hill on which it stands is a ruined tower; and, in the south side, we passed some ruined arches. The population-speaking from conjecture—may be rather more than that of Abilene, say six or seven hundred souls. NAZARETH. The sun was now fast declining: and, as we were well persuaded of the ignorance of our guides by the frequent questions which they asked on the road, we hastened on; and, at length, when it was nearly dark, having entered the streets of Nazareth, proceeded to the Latin convent, where we had an interview with the monks, who were all collected together in the room of the Superior. In this room is an order, fixed in a conspicuous place, directing that the pilgrims shall enjoy hospitable entertainment for three days; after which they are expected to move forward on their visit to the different scenes of devotion in this Holy Land. This direction did not, however, apply to us; it being designed for those who pay nothing. Having, therefore, entered the apartment allotted to us, we began to revolve in our minds how we might do some good in this place, and extend our excursion to the interesting spots in its neighborhood, before we should turn our faces toward Jerusalem. be treasured up as matter for affectionate and adoring meditation. Thursday, Nov. 6, 1823.-Rising very earlyfor the interesting scenes around greatly excite me, and often take sleep from my eyes-I went down into the court of the convent, and found the morning congregation already assembling at the chapel. By the faint light, I observed particularly some females, dressed in complete white, gliding along the court to attend the service. The occasional sound of the organ accompanying the voice of the choristers was very touching. I did not, however, enter; it seems to me, that, as Christian missionaries, it becomes us to be reserved in our communications with a system of worship which cannot be considered as pure from idolatry. In the course of the morning, we visited the school of the convent. A native Roman Catholic is the master, and teaches the children Arabic. We counted forty scholars, but the master says that he has fifty. They were chiefly reading, or learning to repeat, the Arabic Psalter. This is the great school-book to all the native Christians: yet it is in a style considerably elevated above the vernacular, modern language. We entered the chapel, at an hour when there was no service. It is a fine large building and remarkably well adapted for display, there being three separate floors, tastefully arranged. 1. There is an elevated platform of ample dimensions, on which stands the high altar; and from which the priests command a view of the congregation. 2. By a flight of steps on either side, you descend from this platform to the longest is There are many passages in the history of our divine Redeemer, which glance, with such simplicity and pathos, on the circumstances of His condescending and endearing intercourse with those whom He came to save, that it would require a more than ordinary degree of moral in-floor; which comprehends, in fact, three-fourths sensibility, not to be touched with their beauty. of the total area of the building, and reaches to Who can read St. Luke's account of them, when the lower end of the chapel: here the congregahe was at the tender age of twelve years, and not tion assembles. 3. From this floor, a broad flight be attracted toward Him by an irresistible affec- of steps, between the two flights before mentiontion? After He had been found by His disconso-ed, leads down to a small chapel and altar, directly late parents, and had gently reproved their misapprehension of His conduct, which to them had appeared undutiful, it is added-proving, that undutifulness was no part of his character-" And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." From my earliest childhood, I have learned to admire that passage: and, now that I am on the very spot to which it refers, it comes over my mind with a new freshness and delight. Here I am, resting, where my Redeemer, perfect God and perfect Man, deigned to pass His youth; and was even subject to those, of whom He, as God, was the Creator and Lord! Here, the devoted Mary, with a mother's fondness, and doubtless with a secret awe of His perfect wisdom, kept all his sayings in her heart. Few, very few of these His youthful expressions are recorded; the evangelists relating, almost exclusively, the actions and discourses of His manhood and public ministry. But, here, those sayings were by Him uttered; and, here, by Mary, and possibly by a few others,* they would *I venture to say, "few others." It might, perhaps, not unfairly be inferred, that our Saviour's youth was very retired, from the circumstance that Nathanael, who lived so near to Nazareth, and was beneath the platform of the high altar. Standing, therefore, in the middle of the principal floor, and looking toward the other two floors, the eye caught, below, by the altar of the salutation— above, by the solemnities of high mass-and, higher still, by the organs in the galleries on the other side. The work is costly; and all around are large pictures in tapestry, exhibiting the different parts of evangelical history, especially those belonging to Nazareth. We descended the steps to the lower altar, and had a priest to explain the particulars of the place-such as the miraculous column, which still points out, it is said, where the angel Gabriel stood; the house (or cavern rather) behind the altar, in which the Blessed Virgin lived; the very spot where she lighted her fire to dress her food-and many such like things, to hear which excites one's pity. In the afternoon, from the terrace of the con so eminent a saint, yet speaks as a man ignorant of the conversation of Christ, and as one who suppos ed himself to be personally unknown to our Lord. If he had heard of the extraordinary discourses of Him, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, he would scarcely have broken out into that exclamation, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? And when accosted familiarly by Jesus, he asks, Whence knowest thou me? Nazareth is distant from Cana only about five or six miles. vent, we had a very good view of the town. From repeated estimates of the number of houses, which rise like an amphitheatre up the slope of the hill on which modern Nazareth is built, I should judge that there are five hundred. This would, in this country, give a population certainly of as many as three thousand souls. One room is sometimes occupied by from five to ten persons: and one room of this sort frequently constitutes a house; as has already been noticed in the account of Beirout and Tyre. In the centre of the town, stands one mosque; the minaret of which daily proclaims, that Jesus of Nazareth is not here the exclusive, or the dominant, master. In no place which I have hitherto visited, does that sight diffuse such a sensible melancholy over the scene. The convent is surrounded by well-walled gardens, with a good variety of fruit trees and vines. For want of money, however, the number of friars is small, and the cultivation of the gardens is rather neglected. We commenced the sale of sacred Scriptures to-day. Mr. Fisk went out to reconnoitre the different bodies of Christians, while I remained at home, indisposed. Friday, Nov. 7, 1823.-The sale of the sacred Scriptures continues with good success. Our servant is active in this work, as we found him to be also at Acre. Saturday, Nov. 8.-The distribution of Scriptures, which is our principal work at present as missionaries, continues; not, however, without much inquiry and some opposition. The Greeks make no objection. Of the two Maronite priests, one bought a copy from us, and paid promptly for it; but, in two minutes, came to return it, and desired his money back, which we gave him. The Latins are the principal objectors; and, I have no doubt, the instigators of all the opposition that is made. We have, however, met their objections, one by one; and some even of their own people come to purchase. One of the priests plainly said, that they saw through the design of the English in bringing these books into the country-that it was, to form an ENGLISH PARTY; adding, that the money thus spent might, with far better success, be given away by us, "sotto mano," as he expressed it: "underhand," for the promotion of our design. An ENGLISH PARTY! What a grovelling idea! Oh that missionaries may ever rise, and may they raise others also, above such an unholy mingling of secular glory, or national or party interest, with holy things! True, we have often heard of the Bible Society as constituting the chief glory of our nation; and, in a certain sense, it is so. But what is the glory of a redeemed sinner?-Humility and love to his Redeemer. And what the best spirit of a Christian nation?-The samegenuine humility, confessing that we are not worthy to present a hundred thousand talents as an offering for the service of the Lord; and fervent love, persevering till it makes that sum a million, and yet deems such a gift too low a measure of its affection. It is, however, natural for men to judge others according to the standard of their own feelings: and, on this ground, it may very well be under stood how agents of pontifical supremacy should impute party spirited motives to missionaries of another creed. May God grant, that the spirit of the Bible may so prevail, as that all shall desire only the winning of souls to Christ! The superior of the convent having told our servant not to sell any more sacred Scriptures: the youth acquainted us with this command: adding, that the Superior had said, that the books would all be burnt when we were gone, and that the Greeks troubled him on the subject. I replied, "Giuseppe, there have been MEN put into the fire; who, nevertheless, came out unharmed; and so it will be with the Scriptures: some may be burned; yet good will arise out of it, on the whole. We mean no disrespect to the Superior, under whose roof we are living; but this book, you know, is the master of us all." Very true," he replied, "and all buy it." "Then," I said, "continue to sell, and fear nothing; for it is the will of God." He did so; and no evil came of it: so that he was much encouraged. 66 In the afternoon, I went with Mr. Fisk to visit the Greek church. It is a little out of the town, to the north-east; a hundred steps or more beyond a well, to which the inhabitants of Nazareth go to draw water. In the church is a separate oratory, in the centre of which is a deep hole, communicating with the stream of water which supplies the above mentioned well. The Greeks have their tradition, that the Virgin Mary was at this spot drawing water, when the angel Gabriel saluted her. They do not deny that the Latin convent is built on the spot where her house stood; but they claim, for their part, the well of the salutation. These distinctions furnish, to ignorant minds, matter for high controversy; and serve, after men have differed from one another on weightier matters, to keep up those petty irritations, by which our great enemy prolongs among us the note of religious strife. The people were collecting together to attend the vespers; and the priest encouraged them to buy our Arabic Scriptures; all of them speak Arabic, and some of them can read. We left a small supply for sale, during our absence of next week: these, we afterward found, were sold. The Greeks are the most numerous body of Christians in Nazareth, both by their own account and the admission of the others. They have three priests. The Maronites here are few in number; not above twenty or thirty houses. They seem to be the outposts of Mount Lebanon; for we found no more of them after this place, further south. They have a church here; and wo priests, brothers, from Ain el Warka. They asked for Syriac Scriptures; which, on a subsequent occasion, I was enabled to send them. The Latin convent, occupied by Franciscan friars, is by far the most conspicuous and commodious building in Nazareth. It is entirely of stone, and very substantial; and is surrounded by high walls. Adjoining it, but on the opposite side of the road, is another house of stone, belonging to the "Terra Santa;" occupied, at present, by the family of the Austrian vice consul, Seignior Catafago, whom we left at Acre. This convent consists of an old and a new part. The old is not used at present, in consequence of the fewness Nazareth, the author will add two observations, relative to its situation, which may tend to throw some light on passages of Scripture. Nazareth is situated on the side, and extends nearly to the foot of a hill, which, though not very high, is rather steep and overhanging. The eye naturally wanders over its summit, in quest of the men of this place endeavored to cast our Sasome point from which it might probably be that viour down: (Luke iv. 29) but in vain: no rock adapted to such an object appears. At the foot low hills, reaching in length nearly a mile; in of the hill is a modest simple plain, surrounded by breadth, near the city, a hundred and fifty yards; but, further on, about four hundred yards. On this plain there are a few olive trees, and fig trees, sufficient, or rather scarcely sufficient, to make the spot picturesque. Then follows a ravine, which gradually grows deeper and narrower; till, after walking about another mile, you find yourself in an immense chasm with steep rocks on either side, from whence you behold, as it were beneath your feet, and before you, the noble plain of Esdraelon. Nothing can be finer than the apparently immeasurable prospect of this plain, bounded to the south by the mountains of Samaria. The elevation of the hills on which the spectator stands in this ravine is very great; and the whole of the residents. The new part was built between sixty and seventy years ago; and consists of about twenty-three rooms, on each side of three long corridors, forming this figure but, together with the old part, there must be at least fifty habitable rooms in the establishment, besides out offices. The mode in which the chambers are built may be understood by describing ours: it is square; the walls of massive thickness, so as to support its own roof, which is concave, and built of stone, without any wood. The corridors are arched. Thus, when walking on the top of the roof, there are as many convex sections of a globe upon its surface, as there are chambers, This is a mode of building much more ornamental than the flat roofs of Malta, which from their sameness weary the eye: these, on the contrary, are somewhat picturesque at a distance, having the appearance of many small domes. The tenants of this splendid establishment are, at present, only eight or nine, of whom five or six are priests; four are Spanish; the rest are Neapolitans and Italians. Excepting the curate, who, as confessor, is under the necessity of speaking a little Arabic, the rest are ignorant of that language; and some of them seemed quite to laugh at the idea of knowing it. Of course, they do not preach; but Latin services of various kinds are almost conscene, when we saw it, was clothed in the most stantly, day and night, performing in their splen-rich mountain blue color that can be conceived. did church. How often, when taking my evening At this spot, on the right hand of the ravine, is walk upon the terrace, has the reflection forced shown the rock to which the men of Nazareth are itself upon me-"This is a grand experiment, and it has failed!" Two things have cost the Latins supposed to have conducted our Lord, for the purWith the Testadear in this land-buildings and firmans: the ment in our hands, we endeavored to examine the pose of throwing him down. prime cost of the building of this convent must have been immense; and, when once settled in probabilities of the spot; and I confess there is their various stations, the friars are still under nothing in it which excites a scruple of incredulity in my mind. The rock here is perpendicular for the necessity of drawing out from their purses about fifty feet, down which space it would be continually large sums of money, to satisfy the rapacity of the Turks, and purchase-what, it easy to hurl a person who should be unawares appears, could be had only by purchase-civil brought to the summit; and his perishing would be a very certain consequence. That the spot protection. And in what has it ended? Is Jesus might be at a considerable distance from the city, is an idea not inconsistent with St. Luke's account; for the expression, thrusting Jesus out of the city, their city was built, gives fair scope for imagining, and leading him to the brow of the hill on which that, in their rage and debate, the Nazarenes might, without originally intending his murder, they had quitted the synagogue. The distance, press upon him for a considerable distance after as already noticed, from modern Nazareth to this fury of persecution, might soon be passed over. spot is scarcely two miles-a space, which, in the Or should this appear too considerable, it is by no of Nazareth worshipped more extensively in these countries, than he was before the Roman Catholic missions were sent hither? Has Mohammedanism yielded one jot or tittle to their influence? In spect: as little have the other orders to say: and, The following morning we took our departure for Tiberias; but, before quitting the account of means certain but that Nazareth may at that time have extended through the principal part of the plain, which I.have described as lying before the modern town in this case, the distance passed to note the expression-the brow of the hill, on over might not exceed a mile. It remains only which their city was built: this, according to the modern aspect of the spot, would seem to be the hill north of the town, on the lower slope of which the town is built: but I apprehend the word hill to have in this, as it has in very many other passages of Scripture, a much larger sense; denoting sometimes a range of mountains, and in some instances a whole mountainous district. In all tier in three directions-towards Samaria to the south; a region notorious for iniquity, and frequent revolts-toward the land of the Philistines on the south-west-and, on the west, toward the maritime city, peopled by heathens, Acre. Between these three regions and Nazareth, there is little more than the broad sweep of the plains of Esdraelon and Acre. These plains lie more or less at the feet of the mountains of Nazareth; although the plain of Acre does not so nearly approach them, as the plain of Esdraelon. these cases the singular word "hill," "gebel," is used, according to the idiom of the language of this country. Thus, Gebel Carmyl, or Mount Carmel, is a range of mountains: Gebel Libnan, or Mount Lebanon, is a mountainous district of more than fifty miles in length; Gebel ez-Zeitun, the Mount of Olives, is certainly, as will be hereafter noted, a considerable tract of mountainous country. And thus any person, coming from Jerusalem and entering on the Plain of Esdraelon, would, if asking the name of that bold line of mountains which bounds the north side of the plain, be In the rear of Nazareth, northward and eastinformed that it was Gebel Nasra, the hill of Na-ward, are the peaceful towns and plains of Galilee. zareth; though, in English, we should call them Now in addition to the bad character of the Sathe mountains of Nazareth. Now the spot shown maritans, the inhabitants of all the sea coast were as illustrating Luke iv. 29, is, in fact, on the very brow of this lofty ridge of mountains; in comparison of which, the hill upon which the modern town is built is but a gentle eminence. I can see, therefore, no reason for thinking otherwise, than that this may be the real scene where our Divine Prophet, Jesus, experienced so great a dishonor from the men of his own country and of his own kindred.. notoriously flagitious. They were left, as we are expressly told (Judges iii. 1-6,) to prove the Israelites, and that the generations of the children of Israel might learn war. An evil neighborhood this for Nazareth! The men of Nazareth might, in such a vicinity, easily be ensnared into heathenish affinity. (Judges iii. 6.) Their worst characters, fleeing from justice or revenge, would easily find the nearest asylum, at a distance of from twenty to thirty miles, in Nazareth. In every quarrel or war, between Galilee on the one side, and, on the other side, either Samaria or the Philistines and the inhabitants of the coast, Nazareth would stand the foremost. In commerce with the maritime towns, Nazareth would lie constantly exposed to the temptations to break the Sabbath, mentioned in Nehemiah xiii. 16. Thus, by degrees, might this frontier town become a nest of the very worst characters, and addicted to the worst sins; and its condition would probably be the more notorious, from the contrast which it would form to the better protected and more peaceable inhabitants of the interior of Galilee. Another passage relative to this place, namely, the question of Nathanael (John i. 46.)-Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth ?-which seems to have been almost proverbial, is not, to my mind, well accounted for by any expositor that I have seen. Some have attributed the phrase to that scorn, with which Galilee was viewed by the Jews; who held that out of Gaiilee ariseth no prophet: (John vii. 52.) but Nathanael, himself a Galilean, being of Cana, was not likely to have quoted this reproach: nor does there seem any propriety, even if he admitted and quoted the reproach, in the idea of his fixing it upon another contiguous town of his own district. Others refer to the base conduct of the men of Nazareth toward our Lord, as sufficiently proving that it must have been a place of very vile character. Still the question remains, Whence should Monday, Nov. 10, 1823.-Set off for Tiberias. Nazareth acquire this bad repute with its neigh- On the way, at about two hours and a half from bors; and that to so high a degree, as to merit Nazareth, we stopped at Khan-es-Sook, or the the severe question of Nathanael? Perhaps there "Khan of the Fair," situated not far from the may have been circumstances, to us unknown, in foot of Mount Tabor. Here are two or three its history, the knowledge of which would at once nearly ruined khans.* The place derives its clear up the point.* In the absence of such in-name from the circumstance of a fair being held formation, it has occurred to me as no unlikely conjecture, that the very position of this town might, in some measure, account for its ill character. It was a kind of frontier town. It was fron TIBERIAS. here every Monday. We estimated that about a thousand souls were present; and there was much cattle. A caravan from Damascus arrived, and passed on. We had aimed at this spot in our journey, with a view to selling Arabic Scriptures; but could not succeed: the men of Nazareth were the principal merchants in the fair, and had al *Whitby, in his Notes on Matthew ii. 23, illustrating also John i. 46, quotes from Buxtorff and Abazbinel, that "there was among the Jews a cele-ready seen them in Nazareth. brated thief, called Ben Nezer; and, in allusion to him, they gave this name to Christ. So Abazbinel saith; The little horn mentioned Daniel vii. 8, is Ben Nezer, that is, Jesus of Nazareth.' And this title of Nazarean, both the Jews and the enemies of Christianity gave always, by way of contempt, to our Jesus." This single fact of one notorious thief, named from Nazareth, does not seem sufficient to have, alone, established the bad character of the town. It is observable, however, that it accords with the view taken by the author of the probable manner in which Nazareth obtained its pre-eminence in infamy. This celebrated thief was, no loubt, one among many of that character. At length, about the sultry hour of three o'clock, we arrived at the summit of the mountain, which commands a view of Tiberias; and of the lake, called variously in Scripture, the Sea of Tiberias, the Sea of Galilee and the Lake of Gennesaret; known also by the name of Cinneroth. The town of Tiberias is surrounded with walls and towers, such as to form a very imposing scene at first I have been since informed, by a Maltese priest who has visited this spot, that these ruins were formerly castles belonging to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, at the time when they possessed Acre. view. On nearer observation, however, their insignificance is apparent: a few cannon would put them down in an instant; though, to an assault from the natives, they would present, probably, a very long and effectual resistance. The town itself has many parts in a very ruinous and filthy condition. Making allowance for much space which is vacant, we judged the population might be one thousand souls: but, considering that a large portion is peopled by Jews, who crowd together in a very little space, possibly the number may be greater. We remarked two minarets. As we approached the gate of the city, we were met by two Polish Jews, whose costume and extremely filthy garb announced to us that we were entering upon Hebrew scenes. We rode at once, as we had been recommended to do, to the house of Seignior Rafaele Piciotto, an aged Jewish gentleman, who formerly held the office of Austrian consul at Aleppo; and, being succeeded by his son, has retired hither to pass the remainder of his days peacefully, on ground considered by the Jews as holy. We had every reason to be grateful to him for his civil attentions We were accommodated with a clean upper room, and entertained hospitably at his to us. table. feet from the margin of the lake. On the way The earth all around the baths is bubbling up with streamlets of water, emitting a most powerful sulphureous smell. We placed the thermometer in different spots where the water gushes out; and found it rise to the various heights of 131, 132, 138, 139, of Fahrenheit. In the bath, where, from standing some time, it cools, its temperature was 110. An humble building is erected over the bath, containing mean apartments on one side for men, on the other for women; and many persons come from far, to be healed of their diseases in Toward evening, we witnessed the scene of his these waters. On our arrival, we found a moving whole household performing prayers. About assemblage of persons, in number about ten at a thirty persons came at this hour into the court, time: we immediately had an open window-seat and united in repeating the service; in conducting cleared for our use, where we rested for a few which, Rabbi Samuel, who has married his step- minutes to take some refreshment. Mr. Fisk then daughter, was the chief leader. It was very af-set off with the principal guide, to see the juncfecting, at one part, to view them turning their tion of the lake with the river Jordan. faces toward Jerusalem-bowing, and lifting up their voices in fervent petitions. It reminded us of Daniel's supplications when in Babylon; who had his windows open toward Jerusalem, and kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed. (Daniel vi. 10.) After sunset the table was prepared, and we sat down to a plentiful supper; at which it gratified us to see females joining the circle-a sight banished from Turkish and Christian houses in this country; but not from Jewish. These were, the consul's wife and stepdaughter. The consul himself professes to know very little of his countrymen in this place. His son-in-law, however, is more communicative. The Mohammedans in this place are more numerous, he says, than the Jews: but when it comes to the question of actual numbers, you will rarely find two men agreeing in their account. Rabbi Samuel stated the Sephartim, or Spanish Jews, at seventy or eighty houses-say four hundred souls; and the Ashkenasim, or Polish Jews, at a hundred and fifty houses-say seven hundred and fifty souls; but another said that the Sephartim were ninety houses, and the Ashkenasim ninetysix. Rabbi Samuel also says that there are no Jews here of the sect of the Perushim, but that all are Hassidim. Tuesday, Nov. 11, 1823.-Having a fever upon me, I was unable to move far to-day; and therefore limited my excursion to the baths of Tiberi'as, while Mr. Fisk rode to the south of the lake, where the river Jordan issues from it. The baths of Tiberias, so much celebrated by many authors, are just a mile south of the town, and about fifty After spending some time in writing till my mind was weary, I left the bath, and sauntered two or three hundred paces to seek a little shade by the side of a small fragment of ruins. The other guide, knowing that I was indisposed, seemed to think it his duty to follow me step by step: he then sat down, much more quietly and respectfully than people of this country are often apt to do. I must, however, say, that although noise and rudeness are their general characteristics; yet there is, occasionally, in their way of treating strangers, a considerateness, which almost amounts to politeness. The composure which came over my feverish spirits at this hour was inexpressibly refreshing. I laid myself down upon the ground; and resting my head upon a stone near me, drew a little coolflections, which naturally sprung up from the ness from the soil: while the simple train of reAt a great distance to the north, was the mounscene around me, added much to my enjoyment. tainous horizon, on the summit of which stands Safet, glistening with its noble castle: it is not improbably supposed that our Saviour had this spot in His eye, and directed the attention of His disciples to it, when He said "A city, that is set on a hill, cannot be hid;" for it is in full view from the Mount of the Beatitudes, as well as from this place; and, indeed, seems to command all the country round to a great extent. Tracing, at a glance, the margin of this simple lake, on the opposite or eastern side, the eye rests on the inhospitable country of the Gadarenes inhospitable to this day; for my guide, after long silence, per |