ON THE ROAD TO JERICHO
Dear me, this donkey seems to have a heavy load on his back, don’t you think so? These women have come from Bethlehem, the place where the baby Jesus was born hundreds of years ago. You know that beautiful story, don’t you?
The road that we see in the picture is the way to Jericho, which was once a very prosperous city, with rich fields all about, and springs of water bubbling up and keeping the fields moist and green. Now all that is left of the old city is a heap of ruins; the springs are there and the fields are green and beautiful, and covered with wild flowers, but there are no gardens. Tribes of people called Bedouins live around there; they do not settle in any one place to live, however, but roam about from one part of the wilderness to another. They sometimes act as guides to show travellers the country. The men on the burros in the picture look like Bedouins.
The hills near Jericho are not very attractive to look at: they are covered with stones, and not many trees or flowers grow on them; but some of the hills in Palestine are beautiful, with large groves of olive trees, and masses of green foliage. Do you know where Palestine is? Look on your map of Asia and you will see it by the Red Sea, and you will find many stories in the Bible about the old cities and places there. It is the land where Jesus lived, and is wonderfully interesting to visit.
Women of Bethlehem on the Road to Jericho
From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York