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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/4322-h.zip b/4322-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..c92bced --- /dev/null +++ b/4322-h.zip diff --git a/4322-h/4322-h.htm b/4322-h/4322-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4dd2ab6 --- /dev/null +++ b/4322-h/4322-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2250 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<HTML> +<HEAD> + +<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<TITLE> +The Project Gutenberg E-text of My Three Days in Gilead, by Elmer U. Hoenshel +</TITLE> + +<STYLE TYPE="text/css"> +BODY { color: Black; + background: White; + margin-right: 10%; + margin-left: 10%; + font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; + text-align: justify } + +P {text-indent: 4% } + +P.noindent {text-indent: 0% } + +P.poem {text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 10%; + font-size: small } + +P.letter {text-indent: 0%; + font-size: small ; + margin-left: 10% ; + margin-right: 10% } + +P.footnote {font-size: small ; + text-indent: 0% ; + margin-left: 0% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +P.transnote {font-size: small ; + text-indent: 0% ; + margin-left: 0% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +P.intro {font-size: medium ; + text-indent: -5% ; + margin-left: 5% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +P.finis { font-size: larger ; + text-align: center ; + text-indent: 0% ; + margin-left: 0% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +</STYLE> + +</HEAD> + +<BODY> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's My Three Days in Gilead, by Elmer Ulysses Hoenshal + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: My Three Days in Gilead + +Author: Elmer Ulysses Hoenshal + +Posting Date: July 25, 2009 [EBook #4322] +Release Date: August, 2003 +First Posted: January 5, 2002 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MY THREE DAYS IN GILEAD *** + + + + +Produced by Robert Rowe, Charles Franks and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team. HTML version by Al Haines. + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<BR><BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +My Three Days in Gilead +</H3> + +<BR> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + I love to breathe where Gilead sheds her balm;<BR> + I love to walk on Jordan's banks of palm;<BR> + I love to wet my foot in Herman's dews;<BR> + I love the promptings of Isaiah's muse;<BR> + In Carmel's holy grots I'll court repose,<BR> + And deck my mossy couch with Sharon's deathless rose.<BR> + —J. PIERPONT.<BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H1 ALIGN="center"> +MY THREE DAYS IN GILEAD +</H1> + +<H2 ALIGN="center"> +By Elmer U. Hoenshel, D. D., +</H2> + +<H4 ALIGN="center"> +Principal of Shenandoah Collegiate Institute <BR>and School of Music +</H4> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<P> +In profound gratitude, this little volume is dedicated to the memory of +William Barakat of Jerusalem. +</P> + +<P> +My faithful, careful dragoman, who in manhood's prime, yet not many +months before his death, guided me in safety, not only during my trying +"Three Days in Gilead," but also throughout an extended tour otherwhere +in his native land—the Holy Land of my faith. +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +THE AUTHOR +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +INTRODUCTION +</H3> + +<P> +At last, after waiting twenty leaden-winged years from the time in +which a fixed purpose was formed in me to visit the Orient, the +realization came. The year that saw the fulfillment of my cherished +ambition was definitely determined upon eight summers before it took +its place in the calendar of history. Fortune smiled upon my plan. I +was ready. My joy was akin to ecstasy. +</P> + +<P> +Imagine my disappointment when, in the month of May of my chosen year, +1900, I learned that no agency would organize a tourist party to move +at a time in the summer or autumn that would suit me! There was but one +alternative—to travel independent of any organization. This I would +do. The decision to do so brought instant and happy relief. +</P> + +<P> +At no time in my period of absence of five months did I meet a single +former acquaintance. I planned every move, and held myself in every way +responsible for results. The experience I thus gained in the many +countries visited I value highly. Not infrequently I found myself in +trying situations; but all ended well. To-day, in my inventory of +life's rich and helpful experiences, though it were possible for me to +do it, I would not eliminate one of these. It was a kind Providence +that denied me the luxury of a place in a modern "personally conducted" +tourist party. +</P> + +<P> +A few articles descriptive of certain experiences have been written by +me for publication. Some themes I have presented on the lecture +platform a few hundred times. My auditors, universally, have been kind +in their criticisms. Many have been the requests that I write a volume +reciting the story of my travels. In response I have steadily refused. +Many books on travel have appeared in recent years, possibly too many; +but I have seen very little that has been written about the +trans-Jordanic highlands. And it is not strange, for, though multitudes +of tourists annually visit Palestine, not one person out of a thousand +of them ever goes east of the Jordan. And is it worth while? We shall +see. +</P> + +<P> +On my trip I tried to identify no biblical site; I tried to locate no +city of antiquity; I dug into no mound; I disturbed no ruin. All this I +left to the geographer, the historian, and the archaeologist who had +preceded me, or who should come after me. True, with the help of my +Bible, map, guide-book, and guide, I formed opinions, and was happy in +the fitness of some of them; but, in the main, I was content to rest in +the conclusions reached by those who had studied scientifically and +reverently every hill and valley and ruin in this neglected region. +</P> + +<P> +But my observation and experience no other has had. I know of no other +who mapped out or traveled the route chosen by me. I sought and +expected much; I found and experienced more. And though eight years +have passed since my journeyings in Gilead, yet so fresh is the memory +of those days that I need make but slight reference, as I write, to the +notes that were then written. Often, in recent years, I have found +myself lingering in thought on some high ridge looking out over an +extended panorama filled with sacred associations, or silently gazing +up into the strangely impressive Oriental sky by night. Even as I write +I seem to catch again a perfume-laden breeze, bearing repose to my +weary soul. And if the memory of this land seen in its desolation is so +refreshing to a foreigner, what must not the possession of the real in +the days of its fatness have been to the weary, battle-scarred +Israelites who secured permission to abide here! +</P> + +<P> +So, in response to the call of my friends, and with the hope of adding +somewhat to the meager fund of information concerning a once famous +district, or, at least, to create additional interest in the territory +occupied by the tribe of Gad in the days of early allotment, I +undertake to tell the story of "My Three Days in Gilead." +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +Dayton, Virginia, February 20, 1909. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H2 ALIGN="center"> +Contents +</H2> + +<BR> + +<H4> + Chapter I. <A HREF="#chap01">"Waiting at Damascus"</A><BR> + Chapter II. <A HREF="#chap02">"Through Bashan"</A><BR> + Chapter III. <A HREF="#chap03">"Among Bedouins"</A><BR> + Chapter IV. <A HREF="#chap04">"At Gerasa"</A><BR> + Chapter V. <A HREF="#chap05">"Up Into the Mountains"</A><BR> + Chapter VI. <A HREF="#chap06">"By the Watch-Tower"</A><BR> + Chapter VII. <A HREF="#chap07">"Down to the Jordan"</A><BR> + Chapter VIII. <A HREF="#chap08">"At the Bridge"</A><BR> +</H4> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap01"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +"Waiting at Damascus" +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER I. +</H3> + +<P> +Damascus! A city that numbers the years of its existence in +millenniums; that witnessed in the dawn of history the migration of +Abraham as he went out from Ur to a land not known to him, and to whom +she gave one of the best of her sons; that sent out the leper, Naaman, +to Palestine for healing and received him back whole; that hailed with +great preparations the coming of Elisha, who had previously blinded her +army at Dothan; that welcomed Saul of Tarsus in his blindness, restored +his sight, and sent him, transformed in his life, to transform Asia +Minor and classic Europe. Damascus! A city surviving an age-long +struggle with the encroaching desert—a struggle that must go on +through ages to come; but, as long as the Abana and Pharpar continue to +flow, the sands that would bury her forever in oblivion will be changed +into a soil of life-giving and life-sustaining fertility sufficient to +support her thousands of inhabitants. Damascus! A city of the long ago, +practically unchanged, where the Occidental may look to-day with +unfeigned interest upon architecture, costumes, and customs similar to +those that prevailed in the East while Greece and Rome were yet young. +Damascus! A city celebrated for a thousand years for its bazaars, +work-shops, and roses; a city so beautiful thirteen hundred years ago +that Mohammed, viewing it for the first time from a distance, is said +to have exclaimed: "Man can have but one paradise. My paradise is +heaven; I cannot enter yonder city!" a city to-day of unsurpassed +beauty, when viewed from the distance, with its white domes and slender +minarets rising above the shrubbery and trees of its thirty thousand +gardens. Here in this old city; in this historic city; in this +beautiful city; in Damascus, I greet you and extend to you an +invitation to join me in my proposed trip through Gilead. +</P> + +<P> +My party as yet consists of but two persons. My dragoman, William +Barakat, of Jerusalem, in response to a telegram sent from +Constantinople, met me several days ago at Beyrout. He is a native +Syrian, talks good English, dresses like an American, (save that he +wears a red fez,) and is a Christian in faith. Before reaching this +city he has already rendered me excellent service. He is intelligent, +having attended the American College at Beyrout. I can trust him. +</P> + +<P> +My arrangements with my guide are simple. He is to take me over my +desired route by best possible methods of travel; to furnish the best +of fare and lodging obtainable; to guarantee me a safe escort; and he +is to do all this within a specified time and for a stipulated price. I +did not then know how little I was asking as to fare and lodging, but +when I knew that he was fulfilling his part of the agreement I had +little cause for just complaint. +</P> + +<P> +By early dawn, on October thirtieth, we had breakfasted and had bidden +good-by to all the servants about the hotel, (many of whom I did not +know to exist, but who, somehow, had learned of me, and had risen thus +early to witness my departure and to ask a fee for services that I am +quite sure some of them had had no part in rendering,) and had ordered +the driver to lose no time in reaching the station of the +Damascus-Hauran Railroad, about two miles distant. But, notwithstanding +the early hour, the streets were already crowded with people, mules, +donkeys, dogs, and other things. It was only with great effort that we +could make any headway, and at times it seemed that the crowd, angered +at our persistence, would stop us entirely in our struggle to pass +through. We did the best we could, but we missed the train. Since there +were ONLY THREE TRAINS A WEEK on that road, it meant that I must go +back to that same hotel and spend two more days in Damascus at the rate +of ten dollars a day, and then, again, on leaving, must fee those same +servants for service that I did not want, and, generally speaking, did +not get. But, though the disappointment was great, it brought +additional opportunity to study the wonders and ways of the wonderful +city wherein I was forced to remain. +</P> + +<P> +A second time my dragoman prepares food for our journey; and again, on +the morning of November first, we hurry to the station. This time we do +not miss the train—we wait for it—and we wait a long time; but with +the waiting there is contentment, for, if the train move south, I, too, +am sure of going. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap02"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +"Through Bashan" +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER II. +</H3> + +<P> +At the time of this writing there is a railroad extending from Damascus +to Mecca, but at the time of my visit the terminus was at Mezarib, a +small town about fifty miles south of Damascus, near the northern +boundary-line of Gilead. It was in my plan to travel that distance by +rail; hence my presence at the city railroad station. +</P> + +<P> +The ride to Mezarib, through Bashan, especially that part of it now +known as the Hauran, is one of more than ordinary interest. For the +first twenty-five miles the land is literally covered with black +basaltic rocks, as is also part of the remaining distance. How it is +cultivated I can scarcely understand, for I am sure that the American +horse could not be made to serve well here. But I was told that the +natives do cultivate it, and that they raise excellent crops of grain. +When I looked upon them at work with their crude wooden plows and brush +harrows, and then heard that they raise excellent crops of grain, I was +satisfied that the land must be very fertile; and I was reminded of a +certain humorist's remark about the fertility of some land in Kansas, +of which he said, "All you need to do is to tickle the ground with a +hoe, and it will laugh with a big harvest." Farther on the rocks almost +entirely disappear, and there is spread out a beautiful valley, +extending far to the south, whose fertility and pasturage attracted the +Israelites on their march to Canaan, and which, ever since, has caused +the name "Bashan" to be a synonym for "plenty." And, because of its +abundant production of grain, which finds a ready market in Damascus, +it has been aptly called the "granary of Damascus." +</P> + +<P> +The manner in which this grain is put on the market is quite novel to +me. I see hundreds of camels loaded with large sacks of grain moving +with slow, swinging tread toward Damascus, or returning unloaded to the +desert. The camels proceed in single file, usually ten or more in a +train, and each is led by means of a rope fastened to the animal next +in front—the rope of the foremost of all being fastened to the saddle +of a donkey, on which the owner, or driver, usually rides. Many +grindstones also are shipped from this country, one large stone +constituting a load for a camel. This land is, also a great grazing +region, and for more than three thousand years Bashan has been +celebrated for its fine breed of cattle. +</P> + +<P> +Some distance south of Damascus I cross the headwaters of the Pharpar +River, whose clear, sparkling water Naaman considered much more +suitable for a general's bath than the muddy water of the Jordan. At my +place of crossing an athlete could clear the stream at a single bound. +</P> + +<P> +The distant scenery deserves more than a passing notice, though but +little more can be given here. Off to the west, in plain view, is Mount +Hermon, whose towering, snow-capped summit in all probability looked +upon the transfigured person of the Son of Man. To the east is the +Lejah, in, or near which is Edrei, where Og, the giant king of Bashan, +was slain in the attempt to hold his realm against the home-seeking +Israelites under the leadership of Moses. South of the Lejah are the +Hauran Mountains, now occupied by the Druses, a people of a peculiar +religious faith—a faith which is a mixture of Mohammedan, Christian, +and Zoroastrian elements. One of their beliefs is that the number of +souls in existence never varies. "Accordingly, all the souls now in +life have lived in some human form since the creation, and will +continue to live till the final destruction of the world." To them +prayer is thought to be an unwarrantable interference with the +Almighty. They, having colonized this mountain, are at present causing +the Turkish government much trouble. They number about 90,000, and are +almost continuously at war with the neighboring Bedouin tribes. And +because of the feuds which prevail here, it is expected, and I believe +is a matter of law, that all visitors to this region must have an +escort either of soldiers or Bedouins. Were not robbery and bloodshed +so prevalent in the East-Jordan country, its ruins and scenery would +attract hundreds of tourists where now but a few ever suffer their +curiosity or interest in Bible lands to turn them aside from the beaten +paths of travel. In my course I pass through a portion of the land of +which we read in Deut. 3:3-5, noted for its many "rock cities." I look +upon the ruins of a number of these, but have little opportunity for a +close examination. The most noted ruins that I see are at Sunamein and +at Mezarib. But those who have pressed farther east, and who have made +a careful study of the best preserved of these "rock cities" of Bashan, +tell us that everything about them is of stone-doors, gates, windows, +stairs, rafters, galleries, cupboards, benches, and even candlesticks. +So perfectly preserved are some of these "dead cities," that of one, +Salcah, Doctor Porter says that some five hundred of the houses are +still standing, and that "from three hundred to four hundred families +might settle in it at any moment without laying a stone or expending an +hour's labor on repairs." Of Beth-gamul another traveler says in part: +"The houses were some of them very large, consisting usually of three +rooms on the ground floor, and two on the first story, the stairs being +formed of large stones built in the house walls, and leading up +outside. The doors were, as usual, of stone; sometimes folding doors, +and some of them highly ornamental. I wandered about quite alone in the +old streets of the town—entered one by one the old houses, went +up-stairs, visited the rooms, and, in short, made a careful examination +of the whole place; but so perfect was every street, every house, every +room, that I almost fancied I was in a dream, wandering alone in this +city of the dead, seeing all perfect, yet not hearing a sound." Much of +the work in most of these cities is on such a large scale as to +indicate that the houses were built by, and intended for a race of +giants. When we think of these fortresses of strength defended by their +mighty occupants, and remember that they were probably in existence at +the time of the exodus of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, the +victories of Moses gained here become sublime. +</P> + +<P> +We are nearing Mezarib. All forenoon has been consumed in covering a +distance of only about fifty miles. But by twelve o'clock we have +passed almost completely across the land where Og was king, especially +that part of his kingdom which, not long after being wrested from him +and his giant followers, was assigned to the eastern half-tribe of +Manasseh for a permanent possession. +</P> + +<P> +Before leaving Beyrout my dragoman telegraphed to Jerusalem for a +muleteer and three horses to be sent to this railroad terminus. Must we +be disappointed in this! We are both solicitous. My guide is leaning +far out of the car window long before the train stops to learn, if +possible, whether or not his order has been obeyed. I watch that dark, +anxious, perplexed face with much solicitude. Ah, he smiles! The +sunshine of satisfaction chases the clouds of anxiety and doubt from +his countenance, and that dark face looks beautiful to me. He is happy, +and I share in his happiness. Our muleteer and horses are awaiting us. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap03"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +"Among Bedouins" +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER III. +</H3> + +<P> +At twelve o'clock our train stopped. I was quickly introduced to him +who had been awaiting us, and who was now to join our party—"Haleel," +of Jerusalem. He was dressed in typical Eastern fashion, wearing the +wide pantaloons, flowing robe, and "kufiyeh"; he was apparently +twenty-five years old, dark-skinned, and blind in one eye; he could not +speak a word of English; and he was a devout Mohammedan. "Haleel, of +Jerusalem!" Notwithstanding his fantastic appearance, the name and +place of residence seemed to me a blending of mystery and sacredness. I +did not hesitate to extend a cordial greeting, and his smile of +confused interest as I tried to shake hands with him while he tried to +give me an Oriental salutation won me to him. It was his only +intelligible language to me, but it was sufficient to give me assurance +of his friendship, and I was beginning to feel that from that hour I +should need friends. The salutation that Haleel offered to me was a +quick, graceful movement of his hand toward my feet, next to his lips, +and then lightly to his forehead. I had seen the natives do this in +exchanging salutations, and now that it had been offered to me I sought +an interpretation. My guide explained that Haleel meant to tell me that +he felt so honored in meeting me, that he "would take the dust from my +feet, would kiss it, and then place it on his forehead." Beautiful +sentiment! Had I ever previously in my life been so honored in meeting +any one! +</P> + +<P> +The greeting over, I noticed unusual movements about the station. Many +Turkish soldiers were there. They stood about in groups engaged in +animated conversation. Upon inquiry I learned that the feuds so common +in that region were again "on," and that the soldiers were there to +quell lawlessness. As I was the only tourist there I became an object +of special interest. Some of the men came to my dragoman, and only a +few words had passed until I knew that I was the subject of their +conversation. I could occasionally catch the word "hawadje," which +means "master," and I knew they were referring to me. Then they would +look at me and shake their heads. I was anxious to know what it all +meant, but had to be content with what my guide was pleased to tell of +it. He seemed to have gained his point, but he told me nothing except +to prepare for a hard trip, as a day's distance must be covered, if +possible, before nightfall. As we had already lost two days in +Damascus, I was not averse to trying something strenuous in order to +make up in part for that loss. I felt quite equal to the task, (though +it proved to be a severe ordeal,) when it was explained to me that it +would require a ride of more than forty miles to reach a safe +halting-place for the night. My guide had planned it; and I was +committed to the plan. +</P> + +<P> +After a hurried lunch, eaten in the tent of an Arab, I prepare for,—I +know not what. I put on my leggings and head-gear. Then I give over my +luggage, which consists of a suit-case, hand-grip, umbrella, and +alpenstock, to Haleel. I keep my overcoat, not because the weather is +cold,—it is hot,—but because I think I may possibly need it as a kind +of cushion for my saddle before the day is over. The need was felt, and +SORELY felt quite early in the afternoon; but most of the time we rode +too rapidly for my overcoat to supply the need,—it just would not stay +where I had hoped it might serve me well. So it happened that I was +destined to experience on that ride such misery as I had scarcely +thought one could endure. But, I anticipate. +</P> + +<P> +We are ready. I am anxious to be going. I am delighted when my horse, a +beauty, indeed, and of pure Arabian stock, is led up by two dusky sons +of the desert. Surely my long trip to Jerusalem will be one of pleasure +when I am mounted on such a steed! At half-past twelve o'clock we +mount, and, facing to the south, we set off at a brisk pace for Gerasa, +(known to the Arabs as Jerash,) where it has been planned that we shall +spend the night. Several of the natives accompany us a short distance +on foot, one running on either side of my horse and holding to the +bridle; but soon, with interesting and graceful salaams, they leave us +to pursue our hot and dusty way alone. +</P> + +<P> +There are just three of us, and we proceed in the following order: my +dragoman, who is guide and interpreter, leads the way; I follow next +after him; bringing up the rear is our muleteer, who takes charge of +all luggage, cares for the horses, and especially for,—me. Why should +I not be happy? For the first time in my life I have two men engaged to +look after my wants. They did their duty well,—were almost painfully +attentive at times. But to-day I thank them for their kind severity. +</P> + +<P> +Not having spent more than a few hours on horse-back in the previous +ten years, I found, after riding a few miles, that it required more +than a beautiful horse to make riding comfortable to an inexperienced +rider. But our way led through such a beautiful valley, and on either +hand were mountains so suggestive of Bible narrative that there was +much in the earlier part of the afternoon to divert my attention from +any physical discomfort. Where we were riding there was no +road,—simply bridle-paths, and frequently not even a path. +</P> + +<P> +After we had been riding for an hour a young Arab on camel-back joined +us. I did not like his searching looks from a face almost hidden in his +head-garment. But he stayed with us for a half-hour, and in that time +had raced his camel with our horses; then he suddenly turned from us +toward the near mountains of Gilead. We met a number of caravans in the +earlier part of the afternoon, and I noted that every man that I saw +carried a gun, or some sort of sword, or large knife. They were ready +for defense, if occasion should arise. +</P> + +<P> +About two o'clock we passed a "memorial heap," or cairn. Some tragedy +occurred there, and the custom of the region is that the passer-by +places reverently on the pile of rocks already formed an additional +stone. Elsewhere I had seen this done when it seemed to me the actor +was under the spell of a superstitious fear. +</P> + +<P> +About the middle of the afternoon a soldier, full armed, dashes up to +us in a mad gallop, hands a message to my dragoman, and then as rapidly +rides back again. I am a little alarmed at this until I learn that he +has entrusted a writing to us to be delivered in Jerusalem. A little +later I see another soldier leave the group in which he is riding and +gallop ahead across the open way to the brow of a hill. There he +dismounts, lays down his gun, takes the robe, or blanket, on which he +rode, spreads it upon the ground, faces toward Mecca, and prostrates +himself in prayer. The prayer over, he dashes down to his party and +they are off like the wind. +</P> + +<P> +About four o'clock we passed near a little village, the only place +where I saw a house on that long afternoon ride. It is not safe for any +one to live outside the villages; hence there are no isolated dwellings +in all this region. We did not halt for one moment, but kept pressing +steadily on. +</P> + +<P> +After five o'clock the plain was deserted; we saw from that time +neither man nor beast. I was cramped and painfully tired, and feeling +that if I could but walk for a few minutes it would be quite a relief, +I dismounted—quite a difficult thing to do and keep from sprawling +upon the ground. But I was no sooner off my horse than Haleel was +beside me, and my dragoman, who was at that time nearly a hundred yards +ahead of me, rode back and sternly commanded: "You get right back on +that horse; this is no time to think of walking; you can do that some +other time." Inwardly I resented it; how could I stand it longer! I +blamed it on the saddle, then I thought that they must have given me +the worst horse of the three. But all this helped nothing. They +assisted me again into the saddle. Then my guide delivered a little +speech in Arabic to Haleel. I did not then understand it, but shortly +after I learned the essence of it; it was, "You keep your eye on him +and see that he keeps his horse moving." When I found myself again in +the saddle I determined that if I must ride there would be no more +trotting of my horse,—I would proceed as gently as possible. But, +alas! Haleel had his whip and my dream of controlling my horse was +over. After that I kept close to my dragoman. At that time I thought it +harsh treatment, but later I understood. +</P> + +<P> +We have reached the limit of level land and are now winding among the +eastern foot-hills of the mountains of Gilead. It is the hour of sunset +and the great orb of day sinks in sad beauty to me. In the twilight I +see here and there half-buried pillars of some famous temple—a temple +that surely never stood here. Our horses are wet with sweat; we have +not halted for lunch; not a drop of water has been seen; night is +coming on with its pale moon casting weird shadows about us; we are +alone in a land noted for its lawlessness, and yet we are unarmed. We +move on almost in silence. There is silence about us, save for the cry +now and then of some night-bird. We see no lights save those above us. +My guide seems bewildered and uncertain as to the location of the town +we seek. I am faint from weariness, and so cramped that at times it is +with difficulty that I keep from falling to the ground. I am now quite +solicitous as to our safety and not a little alarmed when our way leads +through some rocky, narrow passage suggestive of a lurking-place for +men of evil intent. But at last, at half-past nine o'clock, after being +in the saddle for nine hours, I am aroused from my stupor by a joyful +exclamation from my dragoman. A few dim lights are seen,—IT IS GERASA! +</P> + +<P> +My dragoman continued his exclamations of praise thus, "I thank my God +for saving my life once more." I said faintly, "Why such words?" +"Well," he said, "all natives are expected to be in their villages by +sundown, tourists at their destination earlier. It is the custom of +this region that tourists must have an escort of soldiers or Bedouins, +even in times of peace; and now THE FEUDS ARE ON; and here we have come +alone, at night, unarmed; and I am responsible for these horses—they +are not mine—and for your life. The ride may have been hard for you, +but the hours of anxiety were more trying to me. I have now done it +once, but I'll never again assume such a risk—NOT EVEN FOR A MILLION +POUNDS!" I had no response that he heard, but mentally I said, "Never +again with ME, Mr. Barakat. NO, NEVER!" +</P> + +<P> +Yet I think I never experienced greater joy on entering my own home +than on that night when entering and riding through the crooked, narrow +lanes of that miserable village of Gilead. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap04"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +"At Gerasa" +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER IV. +</H3> + +<P> +Though in the village, and therefore relieved of the feeling of special +danger, yet we had much difficulty in securing lodging for the night. +Our arrival seemed to disturb the peace of dogdom in what otherwise +would have been a quiet resting-place. No people were outside their +houses. We picked our way to the nearest light; the occupant of the +house would not come out, but showed his face at the window—a hole in +the wall about a foot square. My dragoman pleaded for lodging, but in +vain. We sought the next house in which there was a light, but neither +would the people of that home open to us. We tried several other +places, but at all of them we were refused admission. They seemed to +look with suspicion upon our visit to the village. But, finally, a good +old Mohammedan consented to let us spend the night in his rock hut, and +gave us the privilege of putting our horses in his little walled space +by the house. Haleel must spend the night in this yard—he always slept +with the horses. When my dragoman helps me over the stone door-sill, +and we enter the hut, we find that the part allotted to men consists of +but one small room, having a floor of earth on which are spread a +couple of mats. In this room there is no furniture. Two persons are +already asleep on the floor. We do not disturb them. +</P> + +<P> +Not having eaten anything since noon, my dragoman begins at once to +prepare a light lunch for us. On a brazier that he finds here he makes +a little charcoal fire and quickly brews some of the tea brought from +Damascus; into this he squeezes lemon juice; then finding some bread +that he had stowed away in his saddle-bags, our lunch is ready. I sit +on the floor as comfortable as I can make myself while he is getting +supper. The flickering light, the shifting shadows, the strange ones +lying asleep, the almost as strange dusky helpers, the sense of dangers +just escaped, the whining, wailing, barking dogs, my physical pain—all +these things beget within me a strange feeling of loneliness and a +longing for home. Again and again I ask myself the question, "Why did +you undertake this; why were you not content to go down from Damascus +to Galilee and all of West Palestine by the easy way?" But, again and +again I say to myself: "You would never have been satisfied had you +done so; this is part of the price to be paid for what you wanted; +consider what you get in exchange, value received." +</P> + +<P> +But my reverie is cut short by a groan from my dragoman; he sank back +trembling and said, "Call Haleel!" Together we worked with him for a +half-hour or more until a chill, the result of drinking too much water +on reaching the village, had been overcome. I was much alarmed at the +possible outcome of his sudden illness, for had he left me thus the +situation for me would have been one of extreme perplexity. In my +anxiety for him I forgot for the moment my own condition. But now I am +again a conscious sufferer. So tired am I that I can scarcely wait +until I have sipped a little tea and eaten a little bread before I have +removed hat and shoes and am stretched out upon the floor to sleep. The +horses seem restless in their stamping; the dogs keep up their barking; +the room is dark; I hear the heavy breathing of those about me; a lone +star peeps in through the small window; and I try to compose myself for +the rest that I so much need. "Is there no balm in Gilead?" Yes. I +thought that I was lying down to a night of restlessness and fever, but +never on couch of down has my rest been sweeter. +</P> + +<P> +I am awakened at dawn by some one moving about in the room, and I see a +man pick up a gun and pass quickly out. The dogs are barking savagely +throughout the village. Then I look about me. Imagine my surprise when +I discover that I have had five bed-fellows, or rather FLOOR-FELLOWS! +There we lay stretched out in all sorts of angles and curves—American, +Syrian, Circassian; Christian and Mohammedan—forming a kind of crazy +patch-work on the earthen floor. And imagine my supreme disgust when I +discover a big, dirty, odorous, unshod human foot, erect on the heel +and with toes spread out like a fan, within a few inches of my face! +Bah! How was it that I slept! I turn my face to the wall and soon lose +thought of the disturbing vision in slumber. +</P> + +<P> +It is quite late when again I wake. The host is sitting on his mat near +me fumbling beads and chanting prayers. Without moving I watch him for +a while and note that he is also interested in me, and that he now +knows that I am awake. I begin an investigation of myself, and find, to +my glad surprise, that while I am stiff and sore I feel quite +refreshed. I dress myself—a simple matter this morning, simply putting +on my shoes—and while my dragoman prepares our breakfast I exercise +myself somewhat by walking down to an old Roman bridge spanning the +small stream flowing through the village. In this half-hour I get a +good general knowledge of the location of the town, its outline, its +magnificent ruins, etc. But I am not ready yet for sight-seeing. I +prefer to listen to the brook singing its happy way almost hidden among +the pink oleanders that grow in such profusion along its sides. The +running water, the perfume of the flowers, the flood of sunlight—these +are like balm to me after my awful yesterday. Certainly I shall be +ready early to study the ruins of this wonderful, mysterious, ancient +city. +</P> + +<P> +Breakfast is ready. It consists of boiled eggs, bread, cheese, and tea. +Our table is the floor on which we slept. The male members of the +house-hold join us as we sit on mats around the simple meal. Our host +sends one of the men (a visitor to a Mohammedan home never meets, and +frequently never sees a woman) to bring a little of his own bread. It +does not look at all tempting to me, but I am told that if I wish to +secure my host's friendship I must eat of it. This I do, but only once, +and now he would be almost willing to die for me should occasion arise. +</P> + +<P> +After breakfast he shows me some antique coins that he had found, and +when my guide explains that I am an American schoolmaster, he manifests +exceedingly his delight. He almost pulls me out into his little yard +where he had been digging, and where he had unearthed an inscribed +cylindrical block of marble about two feet in diameter and four feet in +length. The lettering is in Greek. He thinks it must tell of hidden +treasure. And so it does to me, but not of the kind for which he is +looking. The inscription is partially effaced, but I see enough to +conclude that it was likely at one time the pedestal of a statue. +</P> + +<P> +I next proceed to take a further general view of this celebrated +locality—celebrated, for here are the most noted ruins east of the +Jordan. My first observation is that the present inhabitants, +Circassians, are rapidly despoiling the treasures of antiquity found +here. They take the rocks and pillars of temples that were once the +admiration of a great region and pile them roughly together, forming a +small enclosure; then, in many instances, they place poles and brush +across the top, throw ground on the brush,—and their houses are ready +for occupancy. There is no regularity whatever in the plan of the +alleys, or lanes, of the present village. We mount our horses for a +further study of these interesting ruins. +</P> + +<P> +Gerasa was one of the chief cities of the Decapolis, (the other nine +were Damascus, Hippos, Scythopolis, Dion, Pella, Kanatha, Raphana, +Gadara, and Philadelphia,) and was situated twenty miles east of the +Jordan on one of the northern tributaries of the Jabbok, and within +five miles of the place where the famous "Moabite Stone" was found. +Tristam considers it to-day as "PROBABLY THE MOST PERFECT ROMAN CITY +LEFT ABOVE GROUND." The present ruins seem to date back to the second +century of the Christian era. A Christian bishop from Gerasa attended +the Council of Seleucia in 359 A.D., and another that of Chalcedon in +451 A.D. In the thirteenth century this city was in ruins. It was then +for five centuries lost to the eyes of the civilized world. In the +beginning of the thirteenth century a German traveler visited it; the +magnificent ruins of the place amazed him. The same ruins to-day, or +some of them, strike the comparatively few visitors with awe at the +thought of the riches, the gayety, and the power that once reigned here +on the border of the desert. +</P> + +<P> +The walls of the ancient city are plainly traceable, and formed an +enclosure about a mile square. Three of its gates are fairly well +preserved. On the south side of the city ruins, less than a half mile +distant, stands a triumphal arch forty feet high. Between this arch and +the city wall are the ruins of a great stone pool and of a circus. The +main street lies on the west side of the stream. It was paved; yet +shows ruts worn into the stones by chariot wheels; and was lined on +each side with a row of rock columns above twenty feet in height, some +of which have capitals representing a high degree of artistic skill in +their planning and execution. Part of this street was arcaded behind +the columns where was the sidewalk. Fronting upon this street were vast +temples and baths, which, though fallen, are yet grand in their ruins. +All along this way lie great blocks of stone and marble and fallen +columns, so numerous that at times our progress is almost barred. But +not all of the columns are fallen; more than two hundred yet stand on +their original bases. About mid-way along the street it is crossed at +right angles by another which is also lined with columns. Farther on +toward the south it widens into an oval-shaped forum a hundred yards +long, surrounded with Ionic pillars in their original positions. +</P> + +<P> +Just beyond the forum, elevated somewhat, is a large, well-preserved +temple; and immediately to the right of the temple is a theater built +in the hill-side with seats, stage, and other parts plainly +distinguishable. It is easy to sit in one of these empty benches and +see, as a shadow out of the past, a lively scene presented on the now +deserted stage—the voice of eloquence rings clear out of the dead +centuries, the play-house resounds with the applause of the shades that +fill the seats about me—and, then, the curtain of mystery is dispelled +by the bright sunlight that floods all the landscape, and I see nothing +but ruins everywhere. The play is over. The shades have gone again to +their long home. +</P> + +<P> +On a commanding position in the north-west quarter stood temples of +vast proportions whose spacious courts, tottering walls, and forsaken +altars speak in eloquent terms of a glory long since departed. +Evidently this was a populous city, for it possessed two theaters +capable of seating many thousands of people. That it was a religious +city, and much given to idolatry, its temples and altars declare. +</P> + +<P> +While Josephus speaks of the capture of this city by Alexander +Jannaeus, about 85 B.C., we look in vain for a mention of it in the +Bible. But some recent investigators, notably Dr. Merrill, (with whom I +had the pleasure and honor of conversing,) incline to the opinion that +Gerasa was the original Ramoth-gilead. Dr. Merrill gives six arguments +in favor of his position, which, after my observations made in the +place itself, I feel like accepting. +</P> + +<P> +If this were Ramoth-gilead, then how much of Bible story clusters about +the spot! It was a "city of refuge"; and over these hills or up and +down this valley rushed the accidental man-slayer to seek refuge within +its gates from the blood-thirsty pursuer. Here Ahab was slain (I. Kings +22:34-37), here Ahaziah and Jehoram defeated Hazael (II. Kings 8:28, +29; 9:14), and here Jehu was anointed king of Israel and rode forth in +a chariot to execute his terrible commission concerning the house of +Ahab (II. Kings 9:4-26). +</P> + +<P> +Gerasa! Beautiful, though in ruins. What glory must once have been +thine! But where are the warriors who passed in triumph through thy +gates? Where are the builders of thy temples? Where are the the priests +who ministered at thy altars? Where are the devotees who bowed at thy +shrines? Where are the people who thronged thy theaters and trod thy +beautiful streets? The hills over which man walked are still here; the +rocks that he quarried, carved, polished, and fitted into place are +here; the stone coffin in which he lay down to his last resting-place +is here—but where is HE? Gone! gone forever! Surely, how frail is man! +How fleeting his glory! As the waters of thy stream flow on to the Sea +of Death, so has the tide of life which swept through thy streets +passed on to the grave and oblivion. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap05"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +"Up Into the Mountains" +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER V. +</H3> + +<P> +Passing out over the fallen western wall of Gerasa we are immediately +in the ancient cemetery, which extends for a mile, or nearly so, from +the city. Many stone sarcophagi, some of which are artistically carved, +lie scattered about in almost every conceivable position—some even +lying across the tops of others. But these windowless rock-palaces are +all empty. +</P> + +<P> +Leaving Gerasa, my way leads in a general direction westward over the +mountains of Gilead. The reader must remember that in all this region +there is not a road over which a carriage can be driven, save that +quite recently a few trips have been made from Mezarib to Gerasa. What +are called roads are simply bridle-paths, and, in many cases, the paths +are so indistinct that the guide is more likely to take you forward +with reference to a general direction than to attempt to lead you by a +recognized trail. +</P> + +<P> +The Mountains of Gilead present a rugged appearance, but, in the main, +are clothed with vegetation; hence they are beautiful in their majesty. +The olive and the prickly oak are abundant. The villages are not +numerous, and are situated far up the slopes, or even on the tops of +the ridges. These villages are clusters of squalid huts constructed of +stone and mud, and can afford no accommodation such as an American +might desire. But, in many instances, they occupy sites identified with +places and events noted in Bible story. +</P> + +<P> +These mountains were given to Gad in the allotment of Joshua and +Eleazar. Surely at that time the prospect must have been much more +pleasing than at present, or the Gadites would not have been so anxious +to receive this district as a permanent possession. True, even now, a +few narrow valleys, or wadies, show signs of great fertility, but the +greater part is quite uninviting. Yet to the tourist there is much of +interest in this region. +</P> + +<P> +My way to the Jordan lay over these mountains, especially that part +known as the Jebel Ajlun. Sometimes it seemed impossible to proceed +because of rocks and underbrush. The mountain sides were so steep in +some places that we were barely able to climb them; many of the wadies, +washed by winter torrents, were next to being impassable; and when our +way led along the sides of precipitous slopes I shuddered to think of +the consequences of a misstep upon the part of my horse. The course I +had chosen through this East-Jordan country was an unusual one (as +already noted)—one over which my dragoman had never gone, and one over +which, he said, not one in a thousand tourists to Palestine ever asked +to go,—a statement corroborated by the United States Consul at +Jerusalem, who has written extensively on the trans-Jordanic highlands. +This statement was not very encouraging to me, but I had set my heart +on reaching the Jordan by this route, so simply said, "Lead on." +Several times I feared I had made a serious mistake, but having come +thus far I could not go back. After we had passed through the old +cemetery our ascent was gradual until we reached the modern village of +Suf, three miles northwest of Gerasa. Here we see "two women grinding +at the mill." The mill consists of two circular stones about fourteen +inches in diameter, the one stone rests upon the other, and the grain +to be crushed between them is supplied by one of the women while the +other turns the upper stone round and round, thus grinding the meal for +the uninviting bread of their less inviting floor-table. +</P> + +<P> +This place has been suggested by Major Condor as the probable site of +Mizpah in Gilead. A group of fine stone monuments, in ruins, is yet to +be seen here. If this be the location of Mizpah then here is the place +where Jacob and Laban made their covenant of lasting peace, and erected +the "heap of witness" (Gen. 31:44-52), saying, "The Lord watch between +me and thee when we are absent one from another." Then they parted, +Laban going back to Mesopotamia and Jacob pressing on with anxious +heart toward the near Jabbok and the farther lands of his estranged +brother Esau. +</P> + +<P> +Inspired by the covenant at Mizpah, and with a desire to help others to +establish covenants of peace, and to accept with cheerful resignation +enforced separation from loved ones, a recent writer, Julia A. Baker, +has written beautifully the following poem entitled "Mizpah": +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + Go thou thy way and I go mine;<BR> + Apart, yet ever near;<BR> + Only a veil hangs thin between<BR> + The pathways where we are;<BR> + And "God keep watch 'tween thee and me,"<BR> + This is my prayer;<BR> + He looks thy way, he looketh mine,<BR> + And keeps us near.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + I know not where thy road may lie,<BR> + Or which way mine may be;<BR> + If mine will lead through parching sands,<BR> + And thine beside the sea;<BR> + Yet "God keeps watch 'tween thee and me,"<BR> + So, never fear.<BR> + He holds thy hand, he claspeth mine,<BR> + And keeps us near.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + Should wealth and fame perchance be thine,<BR> + And my lot lowly be,<BR> + Or thou be sad or sorrowful,<BR> + And glory be for me;<BR> + Yet "God keeps watch 'tween thee and me,"<BR> + Both be his care;<BR> + One arm 'round thee and one 'round me<BR> + Will keep us near.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + I'll sigh sometimes to see thy face,<BR> + But since this cannot be,<BR> + I'll leave thee to the care of Him<BR> + Who cares for thee and me.<BR> + "I'll keep thee both beneath my wings"—<BR> + This comfort dear—<BR> + One wing o'er thee and one o'er me;<BR> + So we are near.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + And tho' our paths be separate,<BR> + And thy way be not mine,<BR> + Yet coming to the mercy-seat,<BR> + My soul will meet with thine;<BR> + And "God keep watch 'tween thee and me,"<BR> + I'll whisper there;<BR> + He blesseth thee, he blesseth me,<BR> + And we are near.<BR> +</P> + +<P> +If this place were Mizpah, then here Jephthah lived; and here, when he +went out to fight against the Ammonites, he made the vow to sacrifice +whatsoever should come forth out of the doors of his house to meet him +on his return from the battle, if the Lord would only give him the +victory. The battle was fought, and Jephthah triumphed. The glad news +reached his home; and out from his house rushed his daughter, his only +child, with timbrels and with dances, to meet her hero-father, not +knowing the nature of his vow made on the eve of the battle. Her +presence caused the brave warrior to tremble with horror and rend his +clothes when he remembered his vow. The daughter was dismayed—instead +of a smile of joy from her father she read her doom in his blanched and +contorted face. And somewhere on these hills round about the voice of +wailing arose for two months from many maidens because Jephthah must +fulfill his rash vow by sacrificing his only child. But he did unto her +according to his word; and annually thereafter for a period of four +days these hills resounded with the voice of weeping—the weeping of +the maidens of Mizpah over the sad fate of Jephthah's daughter. (Judges +11.) +</P> + +<P> +Farther on we ascend a high ridge and then begin our descent into the +southern branch of the wady of Ajlun. After winding about for some time +among the rocks and brush in the dry bed of this wady we finally halt +at Ain Jenneh, a good, strong fountain issuing from under a great rock. +We are yet in the upper reaches of the wady and near the present +village of Ajlun. Here we lunch and rest an hour. +</P> + +<P> +Some authorities identify this region as the place where was the "wood +of Ephraim." That being true, it is the place where Absalom lost his +life. Certain it is, even to-day, that to leave the little path that we +are following would mean to become hopelessly entangled in jungles of +prickly oak and other growth. Even in the path it is with difficulty +that I keep my garments from being torn from me. +</P> + +<P> +If this be the location of the "wood of Ephraim," then here the forces +of Absalom under Amasa and the armies of David under Joab fought in +those trying days of David's exile. Only a few miles away, at Mahanaim, +David sent out his men, commanding that they touch not the young man. +Then he waited for the news of the conflict. In the thickets of Gilead +the first "battle of the wilderness" was fought. It was a decisive +engagement. Joab's veterans of many wars were too strong for the +rebel's army. Absalom sought safety in flight, but in trying to ride +hurriedly through the wild tangle his head caught in the branches of a +great oak, and before he could extricate himself, Joab had found him +and thrust him through the heart; then Joab's ten armor-bearers +encompassed the unfortunate victim and finished the deadly work. And +then, though Absalom had reared for himself a beautiful monument in the +king's dale at Jerusalem, they took his body from the tree and threw it +into a pit near by and made a great heap of stones over it. There was +no weeping at the grave of Absalom. +</P> + +<P> +With the death of Absalom the rebellion was at an end; but David's +heart was broken. He waited at the gate of the city, more interested in +the welfare of his son than in the success of his army. Swift runners +approach! In answer to his question, "Is the young man safe?" he hears +reply that pierces his heart like a dagger. Up to his chamber over the +gate the king slowly passed weeping and bent with grief, and as he went +he said, "O my son Absalom! my son, my son Absalom! Would God I had +died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!" +</P> + +<P> +A poet's conception of David's great grief on hearing of the death of +his son is portrayed in the following lines of N. P. Willis: +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + Alas! my noble boy! that thou shouldst die!<BR> + Thou, who wert made so beautifully fair!<BR> + That Death should settle in thy glorious eye,<BR> + And leave his stillness in thy clustering hair!<BR> + How could he mark thee for the silent tomb?<BR> + My proud boy, Absalom!<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + Cold is thy brow, my son! and I am chill,<BR> + As to my bosom I have tried to press thee<BR> + How was I wont to feel my pulses thrill,<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + Like a rich harp-string, yearning to caress thee,<BR> + And hear thy sweet "MY FATHER!" from these dumb<BR> + And cold lips, Absalom!<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + But death is on thee. I shall hear the gush<BR> + Of music, and the voices of the young;<BR> + And life will pass me in the mantling blush,<BR> + And the dark tresses to the soft winds flung;<BR> + But thou no more, with thy sweet voice, shalt come<BR> + To meet me, Absalom!<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + And oh! when I am stricken, and my heart,<BR> + Like a bruised reed, is waiting to be broken.<BR> + How will its love for thee, as I depart,<BR> + Yearn for thine ear to drink its last deep token!<BR> + It were so sweet, amid death's gathering gloom,<BR> + To see thee, Absalom!<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + And now, farewell! 'Tis hard to give thee up<BR> + With death so like a gentle slumber on thee—<BR> + And thy dark sin! Oh! I could drink the cup,<BR> + If from this woe its bitterness had won thee.<BR> + May God have called thee, like a wanderer, home,<BR> + My lost boy, Absalom!<BR> +</P> + +<P> +But this fountain! What birds and beasts here drank undisturbed before +man came to assert his lordship! What multitudes of people here have +drunk from the days before Israel down to the present time—the hunter, +the tiller of the soil, the grape-gatherer, the shepherd with his +flocks, the warrior and his chief,—all rejoiced and rested here, and +were refreshed and strengthened by the water. +</P> + +<P> +Almost with reverence we drink again; then we remount our horses and +proceed along the wady past the village of Ajlun where an Arab joins us +and guides us on over fertile patches of ground and through olive +groves until we reach the modern town of Coefrinje, a town that +probably contains several thousand inhabitants. It is in the midst of +an olive grove well up on the side of the mountains. Here, although it +is scarcely past the middle of the afternoon, we stop for the night. It +is too far to the next village to risk going ahead—the way is none too +safe, even by day. +</P> + +<P> +Several times to-day I could clearly distinguish the remains of old +Roman roads, well paved, and with curbing arrangement excellently +preserved. What vast sums of money and what great amount of labor must +have been expended on these old high-ways of the time when this +territory was occupied by the Romans! And where Rome walked she left +her path well made, and she left the impress of her thought in +rock-paved road, or in the lasting marble of her pillared temples and +carven tombs. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap06"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +"By the Watch-Tower" +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER VI. +</H3> + +<P> +Soon after entering the village of Coefrinje my dragoman had the rare +good fortune to find a former acquaintance, but whom he did not know to +be in those mountains. His name was Elias Mitry, who, with his wife, +had come up from Jerusalem to do missionary work under the auspices of +the Church of England. Although he was a native of Palestine and talked +very poor English, yet he offered us a welcome to his humble home than +which no more royal was accorded us anywhere. The meeting with my +dragoman was an exhibition of genuine joy, and he seemed equally +pleased to have me in his home; especially did he consider it an honor +to be my host when my dragoman told him that he was escorting a +"school-master" through the land. In that land it seems that the +teacher is almost reverenced because of his profession, while, it may +be said by way of contrast, in some sections of my home land he is +scarcely respected because of his profession. Indeed, I was treated as +a guest of honor; the best that the home afforded was at my service. +Stuffed cucumbers, figs, olives, pomegranates, and what, for want of a +better name, I call "congealed grape-juice,"—all these were placed +before me when in the early evening they aided my guide in serving +supper. +</P> + +<P> +We spent little over four hours in the saddle to-day, so I am not +wearied, and I can give interested attention to the surroundings. And +there is much to interest me here. For, while the name "Coefrinje" is +not mentioned in the Bible, nor is its site definitely identified with +the location of any biblical city, yet there is much of Bible story +centered at points within five miles of this town. +</P> + +<P> +Just across the narrow valley, only a few hundred yards distant, is the +height, Kulat er Rubad. It is crowned with the ruins of an old +castle-fortress called (together with the peak on which it stands) the +"watch-tower of Gilead." The view from the dismantled ramparts is not +excelled in this part of the world. It, indeed, rivals the view from +the celebrated peak south of the Jabbok, Jebel Osha. Dr. Thomson says, +"In reality this prospect includes more points of biblical and +historical interest than any other on the face of the earth." And Dr. +Merrill, after enumerating many of the famous characters of history +that moved under the gaze of this mount of out-look, adds, "The view is +more than a picture. It is a panorama of great variety, beauty, and +significance." To me it is wonderfully impressive. +</P> + +<P> +As the evening wore on I first gave attention to the large olive-press +close to the mission-house. The press was simple in construction, +consisting of a large bowl-shaped rock from the center of whose +depression rose an upright post of wood; to this post was fastened a +long nearly-horizontal beam, not unlike what might be seen in the +old-time cider-mill or cane-mill; slipped onto this beam by means of a +large hole in its center was a large stone shaped like a grind-stone; +this rock, pushed well up to the post, rested in the bowl of the other +rock. When the natives pushed or pulled the beam around in tread-mill +fashion the circular stone turned on the beam, and at the same time +moved round and round in the hollow of the other rock. Thus the olives +placed in the bowl-shaped rock were thoroughly crushed and the oil was +caught in vessels. +</P> + +<P> +Then I watch the shepherds leading their large flocks of sheep and +goats in from the mountain pastures to their folds for the night. All +day these faithful guardians have been with their flocks seeking good +pasture and water for them,—no easy task in the fall of the year near +the end of the dry season. They have guarded the sheep from the danger +of beast, or precipice, or pit; have released those caught in the +under-brush; have ministered to the needs of the sick; and now as night +approaches they come leading—not driving—their flocks in quiet +movement from out the mountain-paths to the sheltering fold in the +village for the night, again to lead them forth on to-morrow, and to do +likewise day after day. To see the tender solicitude of the Oriental +shepherd for his sheep adds much to one's appreciation of the beauty +and fitness of the teaching of the Master in his parable of the Good +Shepherd. +</P> + +<P> +But it is near the sunset hour of my only evening in these sacred +mountains. I seek a vantage-ground and watch the King of Day sink +slowly down to his couch of rest behind the western mountains and the +farther sea. Oh, how beautiful! The sky is ablaze with a glory +indescribable by mortal tongue. All space seems vocal with praise to +the God of love and beauty. +</P> + +<P> +In the strange and peaceful quiet of that evening I felt the presence +of a mysterious, subtle influence stirring within me. In the shower of +gold flung out as a good-night to me, and as the star of evening smiled +down upon me in the purpling twilight and began calling her myriads of +companions to their sentry-posts to keep watch over me through the +hours of the night in that strange land, I felt, I think, the spirit of +the poetry, +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> + "Sunset and evening star,<BR> + And one clear call for me," etc.,<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +in its fullness. Indeed, the air seemed vibrant with a living +personality, which, without undue stretching of the imagination, I +recognized as the SPIRIT OF HISTORY come to tell me the wonderful story +of those wonderful mountains. Enraptured I listened. +</P> + +<P> +SAID THE SPIRIT: "Long before Gad was attracted by these heights and +valleys, tribes of people lived here in their simplicity, yet in sin. +The land seemed not different from other lands. Here were towering +wooded mountain, rocky ravine, and strong-flowing fountain; here the +beast prowled among the rocks, the bird nested in the trees, and the +sweet-scented flowers graced all the landscape. The storms beat upon +the mountains and the waters rushed in madness to the valley in the +rainy season, and the sun scorched the vegetation and dried up the +fountains in the dry season. Thus in monotony centuries passed. +</P> + +<P> +"But one day the God of heaven sent messengers to encamp here, and from +that time these mountains on which you now stand have been considered +sacred—because pressed by the feet of angels. Yonder to the northeast, +only a little way, is where that event took place. Jacob, rich in herds +and flocks, was on his way home from far-off Euphrates, but he was much +troubled at the thought of meeting his brother who had sought to take +his life about twenty years previously. He was picking his way slowly +over these mountains leading his company and cattle when there appeared +in his way a host of angels. He was not frightened, but in gladness of +heart he cried out, 'Mahanaim,'—God's host. And although the wise +people of your day are not quite sure as to the exact location of this +meeting, yet be happy in the thought that you are now only a few miles +from the sacred spot, if, indeed, you are not just where it occurred. +Had you then stood here you could have seen the glorious light of their +presence, and could almost have heard the rustle of their heaven-plumed +pinions. +</P> + +<P> +"After this meeting Jacob wandered a little farther to the south, and +just over yonder, on the Jabbok, he spent a whole night in prayer and +in wrestling with the Angel Jehovah, thinking it was a mere man. There +he gained a great victory over self, and he received the new name, +'Israel.' And on the next day, a little farther to the south, he met +his erst-while angry and murderous brother in peace and happy +reconciliation. +</P> + +<P> +"A few centuries pass. Then the mighty Moses conquers all this region; +and a little later these Ajlun Mountains were given to the tribe of Gad +as a permanent home. But, in the course of time, the native tribes +prove troublesome; and then the great Gideon, having gained a decisive +victory down in the valley, followed the fleeing enemy, 'faint, yet +pursuing,' right through this very district. Later the Ammonites were +punished in a great battle by Israel's 'out-cast,' and mighty warrior, +Jephthah. +</P> + +<P> +"But look again at Mahanaim where Jacob met the angels. The place in +later centuries became a center of other events of interest. There, +after the death of Saul, Ish-bosheth established his capital, and forth +from its gates he sent his armies under Abner to fight that he might +secure the scepter of all Israel to himself. But after two years of +struggle he was treacherously slain and his cause was hopelessly lost. +There, too, David sought refuge from Absalom; and out from those same +gates through which Ish-bosheth had sent armies against him, David sent +armies against his own son. And there above one of the gates of +Mahanaim the voice of his weeping arose when he heard the news of the +death of his strange misguided boy. +</P> + +<P> +"Time passed on and the Israelites turned from the God of heaven to +worship at the shrines of other gods. Then, to punish them for their +sin God sent a strange invader into these mountains who carried away +the people by thousands into cruel captivity in a land far toward the +sun-rising. +</P> + +<P> +"Later the Romans came and planted olive trees and built fine cities +and established enduring roads. But Rome is fallen, and where she moved +in power and splendor ruin only remains, and the unambitious, ignorant +Bedouin feeds his flock and lives in idleness amidst broken down +terraces and thorn-covered fertile soil. Desolate! Yes, dark is the +picture. But, what of the night? Take your place again on the +'watch-tower of Gilead' and scan well the horizon. Yes, it is well; the +morning cometh!" +</P> + +<P> +Having given myself up to reverie and to communing with the SPIRIT OF +HISTORY, as it were, I was for a time forgetful of my surroundings. The +twilight had deepened when I again turned my thoughts to the village +and its people. I look up at some of the houses near me and see a +number of the natives in their dark robes standing like statues on the +flat roofs of their homes, yet watching every movement of the stranger +that has so unexpectedly appeared in their midst. I do not fear them, +but somehow a feeling of unrest steals over me; they seem like shades +of departed Israelites back again from their long sleep. In the +gathering gloom I pass quickly into the mission-house near by. +</P> + +<P> +This proves to be an evening full of interest to me. I learn that a +mission-service is soon to begin, and that a number of the villagers +will be here for the service. I am impressed with the quiet (save for +the barking of dogs) that prevails in these Arab villages. I see no +drunkenness, and there is no boisterous rudeness of other sort. +</P> + +<P> +In a little while a score or more of men come quietly to the +mission-house, remove their sandals, pass into the room, and seat +themselves on the earthen floor against the walls. Mrs. Mitry beckons +to me to come to the door; she wanted me to see that row of forty +sandals. She said in her broken way that it was interesting to her, and +she thought it would interest me. +</P> + +<P> +It is only a little while until Mr. Mitry enters and takes his place at +a small table in the center of the room. A half hour or more is spent +in smoking cigarettes—almost every native smokes. Here it seems that +the habit is in no sense considered a vice. Indeed, the missionary +himself, not only smokes, but assists in making cigarettes for the +others. They smoke and smoke until the room is so darkened that we see +each other but dimly through the haze. I am surprised that I can endure +it. The tobacco must be different from that used in America, for +ordinarily a single cigarette is more offensive to me than was the +smoke of nearly fifty on that evening—for some of the men smoked two +or three apiece in that close room. +</P> + +<P> +After the smoking was over black coffee was served in small cups +holding about one-fourth as much as the average teacup. They sip this +slowly and talk. I note that frequently they are saying something about +"hawadje," and then they fix their eyes upon me. My dragoman tells me +that he has been explaining our hard trip to Gerasa, that they were +skeptical about it, but that he has convinced them of its verity. +</P> + +<P> +But now it is time for the service. Mr. Mitry opens his Bible and reads +in Arabic the story of Moses' invitation to Hobab. Then he expounds the +Scripture for some time while the men listen with rapt attention. There +are some questions and answers. I understand only a word now and then, +but it is a picture of more than ordinary interest to me to look upon +the expectant, and then the satisfied faces of these natives. +</P> + +<P> +When the lesson was over a request came from the men for me to speak to +them. Through my dragoman as interpreter I spoke a little while on the +theme of the evening, which meant much to me there where the migration +of Moses was in a measure felt by the early inhabitants. They listened +attentively, and when I had finished they told my guide to say to +"hawadje" that they wanted him to stay and make his home with them. +Then, the meeting over, they moved out into the darkness with graceful +"salaams," and with the promise of one of their number to accompany us +on the morrow. They said we must not go on alone. +</P> + +<P> +The service-room is now to be my bed-room. A pallet is brought to me, +and on it I am soon trying to sleep. But the beautiful sunset, the +vision of the past of this region, the mission-service, the stillness +of the night—so still that the very silence seems audible—keep me +awake for some time. I am lying by the "watch-tower of Gilead." I seem +to see the Spirit of Prophecy standing on its broken battlements, +wrapped in the shadows of the night, looking hopefully toward the place +of sun-rising. I call to him, "Watchman, what of the night?" In sweet +tones of assurance comes the answer, "The morning cometh! The story of +the Christ will yet transform the darkness that rests here into the +brightness of noonday." Then a sweet peace seemed wafted into my soul +from out the unseen somewhere,—but certainly from Him who "giveth his +beloved sleep." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap07"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +"Down to the Jordan" +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER VII. +</H3> + +<P> +It was early on the following morning when our horses were led around +to the door of the mission-house, but notwithstanding the early hour a +dozen or more of the natives were standing in line to receive medical +attention from the missionary. A few were there who seemed to have come +to witness our departure. Our guide, promised the night before, was on +hand, mounted, ready to lead the way over what proved to be by far the +roughest part of my trip. For that day my party consisted of four +persons. Our new leader, whose name I did not learn, was a man of about +fifty years, and was a genuine Arab in appearance and dress. But he +wore nothing on his feet—not even sandals. I felt better satisfied, +knowing that he would lead the way on that day, for my dragoman was not +familiar with that part of Gilead. However, when toward the middle of +the afternoon we descended into the Jordan Valley, he was quite at home +again. +</P> + +<P> +Single file we proceed from Coefrinje along a narrow path with the +bushes and briars brushing the sides of our horses and wetting us with +dew. It is not long until we begin to ascend a high ridge. Here there +are no paths whatever, and at times our horses can scarcely move on +because of the steepness of the ascent. But a few minutes before nine +o'clock, after a toilsome struggle, we reach the summit of the ridge, +and here I get my first panoramic view of the west-Jordan country. It +is entrancingly beautiful. +</P> + +<P> +When we had reined up our horses I said to my dragoman, "Tell our +attendants to be still until I have finished speaking; I want to +explain the scene before us." And then while he listened, and looked as +I directed, I said: "That towering height far to the north is Mount +Hermon; the sheet of water some miles on this side is the Sea of +Galilee; to the west of the Sea of Galilee is Hattin, the Mount of +Beatitudes; that white spot southwest of Hattin is Nazareth; that great +plain south of Nazareth is Esdraelon, the 'battle-field of Palestine'; +these rounded mountains here in the eastern part of the Valley of +Esdraelon are Tabor, Little Hermon, and Gilboa;—on the north is Tabor, +at whose base Napoleon fought; the next is Little Hermon, where lived +the witch of Endor; and the one south of Little Hermon is Gilboa, where +Saul and his sons were slain; that range of mountains forming the +southern wall of Esdraelon is Carmel, where Elijah held his trial with +the priests of Baal; here below us, winding in its serpentine course, +is the Jordan in its great trough or Ghor; in the center of the picture +are the mountains of Samaria, with Ebal and Gerizim; to the south are +the mountains of Judea, where lies Jerusalem; and that broad expanse of +water beyond all these is the Mediterranean, the 'great sea toward the +going down of the sun.'" +</P> + +<P> +Then I waited for his criticism. He said, "You are right in every +point, but how did you know?" I said, "It is just like the Palestine of +my childhood's fancy that I located in the field back of the barn on my +father's little farm in western Pennsylvania, and with that picture I +have been familiar from the days of my early youth." It is impossible +for me to express what were my feelings at this supreme moment of my +life, as I viewed for the first time what is distinctively known as the +land of Patriarch, Prophet, Priest, and King—the land of my Redeemer's +earthly pilgrimage—the world's best Holy Land! After some time spent +in viewing that almost matchless scene, and in gathering mountain +lilies, we began our descent into the most remarkable depression in the +world—the great Ghor of the Jordan. The next few hours afforded little +of pleasure. Careful attention had to be given to our horses as we +wound about among the rocks. The horses of both my dragoman and +muleteer fell on this trip, but without serious results to either +horses or riders. It was quite wearying to proceed thus, so when we +finally reached a large sloping rock under which was a kind of stagnant +pool—the only water we had seen since leaving Coefrinje—I was glad to +know that there we would lunch, even though I could not drink of the +water. +</P> + +<P> +This rocky wady is like a prison-house to me. But while eating I hear +sweet strains of music somewhere on the mountains—it is from a +shepherd's pipe. Scanning the heights I see far above me shepherds with +their flocks of sheep and goats, and the music that I hear is from +their reed-harps which they play as they lead the way over rugged +mountain paths to find greener pastures and better waters. +</P> + +<P> +We tarry here only a little while. Not long after lunch we pass a +grotto of small size in the hill-side. Evidently the carven ruins are +the remains of an ancient temple that stood here in the days when a +pagan people held possession of the land; and I feel sure that a +fountain must exist here a good part of the year, though now it is dry. +</P> + +<P> +A little farther on is Jabesh-gilead. The story of Jabesh-gilead is a +touching one. The people of the city were besieged by the Ammonites +under their king, Nahash. The men of the city were willing to make a +covenant to serve the Ammonites. But Nahash told them that the only +condition on which he would make a covenant with them would be to +thrust out all their right eyes and lay it as a reproach upon Israel. +The elders of Jabesh asked a respite of seven days in which to get +help, which request was granted. The situation was critical in the +extreme. Messengers left the besieged city and hurried to the new king +of Israel. Saul heard the story of their distresses. Immediately he +gathered an army of three hundred and thirty thousand men, and, +marching rapidly up the Jordan Valley, crossed the river and attacked +the Ammonites and completely routed them with great slaughter. And thus +he saved the city. +</P> + +<P> +The men of Jabesh-gilead never forgot Saul and his kindness to them. +Forty years later the disastrous battle of Gilboa was fought. In this +battle both Saul and Jonathan were slain. The next day when the +Philistines searched for spoils among the dead they found Saul and his +three sons, and they cut off his head to carry it as a trophy to +Philistia; but they took the headless trunks of the king and his sons +to Beth-shan and fastened them against its walls as a terrible warning +to the Israelites. But, "when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard of +that which the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men arose +and went all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons +from the wall of Bethshan and came to Jabesh and burnt them there. And +they took their bones and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and +fasted seven days." (II. Samuel 31:11-13.) +</P> + +<P> +Off to the left a little way I see Tabakat Fahil, identified as Pella, +the place to which the Christians of Jerusalem fled just before the +siege of Titus in obedience to the prophetic warning of Christ. +</P> + +<P> +It is two o'clock when we reach the Jordan Valley, at a point a little +south of Beth-shan, which is on the west side of the river. We now turn +northward and pursue our way steadily near the mountains until after +five o'clock; then we turn toward the river, which we reach at sun-down. +</P> + +<P> +The Jordan Valley is covered with a growth of thorn said to be like +that used in the crowning of Christ at the time of his mock-trial. We +eat of a delicious yellow berry now ripening on these thorns. We pass +two or three small villages, the names of which I could not learn. We +cross a number of small streams this afternoon, the largest of which is +the Tayibeh. All of these streams are thickly lined with reeds and pink +oleander; so thick is this growth in some places that the streams are +completely hidden. Our Arab guide springs down into each of these +water-brooks and hands drink to us, but he drinks, I think, after the +manner of the drinking of "Gideon's three hundred," in the time of +their being tested; that is, by a quick movement of the hand throwing +water into his mouth. +</P> + +<P> +Pushing rapidly across the open valley we startle gazelles from their +hiding-places among the reeds. Then, near the river, we pass several +encampments of Bedouins whose tents are black as those of Kedar. At +last, after being in the saddle all of ten hours, just at sun-set, we +reach the Jordan at the bridge of Jisr el Mejamia, six miles south of +the Sea of Galilee. Just across on the other side of the river we shall +tarry through the night. +</P> + +<P> +The way has been long and trying. I am very weary. But, now, just +before me the Jordan—sacred stream! And then, on the other side, rest! +Happy, soul-cheering thought! +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap08"></A> +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +"At the Bridge" +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER VIII. +</H3> + +<P> +The bridge of Jisr el Mejamia was at the time of my visit the only +available one for travel between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. +It is a stone bridge and was built by the Romans nearly, or quite, two +thousand years ago. It could scarcely be crossed by carriages at +present as the ascent to the highest point is by a kind of step +arrangement. It even seemed a wise precaution for us not to attempt to +ride over on horse-back—the stones were very smooth and slippery. The +present name of the structure means "bridge of the messengers," and it +was so named because here messengers from various points in the land +used to meet to exchange messages. +</P> + +<P> +I am glad to reach this place, for again I am very tired. The distance +traveled to-day is said to be fifty miles. But when we arrive here the +road and bridge are crowded with sheep and goats being brought in from +the valley for safety in the night. My first sight of the Jordan, which +at this place is clear and sparkling, does not particularly impress me. +I long for rest, and so we do not tarry, but pass directly into the +village lying just at the west end of the bridge. +</P> + +<P> +Oh, the wretchedness of this place! I wonder what kind of entertainment +I can find here. There is little choice as to a place of lodging. The +best and only accommodation that the miserable village affords is what +was formerly used by robbers as a prison-house for their victims, but +which is now used as a kind of store-room. There is but one room, and +its earthen floor is littered over with filth of almost every +description, while dust and cob-webs everywhere abound. This is the +RECEPTION-ROOM for our party of four. +</P> + +<P> +While my dragoman busied himself in getting supper, I sat on a box +making notes of what I had seen and experienced that day. Just then the +place served as KITCHEN and WRITING-ROOM. I wrote rapidly, and as I +wrote the thought that somewhere that day I had crossed the path of the +Master in his Perean ministry thrilled me. I said, "Mr. Barakat, I am +going down to the Jordan for a while after supper." He replied, "All +right, and I'll go with you'." "No," said I, "I want to be alone down +at the bridge." He simply said, "I'll go with you." +</P> + +<P> +Our supper was a light affair, but our host brought a platter of +something that looked like dark beeswax, but which proved to be a +palatable food called "halawa." We ate from the floor of this room, +which then became our DINING-ROOM. +</P> + +<P> +After supper I was ready to go down to the river, not more than a +hundred yards from our lodging-place. When we started, our host stepped +to a corner of the room, picked up a gun, and prepared to go with us. I +told my dragoman to tell him not to go with us. The reply was, "He will +go with us." "Well," I said, "if he must go make him put down that gun; +it will spoil my evening of quiet thought at the sacred river." The +answer was: "Make no further objection. Have you not noticed that +everybody here carries a gun? He knows what he is doing. This is the +most disreputable place along the river. Those Bedouins of the black +tents that we passed over yonder would want no better opportunity than +to find you, who are expected to have money, alone at the bridge." I +accepted the situation, and said, "All right, but I shall expect you +both to be obedient to the extent of giving me a period of quiet as +long as I wish to remain." +</P> + +<P> +But, before we go to the bridge, let me tell of that night in that +miserable place of filth. At the time of retiring my host said to me +through my interpreter that I could have choice of beds—that I could +either sleep on the counter, which consisted of a couple of boards laid +carelessly across boxes, or that I could sleep behind the counter on +the floor! After looking at the boards, and thinking what would likely +be the result should I attempt to sleep there, I made choice of the +floor. The room then became my BEDROOM. +</P> + +<P> +Oh, that night! I did not sleep a half-hour. The place seemed alive +with vermin. My host slept on the counter. He did not seem to be +annoyed in the least. True, he scratched, but he snored an +accompaniment to his scratching throughout the night. I could only +scratch and listen to him; there was no snoring for me. After that +night it required frequent bathing and much searching for a week or ten +days before I felt free from the awful pests of that filthy den. Thus +it was that my first crossing of the Jordan did not bring me to a "land +of rest," but to an experience akin to distraction. +</P> + +<P> +But now to the bridge. We pass quietly among the curious gazers down to +the river. Just south of the bridge I go down to the river's edge and +bathe my hands, face, and feet in water that only a few hours ago was +in the lake where the waves were once stilled by His quiet command of +power—"Peace, be still," and where He at another time walked amidst +the billows to meet his own; in water that will hurry on down the +valley to the place where He was baptized; and then it will pass on +into oblivion in the Salt Sea of Death. Then I try, with surprising +success, to drink of the water like our Arab guide drank to-day. Then +we walk to the bridge, at the approach of which I ask my men to tarry +while I go out on it alone to meditate. +</P> + +<P> +I have reached this place by the expenditure of much physical energy. I +am very weary over my hard day in the saddle. But when I seat myself on +the highest point of the bridge, and give myself up to reverie, I feel +the flood of sentiment and rejoice. The moon is about one-half hour +above the mountains of Gilead; a halo seems to gild the heights to the +east and to the west. I am just above the Jordan; its rippling waters +tell me of Abraham, of Jacob, of Joshua, of Saul, of David, of Elijah, +of Elisha, of Naaman, of John the Baptist, and of Jesus of Nazareth. +How sweet and musical is the story! How impressive its truths as I hear +it to-night? Then I watch the play of the moon-light on the water,—the +glittering sheen on the smooth surface above the bridge, and the +flashes of light on the rapids below. It is all so beautiful! +</P> + +<P> +And this is the Jordan! For many years I have heard of it; I have read +of it; I have sung of it. It has been to me for many years a type of +death. Again I look upon the calm blue depths on the north, and then +again on the rapids below—I see the peace here, and hear the rush +there. Then I turn my eyes again to the mountains, and upward to the +moon, and past the moon to the stars—and by faith beyond the stars to +search for Him of this land, because of whose earth-life I am here, and +upon whom I rely for support in the hour of my approach to the shore of +that river of which this is the type. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR><BR> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's My Three Days in Gilead, by Elmer Ulysses Hoenshal + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MY THREE DAYS IN GILEAD *** + +***** This file should be named 4322-h.htm or 4322-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/4/3/2/4322/ + +Produced by Robert Rowe, Charles Franks and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team. 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Hart +and may be reprinted only when these Etexts are free of all fees.] +[Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be used in any sales +of Project Gutenberg Etexts or other materials be they hardware or +software or any other related product without express permission.] + +*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.10/04/01*END* + + + + + + +Produced by Robert Rowe, Charles Franks +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + + + +My Three Days in Gilead + + + + + + I love to breathe where Gilead sheds her balm; + I love to walk on Jordan's banks of palm; + I love to wet my foot in Herman's dews; + I love the promptings of Isaiah's muse; + In Carmel's holy grots I'll court repose, + And deck my mossy couch with Sharon's deathless rose. + --J. PIERPONT. + + + + + +MY THREE DAYS IN GILEAD + +By Elmer U. Hoenshel, D. D., + +Principal of Shenandoah Collegiate Institute and School of Music + + + + + +In profound gratitude, this little volume is dedicated to the +memory of William Barakat of Jerusalem. + +My faithful, careful dragoman, who in manhood's prime, yet not +many months before his death, guided me in safety, not only during +my trying "Three Days in Gilead," but also throughout an extended +tour otherwhere in his native land--the Holy Land of my faith. + +THE AUTHOR + + + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +At last, after waiting twenty leaden-winged years from the time in +which a fixed purpose was formed in me to visit the Orient, the +realization came. The year that saw the fulfillment of my +cherished ambition was definitely determined upon eight summers +before it took its place in the calendar of history. Fortune +smiled upon my plan. I was ready. My joy was akin to ecstasy. + +Imagine my disappointment when, in the month of May of my chosen +year, 1900, I learned that no agency would organize a tourist +party to move at a time in the summer or autumn that would suit +me! There was but one alternative--to travel independent of any +organization. This I would do. The decision to do so brought +instant and happy relief. + +At no time in my period of absence of five months did I meet a +single former acquaintance. I planned every move, and held myself +in every way responsible for results. The experience I thus gained +in the many countries visited I value highly. Not infrequently I +found myself in trying situations; but all ended well. To-day, in +my inventory of life's rich and helpful experiences, though it +were possible for me to do it, I would not eliminate one of these. +It was a kind Providence that denied me the luxury of a place in a +modern "personally conducted" tourist party. + +A few articles descriptive of certain experiences have been +written by me for publication. Some themes I have presented on the +lecture platform a few hundred times. My auditors, universally, +have been kind in their criticisms. Many have been the requests +that I write a volume reciting the story of my travels. In +response I have steadily refused. Many books on travel have +appeared in recent years, possibly too many; but I have seen very +little that has been written about the trans-Jordanic highlands. +And it is not strange, for, though multitudes of tourists annually +visit Palestine, not one person out of a thousand of them ever +goes east of the Jordan. And is it worth while? We shall see. + +On my trip I tried to identify no biblical site; I tried to locate +no city of antiquity; I dug into no mound; I disturbed no ruin. +All this I left to the geographer, the historian, and the +archaeologist who had preceded me, or who should come after me. +True, with the help of my Bible, map, guide-book, and guide, I +formed opinions, and was happy in the fitness of some of them; +but, in the main, I was content to rest in the conclusions reached +by those who had studied scientifically and reverently every hill +and valley and ruin in this neglected region. + +But my observation and experience no other has had. I know of no +other who mapped out or traveled the route chosen by me. I sought +and expected much; I found and experienced more. And though eight +years have passed since my journeyings in Gilead, yet so fresh is +the memory of those days that I need make but slight reference, as +I write, to the notes that were then written. Often, in recent +years, I have found myself lingering in thought on some high ridge +looking out over an extended panorama filled with sacred +associations, or silently gazing up into the strangely impressive +Oriental sky by night. Even as I write I seem to catch again a +perfume-laden breeze, bearing repose to my weary soul. And if the +memory of this land seen in its desolation is so refreshing to a +foreigner, what must not the possession of the real in the days of +its fatness have been to the weary, battle-scarred Israelites who +secured permission to abide here! + +So, in response to the call of my friends, and with the hope of +adding somewhat to the meager fund of information concerning a +once famous district, or, at least, to create additional interest +in the territory occupied by the tribe of Gad in the days of early +allotment, I undertake to tell the story of "My Three Days in +Gilead." + +Dayton, Virginia, February 20, 1909. + + + + + +Contents + + +Chapter I. "Waiting at Damascus" +Chapter II. "Through Bashan" +Chapter III. "Among Bedouins" +Chapter IV. "At Gerasa" +Chapter V. "Up Into the Mountains" +Chapter VI. "By the Watch-Tower" +Chapter VII. "Down to the Jordan" +Chapter VIII. "At the Bridge" + + + + + +"Waiting at Damascus" + +CHAPTER I. + + +Damascus! A city that numbers the years of its existence in +millenniums; that witnessed in the dawn of history the migration +of Abraham as he went out from Ur to a land not known to him, and +to whom she gave one of the best of her sons; that sent out the +leper, Naaman, to Palestine for healing and received him back +whole; that hailed with great preparations the coming of Elisha, +who had previously blinded her army at Dothan; that welcomed Saul +of Tarsus in his blindness, restored his sight, and sent him, +transformed in his life, to transform Asia Minor and classic +Europe. Damascus! A city surviving an age-long struggle with the +encroaching desert--a struggle that must go on through ages to +come; but, as long as the Abana and Pharpar continue to flow, the +sands that would bury her forever in oblivion will be changed into +a soil of life-giving and life-sustaining fertility sufficient to +support her thousands of inhabitants. Damascus! A city of the long +ago, practically unchanged, where the Occidental may look to-day +with unfeigned interest upon architecture, costumes, and customs +similar to those that prevailed in the East while Greece and Rome +were yet young. Damascus! A city celebrated for a thousand years +for its bazaars, work-shops, and roses; a city so beautiful +thirteen hundred years ago that Mohammed, viewing it for the first +time from a distance, is said to have exclaimed: "Man can have but +one paradise. My paradise is heaven; I cannot enter yonder city!" +a city to-day of unsurpassed beauty, when viewed from the +distance, with its white domes and slender minarets rising above +the shrubbery and trees of its thirty thousand gardens. Here in +this old city; in this historic city; in this beautiful city; in +Damascus, I greet you and extend to you an invitation to join me +in my proposed trip through Gilead. + +My party as yet consists of but two persons. My dragoman, William +Barakat, of Jerusalem, in response to a telegram sent from +Constantinople, met me several days ago at Beyrout. He is a native +Syrian, talks good English, dresses like an American, (save that +he wears a red fez,) and is a Christian in faith. Before reaching +this city he has already rendered me excellent service. He is +intelligent, having attended the American College at Beyrout. I +can trust him. + +My arrangements with my guide are simple. He is to take me over my +desired route by best possible methods of travel; to furnish the +best of fare and lodging obtainable; to guarantee me a safe +escort; and he is to do all this within a specified time and for a +stipulated price. I did not then know how little I was asking as +to fare and lodging, but when I knew that he was fulfilling his +part of the agreement I had little cause for just complaint. + +By early dawn, on October thirtieth, we had breakfasted and had +bidden good-by to all the servants about the hotel, (many of whom +I did not know to exist, but who, somehow, had learned of me, and +had risen thus early to witness my departure and to ask a fee for +services that I am quite sure some of them had had no part in +rendering,) and had ordered the driver to lose no time in reaching +the station of the Damascus-Hauran Railroad, about two miles +distant. But, notwithstanding the early hour, the streets were +already crowded with people, mules, donkeys, dogs, and other +things. It was only with great effort that we could make any +headway, and at times it seemed that the crowd, angered at our +persistence, would stop us entirely in our struggle to pass +through. We did the best we could, but we missed the train. Since +there were ONLY THREE TRAINS A WEEK on that road, it meant that I +must go back to that same hotel and spend two more days in +Damascus at the rate of ten dollars a day, and then, again, on +leaving, must fee those same servants for service that I did not +want, and, generally speaking, did not get. But, though the +disappointment was great, it brought additional opportunity to +study the wonders and ways of the wonderful city wherein I was +forced to remain. + +A second time my dragoman prepares food for our journey; and +again, on the morning of November first, we hurry to the station. +This time we do not miss the train--we wait for it--and we wait a +long time; but with the waiting there is contentment, for, if the +train move south, I, too, am sure of going. + + + + + +"Through Bashan" + +CHAPTER II. + + +At the time of this writing there is a railroad extending from +Damascus to Mecca, but at the time of my visit the terminus was at +Mezarib, a small town about fifty miles south of Damascus, near +the northern boundary-line of Gilead. It was in my plan to travel +that distance by rail; hence my presence at the city railroad +station. + +The ride to Mezarib, through Bashan, especially that part of it +now known as the Hauran, is one of more than ordinary interest. +For the first twenty-five miles the land is literally covered with +black basaltic rocks, as is also part of the remaining distance. +How it is cultivated I can scarcely understand, for I am sure that +the American horse could not be made to serve well here. But I was +told that the natives do cultivate it, and that they raise +excellent crops of grain. When I looked upon them at work with +their crude wooden plows and brush harrows, and then heard that +they raise excellent crops of grain, I was satisfied that the land +must be very fertile; and I was reminded of a certain humorist's +remark about the fertility of some land in Kansas, of which he +said, "All you need to do is to tickle the ground with a hoe, and +it will laugh with a big harvest." Farther on the rocks almost +entirely disappear, and there is spread out a beautiful valley, +extending far to the south, whose fertility and pasturage +attracted the Israelites on their march to Canaan, and which, ever +since, has caused the name "Bashan" to be a synonym for "plenty." +And, because of its abundant production of grain, which finds a +ready market in Damascus, it has been aptly called the "granary of +Damascus." + +The manner in which this grain is put on the market is quite novel +to me. I see hundreds of camels loaded with large sacks of grain +moving with slow, swinging tread toward Damascus, or returning +unloaded to the desert. The camels proceed in single file, usually +ten or more in a train, and each is led by means of a rope +fastened to the animal next in front--the rope of the foremost of +all being fastened to the saddle of a donkey, on which the owner, +or driver, usually rides. Many grindstones also are shipped from +this country, one large stone constituting a load for a camel. +This land is, also a great grazing region, and for more than three +thousand years Bashan has been celebrated for its fine breed of +cattle. + +Some distance south of Damascus I cross the headwaters of the +Pharpar River, whose clear, sparkling water Naaman considered much +more suitable for a general's bath than the muddy water of the +Jordan. At my place of crossing an athlete could clear the stream +at a single bound. + +The distant scenery deserves more than a passing notice, though +but little more can be given here. Off to the west, in plain view, +is Mount Hermon, whose towering, snow-capped summit in all +probability looked upon the transfigured person of the Son of Man. +To the east is the Lejah, in, or near which is Edrei, where Og, +the giant king of Bashan, was slain in the attempt to hold his +realm against the home-seeking Israelites under the leadership of +Moses. South of the Lejah are the Hauran Mountains, now occupied +by the Druses, a people of a peculiar religious faith--a faith +which is a mixture of Mohammedan, Christian, and Zoroastrian +elements. One of their beliefs is that the number of souls in +existence never varies. "Accordingly, all the souls now in life +have lived in some human form since the creation, and will +continue to live till the final destruction of the world." To them +prayer is thought to be an unwarrantable interference with the +Almighty. They, having colonized this mountain, are at present +causing the Turkish government much trouble. They number about +90,000, and are almost continuously at war with the neighboring +Bedouin tribes. And because of the feuds which prevail here, it is +expected, and I believe is a matter of law, that all visitors to +this region must have an escort either of soldiers or Bedouins. +Were not robbery and bloodshed so prevalent in the East-Jordan +country, its ruins and scenery would attract hundreds of tourists +where now but a few ever suffer their curiosity or interest in +Bible lands to turn them aside from the beaten paths of travel. In +my course I pass through a portion of the land of which we read in +Deut. 3:3-5, noted for its many "rock cities." I look upon the +ruins of a number of these, but have little opportunity for a +close examination. The most noted ruins that I see are at Sunamein +and at Mezarib. But those who have pressed farther east, and who +have made a careful study of the best preserved of these "rock +cities" of Bashan, tell us that everything about them is of stone- +doors, gates, windows, stairs, rafters, galleries, cupboards, +benches, and even candlesticks. So perfectly preserved are some of +these "dead cities," that of one, Salcah, Doctor Porter says that +some five hundred of the houses are still standing, and that "from +three hundred to four hundred families might settle in it at any +moment without laying a stone or expending an hour's labor on +repairs." Of Beth-gamul another traveler says in part: "The houses +were some of them very large, consisting usually of three rooms on +the ground floor, and two on the first story, the stairs being +formed of large stones built in the house walls, and leading up +outside. The doors were, as usual, of stone; sometimes folding +doors, and some of them highly ornamental. I wandered about quite +alone in the old streets of the town--entered one by one the old +houses, went up-stairs, visited the rooms, and, in short, made a +careful examination of the whole place; but so perfect was every +street, every house, every room, that I almost fancied I was in a +dream, wandering alone in this city of the dead, seeing all +perfect, yet not hearing a sound. "Much of the work in most of +these cities is on such a large scale as to indicate that the +houses were built by, and intended for a race of giants. When we +think of these fortresses of strength defended by their mighty +occupants, and remember that they were probably in existence at +the time of the exodus of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, +the victories of Moses gained here become sublime. + +We are nearing Mezarib. All forenoon has been consumed in covering +a distance of only about fifty miles. But by twelve o'clock we +have passed almost completely across the land where Og was king, +especially that part of his kingdom which, not long after being +wrested from him and his giant followers, was assigned to the +eastern half-tribe of Manasseh for a permanent possession. + +Before leaving Beyrout my dragoman telegraphed to Jerusalem for a +muleteer and three horses to be sent to this railroad terminus. +Must we be disappointed in this! We are both solicitous. My guide +is leaning far out of the car window long before the train stops +to learn, if possible, whether or not his order has been obeyed. I +watch that dark, anxious, perplexed face with much solicitude. Ah, +he smiles! The sunshine of satisfaction chases the clouds of +anxiety and doubt from his countenance, and that dark face looks +beautiful to me. He is happy, and I share in his happiness. Our +muleteer and horses are awaiting us. + + + + + +"Among Bedouins" + +CHAPTER III. + + +At twelve o'clock our train stopped. I was quickly introduced to +him who had been awaiting us, and who was now to join our party-- +"Haleel," of Jerusalem. He was dressed in typical Eastern fashion, +wearing the wide pantaloons, flowing robe, and "kufiyeh"; he was +apparently twenty-five years old, dark-skinned, and blind in one +eye; he could not speak a word of English; and he was a devout +Mohammedan. "Haleel, of Jerusalem!" Notwithstanding his fantastic +appearance, the name and place of residence seemed to me a +blending of mystery and sacredness. I did not hesitate to extend a +cordial greeting, and his smile of confused interest as I tried to +shake hands with him while he tried to give me an Oriental +salutation won me to him. It was his only intelligible language to +me, but it was sufficient to give me assurance of his friendship, +and I was beginning to feel that from that hour I should need +friends. The salutation that Haleel offered to me was a quick, +graceful movement of his hand toward my feet, next to his lips, +and then lightly to his forehead. I had seen the natives do this +in exchanging salutations, and now that it had been offered to me +I sought an interpretation. My guide explained that Haleel meant +to tell me that he felt so honored in meeting me, that he "would +take the dust from my feet, would kiss it, and then place it on +his forehead." Beautiful sentiment! Had I ever previously in my +life been so honored in meeting any one! + +The greeting over, I noticed unusual movements about the station. +Many Turkish soldiers were there. They stood about in groups +engaged in animated conversation. Upon inquiry I learned that the +feuds so common in that region were again "on," and that the +soldiers were there to quell lawlessness. As I was the only +tourist there I became an object of special interest. Some of the +men came to my dragoman, and only a few words had passed until I +knew that I was the subject of their conversation. I could +occasionally catch the word "hawadje," which means "master," and I +knew they were referring to me. Then they would look at me and +shake their heads. I was anxious to know what it all meant, but +had to be content with what my guide was pleased to tell of it. He +seemed to have gained his point, but he told me nothing except to +prepare for a hard trip, as a day's distance must be covered, if +possible, before nightfall. As we had already lost two days in +Damascus, I was not averse to trying something strenuous in order +to make up in part for that loss. I felt quite equal to the task, +(though it proved to be a severe ordeal,) when it was explained to +me that it would require a ride of more than forty miles to reach +a safe halting-place for the night. My guide had planned it; and I +was committed to the plan. + +After a hurried lunch, eaten in the tent of an Arab, I prepare +for,--I know not what. I put on my leggings and head-gear. Then I +give over my luggage, which consists of a suit-case, hand-grip, +umbrella, and alpenstock, to Haleel. I keep my overcoat, not +because the weather is cold,--it is hot,--but because I think I +may possibly need it as a kind of cushion for my saddle before the +day is over. The need was felt, and SORELY felt quite early in the +afternoon; but most of the time we rode too rapidly for my +overcoat to supply the need,--it just would not stay where I had +hoped it might serve me well. So it happened that I was destined +to experience on that ride such misery as I had scarcely thought +one could endure. But, I anticipate. + +We are ready. I am anxious to be going. I am delighted when my +horse, a beauty, indeed, and of pure Arabian stock, is led up by +two dusky sons of the desert. Surely my long trip to Jerusalem +will be one of pleasure when I am mounted on such a steed! At +half-past twelve o'clock we mount, and, facing to the south, we +set off at a brisk pace for Gerasa, (known to the Arabs as +Jerash,) where it has been planned that we shall spend the night. +Several of the natives accompany us a short distance on foot, one +running on either side of my horse and holding to the bridle; but +soon, with interesting and graceful salaams, they leave us to +pursue our hot and dusty way alone. + +There are just three of us, and we proceed in the following order: +my dragoman, who is guide and interpreter, leads the way; I follow +next after him; bringing up the rear is our muleteer, who takes +charge of all luggage, cares for the horses, and especially for,-- +me. Why should I not be happy? For the first time in my life I +have two men engaged to look after my wants. They did their duty +well,--were almost painfully attentive at times. But to-day I +thank them for their kind severity. + +Not having spent more than a few hours on horse-back in the +previous ten years, I found, after riding a few miles, that it +required more than a beautiful horse to make riding comfortable to +an inexperienced rider. But our way led through such a beautiful +valley, and on either hand were mountains so suggestive of Bible +narrative that there was much in the earlier part of the afternoon +to divert my attention from any physical discomfort. Where we were +riding there was no road,--simply bridle-paths, and frequently not +even a path. + +After we had been riding for an hour a young Arab on camel-back +joined us. I did not like his searching looks from a face almost +hidden in his head-garment. But he stayed with us for a half-hour, +and in that time had raced his camel with our horses; then he +suddenly turned from us toward the near mountains of Gilead. We +met a number of caravans in the earlier part of the afternoon, and +I noted that every man that I saw carried a gun, or some sort of +sword, or large knife. They were ready for defense, if occasion +should arise. + +About two o'clock we passed a "memorial heap," or cairn. Some +tragedy occurred there, and the custom of the region is that the +passer-by places reverently on the pile of rocks already formed an +additional stone. Elsewhere I had seen this done when it seemed to +me the actor was under the spell of a superstitious fear. + +About the middle of the afternoon a soldier, full armed, dashes up +to us in a mad gallop, hands a message to my dragoman, and then as +rapidly rides back again. I am a little alarmed at this until I +learn that he has entrusted a writing to us to be delivered in +Jerusalem. A little later I see another soldier leave the group in +which he is riding and gallop ahead across the open way to the +brow of a hill. There he dismounts, lays down his gun, takes the +robe, or blanket, on which he rode, spreads it upon the ground, +faces toward Mecca, and prostrates himself in prayer. The prayer +over, he dashes down to his party and they are off like the wind. + +About four o'clock we passed near a little village, the only place +where I saw a house on that long afternoon ride. It is not safe +for any one to live outside the villages; hence there are no +isolated dwellings in all this region. We did not halt for one +moment, but kept pressing steadily on. + +After five o'clock the plain was deserted; we saw from that time +neither man nor beast. I was cramped and painfully tired, and +feeling that if I could but walk for a few minutes it would be +quite a relief, I dismounted--quite a difficult thing to do and +keep from sprawling upon the ground. But I was no sooner off my +horse than Haleel was beside me, and my dragoman, who was at that +time nearly a hundred yards ahead of me, rode back and sternly +commanded: "You get right back on that horse; this is no time to +think of walking; you can do that some other time." Inwardly I +resented it; how could I stand it longer! I blamed it on the +saddle, then I thought that they must have given me the worst +horse of the three. But all this helped nothing. They assisted me +again into the saddle. Then my guide delivered a little speech in +Arabic to Haleel. I did not then understand it, but shortly after +I learned the essence of it; it was, "You keep your eye on him and +see that he keeps his horse moving." When I found myself again in +the saddle I determined that if I must ride there would be no more +trotting of my horse,--I would proceed as gently as possible. But, +alas! Haleel had his whip and my dream of controlling my horse was +over. After that I kept close to my dragoman. At that time I +thought it harsh treatment, but later I understood. + +We have reached the limit of level land and are now winding among +the eastern foot-hills of the mountains of Gilead. It is the hour +of sunset and the great orb of day sinks in sad beauty to me. In +the twilight I see here and there half-buried pillars of some +famous temple--a temple that surely never stood here. Our horses +are wet with sweat; we have not halted for lunch; not a drop of +water has been seen; night is coming on with its pale moon casting +weird shadows about us; we are alone in a land noted for its +lawlessness, and yet we are unarmed. We move on almost in silence. +There is silence about us, save for the cry now and then of some +night-bird. We see no lights save those above us. My guide seems +bewildered and uncertain as to the location of the town we seek. I +am faint from weariness, and so cramped that at times it is with +difficulty that I keep from falling to the ground. I am now quite +solicitous as to our safety and not a little alarmed when our way +leads through some rocky, narrow passage suggestive of a lurking- +place for men of evil intent. But at last, at half-past nine +o'clock, after being in the saddle for nine hours, I am aroused +from my stupor by a joyful exclamation from my dragoman. A few dim +lights are seen,--IT IS GERASA! + +My dragoman continued his exclamations of praise thus, "I thank my +God for saving my life once more." I said faintly, "Why such +words?" "Well," he said, "all natives are expected to be in their +villages by sundown, tourists at their destination earlier. It is +the custom of this region that tourists must have an escort of +soldiers or Bedouins, even in times of peace; and now THE FEUDS +ARE ON; and here we have come alone, at night, unarmed; and I am +responsible for these horses--they are not mine--and for your +life. The ride may have been hard for you, but the hours of +anxiety were more trying to me. I have now done it once, but I'll +never again assume such a risk--NOT EVEN FOR A MILLION POUNDS!" I +had no response that he heard, but mentally I said, "Never again +with ME, Mr. Barakat. NO, NEVER! + +Yet I think I never experienced greater joy on entering my own +home than on that night when entering and riding through the +crooked, narrow lanes of that miserable village of Gilead. + + + + + +"At Gerasa" + +CHAPTER IV. + + +Though in the village, and therefore relieved of the feeling of +special danger, yet we had much difficulty in securing lodging for +the night. Our arrival seemed to disturb the peace of dogdom in +what otherwise would have been a quiet resting-place. No people +were outside their houses. We picked our way to the nearest light; +the occupant of the house would not come out, but showed his face +at the window--a hole in the wall about a foot square. My dragoman +pleaded for lodging, but in vain. We sought the next house in +which there was a light, but neither would the people of that home +open to us. We tried several other places, but at all of them we +were refused admission. They seemed to look with suspicion upon +our visit to the village. But, finally, a good old Mohammedan +consented to let us spend the night in his rock hut, and gave us +the privilege of putting our horses in his little walled space by +the house. Haleel must spend the night in this yard--he always +slept with the horses. When my dragoman helps me over the stone +door-sill, and we enter the hut, we find that the part allotted to +men consists of but one small room, having a floor of earth on +which are spread a couple of mats. In this room there is no +furniture. Two persons are already asleep on the floor. We do not +disturb them. + +Not having eaten anything since noon, my dragoman begins at once +to prepare a light lunch for us. On a brazier that he finds here +he makes a little charcoal fire and quickly brews some of the tea +brought from Damascus; into this he squeezes lemon juice; then +finding some bread that he had stowed away in his saddle-bags, our +lunch is ready. I sit on the floor as comfortable as I can make +myself while he is getting supper. The flickering light, the +shifting shadows, the strange ones lying asleep, the almost as +strange dusky helpers, the sense of dangers just escaped, the +whining, wailing, barking dogs, my physical pain--all these things +beget within me a strange feeling of loneliness and a longing for +home. Again and again I ask myself the question, "Why did you +undertake this; why were you not content to go down from Damascus +to Galilee and all of West Palestine by the easy way?" But, again +and again I say to myself: "You would never have been satisfied +had you done so; this is part of the price to be paid for what you +wanted; consider what you get in exchange, value received." + +But my reverie is cut short by a groan from my dragoman; he sank +back trembling and said, "Call Haleel!" Together we worked with +him for a half-hour or more until a chill, the result of drinking +too much water on reaching the village, had been overcome. I was +much alarmed at the possible outcome of his sudden illness, for +had he left me thus the situation for me would have been one of +extreme perplexity. In my anxiety for him I forgot for the moment +my own condition. But now I am again a conscious sufferer. So +tired am I that I can scarcely wait until I have sipped a little +tea and eaten a little bread before I have removed hat and shoes +and am stretched out upon the floor to sleep. The horses seem +restless in their stamping; the dogs keep up their barking; the +room is dark; I hear the heavy breathing of those about me; a lone +star peeps in through the small window; and I try to compose +myself for the rest that I so much need. "Is there no balm in +Gilead?" Yes. I thought that I was lying down to a night of +restlessness and fever, but never on couch of down has my rest +been sweeter. + +I am awakened at dawn by some one moving about in the room, and I +see a man pick up a gun and pass quickly out. The dogs are barking +savagely throughout the village. Then I look about me. Imagine my +surprise when I discover that I have had five bed-fellows, or +rather FLOOR-FELLOWS! There we lay stretched out in all sorts of +angles and curves--American, Syrian, Circassian; Christian and +Mohammedan--forming a kind of crazy patch-work on the earthen +floor. And imagine my supreme disgust when I discover a big, +dirty, odorous, unshod human foot, erect on the heel and with toes +spread out like a fan, within a few inches of my face! Bah! How +was it that I slept! I turn my face to the wall and soon lose +thought of the disturbing vision in slumber. + +It is quite late when again I wake. The host is sitting on his mat +near me fumbling beads and chanting prayers. Without moving I +watch him for a while and note that he is also interested in me, +and that he now knows that I am awake. I begin an investigation of +myself, and find, to my glad surprise, that while I am stiff and +sore I feel quite refreshed. I dress myself--a simple matter this +morning, simply putting on my shoes--and while my dragoman +prepares our breakfast I exercise myself somewhat by walking down +to an old Roman bridge spanning the small stream flowing through +the village. In this half-hour I get a good general knowledge of +the location of the town, its outline, its magnificent ruins, etc. +But I am not ready yet for sight-seeing. I prefer to listen to the +brook singing its happy way almost hidden among the pink oleanders +that grow in such profusion along its sides. The running water, +the perfume of the flowers, the flood of sunlight--these are like +balm to me after my awful yesterday. Certainly I shall be ready +early to study the ruins of this wonderful, mysterious, ancient +city. + +Breakfast is ready. It consists of boiled eggs, bread, cheese, and +tea. Our table is the floor on which we slept. The male members of +the house-hold join us as we sit on mats around the simple meal. +Our host sends one of the men (a visitor to a Mohammedan home +never meets, and frequently never sees a woman) to bring a little +of his own bread. It does not look at all tempting to me, but I am +told that if I wish to secure my host's friendship I must eat of +it. This I do, but only once, and now he would be almost willing +to die for me should occasion arise. + +After breakfast he shows me some antique coins that he had found, +and when my guide explains that I am an American schoolmaster, he +manifests exceedingly his delight. He almost pulls me out into his +little yard where he had been digging, and where he had unearthed +an inscribed cylindrical block of marble about two feet in +diameter and four feet in length. The lettering is in Greek. He +thinks it must tell of hidden treasure. And so it does to me, but +not of the kind for which he is looking. The inscription is +partially effaced, but I see enough to conclude that it was likely +at one time the pedestal of a statue. + +I next proceed to take a further general view of this celebrated +locality--celebrated, for here are the most noted ruins east of +the Jordan. My first observation is that the present inhabitants, +Circassians, are rapidly despoiling the treasures of antiquity +found here. They take the rocks and pillars of temples that were +once the admiration of a great region and pile them roughly +together, forming a small enclosure; then, in many instances, they +place poles and brush across the top, throw ground on the brush,-- +and their houses are ready for occupancy. There is no regularity +whatever in the plan of the alleys, or lanes, of the present +village. We mount our horses for a further study of these +interesting ruins. + +Gerasa was one of the chief cities of the Decapolis, (the other +nine were Damascus, Hippos, Scythopolis, Dion, Pella, Kanatha, +Raphana, Gadara, and Philadelphia,) and was situated twenty miles +east of the Jordan on one of the northern tributaries of the +Jabbok, and within five miles of the place where the famous +"Moabite Stone" was found. Tristam considers it to-day as +"PROBABLY THE MOST PERFECT ROMAN CITY LEFT ABOVE GROUND." The +present ruins seem to date back to the second century of the +Christian era. A Christian bishop from Gerasa attended the Council +of Seleucia in 359 A.D., and another that of Chalcedon in 451 A.D. +In the thirteenth century this city was in ruins. It was then for +five centuries lost to the eyes of the civilized world. In the +beginning of the thirteenth century a German traveler visited it; +the magnificent ruins of the place amazed him. The same ruins to- +day, or some of them, strike the comparatively few visitors with +awe at the thought of the riches, the gayety, and the power that +once reigned here on the border of the desert. + +The walls of the ancient city are plainly traceable, and formed an +enclosure about a mile square. Three of its gates are fairly well +preserved. On the south side of the city ruins, less than a half +mile distant, stands a triumphal arch forty feet high. Between +this arch and the city wall are the ruins of a great stone pool +and of a circus. The main street lies on the west side of the +stream. It was paved; yet shows ruts worn into the stones by +chariot wheels; and was lined on each side with a row of rock +columns above twenty feet in height, some of which have capitals +representing a high degree of artistic skill in their planning and +execution. Part of this street was arcaded behind the columns +where was the sidewalk. Fronting upon this street were vast +temples and baths, which, though fallen, are yet grand in their +ruins. All along this way lie great blocks of stone and marble and +fallen columns, so numerous that at times our progress is almost +barred. But not all of the columns are fallen; more than two +hundred yet stand on their original bases. About mid-way along the +street it is crossed at right angles by another which is also +lined with columns. Farther on toward the south it widens into an +oval-shaped forum a hundred yards long, surrounded with Ionic +pillars in their original positions. + +Just beyond the forum, elevated somewhat, is a large, well- +preserved temple; and immediately to the right of the temple is a +theater built in the hill-side with seats, stage, and other parts +plainly distinguishable. It is easy to sit in one of these empty +benches and see, as a shadow out of the past, a lively scene +presented on the now deserted stage--the voice of eloquence rings +clear out of the dead centuries, the play-house resounds with the +applause of the shades that fill the seats about me--and, then, +the curtain of mystery is dispelled by the bright sunlight that +floods all the landscape, and I see nothing but ruins everywhere. +The play is over. The shades have gone again to their long home. + +On a commanding position in the north-west quarter stood temples +of vast proportions whose spacious courts, tottering walls, and +forsaken altars speak in eloquent terms of a glory long since +departed. Evidently this was a populous city, for it possessed two +theaters capable of seating many thousands of people. That it was +a religious city, and much given to idolatry, its temples and +altars declare. + +While Josephus speaks of the capture of this city by Alexander +Jannaeus, about 85 B.C., we look in vain for a mention of it in +the Bible. But some recent investigators, notably Dr. Merrill, +(with whom I had the pleasure and honor of conversing,) incline to +the opinion that Gerasa was the original Ramoth-gilead. Dr. +Merrill gives six arguments in favor of his position, which, after +my observations made in the place itself, I feel like accepting. + +If this were Ramoth-gilead, then how much of Bible story clusters +about the spot! It was a "city of refuge"; and over these hills or +up and down this valley rushed the accidental man-slayer to seek +refuge within its gates from the blood-thirsty pursuer. Here Ahab +was slain (I. Kings 22:34-37), here Ahaziah and Jehoram defeated +Hazael (II. Kings 8:28, 29; 9:14), and here Jehu was anointed king +of Israel and rode forth in a chariot to execute his terrible +commission concerning the house of Ahab (II. Kings 9:4-26). + +Gerasa! Beautiful, though in ruins. What glory must once have been +thine! But where are the warriors who passed in triumph through +thy gates? Where are the builders of thy temples? Where are the +the priests who ministered at thy altars? Where are the devotees +who bowed at thy shrines? Where are the people who thronged thy +theaters and trod thy beautiful streets? The hills over which man +walked are still here; the rocks that he quarried, carved, +polished, and fitted into place are here; the stone coffin in +which he lay down to his last resting-place is here--but where is +HE? Gone! gone forever! Surely, how frail is man! How fleeting his +glory! As the waters of thy stream flow on to the Sea of Death, so +has the tide of life which swept through thy streets passed on to +the grave and oblivion. + + + + + +"Up Into the Mountains" + +CHAPTER V. + + +Passing out over the fallen western wall of Gerasa we are +immediately in the ancient cemetery, which extends for a mile, or +nearly so, from the city. Many stone sarcophagi, some of which are +artistically carved, lie scattered about in almost every +conceivable position--some even lying across the tops of others. +But these windowless rock-palaces are all empty. + +Leaving Gerasa, my way leads in a general direction westward over +the mountains of Gilead. The reader must remember that in all this +region there is not a road over which a carriage can be driven, +save that quite recently a few trips have been made from Mezarib +to Gerasa. What are called roads are simply bridle-paths, and, in +many cases, the paths are so indistinct that the guide is more +likely to take you forward with reference to a general direction +than to attempt to lead you by a recognized trail. + +The Mountains of Gilead present a rugged appearance, but, in the +main, are clothed with vegetation; hence they are beautiful in +their majesty. The olive and the prickly oak are abundant. The +villages are not numerous, and are situated far up the slopes, or +even on the tops of the ridges. These villages are clusters of +squalid huts constructed of stone and mud, and can afford no +accommodation such as an American might desire. But, in many +instances, they occupy sites identified with places and events +noted in Bible story. + +These mountains were given to Gad in the allotment of Joshua and +Eleazar. Surely at that time the prospect must have been much more +pleasing than at present, or the Gadites would not have been so +anxious to receive this district as a permanent possession. True, +even now, a few narrow valleys, or wadies, show signs of great +fertility, but the greater part is quite uninviting. Yet to the +tourist there is much of interest in this region. + +My way to the Jordan lay over these mountains, especially that +part known as the Jebel Ajlun. Sometimes it seemed impossible to +proceed because of rocks and underbrush. The mountain sides were +so steep in some places that we were barely able to climb them; +many of the wadies, washed by winter torrents, were next to being +impassable; and when our way led along the sides of precipitous +slopes I shuddered to think of the consequences of a misstep upon +the part of my horse. The course I had chosen through this East- +Jordan country was an unusual one (as already noted)--one over +which my dragoman had never gone, and one over which, he said, not +one in a thousand tourists to Palestine ever asked to go,--a +statement corroborated by the United States Consul at Jerusalem, +who has written extensively on the trans-Jordanic highlands. This +statement was not very encouraging to me, but I had set my heart +on reaching the Jordan by this route, so simply said, "Lead on." +Several times I feared I had made a serious mistake, but having +come thus far I could not go back. After we had passed through the +old cemetery our ascent was gradual until we reached the modern +village of Suf, three miles northwest of Gerasa. Here we see "two +women grinding at the mill." The mill consists of two circular +stones about fourteen inches in diameter, the one stone rests upon +the other, and the grain to be crushed between them is supplied by +one of the women while the other turns the upper stone round and +round, thus grinding the meal for the uninviting bread of their +less inviting floor-table. + +This place has been suggested by Major Condor as the probable site +of Mizpah in Gilead. A group of fine stone monuments, in ruins, is +yet to be seen here. If this be the location of Mizpah then here +is the place where Jacob and Laban made their covenant of lasting +peace, and erected the "heap of witness" (Gen. 31:44-52), saying, +"The Lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from +another." Then they parted, Laban going back to Mesopotamia and +Jacob pressing on with anxious heart toward the near Jabbok and +the farther lands of his estranged brother Esau. + +Inspired by the covenant at Mizpah, and with a desire to help +others to establish covenants of peace, and to accept with +cheerful resignation enforced separation from loved ones, a recent +writer, Julia A. Baker, has written beautifully the following poem +entitled "Mizpah": + + Go thou thy way and I go mine; + Apart, yet ever near; + Only a veil hangs thin between + The pathways where we are; + And "God keep watch 'tween thee and me," + This is my prayer; + He looks thy way, he looketh mine, + And keeps us near. + + I know not where thy road may lie, + Or which way mine may be; + If mine will lead through parching sands, + And thine beside the sea; + Yet "God keeps watch 'tween thee and me," + So, never fear. + He holds thy hand, he claspeth mine, + And keeps us near. + + Should wealth and fame perchance be thine, + And my lot lowly be, + Or thou be sad or sorrowful, + And glory be for me; + Yet "God keeps watch 'tween thee and me," + Both be his care; + One arm 'round thee and one 'round me + Will keep us near. + + I'll sigh sometimes to see thy face, + But since this cannot be, + I'll leave thee to the care of Him + Who cares for thee and me. + "I'll keep thee both beneath my wings"-- + This comfort dear-- + One wing o'er thee and one o'er me; + So we are near. + + And tho' our paths be separate, + And thy way be not mine, + Yet coming to the mercy-seat, + My soul will meet with thine; + And "God keep watch 'tween thee and me," + I'll whisper there; + He blesseth thee, he blesseth me, + And we are near. + +If this place were Mizpah, then here Jephthah lived; and here, +when he went out to fight against the Ammonites, he made the vow +to sacrifice whatsoever should come forth out of the doors of his +house to meet him on his return from the battle, if the Lord would +only give him the victory. The battle was fought, and Jephthah +triumphed. The glad news reached his home; and out from his house +rushed his daughter, his only child, with timbrels and with +dances, to meet her hero-father, not knowing the nature of his vow +made on the eve of the battle. Her presence caused the brave +warrior to tremble with horror and rend his clothes when he +remembered his vow. The daughter was dismayed--instead of a smile +of joy from her father she read her doom in his blanched and +contorted face. And somewhere on these hills round about the voice +of wailing arose for two months from many maidens because Jephthah +must fulfill his rash vow by sacrificing his only child. But he +did unto her according to his word; and annually thereafter for a +period of four days these hills resounded with the voice of +weeping--the weeping of the maidens of Mizpah over the sad fate of +Jephthah's daughter. (Judges 11.) + +Farther on we ascend a high ridge and then begin our descent into +the southern branch of the wady of Ajlun. After winding about for +some time among the rocks and brush in the dry bed of this wady we +finally halt at Ain Jenneh, a good, strong fountain issuing from +under a great rock. We are yet in the upper reaches of the wady +and near the present village of Ajlun. Here we lunch and rest an +hour. + +Some authorities identify this region as the place where was the +"wood of Ephraim." That being true, it is the place where Absalom +lost his life. Certain it is, even to-day, that to leave the +little path that we are following would mean to become hopelessly +entangled in jungles of prickly oak and other growth. Even in the +path it is with difficulty that I keep my garments from being torn +from me. + +If this be the location of the "wood of Ephraim," then here the +forces of Absalom under Amasa and the armies of David under Joab +fought in those trying days of David's exile. Only a few miles +away, at Mahanaim, David sent out his men, commanding that they +touch not the young man. Then he waited for the news of the +conflict. In the thickets of Gilead the first "battle of the +wilderness" was fought. It was a decisive engagement. Joab's +veterans of many wars were too strong for the rebel's army. +Absalom sought safety in flight, but in trying to ride hurriedly +through the wild tangle his head caught in the branches of a great +oak, and before he could extricate himself, Joab had found him and +thrust him through the heart; then Joab's ten armor-bearers +encompassed the unfortunate victim and finished the deadly work. +And then, though Absalom had reared for himself a beautiful +monument in the king's dale at Jerusalem, they took his body from +the tree and threw it into a pit near by and made a great heap of +stones over it. There was no weeping at the grave of Absalom. + +With the death of Absalom the rebellion was at an end; but David's +heart was broken. He waited at the gate of the city, more +interested in the welfare of his son than in the success of his +army. Swift runners approach! In answer to his question, "Is the +young man safe?" he hears reply that pierces his heart like a +dagger. Up to his chamber over the gate the king slowly passed +weeping and bent with grief, and as he went he said, "O my son +Absalom! my son, my son Absalom! Would God I had died for thee, O +Absalom, my son, my son!" + +A poet's conception of David's great grief on hearing of the death +of his son is portrayed in the following lines of N. P. Willis: + + Alas! my noble boy! that thou shouldst die! + Thou, who wert made so beautifully fair! + That Death should settle in thy glorious eye, + And leave his stillness in thy clustering hair! + How could he mark thee for the silent tomb? + My proud boy, Absalom! + + Cold is thy brow, my son! and I am chill, + As to my bosom I have tried to press thee + How was I wont to feel my pulses thrill, + + Like a rich harp-string, yearning to caress thee, + And hear thy sweet "MY FATHER!" from these dumb + And cold lips, Absalom! + + But death is on thee. I shall hear the gush + Of music, and the voices of the young; + And life will pass me in the mantling blush, + And the dark tresses to the soft winds flung; + But thou no more, with thy sweet voice, shalt come + To meet me, Absalom! + + And oh! when I am stricken, and my heart, + Like a bruised reed, is waiting to be broken. + How will its love for thee, as I depart, + Yearn for thine ear to drink its last deep token! + It were so sweet, amid death's gathering gloom, + To see thee, Absalom! + + And now, farewell! 'Tis hard to give thee up + With death so like a gentle slumber on thee-- + And thy dark sin! Oh! I could drink the cup, + If from this woe its bitterness had won thee. + May God have called thee, like a wanderer, home, + My lost boy, Absalom! + +But this fountain! What birds and beasts here drank undisturbed +before man came to assert his lordship! What multitudes of people +here have drunk from the days before Israel down to the present +time--the hunter, the tiller of the soil, the grape-gatherer, the +shepherd with his flocks, the warrior and his chief,--all rejoiced +and rested here, and were refreshed and strengthened by the water. + +Almost with reverence we drink again; then we remount our horses +and proceed along the wady past the village of Ajlun where an Arab +joins us and guides us on over fertile patches of ground and +through olive groves until we reach the modern town of Coefrinje, +a town that probably contains several thousand inhabitants. It is +in the midst of an olive grove well up on the side of the +mountains. Here, although it is scarcely past the middle of the +afternoon, we stop for the night. It is too far to the next +village to risk going ahead--the way is none too safe, even by +day. + +Several times to-day I could clearly distinguish the remains of +old Roman roads, well paved, and with curbing arrangement +excellently preserved. What vast sums of money and what great +amount of labor must have been expended on these old high-ways of +the time when this territory was occupied by the Romans! And where +Rome walked she left her path well made, and she left the impress +of her thought in rock-paved road, or in the lasting marble of +her pillared temples and carven tombs. + + + + + +"By the Watch-Tower" + +CHAPTER VI. + + +Soon after entering the village of Coefrinje my dragoman had the +rare good fortune to find a former acquaintance, but whom he did +not know to be in those mountains. His name was Elias Mitry, who, +with his wife, had come up from Jerusalem to do missionary work +under the auspices of the Church of England. Although he was a +native of Palestine and talked very poor English, yet he offered +us a welcome to his humble home than which no more royal was +accorded us anywhere. The meeting with my dragoman was an +exhibition of genuine joy, and he seemed equally pleased to have +me in his home; especially did he consider it an honor to be my +host when my dragoman told him that he was escorting a "school- +master" through the land. In that land it seems that the teacher +is almost reverenced because of his profession, while, it may be +said by way of contrast, in some sections of my home land he is +scarcely respected because of his profession. Indeed, I was +treated as a guest of honor; the best that the home afforded was +at my service. Stuffed cucumbers, figs, olives, pomegranates, and +what, for want of a better name, I call "congealed grape-juice," +--all these were placed before me when in the early evening they +aided my guide in serving supper. + +We spent little over four hours in the saddle to-day, so I am not +wearied, and I can give interested attention to the surroundings. +And there is much to interest me here. For, while the name +"Coefrinje" is not mentioned in the Bible, nor is its site +definitely identified with the location of any biblical city, yet +there is much of Bible story centered at points within five miles +of this town. + +Just across the narrow valley, only a few hundred yards distant, +is the height, Kulat er Rubad. It is crowned with the ruins of an +old castle-fortress called (together with the peak on which it +stands) the "watch-tower of Gilead." The view from the dismantled +ramparts is not excelled in this part of the world. It, indeed, +rivals the view from the celebrated peak south of the Jabbok, +Jebel Osha. Dr. Thomson says, "In reality this prospect includes +more points of biblical and historical interest than any other on +the face of the earth." And Dr. Merrill, after enumerating many of +the famous characters of history that moved under the gaze of this +mount of out-look, adds, "The view is more than a picture. It is a +panorama of great variety, beauty, and significance." To me it is +wonderfully impressive. + +As the evening wore on I first gave attention to the large olive- +press close to the mission-house. The press was simple in +construction, consisting of a large bowl-shaped rock from the +center of whose depression rose an upright post of wood; to this +post was fastened a long nearly-horizontal beam, not unlike what +might be seen in the old-time cider-mill or cane-mill; slipped +onto this beam by means of a large hole in its center was a large +stone shaped like a grind-stone; this rock, pushed well up to the +post, rested in the bowl of the other rock. When the natives +pushed or pulled the beam around in tread-mill fashion the +circular stone turned on the beam, and at the same time moved +round and round in the hollow of the other rock. Thus the olives +placed in the bowl-shaped rock were thoroughly crushed and the oil +was caught in vessels. + +Then I watch the shepherds leading their large flocks of sheep and +goats in from the mountain pastures to their folds for the night. +All day these faithful guardians have been with their flocks +seeking good pasture and water for them,--no easy task in the fall +of the year near the end of the dry season. They have guarded the +sheep from the danger of beast, or precipice, or pit; have +released those caught in the under-brush; have ministered to the +needs of the sick; and now as night approaches they come leading-- +not driving--their flocks in quiet movement from out the mountain- +paths to the sheltering fold in the village for the night, again +to lead them forth on to-morrow, and to do likewise day after day. +To see the tender solicitude of the Oriental shepherd for his +sheep adds much to one's appreciation of the beauty and fitness of +the teaching of the Master in his parable of the Good Shepherd. + +But it is near the sunset hour of my only evening in these sacred +mountains. I seek a vantage-ground and watch the King of Day sink +slowly down to his couch of rest behind the western mountains and +the farther sea. Oh, how beautiful! The sky is ablaze with a glory +indescribable by mortal tongue. All space seems vocal with praise +to the God of love and beauty. + +In the strange and peaceful quiet of that evening I felt the +presence of a mysterious, subtle influence stirring within me. In +the shower of gold flung out as a good-night to me, and as the +star of evening smiled down upon me in the purpling twilight and +began calling her myriads of companions to their sentry-posts to +keep watch over me through the hours of the night in that strange +land, I felt, I think, the spirit of the poetry, + + "Sunset and evening star, + And one clear call for me," etc., + +in its fullness. Indeed, the air seemed vibrant with a living +personality, which, without undue stretching of the imagination, I +recognized as the SPIRIT OF HISTORY come to tell me the wonderful +story of those wonderful mountains. Enraptured I listened. + +SAID THE SPIRIT: "Long before Gad was attracted by these heights +and valleys, tribes of people lived here in their simplicity, yet +in sin. The land seemed not different from other lands. Here were +towering wooded mountain, rocky ravine, and strong-flowing +fountain; here the beast prowled among the rocks, the bird nested +in the trees, and the sweet-scented flowers graced all the +landscape. The storms beat upon the mountains and the waters +rushed in madness to the valley in the rainy season, and the sun +scorched the vegetation and dried up the fountains in the dry +season. Thus in monotony centuries passed. + +"But one day the God of heaven sent messengers to encamp here, and +from that time these mountains on which you now stand have been +considered sacred--because pressed by the feet of angels. Yonder +to the northeast, only a little way, is where that event took +place. Jacob, rich in herds and flocks, was on his way home from +far-off Euphrates, but he was much troubled at the thought of +meeting his brother who had sought to take his life about twenty +years previously. He was picking his way slowly over these +mountains leading his company and cattle when there appeared in +his way a host of angels. He was not frightened, but in gladness +of heart he cried out, 'Mahanaim,'--God's host. And although the +wise people of your day are not quite sure as to the exact +location of this meeting, yet be happy in the thought that you are +now only a few miles from the sacred spot, if, indeed, you are not +just where it occurred. Had you then stood here you could have +seen the glorious light of their presence, and could almost have +heard the rustle of their heaven-plumed pinions. + +"After this meeting Jacob wandered a little farther to the south, +and just over yonder, on the Jabbok, he spent a whole night in +prayer and in wrestling with the Angel Jehovah, thinking it was a +mere man. There he gained a great victory over self, and he +received the new name, 'Israel.' And on the next day, a little +farther to the south, he met his erst-while angry and murderous +brother in peace and happy reconciliation. + +"A few centuries pass. Then the mighty Moses conquers all this +region; and a little later these Ajlun Mountains were given to the +tribe of Gad as a permanent home. But, in the course of time, the +native tribes prove troublesome; and then the great Gideon, having +gained a decisive victory down in the valley, followed the fleeing +enemy, 'faint, yet pursuing,' right through this very district. +"Later the Ammonites were punished in a great battle by Israel's +'out-cast,' and mighty warrior, Jephthah. + +"But look again at Mahanaim where Jacob met the angels. The place +in later centuries became a center of other events of interest. +There, after the death of Saul, Ish-bosheth established his +capital, and forth from its gates he sent his armies under Abner +to fight that he might secure the scepter of all Israel to +himself. But after two years of struggle he was treacherously +slain and his cause was hopelessly lost. There, too, David sought +refuge from Absalom; and out from those same gates through which +Ish-bosheth had sent armies against him, David sent armies against +his own son. And there above one of the gates of Mahanaim the +voice of his weeping arose when he heard the news of the death of +his strange misguided boy. + +"Time passed on and the Israelites turned from the God of heaven +to worship at the shrines of other gods. Then, to punish them for +their sin God sent a strange invader into these mountains who +carried away the people by thousands into cruel captivity in a +land far toward the sun-rising. + +"Later the Romans came and planted olive trees and built fine +cities and established enduring roads. But Rome is fallen, and +where she moved in power and splendor ruin only remains, and the +unambitious, ignorant Bedouin feeds his flock and lives in +idleness amidst broken down terraces and thorn-covered fertile +soil. Desolate! Yes, dark is the picture. But, what of the night? +Take your place again on the 'watch-tower of Gilead' and scan well +the horizon. Yes, it is well; the morning cometh!" + +Having given myself up to reverie and to communing with the SPIRIT +OF HISTORY, as it were, I was for a time forgetful of my +surroundings. The twilight had deepened when I again turned my +thoughts to the village and its people. I look up at some of the +houses near me and see a number of the natives in their dark robes +standing like statues on the flat roofs of their homes, yet +watching every movement of the stranger that has so unexpectedly +appeared in their midst. I do not fear them, but somehow a feeling +of unrest steals over me; they seem like shades of departed +Israelites back again from their long sleep. In the gathering +gloom I pass quickly into the mission-house near by. + +This proves to be an evening full of interest to me. I learn that +a mission-service is soon to begin, and that a number of the +villagers will be here for the service. I am impressed with the +quiet (save for the barking of dogs) that prevails in these Arab +villages. I see no drunkenness, and there is no boisterous +rudeness of other sort. + +In a little while a score or more of men come quietly to the +mission-house, remove their sandals, pass into the room, and seat +themselves on the earthen floor against the walls. Mrs. Mitry +beckons to me to come to the door; she wanted me to see that row +of forty sandals. She said in her broken way that it was +interesting to her, and she thought it would interest me. + +It is only a little while until Mr. Mitry enters and takes his +place at a small table in the center of the room. A half hour or +more is spent in smoking cigarettes--almost every native smokes. +Here it seems that the habit is in no sense considered a vice. +Indeed, the missionary himself, not only smokes, but assists in +making cigarettes for the others. They smoke and smoke until the +room is so darkened that we see each other but dimly through the +haze. I am surprised that I can endure it. The tobacco must be +different from that used in America, for ordinarily a single +cigarette is more offensive to me than was the smoke of nearly +fifty on that evening--for some of the men smoked two or three +apiece in that close room. + +After the smoking was over black coffee was served in small cups +holding about one-fourth as much as the average teacup. They sip +this slowly and talk. I note that frequently they are saying +something about "hawadje," and then they fix their eyes upon me. +My dragoman tells me that he has been explaining our hard trip to +Gerasa, that they were skeptical about it, but that he has +convinced them of its verity. + +But now it is time for the service. Mr. Mitry opens his Bible and +reads in Arabic the story of Moses' invitation to Hobab. Then he +expounds the Scripture for some time while the men listen with +rapt attention. There are some questions and answers. I understand +only a word now and then, but it is a picture of more than +ordinary interest to me to look upon the expectant, and then the +satisfied faces of these natives. + +When the lesson was over a request came from the men for me to +speak to them. Through my dragoman as interpreter I spoke a little +while on the theme of the evening, which meant much to me there +where the migration of Moses was in a measure felt by the early +inhabitants. They listened attentively, and when I had finished +they told my guide to say to "hawadje" that they wanted him to +stay and make his home with them. Then, the meeting over, they +moved out into the darkness with graceful "salaams," and with the +promise of one of their number to accompany us on the morrow. They +said we must not go on alone. + +The service-room is now to be my bed-room. A pallet is brought to +me, and on it I am soon trying to sleep. But the beautiful sun- +set, the vision of the past of this region, the mission-service, +the stillness of the night--so still that the very silence seems +audible--keep me awake for some time. I am lying by the "watch- +tower of Gilead." I seem to see the Spirit of Prophecy standing on +its broken battlements, wrapped in the shadows of the night, +looking hopefully toward the place of sun-rising. I call to him, +"Watchman, what of the night?" In sweet tones of assurance comes +the answer, "The morning cometh! The story of the Christ will yet +transform the darkness that rests here into the brightness of +noonday." Then a sweet peace seemed wafted into my soul from out +the unseen somewhere,--but certainly from Him who "giveth his +beloved sleep." + + + + + +"Down to the Jordan" + +CHAPTER VII. + + +It was early on the following morning when our horses were led +around to the door of the mission-house, but notwithstanding the +early hour a dozen or more of the natives were standing in line to +receive medical attention from the missionary. A few were there +who seemed to have come to witness our departure. Our guide, +promised the night before, was on hand, mounted, ready to lead the +way over what proved to be by far the roughest part of my trip. +For that day my party consisted of four persons. Our new leader, +whose name I did not learn, was a man of about fifty years, and +was a genuine Arab in appearance and dress. But he wore nothing on +his feet--not even sandals. I felt better satisfied, knowing that +he would lead the way on that day, for my dragoman was not +familiar with that part of Gilead. However, when toward the middle +of the afternoon we descended into the Jordan Valley, he was quite +at home again. + +Single file we proceed from Coefrinje along a narrow path with the +bushes and briars brushing the sides of our horses and wetting us +with dew. It is not long until we begin to ascend a high ridge. +Here there are no paths whatever, and at times our horses can +scarcely move on because of the steepness of the ascent. But a few +minutes before nine o'clock, after a toilsome struggle, we reach +the summit of the ridge, and here I get my first panoramic view of +the west-Jordan country. It is entrancingly beautiful. + +When we had reined up our horses I said to my dragoman, "Tell our +attendants to be still until I have finished speaking; I want to +explain the scene before us." And then while he listened, and +looked as I directed, I said: "That towering height far to the +north is Mount Hermon; the sheet of water some miles on this side +is the Sea of Galilee; to the west of the Sea of Galilee is +Hattin, the Mount of Beatitudes; that white spot southwest of +Hattin is Nazareth; that great plain south of Nazareth is +Esdraelon, the 'battle-field of Palestine'; these rounded +mountains here in the eastern part of the Valley of Esdraelon are +Tabor, Little Hermon, and Gilboa;--on the north is Tabor, at whose +base Napoleon fought; the next is Little Hermon, where lived the +witch of Endor; and the one south of Little Hermon is Gilboa, +where Saul and his sons were slain; that range of mountains +forming the southern wall of Esdraelon is Carmel, where Elijah +held his trial with the priests of Baal; here below us, winding in +its serpentine course, is the Jordan in its great trough or Ghor; +in the center of the picture are the mountains of Samaria, with +Ebal and Gerizim; to the south are the mountains of Judea, where +lies Jerusalem; and that broad expanse of water beyond all these +is the Mediterranean, the 'great sea toward the going down of the +sun.'" + +Then I waited for his criticism. He said, "You are right in every +point, but how did you know?" I said, "It is just like the +Palestine of my childhood's fancy that I located in the field back +of the barn on my father's little farm in western Pennsylvania, +and with that picture I have been familiar from the days of my +early youth." It is impossible for me to express what were my +feelings at this supreme moment of my life, as I viewed for the +first time what is distinctively known as the land of Patriarch, +Prophet, Priest, and King--the land of my Redeemer's earthly +pilgrimage--the world's best Holy Land! After some time spent in +viewing that almost matchless scene, and in gathering mountain +lilies, we began our descent into the most remarkable depression +in the world--the great Ghor of the Jordan. The next few hours +afforded little of pleasure. Careful attention had to be given to +our horses as we wound about among the rocks. The horses of both +my dragoman and muleteer fell on this trip, but without serious +results to either horses or riders. It was quite wearying to +proceed thus, so when we finally reached a large sloping rock +under which was a kind of stagnant pool--the only water we had +seen since leaving Coefrinje--I was glad to know that there we +would lunch, even though I could not drink of the water. + +This rocky wady is like a prison-house to me. But while eating I +hear sweet strains of music somewhere on the mountains--it is from +a shepherd's pipe. Scanning the heights I see far above me +shepherds with their flocks of sheep and goats, and the music that +I hear is from their reed-harps which they play as they lead the +way over rugged mountain paths to find greener pastures and better +waters. + +We tarry here only a little while. Not long after lunch we pass a +grotto of small size in the hill-side. Evidently the carven ruins +are the remains of an ancient temple that stood here in the days +when a pagan people held possession of the land; and I feel sure +that a fountain must exist here a good part of the year, though +now it is dry. + +A little farther on is Jabesh-gilead. The story of Jabesh-gilead +is a touching one. The people of the city were besieged by the +Ammonites under their king, Nahash. The men of the city were +willing to make a covenant to serve the Ammonites. But Nahash told +them that the only condition on which he would make a covenant +with them would be to thrust out all their right eyes and lay it +as a reproach upon Israel. The elders of Jabesh asked a respite of +seven days in which to get help, which request was granted. The +situation was critical in the extreme. Messengers left the +besieged city and hurried to the new king of Israel. Saul heard +the story of their distresses. Immediately he gathered an army of +three hundred and thirty thousand men, and, marching rapidly up +the Jordan Valley, crossed the river and attacked the Ammonites +and completely routed them with great slaughter. And thus he saved +the city. + +The men of Jabesh-gilead never forgot Saul and his kindness to +them. Forty years later the disastrous battle of Gilboa was +fought. In this battle both Saul and Jonathan were slain. The next +day when the Philistines searched for spoils among the dead they +found Saul and his three sons, and they cut off his head to carry +it as a trophy to Philistia; but they took the headless trunks of +the king and his sons to Beth-shan and fastened them against its +walls as a terrible warning to the Israelites. But, "when the +inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard of that which the Philistines +had done to Saul, all the valiant men arose and went all night and +took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of +Bethshan and came to Jabesh and burnt them there. And they took +their bones and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted +seven days." (II. Samuel 31:11-13.) + +Off to the left a little way I see Tabakat Fahil, identified as +Pella, the place to which the Christians of Jerusalem fled just +before the siege of Titus in obedience to the prophetic warning of +Christ. + +It is two o'clock when we reach the Jordan Valley, at a point a +little south of Beth-shan, which is on the west side of the river. +We now turn northward and pursue our way steadily near the +mountains until after five o'clock; then we turn toward the river, +which we reach at sun-down. + +The Jordan Valley is covered with a growth of thorn said to be +like that used in the crowning of Christ at the time of his mock- +trial. We eat of a delicious yellow berry now ripening on these +thorns. We pass two or three small villages, the names of which I +could not learn. We cross a number of small streams this +afternoon, the largest of which is the Tayibeh. All of these +streams are thickly lined with reeds and pink oleander; so thick +is this growth in some places that the streams are completely +hidden. Our Arab guide springs down into each of these water- +brooks and hands drink to us, but he drinks, I think, after the +manner of the drinking of "Gideon's three hundred," in the time of +their being tested; that is, by a quick movement of the hand +throwing water into his mouth. + +Pushing rapidly across the open valley we startle gazelles from +their hiding-places among the reeds. Then, near the river, we pass +several encampments of Bedouins whose tents are black as those of +Kedar. At last, after being in the saddle all of ten hours, just +at sun-set, we reach the Jordan at the bridge of Jisr el Mejamia, +six miles south of the Sea of Galilee. Just across on the other +side of the river we shall tarry through the night. + +The way has been long and trying. I am very weary. But, now, just +before me the Jordan--sacred stream! And then, on the other side, +rest! Happy, soul-cheering thought! + + + + + +"At the Bridge" + +CHAPTER VIII. + + +The bridge of Jisr el Mejamia was at the time of my visit the only +available one for travel between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead +Sea. It is a stone bridge and was built by the Romans nearly, or +quite, two thousand years ago. It could scarcely be crossed by +carriages at present as the ascent to the highest point is by a +kind of step arrangement. It even seemed a wise precaution for us +not to attempt to ride over on horse-back--the stones were very +smooth and slippery. The present name of the structure means +"bridge of the messengers," and it was so named because here +messengers from various points in the land used to meet to +exchange messages. + +I am glad to reach this place, for again I am very tired. The +distance traveled to-day is said to be fifty miles. But when we +arrive here the road and bridge are crowded with sheep and goats +being brought in from the valley for safety in the night. My first +sight of the Jordan, which at this place is clear and sparkling, +does not particularly impress me. I long for rest, and so we do +not tarry, but pass directly into the village lying just at the +west end of the bridge. + +Oh, the wretchedness of this place! I wonder what kind of +entertainment I can find here. There is little choice as to a +place of lodging. The best and only accommodation that the +miserable village affords is what was formerly used by robbers as +a prison-house for their victims, but which is now used as a kind +of store-room. There is but one room, and its earthen floor is +littered over with filth of almost every description, while dust +and cob-webs everywhere abound. This is the RECEPTION-ROOM for our +party of four. + +While my dragoman busied himself in getting supper, I sat on a box +making notes of what I had seen and experienced that day. Just +then the place served as KITCHEN and WRITING-ROOM. I wrote +rapidly, and as I wrote the thought that somewhere that day I had +crossed the path of the Master in his Perean ministry thrilled me. +I said, "Mr. Barakat, I am going down to the Jordan for a while +after supper." He replied, "All right, and I'll go with you'." +"No," said I, "I want to be alone down at the bridge." He simply +said, "I'll go with you." + +Our supper was a light affair, but our host brought a platter of +something that looked like dark beeswax, but which proved to be a +palatable food called "halawa." We ate from the floor of this +room, which then became our DINING-ROOM. + +After supper I was ready to go down to the river, not more than a +hundred yards from our lodging-place. When we started, our host +stepped to a corner of the room, picked up a gun, and prepared to +go with us. I told my dragoman to tell him not to go with us. The +reply was, "He will go with us." "Well," I said, "if he must go +make him put down that gun; it will spoil my evening of quiet +thought at the sacred river." The answer was: "Make no further +objection. Have you not noticed that everybody here carries a gun? +He knows what he is doing. This is the most disreputable place +along the river. Those Bedouins of the black tents that we passed +over yonder would want no better opportunity than to find you, who +are expected to have money, alone at the bridge." I accepted the +situation, and said, "All right, but I shall expect you both to be +obedient to the extent of giving me a period of quiet as long as I +wish to remain." + +But, before we go to the bridge, let me tell of that night in that +miserable place of filth. At the time of retiring my host said to +me through my interpreter that I could have choice of beds--that I +could either sleep on the counter, which consisted of a couple of +boards laid carelessly across boxes, or that I could sleep behind +the counter on the floor! After looking at the boards, and +thinking what would likely be the result should I attempt to sleep +there, I made choice of the floor. The room then became my +BEDROOM. + +Oh, that night! I did not sleep a half-hour. The place seemed +alive with vermin. My host slept on the counter. He did not seem +to be annoyed in the least. True, he scratched, but he snored an +accompaniment to his scratching throughout the night. I could only +scratch and listen to him; there was no snoring for me. After that +night it required frequent bathing and much searching for a week +or ten days before I felt free from the awful pests of that filthy +den. Thus it was that my first crossing of the Jordan did not +bring me to a "land of rest," but to an experience akin to +distraction. + +But now to the bridge. We pass quietly among the curious gazers +down to the river. Just south of the bridge I go down to the +river's edge and bathe my hands, face, and feet in water that only +a few hours ago was in the lake where the waves were once stilled +by His quiet command of power--"Peace, be still," and where He at +another time walked amidst the billows to meet his own; in water +that will hurry on down the valley to the place where He was +baptized; and then it will pass on into oblivion in the Salt Sea +of Death. Then I try, with surprising success, to drink of the +water like our Arab guide drank to-day. Then we walk to the +bridge, at the approach of which I ask my men to tarry while I go +out on it alone to meditate. + +I have reached this place by the expenditure of much physical +energy. I am very weary over my hard day in the saddle. But when I +seat myself on the highest point of the bridge, and give myself up +to reverie, I feel the flood of sentiment and rejoice. The moon is +about one-half hour above the mountains of Gilead; a halo seems to +gild the heights to the east and to the west. I am just above the +Jordan; its rippling waters tell me of Abraham, of Jacob, of +Joshua, of Saul, of David, of Elijah, of Elisha, of Naaman, of +John the Baptist, and of Jesus of Nazareth. How sweet and musical +is the story! How impressive its truths as I hear it to-night? +Then I watch the play of the moon-light on the water,--the +glittering sheen on the smooth surface above the bridge, and the +flashes of light on the rapids below. It is all so beautiful! + +And this is the Jordan! For many years I have heard of it; I have +read of it; I have sung of it. It has been to me for many years a +type of death. Again I look upon the calm blue depths on the +north, and then again on the rapids below--I see the peace here, +and hear the rush there. Then I turn my eyes again to the +mountains, and upward to the moon, and past the moon to the stars +--and by faith beyond the stars to search for Him of this land, +because of whose earth-life I am here, and upon whom I rely for +support in the hour of my approach to the shore of that river of +which this is the type. + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's My Three Days In Gilead, by Elmer U. 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Hart +and may be reprinted only when these Etexts are free of all fees.] +[Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be used in any sales +of Project Gutenberg Etexts or other materials be they hardware or +software or any other related product without express permission.] + +*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.10/04/01*END* + + + + + + +Produced by Robert Rowe, Charles Franks +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + + + +My Three Days in Gilead + + + + + + I love to breathe where Gilead sheds her balm; + I love to walk on Jordan's banks of palm; + I love to wet my foot in Herman's dews; + I love the promptings of Isaiah's muse; + In Carmel's holy grots I'll court repose, + And deck my mossy couch with Sharon's deathless rose. + --J. PIERPONT. + + + + + +MY THREE DAYS IN GILEAD + +By Elmer U. Hoenshel, D. D., + +Principal of Shenandoah Collegiate Institute and School of Music + + + + + +In profound gratitude, this little volume is dedicated to the +memory of William Barakat of Jerusalem. + +My faithful, careful dragoman, who in manhood's prime, yet not +many months before his death, guided me in safety, not only during +my trying "Three Days in Gilead," but also throughout an extended +tour otherwhere in his native land--the Holy Land of my faith. + +THE AUTHOR + + + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +At last, after waiting twenty leaden-winged years from the time in +which a fixed purpose was formed in me to visit the Orient, the +realization came. The year that saw the fulfillment of my +cherished ambition was definitely determined upon eight summers +before it took its place in the calendar of history. Fortune +smiled upon my plan. I was ready. My joy was akin to ecstasy. + +Imagine my disappointment when, in the month of May of my chosen +year, 1900, I learned that no agency would organize a tourist +party to move at a time in the summer or autumn that would suit +me! There was but one alternative--to travel independent of any +organization. This I would do. The decision to do so brought +instant and happy relief. + +At no time in my period of absence of five months did I meet a +single former acquaintance. I planned every move, and held myself +in every way responsible for results. The experience I thus gained +in the many countries visited I value highly. Not infrequently I +found myself in trying situations; but all ended well. To-day, in +my inventory of life's rich and helpful experiences, though it +were possible for me to do it, I would not eliminate one of these. +It was a kind Providence that denied me the luxury of a place in a +modern "personally conducted" tourist party. + +A few articles descriptive of certain experiences have been +written by me for publication. Some themes I have presented on the +lecture platform a few hundred times. My auditors, universally, +have been kind in their criticisms. Many have been the requests +that I write a volume reciting the story of my travels. In +response I have steadily refused. Many books on travel have +appeared in recent years, possibly too many; but I have seen very +little that has been written about the trans-Jordanic highlands. +And it is not strange, for, though multitudes of tourists annually +visit Palestine, not one person out of a thousand of them ever +goes east of the Jordan. And is it worth while? We shall see. + +On my trip I tried to identify no biblical site; I tried to locate +no city of antiquity; I dug into no mound; I disturbed no ruin. +All this I left to the geographer, the historian, and the +archaeologist who had preceded me, or who should come after me. +True, with the help of my Bible, map, guide-book, and guide, I +formed opinions, and was happy in the fitness of some of them; +but, in the main, I was content to rest in the conclusions reached +by those who had studied scientifically and reverently every hill +and valley and ruin in this neglected region. + +But my observation and experience no other has had. I know of no +other who mapped out or traveled the route chosen by me. I sought +and expected much; I found and experienced more. And though eight +years have passed since my journeyings in Gilead, yet so fresh is +the memory of those days that I need make but slight reference, as +I write, to the notes that were then written. Often, in recent +years, I have found myself lingering in thought on some high ridge +looking out over an extended panorama filled with sacred +associations, or silently gazing up into the strangely impressive +Oriental sky by night. Even as I write I seem to catch again a +perfume-laden breeze, bearing repose to my weary soul. And if the +memory of this land seen in its desolation is so refreshing to a +foreigner, what must not the possession of the real in the days of +its fatness have been to the weary, battle-scarred Israelites who +secured permission to abide here! + +So, in response to the call of my friends, and with the hope of +adding somewhat to the meager fund of information concerning a +once famous district, or, at least, to create additional interest +in the territory occupied by the tribe of Gad in the days of early +allotment, I undertake to tell the story of "My Three Days in +Gilead." + +Dayton, Virginia, February 20, 1909. + + + + + +Contents + + +Chapter I. "Waiting at Damascus" +Chapter II. "Through Bashan" +Chapter III. "Among Bedouins" +Chapter IV. "At Gerasa" +Chapter V. "Up Into the Mountains" +Chapter VI. "By the Watch-Tower" +Chapter VII. "Down to the Jordan" +Chapter VIII. "At the Bridge" + + + + + +"Waiting at Damascus" + +CHAPTER I. + + +Damascus! A city that numbers the years of its existence in +millenniums; that witnessed in the dawn of history the migration +of Abraham as he went out from Ur to a land not known to him, and +to whom she gave one of the best of her sons; that sent out the +leper, Naaman, to Palestine for healing and received him back +whole; that hailed with great preparations the coming of Elisha, +who had previously blinded her army at Dothan; that welcomed Saul +of Tarsus in his blindness, restored his sight, and sent him, +transformed in his life, to transform Asia Minor and classic +Europe. Damascus! A city surviving an age-long struggle with the +encroaching desert--a struggle that must go on through ages to +come; but, as long as the Abana and Pharpar continue to flow, the +sands that would bury her forever in oblivion will be changed into +a soil of life-giving and life-sustaining fertility sufficient to +support her thousands of inhabitants. Damascus! A city of the long +ago, practically unchanged, where the Occidental may look to-day +with unfeigned interest upon architecture, costumes, and customs +similar to those that prevailed in the East while Greece and Rome +were yet young. Damascus! A city celebrated for a thousand years +for its bazaars, work-shops, and roses; a city so beautiful +thirteen hundred years ago that Mohammed, viewing it for the first +time from a distance, is said to have exclaimed: "Man can have but +one paradise. My paradise is heaven; I cannot enter yonder city!" +a city to-day of unsurpassed beauty, when viewed from the +distance, with its white domes and slender minarets rising above +the shrubbery and trees of its thirty thousand gardens. Here in +this old city; in this historic city; in this beautiful city; in +Damascus, I greet you and extend to you an invitation to join me +in my proposed trip through Gilead. + +My party as yet consists of but two persons. My dragoman, William +Barakat, of Jerusalem, in response to a telegram sent from +Constantinople, met me several days ago at Beyrout. He is a native +Syrian, talks good English, dresses like an American, (save that +he wears a red fez,) and is a Christian in faith. Before reaching +this city he has already rendered me excellent service. He is +intelligent, having attended the American College at Beyrout. I +can trust him. + +My arrangements with my guide are simple. He is to take me over my +desired route by best possible methods of travel; to furnish the +best of fare and lodging obtainable; to guarantee me a safe +escort; and he is to do all this within a specified time and for a +stipulated price. I did not then know how little I was asking as +to fare and lodging, but when I knew that he was fulfilling his +part of the agreement I had little cause for just complaint. + +By early dawn, on October thirtieth, we had breakfasted and had +bidden good-by to all the servants about the hotel, (many of whom +I did not know to exist, but who, somehow, had learned of me, and +had risen thus early to witness my departure and to ask a fee for +services that I am quite sure some of them had had no part in +rendering,) and had ordered the driver to lose no time in reaching +the station of the Damascus-Hauran Railroad, about two miles +distant. But, notwithstanding the early hour, the streets were +already crowded with people, mules, donkeys, dogs, and other +things. It was only with great effort that we could make any +headway, and at times it seemed that the crowd, angered at our +persistence, would stop us entirely in our struggle to pass +through. We did the best we could, but we missed the train. Since +there were ONLY THREE TRAINS A WEEK on that road, it meant that I +must go back to that same hotel and spend two more days in +Damascus at the rate of ten dollars a day, and then, again, on +leaving, must fee those same servants for service that I did not +want, and, generally speaking, did not get. But, though the +disappointment was great, it brought additional opportunity to +study the wonders and ways of the wonderful city wherein I was +forced to remain. + +A second time my dragoman prepares food for our journey; and +again, on the morning of November first, we hurry to the station. +This time we do not miss the train--we wait for it--and we wait a +long time; but with the waiting there is contentment, for, if the +train move south, I, too, am sure of going. + + + + + +"Through Bashan" + +CHAPTER II. + + +At the time of this writing there is a railroad extending from +Damascus to Mecca, but at the time of my visit the terminus was at +Mezarib, a small town about fifty miles south of Damascus, near +the northern boundary-line of Gilead. It was in my plan to travel +that distance by rail; hence my presence at the city railroad +station. + +The ride to Mezarib, through Bashan, especially that part of it +now known as the Hauran, is one of more than ordinary interest. +For the first twenty-five miles the land is literally covered with +black basaltic rocks, as is also part of the remaining distance. +How it is cultivated I can scarcely understand, for I am sure that +the American horse could not be made to serve well here. But I was +told that the natives do cultivate it, and that they raise +excellent crops of grain. When I looked upon them at work with +their crude wooden plows and brush harrows, and then heard that +they raise excellent crops of grain, I was satisfied that the land +must be very fertile; and I was reminded of a certain humorist's +remark about the fertility of some land in Kansas, of which he +said, "All you need to do is to tickle the ground with a hoe, and +it will laugh with a big harvest." Farther on the rocks almost +entirely disappear, and there is spread out a beautiful valley, +extending far to the south, whose fertility and pasturage +attracted the Israelites on their march to Canaan, and which, ever +since, has caused the name "Bashan" to be a synonym for "plenty." +And, because of its abundant production of grain, which finds a +ready market in Damascus, it has been aptly called the "granary of +Damascus." + +The manner in which this grain is put on the market is quite novel +to me. I see hundreds of camels loaded with large sacks of grain +moving with slow, swinging tread toward Damascus, or returning +unloaded to the desert. The camels proceed in single file, usually +ten or more in a train, and each is led by means of a rope +fastened to the animal next in front--the rope of the foremost of +all being fastened to the saddle of a donkey, on which the owner, +or driver, usually rides. Many grindstones also are shipped from +this country, one large stone constituting a load for a camel. +This land is, also a great grazing region, and for more than three +thousand years Bashan has been celebrated for its fine breed of +cattle. + +Some distance south of Damascus I cross the headwaters of the +Pharpar River, whose clear, sparkling water Naaman considered much +more suitable for a general's bath than the muddy water of the +Jordan. At my place of crossing an athlete could clear the stream +at a single bound. + +The distant scenery deserves more than a passing notice, though +but little more can be given here. Off to the west, in plain view, +is Mount Hermon, whose towering, snow-capped summit in all +probability looked upon the transfigured person of the Son of Man. +To the east is the Lejah, in, or near which is Edrei, where Og, +the giant king of Bashan, was slain in the attempt to hold his +realm against the home-seeking Israelites under the leadership of +Moses. South of the Lejah are the Hauran Mountains, now occupied +by the Druses, a people of a peculiar religious faith--a faith +which is a mixture of Mohammedan, Christian, and Zoroastrian +elements. One of their beliefs is that the number of souls in +existence never varies. "Accordingly, all the souls now in life +have lived in some human form since the creation, and will +continue to live till the final destruction of the world." To them +prayer is thought to be an unwarrantable interference with the +Almighty. They, having colonized this mountain, are at present +causing the Turkish government much trouble. They number about +90,000, and are almost continuously at war with the neighboring +Bedouin tribes. And because of the feuds which prevail here, it is +expected, and I believe is a matter of law, that all visitors to +this region must have an escort either of soldiers or Bedouins. +Were not robbery and bloodshed so prevalent in the East-Jordan +country, its ruins and scenery would attract hundreds of tourists +where now but a few ever suffer their curiosity or interest in +Bible lands to turn them aside from the beaten paths of travel. In +my course I pass through a portion of the land of which we read in +Deut. 3:3-5, noted for its many "rock cities." I look upon the +ruins of a number of these, but have little opportunity for a +close examination. The most noted ruins that I see are at Sunamein +and at Mezarib. But those who have pressed farther east, and who +have made a careful study of the best preserved of these "rock +cities" of Bashan, tell us that everything about them is of stone- +doors, gates, windows, stairs, rafters, galleries, cupboards, +benches, and even candlesticks. So perfectly preserved are some of +these "dead cities," that of one, Salcah, Doctor Porter says that +some five hundred of the houses are still standing, and that "from +three hundred to four hundred families might settle in it at any +moment without laying a stone or expending an hour's labor on +repairs." Of Beth-gamul another traveler says in part: "The houses +were some of them very large, consisting usually of three rooms on +the ground floor, and two on the first story, the stairs being +formed of large stones built in the house walls, and leading up +outside. The doors were, as usual, of stone; sometimes folding +doors, and some of them highly ornamental. I wandered about quite +alone in the old streets of the town--entered one by one the old +houses, went up-stairs, visited the rooms, and, in short, made a +careful examination of the whole place; but so perfect was every +street, every house, every room, that I almost fancied I was in a +dream, wandering alone in this city of the dead, seeing all +perfect, yet not hearing a sound. "Much of the work in most of +these cities is on such a large scale as to indicate that the +houses were built by, and intended for a race of giants. When we +think of these fortresses of strength defended by their mighty +occupants, and remember that they were probably in existence at +the time of the exodus of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, +the victories of Moses gained here become sublime. + +We are nearing Mezarib. All forenoon has been consumed in covering +a distance of only about fifty miles. But by twelve o'clock we +have passed almost completely across the land where Og was king, +especially that part of his kingdom which, not long after being +wrested from him and his giant followers, was assigned to the +eastern half-tribe of Manasseh for a permanent possession. + +Before leaving Beyrout my dragoman telegraphed to Jerusalem for a +muleteer and three horses to be sent to this railroad terminus. +Must we be disappointed in this! We are both solicitous. My guide +is leaning far out of the car window long before the train stops +to learn, if possible, whether or not his order has been obeyed. I +watch that dark, anxious, perplexed face with much solicitude. Ah, +he smiles! The sunshine of satisfaction chases the clouds of +anxiety and doubt from his countenance, and that dark face looks +beautiful to me. He is happy, and I share in his happiness. Our +muleteer and horses are awaiting us. + + + + + +"Among Bedouins" + +CHAPTER III. + + +At twelve o'clock our train stopped. I was quickly introduced to +him who had been awaiting us, and who was now to join our party-- +"Haleel," of Jerusalem. He was dressed in typical Eastern fashion, +wearing the wide pantaloons, flowing robe, and "kufiyeh"; he was +apparently twenty-five years old, dark-skinned, and blind in one +eye; he could not speak a word of English; and he was a devout +Mohammedan. "Haleel, of Jerusalem!" Notwithstanding his fantastic +appearance, the name and place of residence seemed to me a +blending of mystery and sacredness. I did not hesitate to extend a +cordial greeting, and his smile of confused interest as I tried to +shake hands with him while he tried to give me an Oriental +salutation won me to him. It was his only intelligible language to +me, but it was sufficient to give me assurance of his friendship, +and I was beginning to feel that from that hour I should need +friends. The salutation that Haleel offered to me was a quick, +graceful movement of his hand toward my feet, next to his lips, +and then lightly to his forehead. I had seen the natives do this +in exchanging salutations, and now that it had been offered to me +I sought an interpretation. My guide explained that Haleel meant +to tell me that he felt so honored in meeting me, that he "would +take the dust from my feet, would kiss it, and then place it on +his forehead." Beautiful sentiment! Had I ever previously in my +life been so honored in meeting any one! + +The greeting over, I noticed unusual movements about the station. +Many Turkish soldiers were there. They stood about in groups +engaged in animated conversation. Upon inquiry I learned that the +feuds so common in that region were again "on," and that the +soldiers were there to quell lawlessness. As I was the only +tourist there I became an object of special interest. Some of the +men came to my dragoman, and only a few words had passed until I +knew that I was the subject of their conversation. I could +occasionally catch the word "hawadje," which means "master," and I +knew they were referring to me. Then they would look at me and +shake their heads. I was anxious to know what it all meant, but +had to be content with what my guide was pleased to tell of it. He +seemed to have gained his point, but he told me nothing except to +prepare for a hard trip, as a day's distance must be covered, if +possible, before nightfall. As we had already lost two days in +Damascus, I was not averse to trying something strenuous in order +to make up in part for that loss. I felt quite equal to the task, +(though it proved to be a severe ordeal,) when it was explained to +me that it would require a ride of more than forty miles to reach +a safe halting-place for the night. My guide had planned it; and I +was committed to the plan. + +After a hurried lunch, eaten in the tent of an Arab, I prepare +for,--I know not what. I put on my leggings and head-gear. Then I +give over my luggage, which consists of a suit-case, hand-grip, +umbrella, and alpenstock, to Haleel. I keep my overcoat, not +because the weather is cold,--it is hot,--but because I think I +may possibly need it as a kind of cushion for my saddle before the +day is over. The need was felt, and SORELY felt quite early in the +afternoon; but most of the time we rode too rapidly for my +overcoat to supply the need,--it just would not stay where I had +hoped it might serve me well. So it happened that I was destined +to experience on that ride such misery as I had scarcely thought +one could endure. But, I anticipate. + +We are ready. I am anxious to be going. I am delighted when my +horse, a beauty, indeed, and of pure Arabian stock, is led up by +two dusky sons of the desert. Surely my long trip to Jerusalem +will be one of pleasure when I am mounted on such a steed! At +half-past twelve o'clock we mount, and, facing to the south, we +set off at a brisk pace for Gerasa, (known to the Arabs as +Jerash,) where it has been planned that we shall spend the night. +Several of the natives accompany us a short distance on foot, one +running on either side of my horse and holding to the bridle; but +soon, with interesting and graceful salaams, they leave us to +pursue our hot and dusty way alone. + +There are just three of us, and we proceed in the following order: +my dragoman, who is guide and interpreter, leads the way; I follow +next after him; bringing up the rear is our muleteer, who takes +charge of all luggage, cares for the horses, and especially for,-- +me. Why should I not be happy? For the first time in my life I +have two men engaged to look after my wants. They did their duty +well,--were almost painfully attentive at times. But to-day I +thank them for their kind severity. + +Not having spent more than a few hours on horse-back in the +previous ten years, I found, after riding a few miles, that it +required more than a beautiful horse to make riding comfortable to +an inexperienced rider. But our way led through such a beautiful +valley, and on either hand were mountains so suggestive of Bible +narrative that there was much in the earlier part of the afternoon +to divert my attention from any physical discomfort. Where we were +riding there was no road,--simply bridle-paths, and frequently not +even a path. + +After we had been riding for an hour a young Arab on camel-back +joined us. I did not like his searching looks from a face almost +hidden in his head-garment. But he stayed with us for a half-hour, +and in that time had raced his camel with our horses; then he +suddenly turned from us toward the near mountains of Gilead. We +met a number of caravans in the earlier part of the afternoon, and +I noted that every man that I saw carried a gun, or some sort of +sword, or large knife. They were ready for defense, if occasion +should arise. + +About two o'clock we passed a "memorial heap," or cairn. Some +tragedy occurred there, and the custom of the region is that the +passer-by places reverently on the pile of rocks already formed an +additional stone. Elsewhere I had seen this done when it seemed to +me the actor was under the spell of a superstitious fear. + +About the middle of the afternoon a soldier, full armed, dashes up +to us in a mad gallop, hands a message to my dragoman, and then as +rapidly rides back again. I am a little alarmed at this until I +learn that he has entrusted a writing to us to be delivered in +Jerusalem. A little later I see another soldier leave the group in +which he is riding and gallop ahead across the open way to the +brow of a hill. There he dismounts, lays down his gun, takes the +robe, or blanket, on which he rode, spreads it upon the ground, +faces toward Mecca, and prostrates himself in prayer. The prayer +over, he dashes down to his party and they are off like the wind. + +About four o'clock we passed near a little village, the only place +where I saw a house on that long afternoon ride. It is not safe +for any one to live outside the villages; hence there are no +isolated dwellings in all this region. We did not halt for one +moment, but kept pressing steadily on. + +After five o'clock the plain was deserted; we saw from that time +neither man nor beast. I was cramped and painfully tired, and +feeling that if I could but walk for a few minutes it would be +quite a relief, I dismounted--quite a difficult thing to do and +keep from sprawling upon the ground. But I was no sooner off my +horse than Haleel was beside me, and my dragoman, who was at that +time nearly a hundred yards ahead of me, rode back and sternly +commanded: "You get right back on that horse; this is no time to +think of walking; you can do that some other time." Inwardly I +resented it; how could I stand it longer! I blamed it on the +saddle, then I thought that they must have given me the worst +horse of the three. But all this helped nothing. They assisted me +again into the saddle. Then my guide delivered a little speech in +Arabic to Haleel. I did not then understand it, but shortly after +I learned the essence of it; it was, "You keep your eye on him and +see that he keeps his horse moving." When I found myself again in +the saddle I determined that if I must ride there would be no more +trotting of my horse,--I would proceed as gently as possible. But, +alas! Haleel had his whip and my dream of controlling my horse was +over. After that I kept close to my dragoman. At that time I +thought it harsh treatment, but later I understood. + +We have reached the limit of level land and are now winding among +the eastern foot-hills of the mountains of Gilead. It is the hour +of sunset and the great orb of day sinks in sad beauty to me. In +the twilight I see here and there half-buried pillars of some +famous temple--a temple that surely never stood here. Our horses +are wet with sweat; we have not halted for lunch; not a drop of +water has been seen; night is coming on with its pale moon casting +weird shadows about us; we are alone in a land noted for its +lawlessness, and yet we are unarmed. We move on almost in silence. +There is silence about us, save for the cry now and then of some +night-bird. We see no lights save those above us. My guide seems +bewildered and uncertain as to the location of the town we seek. I +am faint from weariness, and so cramped that at times it is with +difficulty that I keep from falling to the ground. I am now quite +solicitous as to our safety and not a little alarmed when our way +leads through some rocky, narrow passage suggestive of a lurking- +place for men of evil intent. But at last, at half-past nine +o'clock, after being in the saddle for nine hours, I am aroused +from my stupor by a joyful exclamation from my dragoman. A few dim +lights are seen,--IT IS GERASA! + +My dragoman continued his exclamations of praise thus, "I thank my +God for saving my life once more." I said faintly, "Why such +words?" "Well," he said, "all natives are expected to be in their +villages by sundown, tourists at their destination earlier. It is +the custom of this region that tourists must have an escort of +soldiers or Bedouins, even in times of peace; and now THE FEUDS +ARE ON; and here we have come alone, at night, unarmed; and I am +responsible for these horses--they are not mine--and for your +life. The ride may have been hard for you, but the hours of +anxiety were more trying to me. I have now done it once, but I'll +never again assume such a risk--NOT EVEN FOR A MILLION POUNDS!" I +had no response that he heard, but mentally I said, "Never again +with ME, Mr. Barakat. NO, NEVER! + +Yet I think I never experienced greater joy on entering my own +home than on that night when entering and riding through the +crooked, narrow lanes of that miserable village of Gilead. + + + + + +"At Gerasa" + +CHAPTER IV. + + +Though in the village, and therefore relieved of the feeling of +special danger, yet we had much difficulty in securing lodging for +the night. Our arrival seemed to disturb the peace of dogdom in +what otherwise would have been a quiet resting-place. No people +were outside their houses. We picked our way to the nearest light; +the occupant of the house would not come out, but showed his face +at the window--a hole in the wall about a foot square. My dragoman +pleaded for lodging, but in vain. We sought the next house in +which there was a light, but neither would the people of that home +open to us. We tried several other places, but at all of them we +were refused admission. They seemed to look with suspicion upon +our visit to the village. But, finally, a good old Mohammedan +consented to let us spend the night in his rock hut, and gave us +the privilege of putting our horses in his little walled space by +the house. Haleel must spend the night in this yard--he always +slept with the horses. When my dragoman helps me over the stone +door-sill, and we enter the hut, we find that the part allotted to +men consists of but one small room, having a floor of earth on +which are spread a couple of mats. In this room there is no +furniture. Two persons are already asleep on the floor. We do not +disturb them. + +Not having eaten anything since noon, my dragoman begins at once +to prepare a light lunch for us. On a brazier that he finds here +he makes a little charcoal fire and quickly brews some of the tea +brought from Damascus; into this he squeezes lemon juice; then +finding some bread that he had stowed away in his saddle-bags, our +lunch is ready. I sit on the floor as comfortable as I can make +myself while he is getting supper. The flickering light, the +shifting shadows, the strange ones lying asleep, the almost as +strange dusky helpers, the sense of dangers just escaped, the +whining, wailing, barking dogs, my physical pain--all these things +beget within me a strange feeling of loneliness and a longing for +home. Again and again I ask myself the question, "Why did you +undertake this; why were you not content to go down from Damascus +to Galilee and all of West Palestine by the easy way?" But, again +and again I say to myself: "You would never have been satisfied +had you done so; this is part of the price to be paid for what you +wanted; consider what you get in exchange, value received." + +But my reverie is cut short by a groan from my dragoman; he sank +back trembling and said, "Call Haleel!" Together we worked with +him for a half-hour or more until a chill, the result of drinking +too much water on reaching the village, had been overcome. I was +much alarmed at the possible outcome of his sudden illness, for +had he left me thus the situation for me would have been one of +extreme perplexity. In my anxiety for him I forgot for the moment +my own condition. But now I am again a conscious sufferer. So +tired am I that I can scarcely wait until I have sipped a little +tea and eaten a little bread before I have removed hat and shoes +and am stretched out upon the floor to sleep. The horses seem +restless in their stamping; the dogs keep up their barking; the +room is dark; I hear the heavy breathing of those about me; a lone +star peeps in through the small window; and I try to compose +myself for the rest that I so much need. "Is there no balm in +Gilead?" Yes. I thought that I was lying down to a night of +restlessness and fever, but never on couch of down has my rest +been sweeter. + +I am awakened at dawn by some one moving about in the room, and I +see a man pick up a gun and pass quickly out. The dogs are barking +savagely throughout the village. Then I look about me. Imagine my +surprise when I discover that I have had five bed-fellows, or +rather FLOOR-FELLOWS! There we lay stretched out in all sorts of +angles and curves--American, Syrian, Circassian; Christian and +Mohammedan--forming a kind of crazy patch-work on the earthen +floor. And imagine my supreme disgust when I discover a big, +dirty, odorous, unshod human foot, erect on the heel and with toes +spread out like a fan, within a few inches of my face! Bah! How +was it that I slept! I turn my face to the wall and soon lose +thought of the disturbing vision in slumber. + +It is quite late when again I wake. The host is sitting on his mat +near me fumbling beads and chanting prayers. Without moving I +watch him for a while and note that he is also interested in me, +and that he now knows that I am awake. I begin an investigation of +myself, and find, to my glad surprise, that while I am stiff and +sore I feel quite refreshed. I dress myself--a simple matter this +morning, simply putting on my shoes--and while my dragoman +prepares our breakfast I exercise myself somewhat by walking down +to an old Roman bridge spanning the small stream flowing through +the village. In this half-hour I get a good general knowledge of +the location of the town, its outline, its magnificent ruins, etc. +But I am not ready yet for sight-seeing. I prefer to listen to the +brook singing its happy way almost hidden among the pink oleanders +that grow in such profusion along its sides. The running water, +the perfume of the flowers, the flood of sunlight--these are like +balm to me after my awful yesterday. Certainly I shall be ready +early to study the ruins of this wonderful, mysterious, ancient +city. + +Breakfast is ready. It consists of boiled eggs, bread, cheese, and +tea. Our table is the floor on which we slept. The male members of +the house-hold join us as we sit on mats around the simple meal. +Our host sends one of the men (a visitor to a Mohammedan home +never meets, and frequently never sees a woman) to bring a little +of his own bread. It does not look at all tempting to me, but I am +told that if I wish to secure my host's friendship I must eat of +it. This I do, but only once, and now he would be almost willing +to die for me should occasion arise. + +After breakfast he shows me some antique coins that he had found, +and when my guide explains that I am an American schoolmaster, he +manifests exceedingly his delight. He almost pulls me out into his +little yard where he had been digging, and where he had unearthed +an inscribed cylindrical block of marble about two feet in +diameter and four feet in length. The lettering is in Greek. He +thinks it must tell of hidden treasure. And so it does to me, but +not of the kind for which he is looking. The inscription is +partially effaced, but I see enough to conclude that it was likely +at one time the pedestal of a statue. + +I next proceed to take a further general view of this celebrated +locality--celebrated, for here are the most noted ruins east of +the Jordan. My first observation is that the present inhabitants, +Circassians, are rapidly despoiling the treasures of antiquity +found here. They take the rocks and pillars of temples that were +once the admiration of a great region and pile them roughly +together, forming a small enclosure; then, in many instances, they +place poles and brush across the top, throw ground on the brush,-- +and their houses are ready for occupancy. There is no regularity +whatever in the plan of the alleys, or lanes, of the present +village. We mount our horses for a further study of these +interesting ruins. + +Gerasa was one of the chief cities of the Decapolis, (the other +nine were Damascus, Hippos, Scythopolis, Dion, Pella, Kanatha, +Raphana, Gadara, and Philadelphia,) and was situated twenty miles +east of the Jordan on one of the northern tributaries of the +Jabbok, and within five miles of the place where the famous +"Moabite Stone" was found. Tristam considers it to-day as +"PROBABLY THE MOST PERFECT ROMAN CITY LEFT ABOVE GROUND." The +present ruins seem to date back to the second century of the +Christian era. A Christian bishop from Gerasa attended the Council +of Seleucia in 359 A.D., and another that of Chalcedon in 451 A.D. +In the thirteenth century this city was in ruins. It was then for +five centuries lost to the eyes of the civilized world. In the +beginning of the thirteenth century a German traveler visited it; +the magnificent ruins of the place amazed him. The same ruins to- +day, or some of them, strike the comparatively few visitors with +awe at the thought of the riches, the gayety, and the power that +once reigned here on the border of the desert. + +The walls of the ancient city are plainly traceable, and formed an +enclosure about a mile square. Three of its gates are fairly well +preserved. On the south side of the city ruins, less than a half +mile distant, stands a triumphal arch forty feet high. Between +this arch and the city wall are the ruins of a great stone pool +and of a circus. The main street lies on the west side of the +stream. It was paved; yet shows ruts worn into the stones by +chariot wheels; and was lined on each side with a row of rock +columns above twenty feet in height, some of which have capitals +representing a high degree of artistic skill in their planning and +execution. Part of this street was arcaded behind the columns +where was the sidewalk. Fronting upon this street were vast +temples and baths, which, though fallen, are yet grand in their +ruins. All along this way lie great blocks of stone and marble and +fallen columns, so numerous that at times our progress is almost +barred. But not all of the columns are fallen; more than two +hundred yet stand on their original bases. About mid-way along the +street it is crossed at right angles by another which is also +lined with columns. Farther on toward the south it widens into an +oval-shaped forum a hundred yards long, surrounded with Ionic +pillars in their original positions. + +Just beyond the forum, elevated somewhat, is a large, well- +preserved temple; and immediately to the right of the temple is a +theater built in the hill-side with seats, stage, and other parts +plainly distinguishable. It is easy to sit in one of these empty +benches and see, as a shadow out of the past, a lively scene +presented on the now deserted stage--the voice of eloquence rings +clear out of the dead centuries, the play-house resounds with the +applause of the shades that fill the seats about me--and, then, +the curtain of mystery is dispelled by the bright sunlight that +floods all the landscape, and I see nothing but ruins everywhere. +The play is over. The shades have gone again to their long home. + +On a commanding position in the north-west quarter stood temples +of vast proportions whose spacious courts, tottering walls, and +forsaken altars speak in eloquent terms of a glory long since +departed. Evidently this was a populous city, for it possessed two +theaters capable of seating many thousands of people. That it was +a religious city, and much given to idolatry, its temples and +altars declare. + +While Josephus speaks of the capture of this city by Alexander +Jannaeus, about 85 B.C., we look in vain for a mention of it in +the Bible. But some recent investigators, notably Dr. Merrill, +(with whom I had the pleasure and honor of conversing,) incline to +the opinion that Gerasa was the original Ramoth-gilead. Dr. +Merrill gives six arguments in favor of his position, which, after +my observations made in the place itself, I feel like accepting. + +If this were Ramoth-gilead, then how much of Bible story clusters +about the spot! It was a "city of refuge"; and over these hills or +up and down this valley rushed the accidental man-slayer to seek +refuge within its gates from the blood-thirsty pursuer. Here Ahab +was slain (I. Kings 22:34-37), here Ahaziah and Jehoram defeated +Hazael (II. Kings 8:28, 29; 9:14), and here Jehu was anointed king +of Israel and rode forth in a chariot to execute his terrible +commission concerning the house of Ahab (II. Kings 9:4-26). + +Gerasa! Beautiful, though in ruins. What glory must once have been +thine! But where are the warriors who passed in triumph through +thy gates? Where are the builders of thy temples? Where are the +the priests who ministered at thy altars? Where are the devotees +who bowed at thy shrines? Where are the people who thronged thy +theaters and trod thy beautiful streets? The hills over which man +walked are still here; the rocks that he quarried, carved, +polished, and fitted into place are here; the stone coffin in +which he lay down to his last resting-place is here--but where is +HE? Gone! gone forever! Surely, how frail is man! How fleeting his +glory! As the waters of thy stream flow on to the Sea of Death, so +has the tide of life which swept through thy streets passed on to +the grave and oblivion. + + + + + +"Up Into the Mountains" + +CHAPTER V. + + +Passing out over the fallen western wall of Gerasa we are +immediately in the ancient cemetery, which extends for a mile, or +nearly so, from the city. Many stone sarcophagi, some of which are +artistically carved, lie scattered about in almost every +conceivable position--some even lying across the tops of others. +But these windowless rock-palaces are all empty. + +Leaving Gerasa, my way leads in a general direction westward over +the mountains of Gilead. The reader must remember that in all this +region there is not a road over which a carriage can be driven, +save that quite recently a few trips have been made from Mezarib +to Gerasa. What are called roads are simply bridle-paths, and, in +many cases, the paths are so indistinct that the guide is more +likely to take you forward with reference to a general direction +than to attempt to lead you by a recognized trail. + +The Mountains of Gilead present a rugged appearance, but, in the +main, are clothed with vegetation; hence they are beautiful in +their majesty. The olive and the prickly oak are abundant. The +villages are not numerous, and are situated far up the slopes, or +even on the tops of the ridges. These villages are clusters of +squalid huts constructed of stone and mud, and can afford no +accommodation such as an American might desire. But, in many +instances, they occupy sites identified with places and events +noted in Bible story. + +These mountains were given to Gad in the allotment of Joshua and +Eleazar. Surely at that time the prospect must have been much more +pleasing than at present, or the Gadites would not have been so +anxious to receive this district as a permanent possession. True, +even now, a few narrow valleys, or wadies, show signs of great +fertility, but the greater part is quite uninviting. Yet to the +tourist there is much of interest in this region. + +My way to the Jordan lay over these mountains, especially that +part known as the Jebel Ajlun. Sometimes it seemed impossible to +proceed because of rocks and underbrush. The mountain sides were +so steep in some places that we were barely able to climb them; +many of the wadies, washed by winter torrents, were next to being +impassable; and when our way led along the sides of precipitous +slopes I shuddered to think of the consequences of a misstep upon +the part of my horse. The course I had chosen through this East- +Jordan country was an unusual one (as already noted)--one over +which my dragoman had never gone, and one over which, he said, not +one in a thousand tourists to Palestine ever asked to go,--a +statement corroborated by the United States Consul at Jerusalem, +who has written extensively on the trans-Jordanic highlands. This +statement was not very encouraging to me, but I had set my heart +on reaching the Jordan by this route, so simply said, "Lead on." +Several times I feared I had made a serious mistake, but having +come thus far I could not go back. After we had passed through the +old cemetery our ascent was gradual until we reached the modern +village of Suf, three miles northwest of Gerasa. Here we see "two +women grinding at the mill." The mill consists of two circular +stones about fourteen inches in diameter, the one stone rests upon +the other, and the grain to be crushed between them is supplied by +one of the women while the other turns the upper stone round and +round, thus grinding the meal for the uninviting bread of their +less inviting floor-table. + +This place has been suggested by Major Condor as the probable site +of Mizpah in Gilead. A group of fine stone monuments, in ruins, is +yet to be seen here. If this be the location of Mizpah then here +is the place where Jacob and Laban made their covenant of lasting +peace, and erected the "heap of witness" (Gen. 31:44-52), saying, +"The Lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from +another." Then they parted, Laban going back to Mesopotamia and +Jacob pressing on with anxious heart toward the near Jabbok and +the farther lands of his estranged brother Esau. + +Inspired by the covenant at Mizpah, and with a desire to help +others to establish covenants of peace, and to accept with +cheerful resignation enforced separation from loved ones, a recent +writer, Julia A. Baker, has written beautifully the following poem +entitled "Mizpah": + + Go thou thy way and I go mine; + Apart, yet ever near; + Only a veil hangs thin between + The pathways where we are; + And "God keep watch 'tween thee and me," + This is my prayer; + He looks thy way, he looketh mine, + And keeps us near. + + I know not where thy road may lie, + Or which way mine may be; + If mine will lead through parching sands, + And thine beside the sea; + Yet "God keeps watch 'tween thee and me," + So, never fear. + He holds thy hand, he claspeth mine, + And keeps us near. + + Should wealth and fame perchance be thine, + And my lot lowly be, + Or thou be sad or sorrowful, + And glory be for me; + Yet "God keeps watch 'tween thee and me," + Both be his care; + One arm 'round thee and one 'round me + Will keep us near. + + I'll sigh sometimes to see thy face, + But since this cannot be, + I'll leave thee to the care of Him + Who cares for thee and me. + "I'll keep thee both beneath my wings"-- + This comfort dear-- + One wing o'er thee and one o'er me; + So we are near. + + And tho' our paths be separate, + And thy way be not mine, + Yet coming to the mercy-seat, + My soul will meet with thine; + And "God keep watch 'tween thee and me," + I'll whisper there; + He blesseth thee, he blesseth me, + And we are near. + +If this place were Mizpah, then here Jephthah lived; and here, +when he went out to fight against the Ammonites, he made the vow +to sacrifice whatsoever should come forth out of the doors of his +house to meet him on his return from the battle, if the Lord would +only give him the victory. The battle was fought, and Jephthah +triumphed. The glad news reached his home; and out from his house +rushed his daughter, his only child, with timbrels and with +dances, to meet her hero-father, not knowing the nature of his vow +made on the eve of the battle. Her presence caused the brave +warrior to tremble with horror and rend his clothes when he +remembered his vow. The daughter was dismayed--instead of a smile +of joy from her father she read her doom in his blanched and +contorted face. And somewhere on these hills round about the voice +of wailing arose for two months from many maidens because Jephthah +must fulfill his rash vow by sacrificing his only child. But he +did unto her according to his word; and annually thereafter for a +period of four days these hills resounded with the voice of +weeping--the weeping of the maidens of Mizpah over the sad fate of +Jephthah's daughter. (Judges 11.) + +Farther on we ascend a high ridge and then begin our descent into +the southern branch of the wady of Ajlun. After winding about for +some time among the rocks and brush in the dry bed of this wady we +finally halt at Ain Jenneh, a good, strong fountain issuing from +under a great rock. We are yet in the upper reaches of the wady +and near the present village of Ajlun. Here we lunch and rest an +hour. + +Some authorities identify this region as the place where was the +"wood of Ephraim." That being true, it is the place where Absalom +lost his life. Certain it is, even to-day, that to leave the +little path that we are following would mean to become hopelessly +entangled in jungles of prickly oak and other growth. Even in the +path it is with difficulty that I keep my garments from being torn +from me. + +If this be the location of the "wood of Ephraim," then here the +forces of Absalom under Amasa and the armies of David under Joab +fought in those trying days of David's exile. Only a few miles +away, at Mahanaim, David sent out his men, commanding that they +touch not the young man. Then he waited for the news of the +conflict. In the thickets of Gilead the first "battle of the +wilderness" was fought. It was a decisive engagement. Joab's +veterans of many wars were too strong for the rebel's army. +Absalom sought safety in flight, but in trying to ride hurriedly +through the wild tangle his head caught in the branches of a great +oak, and before he could extricate himself, Joab had found him and +thrust him through the heart; then Joab's ten armor-bearers +encompassed the unfortunate victim and finished the deadly work. +And then, though Absalom had reared for himself a beautiful +monument in the king's dale at Jerusalem, they took his body from +the tree and threw it into a pit near by and made a great heap of +stones over it. There was no weeping at the grave of Absalom. + +With the death of Absalom the rebellion was at an end; but David's +heart was broken. He waited at the gate of the city, more +interested in the welfare of his son than in the success of his +army. Swift runners approach! In answer to his question, "Is the +young man safe?" he hears reply that pierces his heart like a +dagger. Up to his chamber over the gate the king slowly passed +weeping and bent with grief, and as he went he said, "O my son +Absalom! my son, my son Absalom! Would God I had died for thee, O +Absalom, my son, my son!" + +A poet's conception of David's great grief on hearing of the death +of his son is portrayed in the following lines of N. P. Willis: + + Alas! my noble boy! that thou shouldst die! + Thou, who wert made so beautifully fair! + That Death should settle in thy glorious eye, + And leave his stillness in thy clustering hair! + How could he mark thee for the silent tomb? + My proud boy, Absalom! + + Cold is thy brow, my son! and I am chill, + As to my bosom I have tried to press thee + How was I wont to feel my pulses thrill, + + Like a rich harp-string, yearning to caress thee, + And hear thy sweet "MY FATHER!" from these dumb + And cold lips, Absalom! + + But death is on thee. I shall hear the gush + Of music, and the voices of the young; + And life will pass me in the mantling blush, + And the dark tresses to the soft winds flung; + But thou no more, with thy sweet voice, shalt come + To meet me, Absalom! + + And oh! when I am stricken, and my heart, + Like a bruised reed, is waiting to be broken. + How will its love for thee, as I depart, + Yearn for thine ear to drink its last deep token! + It were so sweet, amid death's gathering gloom, + To see thee, Absalom! + + And now, farewell! 'Tis hard to give thee up + With death so like a gentle slumber on thee-- + And thy dark sin! Oh! I could drink the cup, + If from this woe its bitterness had won thee. + May God have called thee, like a wanderer, home, + My lost boy, Absalom! + +But this fountain! What birds and beasts here drank undisturbed +before man came to assert his lordship! What multitudes of people +here have drunk from the days before Israel down to the present +time--the hunter, the tiller of the soil, the grape-gatherer, the +shepherd with his flocks, the warrior and his chief,--all rejoiced +and rested here, and were refreshed and strengthened by the water. + +Almost with reverence we drink again; then we remount our horses +and proceed along the wady past the village of Ajlun where an Arab +joins us and guides us on over fertile patches of ground and +through olive groves until we reach the modern town of Coefrinje, +a town that probably contains several thousand inhabitants. It is +in the midst of an olive grove well up on the side of the +mountains. Here, although it is scarcely past the middle of the +afternoon, we stop for the night. It is too far to the next +village to risk going ahead--the way is none too safe, even by +day. + +Several times to-day I could clearly distinguish the remains of +old Roman roads, well paved, and with curbing arrangement +excellently preserved. What vast sums of money and what great +amount of labor must have been expended on these old high-ways of +the time when this territory was occupied by the Romans! And where +Rome walked she left her path well made, and she left the impress +of her thought in rock-paved road, or in the lasting marble of +her pillared temples and carven tombs. + + + + + +"By the Watch-Tower" + +CHAPTER VI. + + +Soon after entering the village of Coefrinje my dragoman had the +rare good fortune to find a former acquaintance, but whom he did +not know to be in those mountains. His name was Elias Mitry, who, +with his wife, had come up from Jerusalem to do missionary work +under the auspices of the Church of England. Although he was a +native of Palestine and talked very poor English, yet he offered +us a welcome to his humble home than which no more royal was +accorded us anywhere. The meeting with my dragoman was an +exhibition of genuine joy, and he seemed equally pleased to have +me in his home; especially did he consider it an honor to be my +host when my dragoman told him that he was escorting a "school- +master" through the land. In that land it seems that the teacher +is almost reverenced because of his profession, while, it may be +said by way of contrast, in some sections of my home land he is +scarcely respected because of his profession. Indeed, I was +treated as a guest of honor; the best that the home afforded was +at my service. Stuffed cucumbers, figs, olives, pomegranates, and +what, for want of a better name, I call "congealed grape-juice," +--all these were placed before me when in the early evening they +aided my guide in serving supper. + +We spent little over four hours in the saddle to-day, so I am not +wearied, and I can give interested attention to the surroundings. +And there is much to interest me here. For, while the name +"Coefrinje" is not mentioned in the Bible, nor is its site +definitely identified with the location of any biblical city, yet +there is much of Bible story centered at points within five miles +of this town. + +Just across the narrow valley, only a few hundred yards distant, +is the height, Kulat er Rubad. It is crowned with the ruins of an +old castle-fortress called (together with the peak on which it +stands) the "watch-tower of Gilead." The view from the dismantled +ramparts is not excelled in this part of the world. It, indeed, +rivals the view from the celebrated peak south of the Jabbok, +Jebel Osha. Dr. Thomson says, "In reality this prospect includes +more points of biblical and historical interest than any other on +the face of the earth." And Dr. Merrill, after enumerating many of +the famous characters of history that moved under the gaze of this +mount of out-look, adds, "The view is more than a picture. It is a +panorama of great variety, beauty, and significance." To me it is +wonderfully impressive. + +As the evening wore on I first gave attention to the large olive- +press close to the mission-house. The press was simple in +construction, consisting of a large bowl-shaped rock from the +center of whose depression rose an upright post of wood; to this +post was fastened a long nearly-horizontal beam, not unlike what +might be seen in the old-time cider-mill or cane-mill; slipped +onto this beam by means of a large hole in its center was a large +stone shaped like a grind-stone; this rock, pushed well up to the +post, rested in the bowl of the other rock. When the natives +pushed or pulled the beam around in tread-mill fashion the +circular stone turned on the beam, and at the same time moved +round and round in the hollow of the other rock. Thus the olives +placed in the bowl-shaped rock were thoroughly crushed and the oil +was caught in vessels. + +Then I watch the shepherds leading their large flocks of sheep and +goats in from the mountain pastures to their folds for the night. +All day these faithful guardians have been with their flocks +seeking good pasture and water for them,--no easy task in the fall +of the year near the end of the dry season. They have guarded the +sheep from the danger of beast, or precipice, or pit; have +released those caught in the under-brush; have ministered to the +needs of the sick; and now as night approaches they come leading-- +not driving--their flocks in quiet movement from out the mountain- +paths to the sheltering fold in the village for the night, again +to lead them forth on to-morrow, and to do likewise day after day. +To see the tender solicitude of the Oriental shepherd for his +sheep adds much to one's appreciation of the beauty and fitness of +the teaching of the Master in his parable of the Good Shepherd. + +But it is near the sunset hour of my only evening in these sacred +mountains. I seek a vantage-ground and watch the King of Day sink +slowly down to his couch of rest behind the western mountains and +the farther sea. Oh, how beautiful! The sky is ablaze with a glory +indescribable by mortal tongue. All space seems vocal with praise +to the God of love and beauty. + +In the strange and peaceful quiet of that evening I felt the +presence of a mysterious, subtle influence stirring within me. In +the shower of gold flung out as a good-night to me, and as the +star of evening smiled down upon me in the purpling twilight and +began calling her myriads of companions to their sentry-posts to +keep watch over me through the hours of the night in that strange +land, I felt, I think, the spirit of the poetry, + + "Sunset and evening star, + And one clear call for me," etc., + +in its fullness. Indeed, the air seemed vibrant with a living +personality, which, without undue stretching of the imagination, I +recognized as the SPIRIT OF HISTORY come to tell me the wonderful +story of those wonderful mountains. Enraptured I listened. + +SAID THE SPIRIT: "Long before Gad was attracted by these heights +and valleys, tribes of people lived here in their simplicity, yet +in sin. The land seemed not different from other lands. Here were +towering wooded mountain, rocky ravine, and strong-flowing +fountain; here the beast prowled among the rocks, the bird nested +in the trees, and the sweet-scented flowers graced all the +landscape. The storms beat upon the mountains and the waters +rushed in madness to the valley in the rainy season, and the sun +scorched the vegetation and dried up the fountains in the dry +season. Thus in monotony centuries passed. + +"But one day the God of heaven sent messengers to encamp here, and +from that time these mountains on which you now stand have been +considered sacred--because pressed by the feet of angels. Yonder +to the northeast, only a little way, is where that event took +place. Jacob, rich in herds and flocks, was on his way home from +far-off Euphrates, but he was much troubled at the thought of +meeting his brother who had sought to take his life about twenty +years previously. He was picking his way slowly over these +mountains leading his company and cattle when there appeared in +his way a host of angels. He was not frightened, but in gladness +of heart he cried out, 'Mahanaim,'--God's host. And although the +wise people of your day are not quite sure as to the exact +location of this meeting, yet be happy in the thought that you are +now only a few miles from the sacred spot, if, indeed, you are not +just where it occurred. Had you then stood here you could have +seen the glorious light of their presence, and could almost have +heard the rustle of their heaven-plumed pinions. + +"After this meeting Jacob wandered a little farther to the south, +and just over yonder, on the Jabbok, he spent a whole night in +prayer and in wrestling with the Angel Jehovah, thinking it was a +mere man. There he gained a great victory over self, and he +received the new name, 'Israel.' And on the next day, a little +farther to the south, he met his erst-while angry and murderous +brother in peace and happy reconciliation. + +"A few centuries pass. Then the mighty Moses conquers all this +region; and a little later these Ajlun Mountains were given to the +tribe of Gad as a permanent home. But, in the course of time, the +native tribes prove troublesome; and then the great Gideon, having +gained a decisive victory down in the valley, followed the fleeing +enemy, 'faint, yet pursuing,' right through this very district. +"Later the Ammonites were punished in a great battle by Israel's +'out-cast,' and mighty warrior, Jephthah. + +"But look again at Mahanaim where Jacob met the angels. The place +in later centuries became a center of other events of interest. +There, after the death of Saul, Ish-bosheth established his +capital, and forth from its gates he sent his armies under Abner +to fight that he might secure the scepter of all Israel to +himself. But after two years of struggle he was treacherously +slain and his cause was hopelessly lost. There, too, David sought +refuge from Absalom; and out from those same gates through which +Ish-bosheth had sent armies against him, David sent armies against +his own son. And there above one of the gates of Mahanaim the +voice of his weeping arose when he heard the news of the death of +his strange misguided boy. + +"Time passed on and the Israelites turned from the God of heaven +to worship at the shrines of other gods. Then, to punish them for +their sin God sent a strange invader into these mountains who +carried away the people by thousands into cruel captivity in a +land far toward the sun-rising. + +"Later the Romans came and planted olive trees and built fine +cities and established enduring roads. But Rome is fallen, and +where she moved in power and splendor ruin only remains, and the +unambitious, ignorant Bedouin feeds his flock and lives in +idleness amidst broken down terraces and thorn-covered fertile +soil. Desolate! Yes, dark is the picture. But, what of the night? +Take your place again on the 'watch-tower of Gilead' and scan well +the horizon. Yes, it is well; the morning cometh!" + +Having given myself up to reverie and to communing with the SPIRIT +OF HISTORY, as it were, I was for a time forgetful of my +surroundings. The twilight had deepened when I again turned my +thoughts to the village and its people. I look up at some of the +houses near me and see a number of the natives in their dark robes +standing like statues on the flat roofs of their homes, yet +watching every movement of the stranger that has so unexpectedly +appeared in their midst. I do not fear them, but somehow a feeling +of unrest steals over me; they seem like shades of departed +Israelites back again from their long sleep. In the gathering +gloom I pass quickly into the mission-house near by. + +This proves to be an evening full of interest to me. I learn that +a mission-service is soon to begin, and that a number of the +villagers will be here for the service. I am impressed with the +quiet (save for the barking of dogs) that prevails in these Arab +villages. I see no drunkenness, and there is no boisterous +rudeness of other sort. + +In a little while a score or more of men come quietly to the +mission-house, remove their sandals, pass into the room, and seat +themselves on the earthen floor against the walls. Mrs. Mitry +beckons to me to come to the door; she wanted me to see that row +of forty sandals. She said in her broken way that it was +interesting to her, and she thought it would interest me. + +It is only a little while until Mr. Mitry enters and takes his +place at a small table in the center of the room. A half hour or +more is spent in smoking cigarettes--almost every native smokes. +Here it seems that the habit is in no sense considered a vice. +Indeed, the missionary himself, not only smokes, but assists in +making cigarettes for the others. They smoke and smoke until the +room is so darkened that we see each other but dimly through the +haze. I am surprised that I can endure it. The tobacco must be +different from that used in America, for ordinarily a single +cigarette is more offensive to me than was the smoke of nearly +fifty on that evening--for some of the men smoked two or three +apiece in that close room. + +After the smoking was over black coffee was served in small cups +holding about one-fourth as much as the average teacup. They sip +this slowly and talk. I note that frequently they are saying +something about "hawadje," and then they fix their eyes upon me. +My dragoman tells me that he has been explaining our hard trip to +Gerasa, that they were skeptical about it, but that he has +convinced them of its verity. + +But now it is time for the service. Mr. Mitry opens his Bible and +reads in Arabic the story of Moses' invitation to Hobab. Then he +expounds the Scripture for some time while the men listen with +rapt attention. There are some questions and answers. I understand +only a word now and then, but it is a picture of more than +ordinary interest to me to look upon the expectant, and then the +satisfied faces of these natives. + +When the lesson was over a request came from the men for me to +speak to them. Through my dragoman as interpreter I spoke a little +while on the theme of the evening, which meant much to me there +where the migration of Moses was in a measure felt by the early +inhabitants. They listened attentively, and when I had finished +they told my guide to say to "hawadje" that they wanted him to +stay and make his home with them. Then, the meeting over, they +moved out into the darkness with graceful "salaams," and with the +promise of one of their number to accompany us on the morrow. They +said we must not go on alone. + +The service-room is now to be my bed-room. A pallet is brought to +me, and on it I am soon trying to sleep. But the beautiful sun- +set, the vision of the past of this region, the mission-service, +the stillness of the night--so still that the very silence seems +audible--keep me awake for some time. I am lying by the "watch- +tower of Gilead." I seem to see the Spirit of Prophecy standing on +its broken battlements, wrapped in the shadows of the night, +looking hopefully toward the place of sun-rising. I call to him, +"Watchman, what of the night?" In sweet tones of assurance comes +the answer, "The morning cometh! The story of the Christ will yet +transform the darkness that rests here into the brightness of +noonday." Then a sweet peace seemed wafted into my soul from out +the unseen somewhere,--but certainly from Him who "giveth his +beloved sleep." + + + + + +"Down to the Jordan" + +CHAPTER VII. + + +It was early on the following morning when our horses were led +around to the door of the mission-house, but notwithstanding the +early hour a dozen or more of the natives were standing in line to +receive medical attention from the missionary. A few were there +who seemed to have come to witness our departure. Our guide, +promised the night before, was on hand, mounted, ready to lead the +way over what proved to be by far the roughest part of my trip. +For that day my party consisted of four persons. Our new leader, +whose name I did not learn, was a man of about fifty years, and +was a genuine Arab in appearance and dress. But he wore nothing on +his feet--not even sandals. I felt better satisfied, knowing that +he would lead the way on that day, for my dragoman was not +familiar with that part of Gilead. However, when toward the middle +of the afternoon we descended into the Jordan Valley, he was quite +at home again. + +Single file we proceed from Coefrinje along a narrow path with the +bushes and briars brushing the sides of our horses and wetting us +with dew. It is not long until we begin to ascend a high ridge. +Here there are no paths whatever, and at times our horses can +scarcely move on because of the steepness of the ascent. But a few +minutes before nine o'clock, after a toilsome struggle, we reach +the summit of the ridge, and here I get my first panoramic view of +the west-Jordan country. It is entrancingly beautiful. + +When we had reined up our horses I said to my dragoman, "Tell our +attendants to be still until I have finished speaking; I want to +explain the scene before us." And then while he listened, and +looked as I directed, I said: "That towering height far to the +north is Mount Hermon; the sheet of water some miles on this side +is the Sea of Galilee; to the west of the Sea of Galilee is +Hattin, the Mount of Beatitudes; that white spot southwest of +Hattin is Nazareth; that great plain south of Nazareth is +Esdraelon, the 'battle-field of Palestine'; these rounded +mountains here in the eastern part of the Valley of Esdraelon are +Tabor, Little Hermon, and Gilboa;--on the north is Tabor, at whose +base Napoleon fought; the next is Little Hermon, where lived the +witch of Endor; and the one south of Little Hermon is Gilboa, +where Saul and his sons were slain; that range of mountains +forming the southern wall of Esdraelon is Carmel, where Elijah +held his trial with the priests of Baal; here below us, winding in +its serpentine course, is the Jordan in its great trough or Ghor; +in the center of the picture are the mountains of Samaria, with +Ebal and Gerizim; to the south are the mountains of Judea, where +lies Jerusalem; and that broad expanse of water beyond all these +is the Mediterranean, the 'great sea toward the going down of the +sun.'" + +Then I waited for his criticism. He said, "You are right in every +point, but how did you know?" I said, "It is just like the +Palestine of my childhood's fancy that I located in the field back +of the barn on my father's little farm in western Pennsylvania, +and with that picture I have been familiar from the days of my +early youth." It is impossible for me to express what were my +feelings at this supreme moment of my life, as I viewed for the +first time what is distinctively known as the land of Patriarch, +Prophet, Priest, and King--the land of my Redeemer's earthly +pilgrimage--the world's best Holy Land! After some time spent in +viewing that almost matchless scene, and in gathering mountain +lilies, we began our descent into the most remarkable depression +in the world--the great Ghor of the Jordan. The next few hours +afforded little of pleasure. Careful attention had to be given to +our horses as we wound about among the rocks. The horses of both +my dragoman and muleteer fell on this trip, but without serious +results to either horses or riders. It was quite wearying to +proceed thus, so when we finally reached a large sloping rock +under which was a kind of stagnant pool--the only water we had +seen since leaving Coefrinje--I was glad to know that there we +would lunch, even though I could not drink of the water. + +This rocky wady is like a prison-house to me. But while eating I +hear sweet strains of music somewhere on the mountains--it is from +a shepherd's pipe. Scanning the heights I see far above me +shepherds with their flocks of sheep and goats, and the music that +I hear is from their reed-harps which they play as they lead the +way over rugged mountain paths to find greener pastures and better +waters. + +We tarry here only a little while. Not long after lunch we pass a +grotto of small size in the hill-side. Evidently the carven ruins +are the remains of an ancient temple that stood here in the days +when a pagan people held possession of the land; and I feel sure +that a fountain must exist here a good part of the year, though +now it is dry. + +A little farther on is Jabesh-gilead. The story of Jabesh-gilead +is a touching one. The people of the city were besieged by the +Ammonites under their king, Nahash. The men of the city were +willing to make a covenant to serve the Ammonites. But Nahash told +them that the only condition on which he would make a covenant +with them would be to thrust out all their right eyes and lay it +as a reproach upon Israel. The elders of Jabesh asked a respite of +seven days in which to get help, which request was granted. The +situation was critical in the extreme. Messengers left the +besieged city and hurried to the new king of Israel. Saul heard +the story of their distresses. Immediately he gathered an army of +three hundred and thirty thousand men, and, marching rapidly up +the Jordan Valley, crossed the river and attacked the Ammonites +and completely routed them with great slaughter. And thus he saved +the city. + +The men of Jabesh-gilead never forgot Saul and his kindness to +them. Forty years later the disastrous battle of Gilboa was +fought. In this battle both Saul and Jonathan were slain. The next +day when the Philistines searched for spoils among the dead they +found Saul and his three sons, and they cut off his head to carry +it as a trophy to Philistia; but they took the headless trunks of +the king and his sons to Beth-shan and fastened them against its +walls as a terrible warning to the Israelites. But, "when the +inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard of that which the Philistines +had done to Saul, all the valiant men arose and went all night and +took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of +Bethshan and came to Jabesh and burnt them there. And they took +their bones and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted +seven days." (II. Samuel 31:11-13.) + +Off to the left a little way I see Tabakat Fahil, identified as +Pella, the place to which the Christians of Jerusalem fled just +before the siege of Titus in obedience to the prophetic warning of +Christ. + +It is two o'clock when we reach the Jordan Valley, at a point a +little south of Beth-shan, which is on the west side of the river. +We now turn northward and pursue our way steadily near the +mountains until after five o'clock; then we turn toward the river, +which we reach at sun-down. + +The Jordan Valley is covered with a growth of thorn said to be +like that used in the crowning of Christ at the time of his mock- +trial. We eat of a delicious yellow berry now ripening on these +thorns. We pass two or three small villages, the names of which I +could not learn. We cross a number of small streams this +afternoon, the largest of which is the Tayibeh. All of these +streams are thickly lined with reeds and pink oleander; so thick +is this growth in some places that the streams are completely +hidden. Our Arab guide springs down into each of these water- +brooks and hands drink to us, but he drinks, I think, after the +manner of the drinking of "Gideon's three hundred," in the time of +their being tested; that is, by a quick movement of the hand +throwing water into his mouth. + +Pushing rapidly across the open valley we startle gazelles from +their hiding-places among the reeds. Then, near the river, we pass +several encampments of Bedouins whose tents are black as those of +Kedar. At last, after being in the saddle all of ten hours, just +at sun-set, we reach the Jordan at the bridge of Jisr el Mejamia, +six miles south of the Sea of Galilee. Just across on the other +side of the river we shall tarry through the night. + +The way has been long and trying. I am very weary. But, now, just +before me the Jordan--sacred stream! And then, on the other side, +rest! Happy, soul-cheering thought! + + + + + +"At the Bridge" + +CHAPTER VIII. + + +The bridge of Jisr el Mejamia was at the time of my visit the only +available one for travel between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead +Sea. It is a stone bridge and was built by the Romans nearly, or +quite, two thousand years ago. It could scarcely be crossed by +carriages at present as the ascent to the highest point is by a +kind of step arrangement. It even seemed a wise precaution for us +not to attempt to ride over on horse-back--the stones were very +smooth and slippery. The present name of the structure means +"bridge of the messengers," and it was so named because here +messengers from various points in the land used to meet to +exchange messages. + +I am glad to reach this place, for again I am very tired. The +distance traveled to-day is said to be fifty miles. But when we +arrive here the road and bridge are crowded with sheep and goats +being brought in from the valley for safety in the night. My first +sight of the Jordan, which at this place is clear and sparkling, +does not particularly impress me. I long for rest, and so we do +not tarry, but pass directly into the village lying just at the +west end of the bridge. + +Oh, the wretchedness of this place! I wonder what kind of +entertainment I can find here. There is little choice as to a +place of lodging. The best and only accommodation that the +miserable village affords is what was formerly used by robbers as +a prison-house for their victims, but which is now used as a kind +of store-room. There is but one room, and its earthen floor is +littered over with filth of almost every description, while dust +and cob-webs everywhere abound. This is the RECEPTION-ROOM for our +party of four. + +While my dragoman busied himself in getting supper, I sat on a box +making notes of what I had seen and experienced that day. Just +then the place served as KITCHEN and WRITING-ROOM. I wrote +rapidly, and as I wrote the thought that somewhere that day I had +crossed the path of the Master in his Perean ministry thrilled me. +I said, "Mr. Barakat, I am going down to the Jordan for a while +after supper." He replied, "All right, and I'll go with you'." +"No," said I, "I want to be alone down at the bridge." He simply +said, "I'll go with you." + +Our supper was a light affair, but our host brought a platter of +something that looked like dark beeswax, but which proved to be a +palatable food called "halawa." We ate from the floor of this +room, which then became our DINING-ROOM. + +After supper I was ready to go down to the river, not more than a +hundred yards from our lodging-place. When we started, our host +stepped to a corner of the room, picked up a gun, and prepared to +go with us. I told my dragoman to tell him not to go with us. The +reply was, "He will go with us." "Well," I said, "if he must go +make him put down that gun; it will spoil my evening of quiet +thought at the sacred river." The answer was: "Make no further +objection. Have you not noticed that everybody here carries a gun? +He knows what he is doing. This is the most disreputable place +along the river. Those Bedouins of the black tents that we passed +over yonder would want no better opportunity than to find you, who +are expected to have money, alone at the bridge." I accepted the +situation, and said, "All right, but I shall expect you both to be +obedient to the extent of giving me a period of quiet as long as I +wish to remain." + +But, before we go to the bridge, let me tell of that night in that +miserable place of filth. At the time of retiring my host said to +me through my interpreter that I could have choice of beds--that I +could either sleep on the counter, which consisted of a couple of +boards laid carelessly across boxes, or that I could sleep behind +the counter on the floor! After looking at the boards, and +thinking what would likely be the result should I attempt to sleep +there, I made choice of the floor. The room then became my +BEDROOM. + +Oh, that night! I did not sleep a half-hour. The place seemed +alive with vermin. My host slept on the counter. He did not seem +to be annoyed in the least. True, he scratched, but he snored an +accompaniment to his scratching throughout the night. I could only +scratch and listen to him; there was no snoring for me. After that +night it required frequent bathing and much searching for a week +or ten days before I felt free from the awful pests of that filthy +den. Thus it was that my first crossing of the Jordan did not +bring me to a "land of rest," but to an experience akin to +distraction. + +But now to the bridge. We pass quietly among the curious gazers +down to the river. Just south of the bridge I go down to the +river's edge and bathe my hands, face, and feet in water that only +a few hours ago was in the lake where the waves were once stilled +by His quiet command of power--"Peace, be still," and where He at +another time walked amidst the billows to meet his own; in water +that will hurry on down the valley to the place where He was +baptized; and then it will pass on into oblivion in the Salt Sea +of Death. Then I try, with surprising success, to drink of the +water like our Arab guide drank to-day. Then we walk to the +bridge, at the approach of which I ask my men to tarry while I go +out on it alone to meditate. + +I have reached this place by the expenditure of much physical +energy. I am very weary over my hard day in the saddle. But when I +seat myself on the highest point of the bridge, and give myself up +to reverie, I feel the flood of sentiment and rejoice. The moon is +about one-half hour above the mountains of Gilead; a halo seems to +gild the heights to the east and to the west. I am just above the +Jordan; its rippling waters tell me of Abraham, of Jacob, of +Joshua, of Saul, of David, of Elijah, of Elisha, of Naaman, of +John the Baptist, and of Jesus of Nazareth. How sweet and musical +is the story! How impressive its truths as I hear it to-night? +Then I watch the play of the moon-light on the water,--the +glittering sheen on the smooth surface above the bridge, and the +flashes of light on the rapids below. It is all so beautiful! + +And this is the Jordan! For many years I have heard of it; I have +read of it; I have sung of it. It has been to me for many years a +type of death. Again I look upon the calm blue depths on the +north, and then again on the rapids below--I see the peace here, +and hear the rush there. Then I turn my eyes again to the +mountains, and upward to the moon, and past the moon to the stars +--and by faith beyond the stars to search for Him of this land, +because of whose earth-life I am here, and upon whom I rely for +support in the hour of my approach to the shore of that river of +which this is the type. + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's My Three Days In Gilead, by Elmer U. Hoenshel + diff --git a/old/tdgld10.zip b/old/tdgld10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..c1ee8af --- /dev/null +++ b/old/tdgld10.zip |