how shall I set thee as Zeboim ? Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together."1

From the same height we took our last view of the course of the Jordan, marked only by the strip of verdure on its banks. Beyond lay the valley of Shittim, in the plains of Moab, a wilderness of pasture-land, said to be fifteen miles long by ten miles broad, affording ample room for the goodly tents of the many thousands of Israel. Not far from that spot Elijah ascended to heaven in his fiery chariot, and his mantle floated down upon his holy successor. And from the same opened sky at another time, the Spirit descended like a dove, and abode upon the Saviour when he was baptized by John in Jordan.

2

Another prominent object in the scene is the remains of an ancient village on the height nearly south from Bethany, and about half a mile distant; it is called Abu-Dis. May not this be the remains of Bethphage, the village "over against" the Jericho road, where the disciples obtained the colt and brought it to Jesus? No other trace of Bethphage has ever been found, neither has any traveller found an ancient name for Abu-Dis that has any probability of being the true one. The only objection is, that Abu-Dis is not upon the Jericho road, but half a mile to the south of it. But the words of the Evangelist, rightly understood, do not imply that Bethphage was on the Jericho road, or that Jesus entered the village. Jesus was travelling from Jericho probably by the present highway; "And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you."3 The simple meaning ap

1 Hos. XI. 8.

2 Num. XXII. 1; xxv. 1.

3 Mark XI. 1, 2.

pears to be, that when they came to the confines of these two villages, lying on the back of the Mount of Olives, (and Bethphage may be named first, because the more conspicuous of the two,) Jesus sent two of the disciples to the village on the opposing height. Had he passed through the village, there would have been no need to send messengers to fetch the colt.

Leaving the summit, we descended, over a lower brow of the hill, upon "the town of Mary and her sister Martha," concealed by terraces, and rocks, and fig-trees. We lingered here for a considerable time, occasionally attended by some of the simple country people, and reading over to ourselves the Xith chapter of John. It is a fragrant spot; the name of Christ was here poured forth in his wonderful deeds of love and tenderness, like Mary's pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and the fragrance is as fresh to a true disciple's heart as on the day when it was done.

We left Bethany with regret, and proceeded to Jerusalem by the broad and rocky pathway, which appears to be the ancient road. It was along this way Jesus rode upon the ass's colt; here they spread their garments in the way, and cut down branches of the trees and strewed them in the way, and cried Hosanna! You first obtain a distant view of part of Jerusalem before leaving the ridge on which Bethany stands; again you lose it, descending into a ravine; then ascending, you wind round the Mount of Olives, with the Mount of Offence beneath you, when suddenly the whole city comes into view. We read over the XIth chapter of Mark as we traversed this interesting road. It was by this road Jesus was walking when he said to the fig-tree, "No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever;" and the next morning they saw it dried up from the roots, and Jesus said, "Whoso

ever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, he shall have whatsoever he saith." Many such fig-trees now line the road, and we pulled some of their leaves for a memorial.

Leaving the track, and descending the steep of the Mount of Offence, we tried to find our way into the valley of Jehosaphat through the hanging village of Siloam. With great difficulty we succeeded, for the houses, many of which are ancient sepulchres hewn in the rock, are placed one above another in a very singular manner. As we sat at the Pool of Siloam, the deep shade of the rock was truly refreshing. We read over John IX. and VII. 37. We also paid a last visit to the fountain farther up, and gathered some of the white pebbles from beneath its soft flowing waters. We then ascended to the wall of the city, and entering by the Zion Gate, once more passed through the Jewish quarters, and looked upon the miseries of Israel in the city where David dwelt. "How hath the Lord

covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger!" They are by far the most miserable and squalid of all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and if we could have looked upon their precious souls, their temporal misery would have appeared but a faint emblem of the spiritual death that reigns within. "Ah sinful nation! a people laden with iniquity! The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint." May we never lose the feelings of intense compassion toward Israel, which these few days spent in Jerusalem awakened ; and never rest till all the faithful of the church of our fathers have the same flame kindled in their hearts!

1 Mark XI. 14, 20, 23.

2 Lam. II. 1.

3 Isa. I. 4, 5.

CHAPTER IV.

GIBEON-SYCHEM-SAMARIA-CARMEL.

"Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Bethaven, after thee, O Benjamin. Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke; among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be."-HOSEA v. 8, 9.

IN the cool of the afternoon, all the preparations for our departure being completed, we mounted our horses and wound our way through the streets of Jerusalem, slowly and reluctantly. We felt deep regret at leaving both the city with its holy associations, and the kind friends who had given us such Christian entertainment in this strange land. The communion of saints had been inexpressibly precious, though enjoyed here only for a few days. Mr Nicolayson, whose truly Christian and brotherly kindness we can never forget nor repay, rode some miles with us, and then bade us farewell.

A Latin Christian, Giuseppe, asked leave to travel in our company. He lived at Bethlehem, and had visited us several times in Jerusalem, selling the beads, inkhorns, and mother-of-pearl ornaments, which are made at Bethlehem. On his arm he had the Virgin Mary and the Holy Sepulchre punctured with the Al-henna dye, a custom which appears to have been in use in ancient times.1

1 Isa. XLIX. 16; XLIV. 5.

TOMBS OF THE JUDGES-NABY-SAMUEL.

265

We journeyed north-west, and soon passed the Tombs of the Judges, but had only time to glance at them. They are cut out of the rock in the same manner as the Tombs of the Kings. Though it is commonly said that they are the sepulchres of members of the Sanhedrim, yet their real history has not been ascertained. Descending by a very rocky path, we came to the bottom of the deep valley, called by travellers the Valley of Elah. Luxuriant vineyards were on either hand, and the sun's rays poured down with great power into the deep ravines. We soon began to ridge on which Naby-Samuel stands. appeared among the hills both on the and the remnants of ancient terraces were distinctly to be traced on most of the slopes.

ascend the high Several villages right and left,

In two hours from Jerusalem, we arrived at NabySamuel, situated on the highest point of a terraced hill of considerable height, having a few wretched houses, and an old ruined church, said to have been built by the renowned St George, but now converted into a mosque, whose spire or minaret attracts the eye on every side. For many centuries this spot has been regarded as the ancient Ramah, where the prophet Samuel was born; where he lived and mourned over the land and its apostate king, as he looked down from this eminence on its populous tribes; and where also he was buried.1 There appears to be no good reason for doubting the accuracy of this ancient tradition. The ruins stand on the most elevated point of the whole region, commanding a magnificent view on every side; thus answering well to the name Ramah, which means a height," and to its other name Ramathaim-Zophim, "The heights of the watchmen." The conjecture that it is the an

1 I Sam. I. 1; VIII. 4; xxv. 1.

Ꮓ

66