About 4 p. m. we arrived at our encampment, a beautiful basin enclosed by romantic hills at the entrance of the Valley of Ajalon. Through the night we were serenaded by bands of musical frogs, accompanied by howls of jackals in the adjacent hills, relieved by the low plaintive chants of our Turkish guards, and charming songs of cuckoos perched in the branches of olive trees around our camp.
On the following morning, after an early breakfast, with our faces toward the "Holy City," we moved forward, passing through the Valley of Ajalon, and soon commenced ascending into a more elevated region of country, generally rocky and mountainous, producing but little more than is required for the flocks of sheep and goats ranging upon it.
About 12 o'clock we stopped to lunch under the shade of olive trees, in the Valley of Elah, where it is said David selected stones with which to combat Goliath, while the two contending armies were encamped on the slopes of the adjacent mountains. At a short distance from this locality we were shown the Kirjath-jearim of sacred history, where the "Ark of the Covenant" is said to have rested twenty years.
The Valley of Elah is richly ornamented in the midst of its rocky surface and sparse vegetation with what is called the "Rose of Sharon," a flower of a deep red, velvety appearance, three inches in circumference or thereabout, growing from six inches to one foot in height.
One hour's ride from our lunching place will bring us to Jerusalem. We move on and at length ascend an eminence, and gaze on the "Holy City," Jerusalem. Away to the right is Mount Zion, the city of David. Off to our left, that lofty eminence, with an aspect so barren, is the Mount of Olives, once the favorite resort of our Savior, and the spot last pressed by His sacred feet before He ascended into the presence of His Father. These interesting historic scenes, with all their sacred associations, inspire thoughts and reflections impressive and solemn. Yes, there is Jerusalem! Where Jesus lived and taught, and was crucified, where He cried, "It is finished," and bowed His head and died! We slowly and thoughtfully wind our way down the hill, passing the Russian buildings and other prominent establishments, until we reach the city and enter our encampment.
After remaining one day at Jerusalem, according to programme, February 22d, we struck our tents, resumed our saddles, and started on an excursion of three days to Solomon's Pools, Bethlehem, Convent of Mar Saba, the Dead Sea, the Jordan, returning by the way of Bethany to Jerusalem.
About six miles' ride over a rocky, sterile country, brought us to Rachel's Tomb. It is a small stone building, forty feet long and twenty wide, and is respected by Christians, Jews and Mahommedans. Here we made a detour over a miserable, rocky, tortuous path of some three miles to the Pools of Solomon. These pools consist of three immense reservoirs, situated in a broad valley about three miles from Bethlehem. They are partly excavated in a rocky bed, and partly built of large hewn stones, and so arranged that the bottom of the upper pool is higher than the top of the next, and the same with the second and the third. The first pool is three hundred and eighty feet in length, twenty-five feet deep, and about two hundred and forty feet broad. The second is about one hundred and sixty feet from the upper pool, four hundred and twenty-three feet in length, about two hundred and forty in breadth, and thirty-nine in depth. The lower one, nearly two hundred and fifty feet from the middle pool, is five hundred and eighty feet in length, about two hundred feet wide and fifty feet deep.
These pools receive their supplies from a subterraneous fountain, some distance up the valley. The water from these pools was formerly conveyed in an aqueduct by Bethlehem, in a winding course, to Jerusalem; but at present it only goes to Bethlehem. These pools are supposed to have been built by Solomon. From this point we continued our course over rocky ridges, following a narrow, winding trail, till we reached Bethlehem, the birthplace of our Savior.
This city is pleasantly situated upon a mountain ridge, the slopes of which are terraced with rows of fig and olive trees, rising one above another in regular gradation. The population of Bethlehem is about three thousand, principally Christians. The Church of the Nativity is about the only attraction. We entered it and followed a winding staircase to the Grotto of the Nativity, which is brilliantly lighted with about thirty silver lamps, kept continually burning. The floor is laid with precious marbles. A white marble slab, placed in the pavement, set around with jasper, in the centre of which is a silver sun, is encircled with the following words: Hic de Virgine Maria Jesus Christus Natus Est., i. e., "Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary." Though we had scruples respecting this being the identical spot it represented, still these words, in connection with the peculiar circumstances around, produced impressions never to be forgotten. Near by was pointed out the place where the wise men stood while presenting the Royal Infant myrrh and frankincense. A little distant from this we were shown an altar, which is said to indicate the place where twenty thousand children, murdered by Herod's order, were buried; now called, on this account, "The Altar of the Innocents." A painting directly over it represents the massacre.
We were conducted into a retired, solitary niche of this church, almost devoid of light, the identical Studio of St. Jerome, where he spent most of his life in deep study and produced those works which gave celebrity to his name.