The Bible in Palestine; or, Hints from Scripture, by which to determine the localities of the crucifixion, the transfiguration and other great events of our Saviour's life. Together with notes of a tour through the Holy Land during the summer of 1843

Front matter

THE BIBLE IN PALESTINE. THE BIBLE IN PALESTINE; oa, HINTS FROM SCRIPTURE, BY WHICH TO DETERMINE THE LOCALITIES OP THE CRUCIFIXION, THE TRANSFIGURATION, AND OTHER GREAT EVENTS OF OUR SAVIOUR'S LIFE, TOGETHER WITH NOTES OF A TOUR THROUGH THE HOLY LAND, DURING THE SUMMER OF 1843. 25g Mt. anfc fflw. Hautreg. "The word ot the Lord is riffht i and all his works are done in truth." — Pa. xxziii. 4. "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not accordingto this word, it it because there is no light in them." — Isa. vii. SO. LONDON: JOHN HATCHARD & SON, 187, PICCADILLY. M.DCCC.X-VI. J. TEULON, PRINTER, 57, CHEAPSIDE.

Preface

. At the time my beloved partner, and myself, had the high gratification and honor of visiting the Holy Land, we had not the most distant idea of submitting the result of our observations to the public eye ; so much having been already written on the subject. Our intentions extended no farther, than just to keep a little journal, for our own gratification and that of our friends, who might wish to peruse it. The enthusiasm, however, necessarily inspired by such a journey, led us farther into the subject, than we at first imagined. And especially the perplexity, which, in common with other travellers, we felt to be connected with the sacred places in general, made us long to be able to dispel the dark ness, which has for so many ages hung over

PREFACE.

. VI them, and to ascertain if possible, and beyond the reach of cavil, their true position. We were not unaware, however, of the difficulty and temerity of such an under taking. And though to our questions — " Can no one shew us, where Calvary really was ? " And, " Is it not time our minds were relieved on the subject ?" It was replied, " That learned divines had generally treated the thing as impossible. That the Bible gave us very little information as to the place ; and we were not likely now to obtain more." Still we were not discouraged. We fancied there must be something there, if we could only find it out. And we resolved upon the trial, at all events. It is easy ■ to see, that this impression and determination gave us real advantage over the mere tourist. We felt like individuals on a voyage of discovery ; expecting success.

And the influence of this feeling will be perceptible in the results ; which, while we admit that they are far different to what we expected, they are far greater than we could have anticipated. And having, as

PREFACE.

. VII we think, discovered a new principle of investigation, and worked it with some degree of success, we now consider ourselves bound, as indeed we are positively told, to communicate what we have been enabled to make out, for the benefit of others. The title page, as well as what we have just said, will have informed our readers, that the object we kept before us, was, to examine all the so-called sacred spots, with the torch of Revelation in our hands. And if this circumstance caused us to view many of them with sceptical and condemning eyes, it is equally evident, that it shed its informing rays around our path, and led us since, we believe, to some of the true ones. There are, therefore, many new things in our book. Whether they will stand the criticism to which they will now be subjected, remains to be seen.

We have great hopes that they will. It is not new, however, to have tram pled under foot traditions which have stood the test of more than a thousand years. Dr. Clarke did this long ago, and with a phi-

PREFACE.

. losophic independence unexampled in the history of all previous travellers. But it is new, to shew from Scripture that " the Cruci fixion took place, in all probability, in a valley to the north of Jerusalem." It is new, to be able to demonstrate, that " Her mon was the mount of transfiguration." And these are events, to which no small amount of interest is attached. We call upon our readers, therefore, to examine, closely, the evidence adduced in behalf of these two sacred places, especially. Much depends upon the settlement of these points ; and whether Scripture is to be fol lowed, or tradition. There are other novel things brought forward, but they require no particular mention here. Still if any entertain serious doubts, as to the place of the Crucifixion, notwithstanding all we have said, we recommend them to obtain a sight of the Rev. Mr. Blackburn's* accurate and beautiful model of Jerusalem ; where they will see the valley referred to, occupying so striking a position with regard * Of Attercliffe, near Sheffield.

PREFACE.

. IX to the ancient city, as almost to carry conviction with it, after our long essay, as to the real spot. And now with respect to the work itself, we have attempted nothing but the most simple detail of facts and arguments. If, therefore, our readers observe, as they will do, many imperfections in our style, we claim their especial indulgence here. We have been little accustomed to extended literary efforts. In the few passages, in which my be loved wife is mentioned with commendation, it must be understood, that I am the speaker. She instinctively shrinks from praise herself. That the "God of truth" may bless this attempt, to the promotion of his own truth, in clearing away the mist from the sacred places, is our only wish and prayer. W. C. D. 20, Lonsdale Square, Islington. March, 1846.

ERRATA. Page 34, line 13, for descent read desert — 142, — 19, — whon — when — 196, — 15, — sepulchre .... — sepulchres — 200, — 11, — grasled — gnarled — 209, — 16, — many — Mary — 234, — 1, — pursuring .... — pursuing — 251, — 29, — stike — strike — 252, — 19, — must — SHOULD — 279, — 1, — are — is — 280, — 13, — "by Jerusalem" — " by Bethlehem " — 286, — 6, — locality — localities — 313, — 24, — herself — her — 327, — 16, — easily — eagerly — 378, — 6,after6xes — it — 502, — 22, for accomplished . . — accomplish — 502, — 25, — be — have been EGYPTIAN TRAVELLING COMPANION, FOR OVEELAND PASSENGERS BETWEEN INDIA AND EUROPE, VIA EGYPT. By E. NOLDEN, .Alexandria LONDON: SIMMONDS AND WARD, 6, BAUGE TARD, BUCKLER9BURY. Q. MUIR, BOOKSELLER AND AGENT, MALTA. "An excellent and useful little work."

THE YOUNG CHURCHMAN'S CATECHISM. L. AND G. SEELEY, 169, FLEET STREET. Price 2s. and 3s. Gd. "You have supplied, very well, a desideratum which has been very generally regretted; and your little volume is calculated to do much good." Letter of the Rev. H. Raikes, M.A... Chancellor ofthe dioceH of Chester, to the author. CONTENTS.

Chapter I. Beyrout

We left Alexandria in the Dash, Captain New bold, May 21, and arrived safely in the harbour of Beyrout, after a rather turbulent sail of about a week. Our little bark was immediately boarded by an officer from the quarantine; who took legal possession of us, as we had come from a suspected country. We were the only passengers. It would have been a high gratification, to have landed at once, with liberty to look about us; but that was impossible. A tedious confinement, somewhere, of at least fifteen days, was before us. With a mixture of envy, therefore, as well as pleasure, we looked out upon the majestic Le banon, and the town ; which we were only to see for a while, at a respectful distance ; and tried to exercise the required patience. if B SCENERY. Beyrout makes a fine appearance from the harbour.

The rising grounds behind are studded with villas, and adorned with flourishing gardens and rich mulberry plantations ; which were then in all the verdure of spring. A dilapidated castle first fixed our attention ; running out, as it does, quite into the sea. It is a dark and gloomy object; but interesting, as we were told it was a remnant of the old crusaders. A brilliant chain of coast stretched out before us; and to our left, as far as Tripoli. Many vessels were riding at anchor, in a very commodious and beautiful bay. We counted thirty-six ; and this is, perhaps, about the average number. There was one amongst them, which could not but attract our notice. The no blest and most beautiful frigate in the British navy lay very near us ; the Vernon. It was a lovely sight. But we were principally riveted to the view of Lebanon, rising up amidst perpetual splendour, yet in tranquil majesty ; the Alps under an eastern sky.

This noble range is well cultivated, by means of terraces, even to the top. Some of its peaks are said to be six thousand feet high. We could clearly discern villages, scattered amidst the eminences; surrounded by the most luxurious vegetation, and adding greatly to the prospect. We gazed again and again ; thinking it a high privilege, to " see — that goodly mountain." PARLATORIO. It is delightful, aster the dangers and tossings of the ocean, to reach any quiet and hospitable shore; but it is utterly impossible to describe the sensations created in the mind, when the eye first rests on the land emphatically called "Holy." With our joy, however, a degree of sadness inter mingled. One of us was obliged to go to the Parlatorio on shore, to make arrangements for performing our necessary quarantine, in a separate cottage, rather than in the public buildings, mixed up with Turks, Arabs, &c. &c. The latter receptacle, our friendly captain would not hear of.

"He could not think of an English lady being huddled up with such a crew." The negociations were rather tedious. We had to stand, for a length of time, in a kind of pen ; more fit for cattle, than human beings; and to converse with the quarantine officers, through rude lattice work. It was altogether a strange and amusing scene. The dragoman of the British consul, a fascinating Arab youth, who spoke English with great fluency, here waited upon us, to take our instructions. And through the kindness of the consul himself, S. Moore, Esq., con sent was at length obtained, that we should occupy a small Arab cottage ; which was soon taken for us, about a mile from the town ; and such furniture hired, as we may need for so temb2 ARAB COTTAGE. porary a residence. When all this was accom plished, Captain N. very kindly accompanied us, in his boat, across the bay, and assisted in making us and our new habitation comfortable.

And a novel one it certainly was. For an Arab cottage consists of but four bare walls, generally with numerous openings, or rather windows without glass, having cross bars of wood instead of iron ; similar in shape to those of an English prison. We consoled ourselves with the idea, that it was the same in ancient days. For where it is said, in Scripture, "he made windows,"* the word in the original, is "openings." We had, therefore, but one room. This, however, was of considerable size, and so, not very objectionable. In addition, we had the advantage of a large terrace to walk upon ; extending over two native cottages ; which we found very pleasant. And in such a climate the real house is the terrace; at least, for the greater part of the year. Our guardianos ; for we had two imposed upon us ; of course slept out of doors.

We felt some little embarrassment, at first, on their account, when we found how small our accommodation was. We said," What are we to do with these men? where are they to sleep ?" But our minds were soon relieved. * 1 Kings vi. 4. GUARDIANOS. 5 To provide room or accommodation for them, is never dreamt of. The Arabs of common life have no other bed than the earth, or the floor, and an Egyptian straw mat. Nature requires no more. Indeed, the most delightful canopy, in this country, is the blue firmament above ; beneath which the gentle breezes of the evening, soon in vite one to repose. And there is seldom much dew to be injurious. But accustomed as we were to English habits, we were glad of the house, as a place of retirement and security. We were no sooner quietly seated in our little abode, to commence the first scenes of Arab life, than we directed the guardiano, who was to act as our servant, to fetch us a little water.

Strange to say, he positively refused to do this ; and so did his companion. And they both persisted in it ! Thus these two beings, whom we were required to maintain, and make a handsome daily allowance to, in money besides, would not trouble themselves to fetch us a little of that most necessary article of existence ! And in Syria it is especially so. A precious specimen of Arab honesty to begin with ! An application, however, to the proper quarter, soon procured us redress, and brought them to their senses. Had we been better acquainted with the native character, a good sound drubbing would have ARAB FAMILY. been the best thing to have applied to them. They are the greatest possible cowards. And, besides, the only way to obtain respect from them, is, occasionally to administer a good stick to their backs !

They even despise those who do not. Such a mode of proceeding is quite repug nant to British feelings; but here, we were assured, it really must be pursued ; it cannot be altogether dispensed with. We say this with reluctance, for the information of future tra vellers. But leaving them, we occupied our first few days, in making ourselves a little acquainted with the scenery and movements around us. Under the terrace, which was our constant walk, there lived a decent and respectable Arab family ; a widow, with her son and three daughters. They had the charge of a large mulberry garden. Their abode was similar to ours; except that it was on the ground-floor. But they seemed to trouble the house very little. A straw mat fixed to the wall, and thrown over poles, which were secured to the branches of trees, forming a kind of canopy, was their more general resort.

Here they spent their time; when they were not feeding their silk-worms; squatting on their heels and chatting their hours away. Sometimes the nargile, or else the long pipe, made its appear- NATIVE COOKERY. ance. And when a friend or neighbour called to see them, one or other of these was always in request. The only kitchen these people had, was out of doors. Against the wall of their little cottage, they had raised a hearth, where one or other of the daughters prepared their meals. Here they exhibited great skill, in our estimation, in light ing their fires with a few thorny shrubs, or mul berry branches; in suspending their kettle to a couple of sticks which crossed each other at the end ; and in boiling their rice and bits of mutton . Their cookery was by no means so simple, as we had expected to have seen it.

Occasionally, several of the family were employed, for hours, in chopping meat, and stuffing with it, a kind of gourd or cucumber ; which, after all, did not seem worth half the trouble they gave themselves. This we know ; for they frequently sent us a little of their dishes to taste. And when they found we could not relish them, they were greatly amused. Parched corn they seemed to be particularly fond of. The natives of Palestine were so formerly. The prophet intimates this, when he says, " Corn (which) shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids."* The * Zech. ix. 17. NATIVE MEALS. way our neighbours prepared it, was simply this. They took a bundle, green from the field, and held it over a blazing wood fire, till it was quite black. They then rubbed it out, with their hands, into a dish, and ate it warm.

And frequently they had little else for a meal ; at least, in the early part of the day ; for their principal or evening meal, was always more abundant, and eaten when it was nearly dark ! " Abigail," we are told, "made haste and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn," Sec. for David and those that were with him.* And the use of this article is now so common, in summer, it is regularly sold in the markets. In the evenings, our neighbours' meals con sisted of boiled rice, or different kinds of boiled and minced meat and rice mixed together, and lebn or sour milk. These dishes were spread, without ceremony, upon the earth in the garden ; generally on a kind of tea-board, or piece of leather, round which the family sat, on their heels, to partake of them.

Knives and forks they had none ; nor even a spoon to pour a little lebn upon their rice, as they ate it. Sometimes, they appeared to eat bread only, with their lebn; which they partook of, by dipping bit after bit, * 1 Sam. xxv. 18. DHURA in the dish, as a kind of sop ; reminding us of our Saviour's last supper, when he said of Judas, " He it is to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it."*" This lebn is made by putting milk into an earthern jar, and letting it stand for a day or two. It is a very cool and refreshing beverage ; and similar in taste, to our buttermilk ; so strongly recommended for its restorative qualities. And the Arabs say, " lebn will make a sick man well." It was curious to see them eat pottage. By merely dipping both hand and sop into it, they contrived to convey a portion of it to their mouths.

And they were not like Solomon's sluggard either ; a description wonderfully satirical. " He buries deeply his hand in the dish, but (this effort so completely exhausts him) he cannot bring it to his mouth again;"-]; for this appears to be the true rendering of the passage. The family were also very fond of dhura, which is a kind of Indian corn. This they roasted before they partook of it, as the Italians do. Their repast was commonly very short. And no sooner had they done eating, than the pipe, or nargile, was in request. The nargile is rather an elegant mode of smoking, and must be * John xiii. 26. t Prov. xix. 24. b3 ARAB BREAD. less injurious than the common mode. It is a contrivance for passing smoke over water ; and is less complicated than the Indian hookha. The pipe is more generally used, it appears.

This is often as much as six feet long, made of the cherry tree, and quite straight. The mouth is of pottery ; but sometimes more costly. Indeed those who can afford it have amber mouth-pieces ; as these are said not to communicate infection. But we must describe the Arab bread. It is most wretched stuff; and unless eaten hot, can scarcely be eaten at all. We had heard of it, but now had an opportunity of both seeing and tasting it. Its thinness and wretched quality have caused it to be described, as " something between brown paper and superannuated crum pet." Fortunately, we were not necessitated to eat it, as a kind and generous friend at Alexan dria, anticipating our necessities, had furnished us with one hundred and fifty large French biscuits, of most excellent quality, which when dipped in hot water, some time before they were eaten, and exposed to the sun for a while, wrapped in a napkin, were as good as any bread in England.

This may be a useful hint to future visitants. But we were miserably off for comforts with our two guardianos. If we sent the " clean" one VISITS. for meat ; — one of them was called clean, and the other dirty ; — he brought us such wretched stuff, we could not eat it. If for eggs, they were rotten. And this, to screw something more out of us. We should indeed, have been badly off, if the same kind friend, who furnished us with the biscuits, had not also* supplied us with cheese, hard eggs, &c, and an excellent apparatus for boiling our coffee with spirits of wine, and a large stock of spirits to work it with ; quite sufficient for the term of our imprisonment. Our coffee was therefore, a great comfort to us. And so difficult, if not next to impossible, did we find it, to procure anything good from the town, that we retired, as much as possible, within ourselves, and waited, with patience, for the hour of our en largement.

Our kind captain (Newbold) being himself in quarantine, paid us an almost daily visit, attended by his guardiano. And sometimes one of the officers of the Vernon came into the garden, to chat with us ; for it seems, we had been espied from the quarter deck. So that with these asso ciations, and the books we had brought with us, our time did not hang very heavy on our hands. Besides, we were anticipating the high gratifica tion of soon witnessing the various scenes of the Holy Land ; so rich in interest ; and so long the NEIGHBOURS. object of our most ardent wishes. In the mean while, it afforded us much amusement to watch the proceedings of our Arab neighbours; so different to anything we had before witnessed. And whilst we watched them, they did not fail to watch us. The young girls especially, frequently ventured upon the terrace, Tand opened the door, to see what we were doing ; and there they would linger ; sometimes for an hour.

But whenever we cried, " quarantine," and attempted to touch them, they fled with precipitation. But we must not forget to mention, that, sometimes, we were allowed to walk about the neighbour hood, at a respectful distance from the town, attended by our two guardianos. It was, how ever, extremely painful to us, to be regarded as public nuisances, and to see our keepers prevent every one from coming near us, as they did, with their long sticks. The natives we met, when the word " quarantine" was shouted out, actually appeared to pass us, in real terror ! In one of these little excursions we saw a splendid carob or locust tree ; referred to in the parable of the prodigal son. It bears a fruit like a bean, but flatter ; containing some small seeds. The shell, when dry, is eaten, and has rather an agreeable flavour.

The few pigs there are now in Syria are also still fed with it. The tree was APPLE OF GOLD. covered with the podded fruit, and the ground beneath strewed with it ; for it is abundantly shed, as soon as ripe. And it is called the husk tree now. Luke says, the prodigal " went and joined himself to a citizen of that country ; and he sent him into the fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the kusks which the swine did eat ; and no man gave unto him."* The circumstances related in this parable, no reader can refuse to attend to ; and the simplicity of the narrative is such, that it interests and affects every heart. The prodigal is, indeed, a lively emblem of our sinful conduct, and its miserable consequences. Some have said, that John must have fed upon the carob or locust tree.

But the more correct opinion undoubtedly is, that it was the insect called locust. It is quite customary for the natives to eat these, by roasting them in a pan full of holes, over a blazing fire. They also preserve them in salt or pickle, for future use. We also saw a vegetable, used to eat with bread, as well as to flavour dishes, which seems to be much cultivated in Syria, as it is in Italy. In the latter country it is called the " love-apple," here the " apple of gold." We mention it, * Luke xv. 15, 16. TEXT ILLUSTRATED. because it may, perhaps, illustrate an obscure passage in Scripture ; viz. " a word fitly spoken, is like apples of gold in pictures of silver."* It is said, the correct translation should be, " like apples of gold in net-work silver baskets." Pro bably Solomon referred to this vegetable, when he wrote the above.

And in the neighbourhood of IS ice, we saw the " porno d'oro" beautifully trained over an arched bower, in front of one of the native cottages ; the silvery wires spreading themselves on all sides, and forming a kind of net-work ; whilst the golden fruit was upheld by it, as in a basket. Solomon was acquainted with every kind of plant, " even to the hyssop that springeth out of the wall." .. These apples of gold, however, the Rabbins say, were oranges or citrons, which, as first fruits, were carried to the temple in silver baskets. Whether they are right, or we, others must judge. In our little cottage, there was, besides the window-openings, a square hole in the wall, near the door ; and we were puzzled from day to day, to conceive what could be its use. But we, at last, came to the conclusion, that as there were wooden shutters to the windows, to close them at nights, or in tempestuous weather, this hole was, * Prov. xxv. 11. t 1 Kings iv. 33.

ARAB LOCK. most likely, intended to admit a little air, as well as light, under such circumstances ; without which the occupants could not breathe, in so warm a climate. We are the more particular here, because we observed, that other cottages had similar openings ; and because they may serve to illustrate a text, we have often marvelled at. " My beloved put in his hand by the hole — and my bowels were moved for him." The words "of the door" are added by the translator. The learned Scotch deputation have given a different view of this passage. They say, the larger opening through which the key is introduced illustrated the words, " My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door."* They are certainly wrong. The word made use of in the original, properly means, a hole through which the white light passes, which was not the case with our key-hole.

He "put in his hand by the hole," merely to shew that he had tried to obtain admission. But the above passage will lead us to say a little of the Arab lock and key; the rudeness and simplicity of which amused us very much ; and particularly that of the latter. The lock is really a wooden bolt, which inside is moved by the hand. It has, however, several little holes in it, seven or * See "Mission to the Jews," page 112. ARAB KEY. nine ; without which, the door could not be fastened from the outside. The key is a piece of wood, about nine inches long, having at one end little bits of wire, which correspond exactly with the holes in the lock. There is a hole for the key, which when inserted sideways, its little bits of wire lay hold of the lock or bolt, and move it backwards or forwards, as required.

Now, as it is impossible to ascertain the number of wires in the key, by guess, or the order of the holes for receiving them, the lock cannot be opened by a key having a wrong number. This is ancient ingenuity. Peter's house at Capernaum must have had a similar key. How is it then, that he is always represented with two modern-shaped keys in his hand ? And at Rome these keys meet you every where. But what an improper use has been made of our Saviour's expression, " I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven ?"* From it, the church of Rome claims them, in such a sense, that none can enter but with their permission ; and none can be excluded, who carry thither the pass-port of their approval. Such an awfully appalling claim could never have been allowed, had not the word of God been first withheld from the people.

The power * Matt. xvi. 9. JEWISH CUSTOM. of the keys granted to St. Peter contained no thing more than a promise, that he should be the first to open the door of faith both to Jew and Gentile. And which he certainly did, when he preached his first sermon on the day of Pente cost ; and when he went down to Joppa, to Cornelius, and baptized him and his household. But authority to explain the law and the pro phets was given among the Jews, by the delivery of keys. The above expression had, therefore, a beautiful reference to this custom. And in the promotion of their doctors, they are said to have put keys into their hands, with these words, " Receive the power of binding and loosing." Hence the allusion, when our Saviour reproaches the Scribes and Pharisees with having " taken away the key of knowledge."* And there is another circumstance that may be noticed.