FROM JERUSALEM TO BETHLEHEM.—CHURCH AND GROTTO OF THE NATIVITY.
Our friends made an excursion to the Mount of Olives, going out of Jerusalem by St. Stephen's Gate, and descending into the Valley of the Kedron, which lies between the hill and the city. Going down the hill from the gate they came in sight of the chapel and tomb of the Virgin, a low and certainly very old building, which is annually visited by great numbers of pilgrims. There are serious doubts as to its authenticity, since it is not mentioned in history till the eighth century, and there is no inscription about it to indicate that it was the tomb of the Mother of Christ.
The first object of interest was the Garden of Gethsemane; and for many visitors it is of more consequence than any other spot in the immediate vicinity of Jerusalem, as it is so intimately connected with the final scene of the Saviour's life. Frank and Fred could hardly restrain their impatience as they approached it; and we are safe in saying that every member of the little party quickened his steps as he approached the gate. But as soon as they were inside all haste was abandoned, and every voice was hushed as each one recalled the incidents of Christ's visits to Gethsemane with his disciples, together with the scene of his agony and betrayal.[7]
GETHSEMANE.
There are seven or eight olive-trees in the garden, and the monk in charge of the place points out the spot where Christ prayed, together with that where his apostles slept during the prayer. The "Grotto of the Agony" is a small cave, and the place where the apostles slept is supposed to be indicated by the marks of their bodies on the stone. The monks claim that the olive-trees are the same that were standing in the time of Christ; they are certainly very old, and some are of great size, but we may well doubt if they have existed nearly two thousand years. But there is little question that this is really the original garden; but beyond this fact the statements of the monks should be received with hesitation. The garden belongs to the Latin monks; the Greeks have started a Garden of Gethsemane of their own farther up the side of the Mount of Olives, but are cautious about admitting visitors, as the trees have not grown sufficiently large to be passed off as the original ones of the beginning of the Christian era.
VIEW ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES.
Here is Frank's memorandum concerning the visit to the Mount of Olives:
"From the Garden of Gethsemane we ascended the slope by a steep path which carried us to the summit in fifteen or twenty minutes, or would have done so if we had not stopped several times on the way to look back at Jerusalem. The summit of the hill is said to be two hundred and twenty feet above Mount Moriah, and consequently we looked down on the Holy City, and had its entire outline before us. We could trace the course of the brook Kedron, the Valley of Hinnom, the hills of Zion and Moriah, the village of Siloam, near the celebrated pool, and directly in front of us lay the Haram enclosure, where once stood the Temple of Solomon, but now occupied by the mosques we have already described. To the east, and far below us, were the blue waters of the Dead Sea, with the mountains of Moab bounding the horizon. Owing to the clearness of the atmosphere the Dead Sea appeared close to us, and it seemed not an impossibility to shoot a rifle-ball from where we stood so that it would fall upon its surface. The wilderness of Judea, the valley of the winding Jordan, the 'Mountain of Offence,' the 'Hill of Evil Counsel,' the heights of Bethlehem, and other places named in Scripture were pointed out by the guide. In fact, the view from the Mount of Olives includes so much of which we have read, that it is impossible to recall everything without a great effort of memory. For the biblical interest of the spot I cannot do better than quote the following:
"'No name in Scripture calls up associations at once so sacred and so pleasing as that of Olivet. The "Mount" is so intimately connected with the private life of the Saviour that we read of it and look at it with feelings of deepest interest and affection. Here he sat with his disciples, telling them of wondrous events yet to come—of the destruction of the Holy City, of the sufferings, the persecutions, and the final triumph of his followers (Matt, xxiv.); here he related the beautiful parables of the "Ten Virgins" and the "Five Talents" (Matt, xxv.); here he was wont to retire on each evening for meditation and prayer, and rest of body, when weary and harassed by the labors and trials of the day (Luke xxi. 37); and here he came on the night of his betrayal to utter that wonderful prayer, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt" (Matt. xxvi. 39); and when the cup of God's wrath had been drunk, and death and the grave conquered, he led his disciples out again over Olivet as far as to Bethany, and after a parting blessing ascended to heaven (Luke xxiv. 50, 51; Acts i. 12).'
A SYCAMORE-TREE.
"The hill is covered in many places with olive-trees, and certainly merits its name. There are also fig, almond, sycamore, and a few other trees familiar to the traveller in Palestine, and every foot of the ground that will produce anything is carefully cultivated. Several churches have been erected on the summit, the first as early as the fourth century, and the last in 1834. We went through the present building, which is known as the Church of the Ascension; there is nothing remarkable about its architecture, but it is a substantial structure, and will last a long time unless destroyed by invaders, like some of its predecessors. In the centre there is a sort of dome, which is known as the Chapel of the Ascension, and is supposed to mark the spot where Christ rose to heaven."
An entire forenoon was devoted to the visit to the Mount of Olives, and in the afternoon the party started for Bethlehem, a ride of less than two hours.
THE ROAD FROM JERUSALEM TO BETHLEHEM.
They went out by the Jaffa Gate, passing the Hill of Evil Counsel and the Lower Aqueduct, and winding among rocky hills similar to those by which they had come from Ramleh to the Holy City. They passed the convent of Mar Elyas, but did not stop to visit it, and their attention was constantly absorbed by the ancient and modern monuments scattered along the route. Their first halt was made at the tomb of Rachel, which is an insignificant building, with a dome above it, of the general type of the better class of tombs in Palestine.
THE TOMB OF RACHEL.
The tradition concerning the tomb of the mother of Benjamin (Gen. xxv. 19) has been well preserved through thirty centuries, and many generations have worshipped at this spot. It has been revered alike by Jews, Christians, and Moslems, and the spectacle is not infrequent of the adherents of three religions kneeling in harmony before this venerable structure. During the halt of our friends one of the party read aloud from the Bible the story of the death of Rachel. All remained silent, and with uncovered heads, till the touching narrative was ended.
From the tomb of Rachel the way led over hills and into valleys, and finally climbed the ridge on which Bethlehem stands. The situation of the place is quite picturesque. The town stands on a steep hill-side, and when looked at from a distance of half a mile or more, it presents the appearance of a series of terraces. The houses are low, and the roofs almost invariably flat; in this respect it has the general aspect of a Syrian town, and the position on the side of a hill gives an opportunity for thorough drainage.
ENTRANCE TO BETHLEHEM.
The most conspicuous building in the picture, as one approaches Bethlehem, is the monastery connected with the Church of the Nativity, and the whole structure appears more like a fortress than a religious establishment. Bethlehem would be of little consequence were it not for its biblical interest, as there are no natural or other attractions, and the streets are badly kept. The convent and church remind the stranger of the castles on the Rhine and Danube, and with a little play of the imagination he may think he is looking at the crags of Drachenfels or the ruins above the Iron Gate. But as he ascends the last of the hills, and passes the massive gate-way leading into the streets, he finds that Bethlehem is not unlike Jaffa, Jerusalem, and the other towns of the Holy Land that he has visited.
Ali had sent the tents ahead in the morning, and when our friends arrived everything was ready for them. There is no hotel at Bethlehem, and consequently travellers must sleep in tents, or be lodged at one of the convents. It was the time of the Christmas festivities, and all the convent accommodation had been secured by pilgrims and others, so that the camp became a necessity for Doctor Bronson's party.
This was the first glimpse of tent life in the Holy Land for Frank and Fred, and they were delighted with it, but at the same time a trifle disappointed. "I thought we would have to 'rough it' in this country," said Frank, "but I don't see much rough work in this."
"Nor I either," replied his cousin, as he examined the tents and their equipment. "Just look at it," said he, "and say whether this meets your ideas of wild life."
Together they made an inventory of what was before them. There were three tents for the six travellers, and each tent was large enough for amply accommodating two persons with space for dressing and moving about. One tent was arranged for a dining-room, and the dinner was nearly ready to be served. There was a table large enough for six to be seated, and there were camp-chairs for all. Ali explained that after dinner was over the table would be removed, and two beds set up, as in the other tents. The height of luxury seemed to be reached when Frank pointed to the carpet which covered the ground beneath each tent, and was a welcome protection for slippered feet.
"Real beds, chairs, tables, carpets, and all the comforts of a home," said Frank; "there isn't hardship enough here to make it interesting."
"I thought," said Fred, "we might have to sleep on the ground in the open air, or beneath a tent like the shelter of the Bedouin. Then we could eat dates which we gathered ourselves from the trees, or perhaps we could get some of the grapes that we see in the pictures in our Sunday-school books. Here we are on fare like what we get at the hotel, and it isn't wild life at all."
"Wait a little," said the Doctor, with a smile. "We haven't fairly begun yet, and you may see some hard times before you are through with the country. Quite likely we may have a storm some night, and if it proves to be a regular old-fashioned Syrian storm, such as I once saw here, you'll have all you want."
Ali interrupted them to say there would be sufficient time before dinner to visit the "Milk Grotto," which was quite near their camp.
Accordingly they went there, and found a cavern that was reached by a flight of steps from the ground above. The roof is eight or ten feet above the floor, and the room, which is fitted up as a chapel, is about ten feet by fifteen. The tradition is that the Holy Family was concealed here during its flight into Egypt, and consequently the place is visited by most of the Christian pilgrims that come to Bethlehem.
VIEW IN BETHLEHEM.
They returned to the camp to dinner, and then went to the Church of the Nativity. Every step of the way they were beset by peddlers of ornaments made of olive-wood, mother-of-pearl, and other things, just as they had been surrounded by the same class of men in Jerusalem. The inhabitants of Bethlehem drive a large trade among the pilgrims, and are chiefly engaged in the manufacture and sale of souvenirs of the place.
The Church of the Nativity is not of itself a large building, but the convents connected with it, and belonging to the three rival sects of Greeks, Latins, and Armenians, cover a broad area. The church measures about a hundred and twenty feet in length by a little less in breadth. It is divided by Corinthian columns supporting horizontal architraves in such a way that the interior consists of a nave and four aisles. It is one of the oldest churches in the world, as it was erected in the beginning of the fourth century, and, though repaired from time to time, it is generally believed to retain its original form and characteristics.
The building is now in a somewhat dilapidated condition, and the roof, which has been several times restored, threatens to fall in. At least that was the case when our friends went there, and one of the boys asked, very naturally, why it was allowed to be in such a condition, when it was one of the most venerated churches in all Christendom, and there ought to be no lack of money for its preservation.
"The trouble is," the Doctor answered, "the religious sects are so jealous of each other that they prevent the repair and preservation of the church. No two of the three sects—Greek, Latin, and Armenian—will consent that the third shall have the honor of repairing it, and they will not agree upon an architect to whom the work can be intrusted without interference from any of them.
"The church and the grotto of the Nativity, directly beneath it, are parcelled out among the three sects. Each has its own altars where services are performed, and there are other altars which are common to all, but at different hours. Several times there have been fights in the sacred grotto between these rival monks. A few years ago one of the sects set fire to some decorations that had been placed in the grotto by another, and the whole place was filled with smoke, and the walls were disfigured."
One of the boys asked if there was any bloodshed in this affair.
"Yes," was the reply; "I believe two or three of the monks were killed, and others severely wounded. It was necessary to call in the Turkish soldiers to suppress the disturbance, and the hostility among the Christians is so great that a guard is kept there constantly to preserve order.
"It is said that the Crimean War owed its origin, in part, to a quarrel about the possession of the Church of the Nativity, and on several occasions the peace of Europe has been threatened by disputes for a few square inches of the floor of the sacred grotto!"
INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY.
During the above conversation the party had been walking through the church, admiring the beauty of the columns that support the roof, and listening to the chanting of the service at one of the altars in the side aisles. Pilgrims were kneeling at the shrines, or seated near the columns, and several monks were moving among them, or guiding strangers around the building. The Latin monks were easily distinguished from the others by their shaven heads, which contrasted in a marked degree with the tall hats of the Greeks and Armenians; and the boys observed that none of the rival sects said a word to either of the others. Evidently there was a bitter hatred between them, and although they were all to be considered devout Christians, they did not follow the injunction of their Master to love one another.
THE PLACE OF THE NATIVITY.
The Doctor explained that there were two stairways descending into the grotto; that on the right being exclusively used by the Greeks and Armenians, while the other belonged to the Latins. As their guide was of the Latin Church they descended by the stairway on the left, and soon found themselves in the spot revered throughout all Christendom—the place where the founder of our religion was born.
Near the foot of the stairway they came to a niche in the wall of rock, and in front of it was a marble slab set in the floor, with a silver star in the centre. On the star was the inscription:
"HIC DE VIRGINE MARIA JESUS CHRISTUS NATUS EST."
("Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary.")
Reverentially they gazed at the star—the star of Bethlehem. Pious pilgrims knelt and kissed it; the monks as they entered bowed low before it; voices were hushed, and the air was filled with adoration. The low roof, the wall of "living rock," the swinging censers, the glowing lamps, all seemed to tell that the place was one of sanctity, and earthly thoughts should here give way to those of heaven.
Over the star sixteen lamps of silver were burning, and they burn there from beginning to end of the year, and year after year their light is never allowed to become dim. The quarrels of the factions rage over the silver star; the lamps are parcelled among them—six to the Greeks, and five each to the Armenians and Latins. Over the star is an altar which belongs to them alternately; it is ordinarily kept plain, and is only dressed by each sect when its turn comes to possess it.
THE MANGER.
In his next letter to his mother Frank described the visit to the Grotto of the Nativity and the church above it. "We first," said he, "looked at the silver star, to which the eyes of the whole Christian world are turned, and after several minutes spent in front of it our attention was directed to the Chapel of the Manger. It is a little to the right of the place of the Nativity, and is a recess cut in the rock. The tradition is that Christ was once laid in this manger, and a few feet away from it is the Chapel of the Magi, where the three wise men came to adore him.
ADORATION OF THE WISE MEN.
"The whole grotto is about forty feet by twelve, and the ceiling is ten or twelve feet high in most places. There are several passages and chambers connected with it; in one of the chambers is the Altar of the Innocents, which is supposed to be erected over the spot where the children slain by order of King Herod were buried. In another chamber are the altars and tombs of Jerome and Paula, who founded the Convent of the Nativity; along the sides of the principal grotto there are several oratories, which are said to correspond to the stalls in the original stable where the animals were tied.
"Every inch of the walls of the grotto is covered with richly embroidered cloth, and it is difficult to believe that the place was hewn from the rock. There are many lamps hanging from the ceiling, several of them adorned with jewels, and evidently costing a great deal of money. They are the gifts of kings and princes, and it is said that there is not room enough in the grotto to display a quarter of the splendid things that are sent here.
"Before we left the grotto we had an opportunity of seeing how the different sects regard each other. The Latins were holding a service at the Altar of the Nativity, and while they were engaged at it the stairway on the right, which belongs to the Greeks and Armenians, was crowded with the monks of those orders. Their manner was anything but reverential; during the service they whispered and laughed, and several times their laughter was not only visible but audible across the grotto to where we stood.
"One thing that jarred heavily on our feelings was the presence of two Turkish soldiers with bayonets fixed on their rifles; they belonged to the guard that has charge of the church, and two of them are constantly on duty in the Grotto of the Nativity, and close to the altar. The rest of the company was above in the church, and ready to be called upon at any moment to quell a disturbance. While the Latins were holding their service the men on duty were relieved: the tramp of the soldiers down the stairs and along the grotto, together with the clash and clang of their weapons, sounded strangely with the chant of the monks paying homage to the founder of our religion. Isn't it dreadful to think that only by force can order be maintained in this holy place?"
THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT.