The Newnan weekly news. (Newnan, Ga.) 189?-1906, March 15, 1905, Image 6

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

Land of Promise (TO AND FROM.) [iy Rev. C. O’N. Maktindale. ARTICLE XXIX. TURKEY [Continued •victory' or ‘triumph.’ No oue here disputes thin etymology. Nassra, which menus ‘victory’ (victoria) is a girl’s name: then Nasir, Nusire, Nassr and Nansoor are hoy names, employed all over the '-ountry, and mean respectively ‘victory-giving,’ ‘a little victor,’ ‘victor,’ ‘victor-enjoying,’ and suuposing we read our Lord’s word’s, ‘I have over come the world’ (Jno. 16:33) in the .light of Psa. 3:7, 8, and the hundred | other passages in the ('kl Testament ()4 . PALESTINE: I II Nasirah w ],j c |, declare or presuppose His ulfi- (Nazareth), in view of the jebel | »>“<” victory,and remember that Julian, j | the great apostate enemy in the fourth Mar Elyas (Mount Carmel) and century, died with the words upon his Haifa and the Ray and Plain cf ’Akka (Acre) and nigh to Jebet Tur (Mount Tabor). As our horses climbed the steep ■nountain-side liefore getting to Nnzar- oth, wo came in view of the castle or larrarks of Nazareth, formerly belong ing to au English gentleman fa physi- oian) until seized by the Turkish gov ernment, which suspioioued Ins strong- h old at so strategic an elevation as cal- unlatml to farther British designs on the land. From the well Nebi Ka in (or Him ’an) on the Jebel es-Hikh oue gets a wonderfully ilne and extensive view of Monnt (Jarme.l (the Jebel Mur Klyas), Haifa, the Hay and Plain of Akka (Acre), and the Mediterranean to the northwest; the finely plain of El-Hnttof (with the rains of Haffurieh on its southern corner) and Hafed, to the north- snowy-crested Hernion afai 1 to tiio northeast; Blue Galilee and the dis tant hills of Jolnii beyond the oasin nearly east: Mount Tabor to the south- oMsl;*and Nain, Endor, Shunem. Little Hermou. the Plain of Esdraelon (or Valley of Megiddojand the Valley of Jezreel, to the south; while atourfeet around a kind of slanting uud broken (ou its lower rim) basin in the mountain ties En Nasirah, or Nazareth, a city of nhont II,000 resident population, of whom it is said four-fifths are adherents of the Christian laith, and not a single Jew a resident. About its white t'our- spunn walled houses of rock and mor tar you see many cactus hedges, olive uud fig trees, some pomegranates, and Hying uboul in the air numerous birds. “The town is the seat of Kuimmakain and the chief town of a district (Kudu) in the Mutesairiflik of Acre. Most of the inhabitants are engaged m farming mid gardening, and some ol' them in handicrafts, and in the cotton mid grain trade. The inhabitants are noted for then turbulent disposition. Many pret ty female figures are to be seen. The district is comparatively rich ami the Christian farmers have retained many peculiarities of costume, which are best observed at weddings. On festivals the women wear gay. embroidered jackets, t uud have their foreheads and breasts laden with coins, while the riding •mnel which forms an indispensable feature in such a procession is smartly capari soned with shawls and strings of coins. The various confessions have tl eir own quarters, on tie- south tie Latin, on the north tie Greeks, in the centre the Muhauimudans the ether quarters con tain a mixed population. The Chris tians are under the government of NIHicial le-ads ' (if Protestant Chris tians the lust statement does not hold, uud there are many of such here The Russian ami British churches have large establishments. “Like Bethlehem, Nazareth has never been wholly destroyed or depopulated since Matthew wrote Ins Gospel. There fore its identity hits never been in dis pute. It lies among the extreme south ern ridges of Mt. Lebanon, in a oup-like volley, half-way between the Mediter ranean and the southern end of the Sea of Galilee. * * Although Nazareth is secluded, yet it was within reach of the highway of the aucieut world, lor irn- tuediately south of it passed the route which connected the Mediterranean with the Jordan and the East, through the Plain of Jezreel or Esdraelon, aud the railway now being built from 'Car mel by the Sea’ to Damascus,is surveyed not, far to the south of Nazareth, and from the hills above the town. Carmel, Tabor. Gilboa. aud a hundred to her pluces.fatuous in Old Testament history, are visible. Thus seclusion and inter course. isolation from and association with the world, were alike possible to a native of Nazareth, when our Lord lived ia it It is about 80 miles north of Jerusalem, or four days’ journey, aud inuny ot its inhabitants still attend feasts at Jerusalem, a< was the case in aucieut times." It is to be noted that ‘•the uoun ‘Nazareth’aud the adjective “Nazarene' < lie shall be cBiled a Nazar- one’) have nothing to do with the simi lar-looking word which means - one un der avow' (the Nazarite vow, Num. 41:2) • * Nazareth in the form iu which lips, ‘Thou hast the victory.O Galilean, would this difficulty of Mutt. 2:33 not vanish? May wo not understand then Nazarene to mean ‘Victorious’ or ‘Vic tor?' This name is alike easily deriv able from the name of the town 'Naz-ar- nth.’aud from the Old Testament Scriptures which predicted that He should be victorious.” (Dr. Ghosu El Howie of Bchweir, Mt. Lebanon, Syria). Nazareth is rapidly increasing in opuleuoe and population,and undoubted ly owes its natural growth chiefly to the fuct that resideuoe iu Beisau aud upou the Plain of Esdraelon is rendered un safe by reason of the inroads of the Arabs from the region beyond Jordan. Hence the observation of Dr. W. M. Thomson, that “Many planes have been deserted, and the inhabitants have re tired from the plaius to Jeuiu, Nazar eth, aud farther west towards the sea board. Should a stroag government drive the Bedawiu over the Jordan, and keep them there, the popnlatiou aud importance of Nazareth would decline.” From the Jebel es-Sikh we descended bv foot to a point, high up ou the hill side. overlooking the principal buildings of Nazarth, where stands the English Orphanage for Girls (including School and Hospital), kept by the Society for the Promotion of Female Education in the East Here oue sees some happy clianges a Protestant Christian influence can work among a degraded people in the way of spiritual life and growth, mental enlargement, physical cleanli ness and thrift. One's visit to Nazareth is incomplete without seeing it. Thence we still further went down the steep to a pathway iu the upper southwest rim of the town, just, about back of the Maronite Church, where is u precipice of about, fifty leet height suddenly cutting short tire hill-side whereon the city is built, very likely •-the Hill of Precipitation,” from which elose iu upon the .city the enemies ot the Lord Jesus sought to thrust Him down headlong but Ho passed through them unharmed A reputed traditional situ of this event uboul a mile from the eity is unworthy of credence; besides being unreasonably far oil lor such au act, there whs i>6 necessity to go that far. We were shown the site of the ancient synagogue on which is a very old church building now used by the Greek Cntho- lies: and, while this may not be the actual synagogue which Jesus frequent ed, it is not unlikely that the present building stands upon the sm ot that one. (Beside it lias been built lately a new church of handsome pattern.) The history of this old building is traeeuble as far back aw the fifth century, and its t wo side-walls some say were a part of the original building in which our Lord went as it wit- His custom on the Lord’s Day, and preached to the people, and made that great claim o1 lienig the Mes siah spoken of by the prophet Isaiah (Isa. 01:1-2, of. Lk 4:10-30; Matt. i3:- 54-68. Mk 0:1-6): “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach good tidings to tlie poor; He hath sent Me to proclaim release to the captives aud recovering of sight to the bliud, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to proclaim tbu acceptable year of the Lord. * * To day hath this Scripture been fulfilled in your ears. And all bare Him witness, and wondered at the words of gruoe which proceeded out of His mouth. * « And they were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things: and they rose up, and uist Him forth out of the oity, and led Him nuto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might throw Him down headlong (the punishment lor blasphemy). But He passing through the midst of them went His way We visited the Romish (or Latin) Church of the Annunciation connected with the Franciscan Monastery, and were then shown tho so-called Chapel and Altar ol the Annunciation (with inscription at back, “Hie Verbum caro factum est"—“Here the Word was made fiesh"). aud to the left of 'lie en trance “the Column of Gabriel” (round and upright land “the Column of Mary” (a dependent-columnar tragmeut, claim ed to be miraculously supported, just above the spot where the Virgin is said with marble, according to tradition (how elastic the term! > “the House of the Virgin” stood. We give this as a fair sample ol Roman aud Greek Cath olic work upon human credulity: “On the 10th of May, 12111, according to the tradition, the sacred dwelling was car ried off by angels, in order to prevent its desecration by the Muslims. The heavenly messengers first curried it to Tersato near Flume in Dalmatia, aud thence to Loreto iu Italy, where it still attracts numerous pilgrims; but it was not till nearly two centuries alter < 1471) during the pontificate of Paul II, that this miracle (?) was confirmed by the (Roman Catholic) church. The truth is, that the whole story is not older than the 16th century, a period so prolific ot marvellous traditions.” We could not but wish that the angels had taken away other relics and sites as absurd. Here in this same Church we saw what pur ported to be the Chapel of Joseph and an altar inscribed “Hie erat subditus lllis”—“Here He became subject to them”; ami even an old cistern ou our way out is made to do service as “the Kitchen ot the Virgin!” Ilia small enclosed court to the northeast ot thiB monastery is the “House or Workshop of Joseph,” and over the altar m it, if we mistake not, huugs that lovely aud lifelike puintiug of our Lord us a well- grown hoy with His mother aud Joseph the carpenter in the shop, all attired in the dress ol tlie'time, and with a sweet grace uud uplifting naturalness about it, done by the ui list riuucois. On the west side ol tne town in a chapel belonging to tire Latins (or Romanists) we were given a view of “the Table of Christ,” a hard block of chalk, eleven and a half feet long by nine and a half broad, tipou which both before and alter the resurrection the Lord Jesus Christ is said to have dined with Hie disciples, according to a tradi tion going back only to the 17th cen tury. Ou that we sat down to rest. We ulso took in the Church of Gab riel or of tIre Annunciation of the Or thodox Greeks, half way underground wtlh rather pleasing effect, aud having its pavement near the ultar pierced by an epeuiug into the conduit leading from the spring to the north of the Church by the left Bide of the altar on to St. Mary's Well in the town. Through that hole Greek pilgrims got water os sacred to apply to their eyes and heads, while less superstitious travellers drink simply to say they had a bit of the water from the spring at Nazareth! Since this is the only spring the city bus. it is well-nigh certain that Mary and the Holy Child Jesus drank and that often from this very fountain. The spring is variously called “Jesus’ temptible in the eyes of the Jerusalem and Judaean Jews, not lor any irreli- gion or immorality for which it was noted, but solely on account of its ob scurity. It was unrenowned, almost unknown, and therefore, when Jesus appeared, coming from Nazareth, one would ask, ‘Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?' It is true that ‘Nu- zarene’ was a contemptuous name given to Jesus, but originally, it only indi cated the obscurity ol th<- almost un heard-of village from which lie hailed. His enemies would say: 'Jesus of Nnza- reth our Messiah? How preposterous the pretension! How absurd! Why, Nazareth is not even mentioned iu our Holy Scriptures, which teach us that the Messiah shall come of tries family of David, and must be born at Bethlehem, the city of David!’ * This was the argu ment by which the rejectors of Christ set aside all the infallible proof furnish ed by His wonderful life and mighty works, tlint He was the Messiah. * They would say, ‘He is a Nazarene,’ i. e,, he is a pretender: 'He is a Galilean,’ i. e., he is a false Christ. His disciples were called‘Galileans,’that is, followers of the false Christ, that pretender of Nazareth (Juo. 7:41,62). This is the opprobrium that was attached to the name ol Nazareth of Gulilee; and it came iu, not before, but with, the pub lic ministry of Christ. It was first mentioned by the Galileans themselves who, ot' course, would not cast an odious reflection upou their own section. The expression, 'Can any good come out of Nazareth?’ originated with Nathanael, who was himself of Cana of Galilee; and, as Dean Alford truly says, 'it car ries with it no evidence that Nazareth was previously held in contempt.' After ward it became a proverbial expression, not to signify that the inhabitants of Nazareth were held in disrepute for ir- religion or immorality prevalent uwoug them, but to indicate the scorn with which the learued doctors of Jewish theology rejeoted Jesus os a pretender and false Messiah because he came from Nazareth, aud not from Bethlehem, where their prophets taught that the Christ should be born.” (Dr. J. M. P. Otts iu “The Fifth Gospel, the Land Where Jesus Lived,” pp. 83-86.) “While the uatural landmarks in aud about Nazareth remain unchanged,there is but little in the town itself which we can confidently associate with our Lord, or the times in which He lived. There are no traces of gates or surrounding walls, or of the ruins of public build ings of any sort; and there is not a house standing today which can be identified with any building upou whion His eyes rested when He was here among men. Tho place, as it now up- Spring” and “Gabriel’s Spring." Mary’s P ears is without doubt the successor of Well or Fountain in the middle of the the l ,lllpe wl,ose uaui * sti11 bears - but town is much frequented, and almost at « 1S a U10ller “ ^ in everything per any time of day the women and girls may be seen gathered about its low en closing wall with their large and not ungraceful pitchers in hand or on head, j It is a centre of cleansing and refresh ment as well as the point of departure for the news and gossip of tho neigh borhood. When we came into the town we saw it was a festival season, it being Mon day of Easter-week with the inhabitants, just a week later than Easter with us. Here and there were young and mature peopie. in many-colored attire, enjoying sweetmeats, watching or engaging in games of chance, firing torpedoes, or laughing and shouting. Our greatest surprise was a small but serviceable “Ferris Wheel” hanging ou a square , * . ,, i place, which w'e have every reason to frame, with four box-like carnages lull ] f ,, , ,_ , ,. of children, an older person keeping the For Pain Take a Dr. Miles* Anti-Pain Pill, and the Pain will dis appear Like Magic. Not by paralyzing the nerves and^f glands, like opium, morphine, cocaine, and other dangerous drugs, but by in creasing the natural secretions. This action is obtained as a result of modern discoveries in medicine, making it possible to relieve pain without bad after-effects. Tou can safely depend upon Dr. Miles’ Anti-Puln Fills to relieve and cure such, pains as Neuralgia, Headache, Stomach ache, Memtrual Fains, Rheumatism, Backache, Toothache, etc. They will also, by their calming act ion on the nerves, almost instantly re lieve Euoh distressing feelings as Diz ziness, Car-Sickness, Indigestion, Irri tability, Sleeplessness, Nervousness, etc. Not merely do they relieve, but they also absolutely cure, because by perse vering in their use, you do away with the cause. Dr. Miles’ Anti-Fain Pills are guar anteed that first package will benefit, or your moDey back. Never sold In bulk. "I am thankful for the good Dr. Miles Anti-Pain Fills have and are doing me. Ever since the war I have hud spells of severe throbbing head- uche, caused by catarrh, until six years ago, I began taking Anti-Pain FiHs, the only remedy that ever gave no* relief. Since then I have not had one hurd attack, because I take a Pill and it overcomes the difficulty.”—GKO. SAUNDERS, Oreensburg, ind. PPri? Write to us for Free Trial «T- of Dr. Miles’ Antl- Pain Pills, the New Scientific Remedy for Tain. Also Symptom Blank. Our Specln.UEt will diagnose your case, tell, you wliut Is wrong, and how to right it. Free. DR. MILES MEDICAL CO.i LABORATORIES, ELKHART, IND, Imps, except, its stroets. which are truly Oriental in their narrowness, their un tidy appearance, their apparently aim less windings, and in the unique fashion ol their paving.—The so-called holy places' which tradition has localized | here are all apocryphal, and have no claim to veneration or regard. The in telligent visitor does not come to Naz- areth to see holy places hut 'a holy pluee.’ It a place forever uieinorable and sacred not because of one or more conspicuous events, but because it was the home of Jesus for nearly thirty years of His earthly life. Here’the Holy One of God dwelt among men, and every foot of this little mountain-rimmed basiu has been hallowed by His steps.— Among the uatural features of the Word that was made flesh’ and dwelt among men. Take away from Nazar eth ‘the Name that is above every name,’ the name that was coupled with it on the cross, and all the highways that centre in it from every side would shrink into narrow bridle-paths; the tide of travel which sweeps back and forth through its streets year by year would cease: aud the great vessels which now touch at its port (Haifa) would pnss silently by. This can never be, how ever, and more and more Nazareth will be dear to the Christian heart as the home of Mary, ‘highly favored and blessed among women,' and the place of the hidings of His power, Who for onr sakes marie Himself of no reputation, end took upon Him the form of a ser vant, and was made in the likeness of men.” (Dr. R. L. Stewart.) “To the simple Christian. Nazareth, the home of the Saviour’s boyhood, the scene of His early labours, His prayers, His domestic relations, His private life, possesses a far greater charm, a far more intense interest, than the Annunciation could have given it. In this repect it iar surpasses Bethlehem.'" (Dr. M. Brodrick, j “The scene of His earthly life is alto gether in harmony with His character. It is ‘Holy Ground;’ and whatever “may or must be said of its inhabitants, an cient or modern, let us remember that the greatest good God ever bestowed upon our world did ‘come out of Nazar eth.’” (Dr. W. M. Thomson.) Here on this sacred ground at the lower edge of the city we pitched our camp for a night as we set our faces to ward Jerusalem. |To be continued.) trick moving by drawing each box down as it came within reach. You needn’t be surprised, dear reader; the East is rapidly learning from the West; and the West has much to learn from the East too. One’s experience in the Land of the Bible is a oonstant surprise. Here we visited the bazaars and a genuine Nazareth carpenter-shop (not so different from a carpenter-shop in America, save in the size and shape of tools, and mayhaps finer work than our common shops). We supplied ourselves with olive wood mementoes, also pretty laoe-work for which the women of this place are famed. We also noticed on the side of many houses stairways lead ing up to the rooves, on which some live and sleep, and even have lambs and chickens fed. On the eastern side of town is the Moslem mosque with grace ful dome aud minaret, and the new Serai or residence of the Muhammadan governor. “The name of the town is not men believe have come down through all the Christian centuries without appreciable cliungc, three are specially noteworthy. One is the line of cliff’s which rise be hind the Maronite church: another is the public fountain, known as Mary’s Well; and the third is the rounded crest of the hill upou which the greater part of the city is built.—The influences which are now contributing to the growth of this mountain city,and which are drawing to it the best aud most de vout of every land, in ever-increasing numbers—are almost wholly traceable to its connection with the Holy Child who grew up here with winsome man ners and irreproachable life from in fancy to mature manhood. If it were possible to disassociate this from_place the silent years which He spent within its confines: if it were possible to elimi nate from the fair prospect, which the traveller from far away lands now iooks down upon from the rim of this green basin,all the churches and schools . and hospitals and orphanages and homes Colds It should be borne in mind that every cold weakens the lungs, low ers the vitality and prepares the system for the more serious dis eases, among which are the two greatest destroyers of human life, pneumonia and' consumption. Chamberlain’s Cough Remedy has won its great popularity by its prompt cures of this most common ailment. It aids expectoration, re lieves the lungs and opens the secretions, effecting a speedy and permanent cure. It counteracts any tendency toward pneumonia. Price 25c, Large Size 50c. tiouediu the Old Testament, nor’by which have been erected here-in His Josephus. There was no Roman gar- name —this prosperous town, which, risen in the place; and, being hid away like Bethlehem, the birthplace of our among the mountains and off from all Lord, ranks with the best and most at- it appears in the language of this coun- to have received the angel s message); tr\ comes!rum a ruoi which means and on tho rock litre overlaid nchlv the great roads, it seems that it was overlooked and almost unknown. It is most probable that there was but little I admixture of foreign element in its I population, if any atail. It was con tractive cities of Palestine, would speed ily lose its prestige among the Galilean towns and revert to the littleness and obscurity which characterized it before it became the abiding-place of -the If you want an interesting farm | paper, try The American Farmer, a monthly farm journal costing j 50c per year. A year’s subscrip tion to this journal is given free , with a year’s subscription to the N < \vs. Both papers for $1.00. tf