Harry Luke

“ Another element deserving of mention is the colony of Yemenite Jews, who speak both Hebrew and Arabic, and have been cut off from the rest of the world since the rise of Islam in the seventh century of our era. They are a remnant of those large Jewish nomadic or semi-nomadic communities, many of them autonomous, which existed throughout Arabia in the time of Mohammed. They have maintained themselves absolutely distinct and orthodox in religion in the Yemen for many centuries, and have acted as metal workers, craftsmen and carpenters for their Arab rulers. ”

“ It is a country of mountain and plain, of desert and pleasant valleys, of lake and sea-board, of barren hills, desolate to the last degree of desolation, and of broad stretches of deep, fruitful soil.' The most important geographical fact in Palestine is the deep fissure of the Jordan Valley, which divides Palestine proper so distinctly from Trans-jordania. Palestine is, generally speaking, a mountainous plateau which forms an extension of the Lebanon chain and runs southwards till it loses itself in the desert or is linked up with the mountainous part of the Sinai Peninsula. ”

“ What renders the Church of the Holy Sepulchre of out- standing interest, apart from its sanctity in the eyes of a large portion of mankind, is the fact that it is shared by representatives of most of the Churches of Christendom. Roman Catholics, Orthodox, Armenians, Jacobites, Copts and Abyssinians have their appointed chapels and rights within its walls (formerly also Georgians and Nestorians) , and in it is celebrated almost every known form of Christian liturgy and ritual. ”

“ Indeed, it is true to say that in Palestine you can choose the climate, or the century, that you prefer. And these conditions are found in a country so small that it is easy to motor in a single day from the northernmost town to the southernmost, and in a morning from the eastern boundary to the sea. ”

“ The fate of the country therefore depended upon the attitude of its own population. Jews, Samaritans, and Christians all welcomed the Arabs as their deliverers from the persecution and oppression of the ' orthodox ' Greeks. Naturally the Arab tribes of the eastern frontier were ready to throw in their lot with the new-comers. Not a single Syrian town was captured by force of arms. Sooner or later they all Accepted the generous terms of the Arab chiefs. Jerusalem and Caesarea were strongholds of Greek sentiment and power. ”

“ With the recrudescence of building activity to meet growing demands, the building industry has assumed an important place in the country's industries, and many brick, tile and cement block factories now exist at Jaffa. Soapmaking from olive oil, an old-established industry of Palestine, has its main centres at Nablus and Jaffa, but factories with more modern methods now exist at Haifa and contribute materially to what is an important Palestine article of export. Wine-growing is a very important industry, and Palestine wines constitute one of the main articles of the country's exports. ”

“ The mosque itself, which occupies the southern side of the Haram, has been adapted by the Arabs from a Crusaders' church of the twelfth century. It stands over the cave ; the entrance to the inner cave is sealed, but through a hole in the floor of the mosque a boy is let down at infrequent intervals into the outer cave to collect the petitions which have been thrown in it.
The cenotaphs of Abraham and Sarah occupy two octagonal chapels to the north of the church ; those of Isaac and Rebecca are inside the church ; those of Jacob and Leah in chambers at the north of the Haram. ”

“ The Roman Catholic community likewise conducts schools, mainly for children of its own faith, in many parts of the country.
To the Christian Missionary Schools, more especially to those conducted by Anglican and Presbyterian societies, Palestine owes a deep debt of gratitude. The English College in Jerusalem, which is under the direct auspices of the Anglican Bishop, is at present the only institution in the country which definitely prepares students up to English matriculation standard, and which will probably develop into a College of University type. ”

“ In modern times, too, England has been pre-eminent amongst the Powers in encouraging and furthering its realization.
Jewish colonization in Palestine, as it is now understood, began in 1880. It was at that period that the persecution of the Jews in Russia and Eastern Europe stimulated the return to Palestine, and Jewish settlements sprang up in different parts of the country. It was not, however, until Theodor Herzl, an Austrian Jewish publicist and dramatist, conceived, in 1897, the project of summoning a Congress of Jews, that Zionism became a political movement. ”

“ The Jewish agricultural colonies have grown up in the course of the last forty years and show a level of agri- cultural and scientific development far in advance of any- thing else of the kind in Palestine. They established themselves in many cases on uncultivated and unpromising land and have transformed it into extensively cultivated and remunerative plantations. They drained swamps, planted eucalyptus and pines, cultivated the vine, and greatly developed the orange trade of Jaffa.
There are at present 61 of these colonies, large and small, with a population of about 17,000. ”

“ According to the Talmud the Jews regarded Acre as being outside the confines of the Holy Land, whose frontier was its outer wall. The town became of importance during the Crusades, and was the favourite seat of the Court of the Latin Kingdom. On the fall of Jerusalem it succeeded that city as the capital and as the headquarters of the Knightly Orders, owing its full name of S. Jean d'Acre to the Knights Hospitallers. It was for several years, until its fall in May, 1291, the last outpost of the Crusaders in Palestine. ”

“ The wealth of the Palestinian flora is attributable to the same causes which have endowed the country with an extraordinary variety of bird and animal life. Geographical position, variety of soil and range of climate, rainfall and elevation account for the singular richness and interest of the vegetation.
The geographical characteristics of Palestine enable the flora of the country to be divided into three distinct groups. The coast-land belongs to the region of the Mediterranean flora, similar to the flora of Cyprus, Cilicia, Spain, Greece, Sicily and North Africa. ”

“ In 6 A.D. the territory of Archelaus was added to the Roman pro- vince of Syria, but was governed by procurators of its own. The power of the native princes, such as Agrippa I., who was the last prince to unite the whole of Herod's kingdom under one monarch, and Agrippa II., whose share of Jewish territory was, strictly speaking, confined to a few towns in Galilee, became merely nominal as that of the Roman governors increased. At length, in consequence of the maladministration of Gessius Florus, a national insurrection broke out with great violence. ”

“ Excavations have revealed the remains of a basilica. The monolithic columns, the capitals of Corinthian design and the details of the pedestals seem to show that the building may date from Herod the Great. The remains of a great temple built by Herod in memory of the Emperor Augustus may also be seen, together with the grand stairway which led up to it. Ascalon has for centuries been used as a quarry. Nothing remains above ground level, but ex- cavations have disclosed what remains of Herod's cloister. Of Roman Gaza practically no trace is visible above ground level. ”

“ There is no customs barrier between Palestine and Trans-jordania. All import duties and formalities on articles consigned to Trans-jordania from abroad are collected and carried out at the customs station of arrival in Palestine. Jerusalem and Nablus are the dis- tributing centres for the East of the Jordan, the principal imports being manufactured goods, such as cotton and woollen articles, and tobacco. In return there is a con- siderable export trade from Trans-jordania into Palestine, and if markets are available, to Europe, in the shape of wheat. ”

“ The influx of Moslems from North Africa into Syria and Palestine began in the early years of the eighteenth century, when the mercenary infantry of the pashas was composed in part of these people. Some had, indeed, been established in Jerusalem from religious motives from a yet earlier period ; while others followed in the nineteenth century in consequence of the French conquest of Algeria. ”

“ As the Byzantine Empire grew weaker, the raids of these Arabs into Palestine became more frequent. Finally they took the definite shape of deliberate conquest. The invasion began in the south of Palestine, where the local Governor, Sergius, operating from Caesarea, was defeated early in 634. This Arab victory was followed up by another in the same year, when Theodore, the brother of Heraclius, was defeated in the Wadi al-Sant. Further victories were won by the Arabs in 635, and in September of that year Damascus surrendered. ”

“ A museum of the anti- quities is to be found on the spot, where there is also a guard of the Department of Antiquities. The inscriptions recording decisions of the Senate (or Boule) and the smaller statues have been removed to the Museum in Jerusalem. Other excavations were of a scientific character and the results are not visible. The site as a whole repays a thorough inspection. The circuit of the ramparts is about two miles ; they form a semicircle facing the sea. Numerous columns and capitals, remains of a Byzantine church. Crusaders' buildings, and other antiquities are visible. ”

“ The increase in the value of the Egyptian import trade is largely due to the removal of the prohibition on the importation of tobacco by the Tobacco Taxation Ordinance, 192 1. The Egyptian Government has removed the restrictions imposed upon the export of rice and Egyptian sugar, which, together with the abolition of the prohibition on the export of cereals from Palestine, has also provided an incentive to trade between the two countries. ”

“ The dignity of Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem then became a purely titular one, accorded to prelates of the Roman Curia, and so remained until the de facto revival of the see in 1847.
Custodia of Terra Santa. — During the five and a half centuries in which the Patriarchate was in abeyance the Latin Holy Places in Palestine were in the charge of the Franciscan Order under the ' Most Reverend Father Custodian of Terra Santa,' who was and is the Superior of the Franciscan establishments in Palestine, Syria, Egypt, and Cyprus. ”