CHAPTER XXIV.

FROM JERUSALEM TO BETHLEHEM.-CHURCH AND GROTTO OF THE NATIVITY.

UR 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.*

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

*Matt. xxvi. 30-56; Mark xiv. 26-52; Luke xxii. 39-53; John xviii. 1-14.

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

GETHSEMANE.

grown sufficiently large to be passed off as the original ones of the beginning of the Christian era.

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:

THE MOUNT OF OLIVES.

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"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).'

"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.

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 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.

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