent ranks, upon which the rays of a brilliant sun were now falling, were as exact and regular as those of disciplined soldiers upon parade, and they defined all the courses and angles of the zigzag road with the perfection of a mathematical figure.

The Jericho road, which is the one always taken by horsemen in going to Bethany, follows for a while the course of Cedron, which, however, is many yards below, on the right, till it begins to diverge beyond the Tomb of Absalom, and ascends the Mount of Olives diagonally, in a direction a little east of south. The mountain is here considerably depressed, affording a tolerably easy though steep passage. The Mount of Offence rises south of the route, upon the right. After descending from the main ridge, another lower one is encountered, still a part of Olivet, on the southeast declivity of which, in a deep, narrow valley, is Bethany, a very small, poor-looking village, in which we made no stop, reserving for another occasion a more satisfactory and minute survey. Many fig and olives trees adorn its precincts. We were about an hour, including delays, in reaching this stage of our journey, though our observation of the distance accords well with the statement of the evangelist, which makes it fifteen furlongs, about two miles, from Jerusalem.

The road beyond Bethany continues to descend, though a number of ridges extend across it from the north, terminating at a valley on our right, into which our road pretty soon declined. We followed this val ley for three hours or more, in a direction nearly

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