“Interesting Letter From Far Away Jerusalem” from the April 16, 1925 Door County News
Interesting Letter From Far Away Jerusalem
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We are so thankful the hotel in town was full, otherwise would we would have missed this ideal spot.
Saturday morning—Last night we went out on the lake to see the sunset and the moon rise, then back in time for dinner. This is hardly a monastery—it is a rest house for Pilgrims. One priest from a German Order keeps it and he is supported by this Order in Cologne, Germany. He is a cheerful, honest, energetic sort of a man—very hospitable. At dinner, they first served fish, one to each, the same kind of fish that are supposed to have been seen caught in the miraculous draft of fishes. Then we had mutton, boiled potatoes, cauliflower—I have never seen so much cauliflower as there is in Palestine—and bread made from the wheat grown in Father Tappier’s 280 acre farm and ground at his own mill. I can’t remember what we had for dessert, but we finished with little cups of Turkish coffee. I’m getting so I like it very much.
At the Jordon there were some people touring g---- [Romani] fashion, who made us some Turkish coffee. It is always served in tiny cups, smaller than the regular after dinner coffee cups. The place is delightful, the sort of place you could stay on forever. It makes you think of camp and the sea—reminds me of Lake Geneva.
This morning we were up to see the sunrise, then picked flowers on the hillside. The hills are covered with them, mostly red flowers, which look at times like a poppy and at others like a tulip. I’m sure they must be the “lilies of the field,” but they aren’t nearly so common and neither are they “arranged like one of these.”
In a few minutes we are going for a swim, down where a hot spring flows into the sea. It’s not any too warm. I know I shall be grateful for a warm stream. It is colder than I thought. We needed our three steamer rugs coming yesterday and we had two blankets on over these last night.
We are starting back to Jerusalem at 1:00, stopping in Nazareth on our way. We stopped at Jacob’s well; they say its authenticity has never been doubted. There it is with fields all around. But as usual the Greeks have a chapel built over the well itself and are now erecting a church, using the foundation of the church that the Crusaders built. The well is about 75 feet deep. A priest drew water from it for us to drink and then let down a tin with six candles so we could see its depth. We stopped at the place where all Israel assembled in the time of Joshua. We went in an old Samaritan synagogue, where we saw the celebrated Samaritan codex of the Pentateuch. They told us the oldest of the manuscripts dates possibly about the sixth century A. D. They claim that there are only forty real Samaritans left and that their number never increases or decreases.
On either side of the village rises the Mount of Gerizim and Mount Ebal. The scene recorded in Joshua VIII, 33, 34 was at this place. l certainly wish I knew more Bible history: The plain of Esdraelon and the plain of Jezreel is most wonderful. This plain they say has been a battlefield from the days of Barak to those of Napoleon. There was no sign of any battlefield, just fields and fields of newly ploughed earth, or fresh sprouts of wheat; perfectly beautiful. We ate lunch on a mountain down on it, after we had crossed.
We passed the little village of Nain, where Christ raised the widow’s son. We could see Mount Tabor, told of in the Psalms.
We just rode thru Nazareth, by the City of Cana of Galilee, and passed the Mount of Beatitudes where Christ preached the sermon on the Mount. As I write “Christ” I am reminded that I don’t believe I have heard Him referred to as Christ—it is always “Our Lord.” All the priests and monks, no matter whether Greek, Latin or American, say “Our Lord.” It came to me as a dear little Catholic sister was talking to us that it didn’t make any difference in what way we worshipped. He was and is Our Lord.
And then the most wonderful sight of all, just before we came to Tiberius was the snow capped mountains of Mount Hermon, the Mount of Beatitude close by, and the sea of Galilee below—a perfect gem, with such light effects as you can hardly imagine. Somehow I never imagined Galilee to be so beautiful.
We came back to earth and arrived at the hotel in Tiberius with a flat tire, so we waited there on the steps of the hotel with a hundred other tourists while it was fixed. We knew there was no room there because of the tour, so had made arrangements to stay at this monastery six miles out of Tiberius. Deliver us from ever traveling with a tour—they’re awful. No for a swim!
Sunday, Jerusalem — Well, we’re back safe and sound. Got back in time for dinner at seven—cold as charity, but it was all wonderful. In Nazareth went into the “Church of the Annunciation” just at the close of a service—perhaps a special service. It was very impressive. As they left the main part of the church and went down the fifteen marble steps into the “Chapel of the Angel” singing a very beautiful hymn each one in turn knelt and kissed the marble attar which bears the inscription “Here the Word became flesh.” There is only one well or fountain in Nazareth so it must have been the place where Mary came often for water, carrying perhaps the infant child—carrying water and the baby in just the same way we watched the women here yesterday.
This morning we went over the Temple area, the Mosque of Omar, as it is called—sacred to Moslems. This is where Abraham is supposed to have offered up Isaac, [see the second note below] when David intercedes for the plague—stricken people, and where the Jewish Temple, the Glory of Israel, stood. The guide pointed out places where Abraham prayed, where Mohammed, Soloman and David also prayed. It is the only elaborately beautiful place in Jerusalem.
Not far from here is the Pool of Bethsaida. The French did some excavating there before the war and unearthed a great deal of the pool and part of two porches. Also a part of the church built there by the Crusaders. They are sure the Crusaders never saw the pool because they built over it.
Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive
[Joshua 8: 33, 34: And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.
And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law.
2 Chronicles 3:1 states that “Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah”, while the location given in Genesis 22:2 for where Abraham was to offer up Isaac was at “one of the mountains” in the “land of Moriah”.
The temple mount is in Jerusalem, which had already been established by Abraham’s time. The account of Abraham offering up Issac does not describe it as happening in a city or community. These factors may explain why Helen Rysdorp, the author of the letter, wrote “is supposed to have” rather than stating unequivocally that it was the same place.]
Articles about pilgrimages
https://doorcounty.substack.com/t/pilgrimages