To the Rev. R. S. Candlish (Mount Carmel)
My Dear Sir, — It gives me great joy to write to you from this land of hallowed recollections. First of all, I must express our thankfulness to our heavenly Father that he has brought us hitherto in safety. We have met with many of the perils which Paul speaks of — in the waters and in the wilderness,” — still we are all here safe, encamped in quarantine, beneath the rocky brow of Mount Carmel, close by the sea.
We left Alexandria on the 16th of May, and arrived in Jerusalem in days. The first part of our journey, as far as Damietta, we rode upon asses, reminding us of the sons of Jacob, when they carried corn out of Egypt. Our track lay by the sea-shore, so that we enjoyed a cool breeze, tempering the hot air of the desert. We crossed the only two remaining branches of the Nile, and drank with pleasure the sweet water of the river that once bore the infant Moses on its bosom, and that once ran blood. From Damietta we sailed across Lake Menzaleh as far as San, the ancient Zoan. You may believe that the ruins of this once noble city afforded us matter for deep reflection. For about 3 miles there are immense mounds of brick and pottery, entirely covered with loose alluvial matter. At one spot we found immense blocks of granite; the remains, no doubt, of some ancient temple. Two sphinxes were lying close by — one in very perfect preservation — and a great many obelisks, beautifully carved. There are also many vitrified stones, as if the place had been destroyed with fire. How full of meaning Isaiah’s words appeared to us (xix. 11,12,) “Surely the princes of Zoan are fools; where are they V and Ezek. xxx. 14, “I will set fire in Zoan.” We have no doubt that this is the very “field of Zoan,” (Psal. lxxviii. 12) where God did his marvellous works upon Pharaoh and his people. The country round is quite flat; a rich soil, but without water, without cultivation — rdesolale. From Zoan to Jerusalem we rode upon camels.
Before coming to the land of the Philistines, we found it all a waste howling wilderness, “a land of drought, and of the shadow of death.” We suffered a good deal from the heat, the thermometer being sometimes 95*^ in our tent. Our thirst was often very painful; and we were frequently so tired, that at the end of our march we could only spread our mat upon the sand and cast ourselves upon it to sleep. I never before saw the full meaning of these words, Deut. viii. 2. Still the desert life has its charms — you are alone with God! No object attracts your eye — there is only one wide ocean of sand round and round; no sound breaks on the ear, but the plaintive song of the Bedouin, cheering on his slow paced camel. We entered the land of the Philistines on 1st June. It may be described, in one word, as an open pasture country, composed of vast undulating plains; or, more graphically, in the words of Zephaniah, “Dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and* folds for flocks.” I have counted ten flocks, of immense size, from a single eminence. We did not enter Gaza, as the plague was raging there; but as we stood on Samson’s Mount and looked down upon the town, encircled with gardens of figs and olives, we could trace the fulfilment of every word that God had spoken against it. The old city of Gaza seems to be actually buried beneath smooth round hills of sand. ‘* Baldness is come upon Gaza.” The next day we found the reapers busy in the valley of Eschol; and met many a camel carrying to the threshing-floor the ripe barley. Its vines and pomegranates are gone; some fine spreading fig-trees remain.
Our first view of the hill country of Judea was truly heart-stirring. Emerging from a mountain pass, the immense plain of Sephela lay stretched like a map before us; the rays of the morning sun glanced on the brown walls of the many towns that lay beneath us; the hills of Judah rose in the back-ground, tier above tier. We thought of the Ark of God carried back by the oxen — of Asa’s battle with the Ethiopians — of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. That night we pitched our tent among the hills of Judah; next morning we entered a mountain defile of the wildest description. I have seen many mountain passes, but never one of* such romantic beauty.” The flowers that appeared on the
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earth, the fig«tre& putting forth its green figs, and the voice of the turtle heard in the land,” gave it a holy loveliness. We thought that surely Solomon had often wandered here; and Isaiah too, for here was» “in the wilderness, the shittah-tree, the myille, and the oiltree; the fir-tree, and the pine, and the box together.” The terraced hills, above all, excited our admiration. You have no idea to what an extent that wonderful method of cul« tivation must have been carried on by the Jews; nor of the perfect condition in which the remains are at. this day. We have scarcely seen a hill in the whole land, however rocky and barren, that does not bear the traces, more or less perfect, of having »been terraced literally from top to bottom* We often counted 50, 60, and 70 terraces on .one rocky hill. No spot was left uncuitiva- .ted; so that when the vines were planted, ;and trained, the words of the 60th Psalm mere Uterally true, The hills were covered TOth the shadow of it.” Indeed we re-AXiarked, that God himself seems to have suggested this method of cultivation to his peo* J>te» by the very structure of the Judean mountains. Most of them are stratified in a
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horizontal direction; and the strata appear at such regular distances, that in many cases they are used as the foundation of the dike or rough wall which supports the terrace. The question was continually rising to our lips, “Where are all the vines that covered thfese hills with their fragrant clusters?” We found the answer in Hosea ii. 12, *<I will destroy her vines;” and in Joel i. 11, 12, “Howl ye vine-dressers! for the vine is dried up, and the fig-tree languisheth;” and in Isaiah xxiv. 7, “The vine languisheth.” Another question also was suggested, — “Are these empty terraces ever to be replenished again V* Again we found the answer in the prophet Amos ix. 14, “I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof. The mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.”
But I must hasten to Jerusalem. The first sight of the city of the Great King is truly a ftioving one. The question in Lam. ii. 15, was felt by each of us, — “Is this the city that men call the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth?” And the word of the Saviour we saw was true indeed, ‘* Your house is left unto you desolate.” The British Vice-consul, Mr. Young, who entered on his interesting office in Jerusalem about 3 months ago, paid us the kindest attention. Mr. Nicolayson, the missionary of the London Society, a man of learning and a man of God, received us as brethren, and insisted on our occupying one of the mission-houses on Mount Zion. He devoted the chief part of his .time to us during our stay — led us through all the touching scenes in the neighborhood of Jerusalem — accompanied us to Hebron, and, in every way, endeavored to make us fully acquainted with the state of the Jews in this the land of their fathers.
Calvary is the only place about Jerusalem which yields nothing but pain and disappointment. Buried under marble pavements, lighted up by lamps and tapers, and watched over by poor ignorant monks! — my heart sickened at the view; but we lingered again and agabi at Gethsemane. Descending the steep bank of Moriah, you cross the Kedron, now quite dry, — as David did when he fled from Absalom, — as Jesus did on that night in which he was betrayed. The path before you leads directly up the steep of Mount
Olivet; the path to the right, gently ascending, leads you round the hill to Bethany. Be* tween the two paths, inclosed by walls of rough stones, you see Gethsemane. Seven very old olive trees mark the spot; each of them supposed to have lived 1000 years. At the further end of it, a small stone pillar bears this inscription, “Hie tenuerunt eumP Mark xiv. 46. Here Jesus often-times resorted with his disciples; or rather, as Mr. Bpnar suggests, from ovvr/xOfj, this was often-times the place of rendezvous for Jesus and his disciples when going out to Bethany. You may believe that we felt a peculiar delight in tracing our way to that favored village. It was indeed a favorite place with us — about two miles from Jerusalem. Descending the rugged pathway, you come unexpectedly upon a village almost concealed by rocks, and figs, and pomegranates, — this is Bethany! — ‘* The house of figs,” — the village of Martha and her sister Mary. Several houses are inhabited by Arab fellahs, built of good stone, and flat roofed. Many are in ruins; and there are sepulchres hewn in the rock, one of which was doubtless that of Lazarus. Mr. Bonar and I twice visited Bethany, and read John xi. ere with a peculiar interest. Of all places in this land, it is nearest to the condition in which Jesus left it; — the curse seems to have fallen more lightly on the spot which Jesus loved, and where so often he laid his head.
The liveliest picture x)f Jerusalem that can be drawn is to be found in Micah iii. 12.. Zion is indeed ploughed like a field. I pulled some ripe barley from a field on the very top, near David’s sepulchre. Jerusalem has become heaps; — nearly one half of the city appears to be heaps of ruins. In one place the rubbish is actually higher than the city wall. The mountain of the house (Moriah) is. like the high-places of the forest. It bears 2 lofty temples of false worship — the Mosque of Omar and the Mosque EI Uksar. These are surrounded by trees, under whose shade the Moslem ladies walk on their solemn days. God has fulfilled his word to the very letter. Now, how confidently may we expect the fulfilment of the sure promise that immediately follows; and how much encouraged may we be to say to the Jews, O house of Jacob, come ye and let ps walk in the light of the Lord r
I should have mentioned, that plague .was carrying on its awful work in Jerusalem during our stay; indeed it has been little out of it for two years past. An increase in this awful disease hastened our departure. We left on the ISth, having visited Hebron, and the Jews ‘there, the week previously. We passed through Ramah, Gibeon, Beer, Bethel, Lebonah, Sychar, Samaria, and arrived at the foot of Carmel, where we now are, on the 21st. We hope to leave this on Monday, for Tiberias and Saffet, that we may visit the Jews in these places. We shall also visit those in Tyre and Sidon, on our return to Beyrout. From Beyrout an Austrian steamer carries us to Smyrna. All this if the Lord will. Continue to pray for us, that God may prosper our way, and male our mission a blessing to Israel. Our hearts’ desire and prayer for Israel is, that they may be saved. This is the object we have set before us night and day; and however engrossing the scenes are through which we are passing, still they all lead us to pray and strive for the salvation of that people scattered and peeled, who are the true inheritors of these mountains.
The accounts we received at home as to the state of the Jews in this land are far from being accurate. The exact number of Jews in Palestine it is very difficult to ascertain. The largest estimate reckons them to be about 15,000. Some state the number so low as 10,000. They reside chiefly in the 4 holy cities, as the Jews call them. In*Jerusalem about 7000; in Hebron, 700 to 800; in Tiberias, 1200; in Saffet, 1500 to 2000. In the towns along the coast there may be — in Jafia, 60; in KaifTa, 150 to 200; in Acre, 200; in Tyre, 150; in Sidon, 300; in Nablous (the ancient Sychar) we found about 200, and 150 Samaritans. In the villages of Galilee there may be 400 or 500. The increase in the number of Jews has been very decided since 1832, when the Pasha of Egypt took possession of Syria. For 2 years past the increase has not been so great, owing to the ravages of the plague, the increased price of provisions, the embarrassed finances of the Jewish community, and the oppression of their Rabbis. In my last, I mentioned that in Europe collections are made at the door of the synagogue, for the support of the Jews in the Holy Land. These collections amount annually, upon an average, to L.2,800. Every Jew in the land, rich or poor, after he has been a year in the country, has a share appointed to him, if he chooses to take it*. .The chief cause of their returning to this land, seems certainly to be attachment to the inheritance of their fathers. They also believe that their Rabbis here are actually inspired; that to die in this land is, to a Jew, certain ^Ivation; and that, if they die out of it, they must make their way under ground, to rise in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. They are very different from the Jews we have seen in France and Italy; they are far from being infidel; on the contrary, they are superstitious Jews. They have a real expectation of Messiah’s coming; and this feeling is waxing stronger and stronger. They are far kinder and gentler in their dealings with us; they seem to look upon us as friends. This is not wonderful, when you remember that they are counted as dogs by all the Moslems. They maintain the beautiful dress of their fathers, and are a noble-looking race, when compared with the wretched Arabs who are scattered over this land. Almost all the male Jews here spend their time in reading. There are 6 s3magogues in Jerusalem, and 36 reading places. These latter are established
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by individuals, that they may attain some merit to their souls !• Five or six readers are appointed to each, having a smallsalary; one or two of whom are expected to be always there, reading the Talmud.
The English mission, in the hands of Mr. Nicolayson and his’ Jewish fellow-laborers, with the blessing of th^God of Israel, appears to be prospering admirably. There are three Rabbis at present inquiring the way of life, and determined openly to profess their faith in Jesus I What encouragement does this hold out to the Church of Scotland to go and do likewise.
At Sychar we found the fields white already unto harvest We spent a most interesting forenoon, testifying to both Jews and Samaritans that Jesus is the Christ. We visited both their synagogues, and saw the Samaritan MS., said to be 3600 years old. The most of the Jews in this country speak Hebrew; many of them better than any other language. Although our lips can only stammer in the holy tongue, yet we find it deeply interesting; and we believe that God is able to make use of our weakness in opening their hearts.
The only other thing to be mentioned now, is as to the qualifications of a missionary to this country. Hebrew is plainly the most necessary language, read and spoken in the Spanish way. Arabia is next in im« portance the language of the country. The elements should be learned in Europe — the more perfectly the better; the pronunciation and use must be learned here. Spanish, German, and Italian, are also useful; the two first, in direct intercourse with the Jews; the last, as being the language of all Europeans in this country. He should be acquainted with Hebrew literature, so as to be able to set aside the Talmud in argument He should know the Cabbalistic Commentaries, such as Zohar’s, that he may know the sources of Jewish ideas. Chaldee and Syriac are useful. Controversial talents are perhaps of greater importance than splendid preaching talents; at the same time, it is to be hoped the time is at hand when both will be required. He should be well grounded in prophecy. In the words of Mr. Nicolayson, “He should fully and thoroughly adopt the principle of grammatical interpretation, both that he may be encouraged to persevere in his work, and als that he may be able to deal with the Jews.” There ought to be both Jewish and Gentile laborers; the latter to form the nucleus, the former to be the effective laborer. I mention these things thus ^arly, in case God should be raising up young men full of an ardent desire to labor in the cause of Israel, that you and the Committee may be able to show them the needful preparatives. And now, my dear sir, — farewell. If a day of trial is near, it will be happy for us, as ministers, and as a Church, to be found doing the Lord’s work, and seeking the good of Jerusalem. Pray for us, that we may be kept humbley believing, joyful, faithful, unto death.