When I landed on the shores of Palestine, I felt at once that I was treading on holy ground. We had intended landing at Jaffa, but unfortunately it was far too rough, there is no harbor there, and passengers are taken ashore in small boats. The captain took us up the coast of Haifa. This is a German colony, and mostly inhabited by Germans. A number of them were pitiful to see: walking about in rags and bare-footed, working terribly hard in the severe heat.There in the not very far distance stood the beautiful Mount Carmel, its heights rising to 1,500 ft. One couldn’t help thinking of Elijah and Elisha, for it was on this mount that Elijah so successfully opposed the false prophets of Baal. This we read in the first Book of Kings, Chapter 18.Numerous travelers have described it as the most beautiful mountain in Palestine.We eventually landed at Nazareth, where at the hotel we had a belated lunch and afterward explored this ancient place. We saw a shepherd with his sheep and were very much impressed that he was leading and not driving his flock. One of the sheep – which is the leader – wears a bell, so if he wanders out of sight the others know where to follow.The sheep are very obedient to their shepherd, and know his voice, as he is always talking to them like children. By this we are reminded of Christ leading and not driving his sheep, and the obedient ones know his voice.TiberiasWe traveled north to Tiberias, which stands on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. It was dark and very late when we arrived at the hotel. The next day being Sunday, we held our morning service down by the sea shore. Both hymns and sermon were very appropriate, one couldn’t help feeling that Christ must have walked on that very spot. “It was a hallowed place indeed.”Somewhere in the region of 60 men earned their living on the sea of Galilee, by following the trade of St. Peter, they are all Arabs and mostly Muslims. There are three kinds of nets used:The hand net or shabakehThe draw net or jarfThe floating net or mebattenThe first two are the most popular, the hand net is used all over the lake, but the draw net is employed chiefly in the Jordan estuary at the north end.The musht fish – otherwise called by the natives St. Peter’s fish – is caught mostly. It was out of the mouth of this fish that Peter took the tribute money.It was very nice weather and extremely hot, but we did have one huge storm.Although the lake is practically surrounded by mountains, it reminded one of a very rough sea, huge waves slashing the sides of the jetty.On Sunday evening we attended the Scottish mission church and had a splendid service, the Scotch missionary conducting the service.It was not a church with rich carvings, “Just a plain white-washed building” with simple wooden seats, but it was all they could afford, and they are mighty proud of it.Just opposite is the Scottish mission hospital. This I visited, and the matron gave me a warm welcome and showed me around all the wards and the operating theater. They just had word that the high commissioner was coming to visit the hospital, so everything was hustle, bustle.During my tour of the wards the matron introduced me to an orphan girl who had been converted, who made her home at the hospital and who was was totally blind. She never tired of telling the patients of Christ’s love and his death on the cross. She had been taught Braille and had a Bible in Braille, so she was able to read it to the sick and comfort the suffering. Anyone could see by the smile on her face that Christ was her personal friend. Both the matron and the nurses loved her dearly.
We went to the Winter Palace Hotel for lunch, and oh how nice I thought it was to get into the cool atmosphere and to have a nice refreshing drink and an eastern lunch, which was all enjoyed. When we came out there were six or eight native girls in their native costumes dancing and then asking for Baksheesh. If you only take a snap they think you ought to give them Baksheesh for the privilege.
Donkey ride On the following day we had the most enjoyable donkey ride around the old walls of Jerusalem. The donkeys and their individual donkey boys arrived at our hotel, each boy shouting in their native language, “his donkey was the most perfect donkey in Jerusalem and he was the nicest donkey boy.” These donkeys and boys belonged to one man who hires them to parties. There were small donkeys with young men in attendance, and big donkeys which looked more like mules with tiny boys running alongside.
I tried two donkeys before I found one to my liking, and the donkey boy (who was almost black skinned) gave me a huge grin and seemed tremendously pleased. Of course, he was thinking of Baksheesh at the end of the journey. However he turned out to be terribly cruel (the Arabs are noted for cruelty). On the way I took his stick away from him – he was thrashing the donkey till it bled, then he looked at me as though he would have killed me.We went around the old walls and the road or pathway was very dangerous, as it lay on the side of the mountain. At one part we went into the Valley of Kidron and I saw the pillar of Absalom and the tomb of Zeckariah. Then we came to a little brook, then we or rather the donkeys had to jump. This was very amusing, as there were two Arabs waiting to hold each person on their donkeys as they jumped the brook.One lady – rather stout – fell off, but it didn’t deter her from going on. She mounted her donkey again, and with shrieks of laughter followed on. At one part in the road lay a dead camel’s carcass, they never bother about removing dead bodies (so you will gather what a lot of places are like).We had very kindly been invited to the massive YMCA in the capital for tea, and to this we came on our donkeys. Here we dismissed the donkeys and boys, after giving them Baksheesh, but whatever is given they still want more. When they hold out their hand and say “Baksheesh, Baksheesh,” you say “Imshe,” which means, “get away with you.” If pestered further you say “Yalla,” which means the same thing only in stronger language.The YMCA was built by a rich American and cost half a million, it is a magnificent building like a university. Here they very kindly gave us an English tea, which was very much relished after having much of the Eastern foods. After spending a very enjoyable time we returned to our hotel, which was only a few yards from the old Jaffa gate.The following day being Sunday, we went to an English church (Christ Church) in the capital, this is connected with a mission station. The band of an English regiment stationed at Jerusalem played for the morning service. The church was so packed, there were chairs down the aisle. The soldiers were delighted to see someone from the old country.On the Sunday evening, Dr. Shelley (who has been out there since the Great War) spoke to us about the return of the Jews to Palestine. He told us how very quickly they were returning, and what tremendous wealth they were bringing with them. It is very noticeable when traveling in Palestine the difference in the land: Wherever there is a Jews colony you will find the land cultivated and good crops, but wherever the Turks are is dilapidation and filth.Bethlehem I was very kindly taken by the Vicar of Christ Church to Bethlehem. As he had been in Palestine for many years, he was able to take me to the most interesting places without delay. We went down one of the native streets in Bethlehem. It was so narrow, it was impossible to open the car door on either side without touching the houses. So, you will gather the width of the street.
The houses were mere hovels, some kept as clean as could be and others not fit for pigs. We visited the Church of the Nativity, which was the first Christian church and built by Constantine the Great, as a sign he had become a Christian. It is still in use today. On the walls are the remains of dim gold mosaics. The church was built above a cave, which is recognized as the birth place of Jesus Christ, two centuries before Rome became a Christian state.Beneath the high altar is the cave, which is entered by a flight of steps. It is a small cave, about 14 yards long and four yards wide. Its walls are covered with tapestry that reeks of stale incense. Gold and silver ornaments gleam in the pale glow of the 53 lamps which burn in the cave, and which the old Greek monks keep lit.When you enter and stand still and listen you seem to hear voices singing “Come all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.” Then again when I knelt before the manger one imagined one could hear “While shepherds watched their flocks by night.” It was a wonderful 10 minutes I spent in that grotto, and I shall never forget how near Christ felt to me.
Most of the old houses are built over caves, no one who has seen these houses can doubt that Jesus was born in one of them and not in the stable of European tradition. The caves underneath the houses is level with the road, and the room that the family lives in is reached by flights of steps – 15 to 20. The caves are used today as stables, therefore I believe we must imagine the nativity to have taken place in one of these old cave-houses of Bethlehem.The married women wear high head dresses with long flowing white veils, and the single ladies wear the veil flat to their head (exalted position when married).When one visits the Holy Hand and the actual places, everything seems so very real. Although our western countries have been modernized, nothing has altered in Palestine. They live as they did when Christ was on earth, and if you follow your Bible when visiting the different parts, you will find how very accurate the Bible is. So don’t let us ever lose faith in our Bible and the living Christ.