APPEARANCE OF OLIVET.

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It has, indeed, no striking features; but, as seen from Scopus, it is rounded and regular in its outlines. It has an altitude of two hundred and fifty feet above Mount Zion, and of between five and six hundred feet above the deep glen of Kidron. The gray limestone crags that mark its surface, and the olive groves that shade it, give it a striking Oriental aspect. Fig-trees are seen at intervals; and terraced fields of wheat and barley, intermixed with vines trailing along the gardenwalls, are common there. The roads that furrow its sides are no smoother now than when the Prophet of Galilee was wont to pass this way. And it has as good a title now as it ever had to the name of Olivet; for the fruit-trees, which are a distinguishing feature of Palestine, are scattered all over it in pleasant clumps and groves.

The very name of Olivet awakens deepest feelings in the Christian heart. Often the Son of man repaired here for meditation. Often his feet have trodden these rocky paths when on his way to loving friends in Bethany. Pilgrims from distant parts of the world repair here, and, whatever the season or the weather, persist in spending the long hours of night on this lonely summit, and —

"Among the olives kneel,

The chill night-blast to feel,

And watch the moon that saw their Master's agony."

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TOILING UP THE MOUNT.

CHAPTER XII.

THE ASCENT OF OLIVET. VIEW FROM THE SUMMIT. — GRINDING AT THE MILL.-GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE. — TOMBS OF KINGS, JUDGES, AND PROPHETS. — THE RUSSIAN HOSPICE.— VILLAGE OF SILOA. — FOUNTAIN OF THE VIRGIN.-POOL OF SILOAM. TOPHET. - THE FIELD OF BLOOD.

WE took numerous rides in the suburbs of Jerusalem, first making a complete circuit of the city just outside its walls. It is immaterial where the tourist begins his work of observation, for objects and places of interest are found at every turn. Our horses being saddled, and at the tentdoor one delightful morning in the early part of May, we rode down around the north-east angle of the city-wall, to St. Stephen's Gate, thence down the rough, winding road to the bottom of the valley of Jehosaphat. Here is the Brook Kidron in the wet season, and the dry channel of the brook at other seasons.

We cross the bridge; and, beginning to ascend Olivet, we leave the Garden of Gethsemane and the true road to Bethany at our right. In the rocks we find deep channels, which have been worn by the feet of countless wayfarers, and of the mules they have ridden, during the long, long

THE PANORAMIC VIEW.

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centuries of the past. We are now in the very footsteps of David, who, when fleeing from the infuriated Absalom, "went over the Brook Kidron toward the way of the wilderness, . . . and went up by the ascent of Mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up."

The

We climb slowly up the rugged, stony, steep path, and make a short pause to give our horses breath. We turn back to take in the wonderful panorama, and find that nowhere on the mountain is there such a point of observation as this. grandeur and glory of Jerusalem appear to the best advantage here. But we resume the ascent, and are soon in the shadow of the dilapidated Church of the Ascension. This stands on the summit-height of the Mount of Olives. Here, also, is an old minaret, standing near the church, from the top of which can be obtained a view, broad, grand, and overwhelming. Nor can one fail here, who has the least degree of imagination, to meditate on the most momentous events of human history. This is all consecrated ground. Bethany, the home of Martha and Mary, is at the foot of the hill on the east; and Gethsemane and Calvary are near by on the west. The meek and lowly One often stood on this height rapt in sublimest thought.

Here we caught our first view of the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley, and we could hardly realize that we were not dreaming. The landscape view, in every direction, appeared strange and amazing. There is a little cluster of buildings at this point, which may be called a village. be called a village. Hearing a rumbling sound proceeding from the basement of one of these poor dwelling-houses, we inquired for the The guide told us the sound was caused by a mill in motion. We entered the cheerless apartment, and found, seated on the stone floor, two dusky female Arabs grinding barley. "Two women shall be grinding at the mill." As it was at the time of the destruction of the Jewish temple, so it is now: the hand-mill is still in use.

cause.

This mill, so far as we could judge in the darkness, consisted of an upper and nether millstone about three feet in diameter. In the upper, two upright handles were fixed on opposite sides, one for each woman. Applying sufficient force, the upper stone was turned, while the under one remained stationary. There is no hopper to this primitive mill, but in the upper stone a small orifice is made; and, while the women are toiling away at their work, one of them, at short intervals, takes a handful of grain from the pail, and drops it into this orifice while the mill is in motion. "The one shall be taken, and the other left." But our guide, who was a very good judge of womankind, said they looked so entirely unattrac

tive, that it would be judicious to leave them both.

We descended from this elevation by a circuitous route; and, during our several encampments at Jerusalem, we traversed all the roads and lanes that pass over and around the venerable mountain. We went there at different hours of the day, and made observations from various points; and we found, that, to get the best possible view of Jerusalem and its surroundings, one should go upon the brow of Olivet, and not to the summit. He should do this just at sunset, and remain a halfhour or more. To heighten the grandeur of the scene, he should recline upon his side, bringing his face clear down to the ground, and should remain in that posture a few moments. Let one who may be disposed be disposed to reject, and perhaps ridicule, this experiment, give it a fair trial, just at night, on the declivity of a wild, steep mountain.

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Luke, in narrating the events of one of the visits to Jerusalem of the great Teacher, says, "In the daytime he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the Mount of Olives." 'He came out, and went, as he was wont, to the Mount of Olives." A habit is here spoken of. Matthew and Mark say, “Then cometh he with them unto a place called Gethsemane." The meaning of this word is oil-press;" and, doubtless, there was an oil-press

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