After spending some time in gratifying our curiosity and in experimenting on the bathing qualities of its waters, we left its dismal shores, steering across a flat, sterile plain, some three miles distant, and stopped under some willows on the banks of the sacred Jordan, near the place where it is supposed the Israelites crossed, and where our Savior was baptized.
LETTER VIII.
Jordan River.—Sacred localities.—Fountain of Elisha.—Brook Cherith.—Plains of Jericho.—Bethany.—Residence of Mary and Martha.—Tomb of Lazarus.—Garden of Gethsemane.—Hill of evil counsel.—Mizpah.—Valley of Jehoshaphat.—Absalom's Pillar.—Mosque of Omar.—Solomon's Temple.—Mount Moriah.—Worship of Moloch.—Place of Lamentation.
Palestine, March 6th, 1873.
Editor Deseret News:
Our visit to the river Jordan was interesting. As we drank of its sweet and refreshing waters and washed in its sacred stream, our thoughts and reflections recurred to the days of childhood, when we were accustomed to peruse the Holy Scriptures describing the important events which transpired in this locality—the passage of the Israelites when the channel became dry, as the priests, bearing upon their shoulders the sacred ark, stepped into the flowing stream; the dividing of the waters by Elijah when he passed over the dry bed and was taken up into heaven from the plain on the opposite side by a whirlwind; and Elisha, as he returned, took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, saying, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" thus making the third time the Jordan was divided. But another event of much deeper interest is associated with this place—the baptism of our Savior, referred to in the following language: "John came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and Jesus came from Galilee to Jordan to be baptized of him;" and we were at or near the identical point where all these memorable events had taken place, standing upon the bank, looking down into the glen, and bathing in the same stream which had borne silent witness of these sublime occurrences.
This stream of Biblical history flows through a glen varying from two hundred to six hundred yards in width, and from fifty to one hundred and fifty feet in depth below the surrounding plain. The bottom of the glen is sprinkled here and there with shrubs; tamarisk, oleander and willows grow on the banks of the stream, which are generally very steep. The Jordan varies in width from eighty to one hundred and fifty feet, with a depth often of ten or twelve feet. It flows through the Sea of Galilee; from the great fountain at Dan, to where it empties into the Dead Sea, its distance in a direct line is ninety-two miles. The Sea of Galilee is about six hundred feet higher than the mouth of the Jordan, and sixty miles distant. This river has a rapid current, making it dangerous to bathers unacquainted with the stream. A gentleman from New York, who joined us at Jaffa, stated that on his previous tour to Palestine, while bathing here, he was suddenly carried down by the force of the current, and at the last moment was saved by a dexterous and extraordinary effort of his dragoman.
A singular custom prevails among the Christian churches of Palestine—that of bathing in the Jordan every year at Easter. They gather in multitudes, putting themselves under the protection of a Turkish escort, headed by the Governor of Jerusalem or his deputy, to protect them from the Bedouin robbers. Starting from the "Holy City," traveling on foot and upon mules, donkeys and camels, through the wild, mountain regions of Judea, they cross the Plains of Jordan, and on reaching its sacred stream, rush indiscriminately into the flowing waters, young and old, men and women, regardless of propriety or even decency. Through this ceremony they anticipate peculiar favors and heavenly blessings.
Having sufficiently examined the Jordan and its surroundings, we proceeded across the plains, making our encampment at the Fountain of Elisha, near the ruins of Jericho. This fountain consists of several small springs which flow from beneath a large mound. These are the famous waters which were healed by Elisha, as spoken of in Scripture. A stream flows from them of considerable size, which waters a portion of the Plain of Jericho. The Valley of the Jordan, in the direction we crossed, is about ten miles in width, possessing a rich soil, and with proper tillage could be made abundantly productive. A great portion of it, however, is a dreary, desolate region. Some parts of the valley watered by the Brook Cherith and the stream issuing from Elisha's Fountain are covered with lotus trees, interspersed with willows and a prolific growth of weeds. Some distance from these water courses, the trees and shrubbery are more thinly scattered which viewed in the distance resemble an immense park, beautiful and picturesque. These plains were formerly celebrated for their richness and fertility—their palm groves and luxuriant gardens, producing honey and balm, reckoned the most fertile region of Judea. Now nothing of this kind remains. The Plains of Jericho were formerly considered the garden of Palestine; their aspect now is strangely different, nothing is seen but small fields of grain intermixed with thorny bush.