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Land of Promise. (TO ANI) FROM.) liy Rev. C. O N. Maktindale. ARTICLE XXVI. TURKLV 'Continued] (11). Palestine: To Kan Minyeh (Capernarum), El Ghuweir (the "Little Ghor” or "the Land of Gennesareth”) by M e j d e 1 (Magdala). It la highly probable that the famous "Fountain of Capernaum”, noted by Josephus as pouring its vitalizing streams over the beautiful and produc tive "Land of Oenuesar," Waa the great fountain whose spring-head at Tahigha, three fourths of a milo from Khali Min yeh, i» surrounded by an octagonal res ervoir of great strength, and whose wa ter# once elevated by some mechanical means in this basin to the level of the aqueduct (which can now be traced» and jiassed dually round the Khan Minyeh cliffs (on which we walked) through an excavation ill the solid rock afan eleva tion quite sufficient to well wuter the great plain of Oeiinesaret on the other side of (he rnouutnm spur. As we crossed this aqueduct oil the cliff-side we had a bold view of the Sen of (lalilon in its northern half and of the Plain of Uuunesarut in isirtioulur, beau tifully orescent-slmped, extending along the coast three itud u quarter miles and at its widest pari being one and one- eighth miles. From Mejdol to Klmii Minyeh the Galilean mountains full buck from the sea nearly in a semi-elr- do; the cliffs on the southern border coining close up to the lake; while on the northern side a rooky promontory juts out into the water and divides it from the bit of lowland beyond; and on the western side the encircling barrier or hills IS broken through by three deep wiulios or ravines; the Wady Amud, with a stream rising near the highest |K<uk of these mountains or Niiphtuh, breaking in on tills lowland near Khun Minyeh by a wildly grand gorge; the Wady or Hubudiyeli with its uiouiltnin stream (tint largest of the three) break ing through tho center, anil its waters artificially distributed north uuil south for irrigation purposes; whereas the Wiuiy el llamam ojiues in a little west of Mejdel through precipitous and rug ged cliffs, conspicuously Inud-umrkcd by tho Herns of Unttiu at the up|>er end of the valley. The face of the south- side diff-rook has been out into and loads to a porfeot labyrnith of caves anil IMtssagus long ago used us strougUold* of. the oppressed, or hidiug-pluces for rob bers and outlaws, or tliu dwelling-places of hermits and anchorites, now the nost- ing-places of myriad wild ptgeous (as the name moans "tho Valley of Pigeons or Doves"). A copious fountain oi re freshing uuil limpid water (culled 'Ain el Muduwwar^h) two feet deep or more, Kjiiings from within a circular reservoir INI feet iu diameter located between the two last uieutioued wadies, aud extends across the pluiu to the lake. Aud at the southern base of Kliau Mmyeh cliff is another remarkable fountaiu (known as 'Ain et-Tiu) running eastward aud so near the level of tho laku os to irrigate only a small part of the pluiu aud sur- rouuded by clover and grass, with ricli pasture ou its ooarsq, until it becomes a marsh begirdled with oleanders aud till ed up with line Egyptian papyrus growth—the only place where such is fouud on the Lake. Of this former gurdeu-spot of Pales tine tho Jewish historian Josephus wiote iHull. Jud. 111,10,8): "Along the lake of Uenuesar extends the district of like name, wondrous iu natural beauty. Hitch is tlie fertility of the soil that it rejects no plant, aud so genial is the climate that it suits every variety; the walnut, which delights iu a wintry climate, grows hero luxuriantly, togeth er with the polui-tree which is nourish ed by bout, and near to those ure tigs ami olives to whioii a milder atmosphere has boon assigned. One might style this an umbitious effort of nature, doing viol ence to herself iu bringing together )iluut* of discordant habits, aud tui aim- able rivalry of the seasons, each as it were asserting its right to tiie soil;for it not only possesses the extraordinary vir tues of nourishing fruits of opposite climes, but also contains a continual supply of ihern. Thus it produces those most royal of all, the grupeand the tig, during, ten mouths, without intermis sion, while the other varieties ripen the year round; for besides being favored by the geuial temperature of the air, it L irrigated by a highly fertilizing spring, called Caphtu'uuutu by the i>eople of the country." In the Rornuu period, "Ueu- neiuvret was the focus of life and acti vity of one of the myst thickly settled provinces of Palestine. Its towns and villages war- thickly clustered on plain and hillside and every foot of tho land was skillfully cultivated. With a cli- mate mild as Egypt—fitly described as •a harmonious blending of the seasons'— with a loamy soil of unusual depth and richness, and with an abundant water- supply, which wns extended over every portion of its surface, it is no marvel that it was known far and wide as the garden-spot of Palestine*" Dr. K. L. Stewart, in "Memorable Places Among the Holy HU^s," speaks thus of its present condition: "The Arabs call this mountain-girdled tract El Ghuweir, the *Li(tle Ghof’. Its identity with the ‘Land of Gennesareth 1 (Matt. 14:84; Mk. «:(W| is unquestioned. Tim limits correspond closely with the measurements given by Josephus, and iu the wild tangle of tropical undergrowth, grasses and vines, which now covers'll# desolation,-one may readily see the proofs of the extraordinary fertility, which onoe made it the garden-spot of Palestine. The shore-line of the Gen- nusaret plain is slightly embayed and the beach, which slopes gradually to the water's edge, is thickly strewn witli myriads of tiny, pearl-white shells. At some points this silvery straud is ‘a tex ture of shells and pebbles so minute as to resemble sand’; at others cart-loads of delicately-formed, senii-trausparent shells could be gathered up. Ou the landward side of this beautiful pathway by the sen, mi almost continuous hedge of oleanders uml tropical thorns holds back a confused mass nr wild, luxuriant vegetation. Them are no fences and uo groups of trees to obstruct the vision lict ween the limits of the sea and the mountains; and at several points of view the whole plain and its bordermgs may lie seen ut a glance. The contrast between Josephus’ glowing description and the present condition of the Geu- nesaret plain is painfully apparent. Be tween the irregular mounds on its north ern border, which cover almost all that remains of tho once prosperous und highly favored city of Cuperimum, and the cluster of thirty odd mud hovels, which represents the town of Mary Magdalene ou its southern edge, there is not n single iieruiaueut hunmu habita tion. Except an occasional patch of a few mils square cleared of its dense un dergrowth for a season's crop, by the fellaheen or n migratory baud of Bed- ouius, the entire plain has reverted to its primitive condition. The hand of the diligent hnsbaudurau no louger directs the growth of its meads and slopes, and the fruitful garden has become a wilder ness. Its almost impouetruble thiokets of undurgrowth, In which delioate gras ses and myriads of richly-tiuted flowers struggle with brambles aud thorns, are suggestive only of uu Edeu-run-wild. Long ago have the walnut and the tig, the iKunegranate aud the vino beeu crowded out by liardy plants of uieauer growth; kud the solitary palm which marks tho ruined site of Magdala ap pears to be the only survivor of all the orchards und groves which were ouco its pride and glory. Amid all theeo changes and desolations, the framework aud distinguishing characteristics of this nuturul amphitheatre yet remaiu. There is no other place ou earth where so much of the diviuely-boautiful life of Jesus was seou; where so many of His mighty works were done. Here we may fund.ppg# utter page. of.‘th^.Fifth Gos- pel,' torn indeed and soiled, bnt still legible; aud there is not au iuoideut or nil expression in the story of the evan gelists that does not harmonize with these open pages, as they lie in the clear sunlight between the mountains and the sea. Most beautifully has the Master woven the several details aud peculiar ities of this varied landscape into the texture of the series of Parables, which belong to the period of His early minis try. Iu these pictorial representations ot the Kiugdom of Grace we have cite imagery, the landsoaiie-coloriug, and many of the special features of the Geunesaret of to-day.” The position that Kliau Miuyeli is the site of anoieut. CajHiruaum is advocated by such , distinguished scholars as Dr. Edward Hobiusou, Dr. Selah Merrill, Col. Conder, Porter, Major Gen. Kitch ener, MacGregor, Lightfoot, Keim, Dr. George A. Smith, Dr. H. O. Trumbull aud Dr. K. L. Stewart; the state of the case being thus summed up by the last mentioned—"The existence of a city at .Kliau Minyeh ts untioauid-by u suries of low mounds, whioii lie to the south of the kliau.about one haudred yards from the sea-shore. The raius abovo ground are not extensive us at Tell Hum, but hewn stones and strongly-built lime stone walls have been fouud at a depth of four or live feet. All the indications poiut to a buried city consigned to utter destruction iu accordance with the sen tence long ago pronounced against it. In trout of tlus ruined site is the curved line of its ancient harbor and the beau tiful strand fringed by a mass of luxur iant vegetation, and white with myriads of closely comi>ac ted fresh-water shells. On the top of the hill in which ti e cut ting (for tiie aqueduct) is made there is an artificially levelled plateau with traces of walls and buildings, and .also of steps leading up to it. The castle or garrison in which the centurion resided was probably on this height, while tiie custom-house' would be at the point where the road from tho north touches the lake. Here then is a site (Khan Minyeh) which accords witli incidental accounts given by Josephus; with all the known facts relating to the city; with all tiie features which are lacking iu the site farther to the uortli; and with all the incidents mentioned by the evangelist in the gospel narrative. It connects the home of Jesus with the most beautiful spot oh the Lake of Galilee; with a natural harbor, where the boats of fishermen could glide up smoothly and safely to the shore; with a long, shelly beach firm aud hard as a floor; and with a plain nneqaalled for fertility in all the world." "Capernaum in the time of Christ was a prosperous commercial City ou one of the great highways from Egypt to Da mascus (The great caravan route from Esdraelon and the south to Damasous follows the line of the old Roman road through Wady Hainam to Khan Min yeh, aud thence northward over the lulls of Naplitali. This was the direct road from Oaua to Capernaum iu tho Saviour’s day, and He must have often journeyed over it during the period of the Gt’lileuiiministry.) In (Caiienmum) was the centre of the local fisheries and an important shipping port on the lake. It had a custom-house, a notable syna gogue built by u frieudly Roman cen turion, and u castle or garrison manned by Homan soldiers. Here Jesus came iuto contact with men of every class, nationality and vocation, and thus pre pared the way for the extension of llis kiugdom, ill later days, throughout the Roman world. The western shore of tiie Sea ot Galilee, especially the Laud Gonnesarot, wns ut this time a regiou of extraordinary beauty and fertility. There is abundant evidonee that it was a densely jiopulated district, thickly dotted over with prosperous cities and villages aud all astir witli life and aotivity.” Says Dr. Selah Merrill, "In His day the lake was full of fish and oovered with boats. The wheat fields on the surrounding slopes yielded abundant harvests, and the plains produced the choioest fruits. Caravans and travellers crowded the highways, the shores were covered with people, aud the entire basin presented a scene of life and aotivity such as was true of few other places in the world, and which it is difflonlt now for even the imogiuatiou to reproduce. It was in this beautiful region, and among its busy men, that onr Lord otiose His home, aud did many of His wonderful works.” "Nowhere," says another, "exoeptin the oapitAl itself, could He have fouud suoli a sphere for His works and words of meroy; from uo other oeutre oould 'His fame’ iiave so gone throughout all Syria; nowhere else oould He have so drawn around Him the vast multitudes who hung ou His lips.” "What this lake region has lost iu population and aotivity," says Dean Farrar, "it lias gained iu solemnity and Ut to rest. If every vestige of human habitation should disappear from beside it, aud the jackal und the hyena should howl about the shattered fragments of the syuagogues where Christ taaglit, yet the fact that He ohoee it as the scene of His opening ministry will give a sense of saorednoss and pathos to its lonely waters till time shall be no’more." Says Dr. Stewart, "The contrast be tween this plaoe in that day of prosper: ity and privilege and the utter desola- tiou aud abandonment of the present is au impressive commentary on the sol emn aud significant words iu which Jesus, at length, pronounced its doom. It had privileges such as had not been enjoyed by any other city on earth, bat its busy habitants neglected tiie day'of their merciful visitatiou and rejeoted their heaven-sent King. Except a little compauy of devoted followers, tiie peo ple of Capernaum were indifferent to the claims of the spiritual kiugdom, which Jesus had come to estahlish in their midst, aud tiie gracious words whioh they heard aud the wonderful works which they witnessed, day by day, made no permanent impression on mind or heart. They saw and they heard, but they repented not.” "To any thoughtful student of the Gospel History," says Dean Stanley, "it would have seemed that, of all places there recorded, the scene of our Lord's permanent residence, of His home for the three most important years of His life, would have beeu regarded as far more worthy of preservation than any other spot connected with His earthly coarse. None other could have witness ed so many of His words and works. To ^ no other could His disciples have re turned with such fond and familiar rec ollections, as that where they first be came acquainted with Hitn. and which had witnessed the greater part of their intercourse with Him. Yet it is this whibh has-passed away, without even a memorial or traditioujto mark its place. " Though the exact spot is still in dispute, it 4s quite generally conceded now "that the limit of distance along this portion of tiie coast plain, in whioh the site of Capernaum is likely to be fouud, does not exoeed a stretch of three mileB." ■ "It may be a small thing upon whioh to construct a theory,” says Dr. Fish, "but 1 oertaiuly it is a fact’ of|intere8t. that if these locations (Khan Minyeh, Et Tabigha, and Tell Ham) be accepted as ' the right ones (Capernaum, Beth- saida of Galilee, aud Cborazin), there is a beautiful order in Ohrist’sj enumera tion of the three oities named And we can fancy Him uttering, with tiie finger pointing towards each in succession, down along the lake, the dennnciatiou upon Ohoraztu, Bethsaida,Capernaum." In the very language of the Saviour (Matt.,11:30-24): “Then began He to upbraid the oittes wherein most of HiB mighty works were done, because they repented not. Woe unto thee, Ohorazm! Woe uuto thee, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had beeu done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sack- olotii and ashes. But Isay unto you, it shall be more tolorable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. Aud thou, Capernaum, shalt thou bo exalted uuto heaven? Thou shalt go down unto Hades; for if the mighty works hud been done in Sodom which were doiie„iii thee, it would have re mained unto this day. But I say unto yon that it shall bo more tolerable for the laud of Sodom in the day of judg ment than for thee.” (of. Lk, 10:11-18; Matt. 10:11-15.) The religious importance of Caper naum is finely stated by Dr. G. B. F. Hallock in his "Journeying in the Land Where Jesus Lived," as follows: “It was the home of Jesus aud llis inner oirole of disciples nearly three years. Matthew speaks of it as ’His own city,’ aud another has called it ‘the central pulpit of oar Lord’s teaohing,’ and stil) another speakH of it as the birthplace of the Christian Church.’ Two at least of tiie apostles, Peter and Matthew, ooon- pied houses iu Capernaum, whioh were always open to the Master, and at some period in His earlier ministry Mary, the mother of Jesus, transferred her resi dence from Nazareth to Capernaum. It was here Jesus came after His first miracle at Cana of Galilee. Rejeoted at Nazareth, He made Gapepnaum His abode. Near here was witnessed the miraculous draught of fishes, followed by the call of Simon Peter and Andrew, James and John. In the synagogue He healed a demoniac. Soon after He heal ed here Peter's wife’s mother, and many others that were brought to Him, Frou) here He started on His first oironit with His disciples throughout Galilee. He soon returned to Capernaum aud tiie people (looked to Him. It was here He healed tiie paralytic let down through the roof. Here.Mutthew was oalled from the receipt of oustom to follow Him. From Capernaum He retired to the mountains aud chose His twelve apos tles; aud to the multitudes who followed Him He preached the Sermon on tiie Mount (Tell Hattin). As He returned to Capernaum He healed tiie Roman oeuturion’s servant. Christ was in this viciuity when John the Baptist sent His disciples on their mission of inquiry. It was undoubtedly here, at a Pharisee’s house, that Jesus was auoiuted by a wo man who had been a sinner. Near here were uttered the beautiful parables of the sower, of the tares, of the mustard seed, of the leaven hidden in meal, oLa merchantman seeking goodly pearls, of the all-iuclnsive net cast into the sea. It was here Matthew made Christ a feast, at his own house, and at which Christ gave His disconrse with respect to as sociation with publicans. Here He raised to life Jairas' daughter, and healed the woman with au issue of blood. In this same city He healed two blind men aud cast out a dumb spirit. It was to Capernaum tiie apostles re turned and told Christ the results of their missionary oirenit, aud from whence He took them iuto retirement in a desert-place ou the other side of the Sea of Galilee, bnt being followed by a multitude of people, after a day of teaching, lie fed the five thousand. It was the, night following this that He came to HU disciples in the storm walk - ing upon the water. The multitude who had been miraculously fed the next moruitig sought Jesns and found Him at Capernaum. There He taught them iu the synagogue, giviug His discourse upon ‘the Bread of Life,’ at which mnny Ladies Only. It Is Women Who Need Most Relief From Little Irri tating Pains and Aches* Dr. Miles' Anti-Pain PUU ars fi* women. 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He went from here to the region of Tyre and Sidon, and on His return, having visited the region of Caesarea Philippi (Matt.18:13- 20). He miraculously provided tho tribute money. It was here at Caper naum the disoiples contended among themselves who shonld be the grentest, aud Christ exhorted them to humility, forbearance, and brotherly love. 1 It was iu this same city tiie seventy were in structed, and from which they were sent out into every city whither Jesus would come. To this same general regiou Jesns returned after His resur rection, meeting a number of His dis oiples at a mountain where Ho had ap pointed them, as also on the shore of tiie Sea of Tiberias, aud it was upon a mountain hereabout that He revealed Himself to more than five hundred brethren at once." [To be continued.) Poisons in Pood. Perhaps yon don’t realize that many paiu poisons originate in your food, but some day yon may feel a twinge of dys pepsia that will convince you. 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