Richard Tyron

“ I am persuaded that this is the Valley of Salt, mentioned in a Kings xiv. 7. We came now to the Dead Sea, being about 50 miles in length and about 15 over. There is not a place from whence the water which comes into it runs out again, except it be under the earth; neither doth it seem to encrease with the river Jordan, and several other waters that do run into it. It was once a fruitful valley, and compared for delight to paradise, and called Pentapolia, of her five cities, but afterwards destroyed from heaven, and turned into this filthy lake, and barren desolation which doth encompass it. ”

“ This man is a Maronite, and takes caffer or toll of the Turks which pass that way with their sheep and oxen: he hath a hundred soldiers under his command, who are all Christians. About two o’clock we mounted, and, after three hours riding we came to a mighty deep descent, winding in and out, which is the patriarch of the Maronites house, called Aaunibene: is a very good convent and lies under a rock: they have a bell in the church, as in Europe, and go to their devotions morning and evening. ”

“ The Christians have their houses and churches in the suburbs. There is a very considerable trade here for silks, camblets, and Turkey leather. Every European nation almost has its factors here: The English factors are about forty in number, and live in a quadrangle resembling a college, having their chaplain and chapel, wherein they perform their devotions regularly as in Christendom; and at leisure hours they hunt, and use other ports, with all imaginable freedom. ”

“ The city at present is about three miles in circumference: The walls and fortifications seem to be very ancient; but the private buildings are mostly very mean and thinly inhabited. The resort of pilgrims hither, only renders it considerable; and the accommodating them with lodgings and provisions the chief business of the inhabitants. For the protection of the pilgrims against the Arabs, and to receive the tribute exacted of them, a Basha always resides here with a guard of Janizaries. As to the particular places in and about Jerusalem, we have already described. ”

“ Hermon, is a mountain on the north east of the Holy Land, beyond Jordan a little southward of Lebanon. The dew that falls on it is beautiful and fine: In a summer evening it will wet one to the skin and yet is in no danger of sleeping at night, is we are told, in the open field. ”

“ We passed by a village, where the men are all Turk’s, and the women Christians; for the people being poor, the Turks were very severe with them for their Harach, who not being able to pay all at once, turned Turks, &c. 14. We came to the mountain of Crupil, where part of the wood whereof our Saviour’s cross was made, was cut down, and over the place where they say the tree stood, is a stately church, in the possession of the Greeks: the place just where the tree grew is in laid with silver, by which they set a dish for charity. ”

“ Then went we in procession round their chapel, they saying several prayers at three altars, and so we returned to our chambers. June 4. After dinner we went into the kitchen, where we found all the fathers, with napkins before them, washing the dishes every one taking his part, even to the father guardian himself; some were cleaning, some handing away; but all the while, with one consent, they say some prayer, it seeming to be their endeavour, that all that they do, may be to the glory of God. ”

“ The banks of a great part of it are so covered with thickets, that in many places one cannot see it till at the very brink of it; and in those thickets lions were wont to lodge, but were driven thence by the overflowing of the river, at which seasons they wandered about, and were dangerous to such as dwelt near the river. After we had satisfied our curiosity by swimming, &c. our guard advised us to be gone, in case the Arabs should come upon them; therefore we all made ready, and set forward for the Dead Sea. ”

“ It is the capital of the government or Belgerbelle of Aleppo, in Asiatic Turkey, situated 90 miles east of the Levant Sea, and port of Scanderoon, and about 300 miles west of the river Euphrates. It stands upon four hills, in the middle of a pleasant fruitful plain, being of an oval figure, and about 3 miles in circumferance, the castle being on the highest hill in middle of the city. The buildings of the town are better than in most cities in Turkey, and they have a great many stately mosques. ”

“ We took our leave of the patriarch, and presented him with some money, also the poor Fraires and others belonging to the convent, and so took our journey to Tripoli, having had a review of those mountains and the country adjacent, overspread with many fair villages, and fruitful valleys sown with corn, and a great quantity of mulberry gardens; it being the general employment of the inhabitants to make silk. ”

“ The wind coming good we weathered it, and came in sight of Cape Carmel; which two capes make the bay of Aerica, on which there is a convent of white friars, and here they showed us Elisha's tomb. Three or four hours sail further, we came in sight of Caesarea, now ruinate and inhabited by savage Arabs. May 23. we arrived at Joppa, being about 34 miles N. W. of Jerusalem, which hath no harbour to defend ships from storms, but very good ground to anchor in, about ten fathom water; it is a poor town. and hath one castle to defend those ships that come in close to the shore ”

“ Dinner being ended, the father guardian knocks, and the fratres rise and kneel with their faces towards the picture of our Saviour with his disciples at supper, and then mumbling something to themselves, they kiss and then begin to take away, one carrying the dishes, another the knives, every one having his appointment; and then give thanks in the same manner as before dinner; then washing at the door, they go into the church for a quarter of an hour this they do daily, rising always early, and in the night also to go to mass. ”

“ A mile further, is the place where the angel appeared to the shepherds, and cried, ‘Gloria in Excelsis, &c.’ when our Saviour was born, where there hath been a convent, but here only is an arched vault; we paid money to the Arabs, who, when they espy any Franks going thither, ride post before to take possession of the place, and get something from them. A quarter of a mile hence, in the way to Solomon’s cisterns, is the village of the shepherds, on the back part whereof is a well, of which the Virgin Mary desired to drink ”

“ They run one into another, and are fed by the springs that feed the city. The fathers say that they were made to swim in, being built with steps for a man to go down; but seem rather intended for a reserve of water for the city or gardens, having a passage to both. Near the garden is an ill-contrived castle, where a few villains inhabit, to whom we paid one livre per man, for leave to go into the grot where the springs are that feed the city and the cisterns ”

“ The desart of John Baptist; and after an hour’s riding, we came to John Baptist’s fountain, where was his chamber, and a rock, wherein there was a place cut like a bench for his head. To break off a bit of this rock is worthy excommunication. 9 Zechariah’s house, where the Virgin Mary came to salute her cousin Elizabeth; for the angel that told her she should conceive, told her also, that her cousin was with child; and upon her salutation, the child leaped in her womb. Near this house is a fountain with two cisterns which is called Elizabeth’s fountain. ”

“ He says that there are some springs and fruit trees on Horeb, but nothing but rain water on the top of Sinai. The ascent of both is very steep, and can only be ascended by steps which the Empress Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, caused to be cut out in the marble rock. At the top of Sinai, he says, there is an uneven and rugged place, which would hold about sixty persons. Here stands a chapel, dedicated to St. Catharine, and near to it, on the brow of the barren rock, is a fountain of fresh water. The monks that dwell here, have with ashes, &c made a sort of a soil for a garden. ”

“ The earth of the cave is as white as snow, and hath this miraculous operation, that a little of it, drunk in any liquor, to a woman that after her child-Birth is barren of milk, shall forthwith give her abundance, which is not only available to Christians, but likewise to Turkish, Moorish, and Arabic women, who will come from far countries to fetch of this earth, 2. David's cisterns. 3. The grot wherein the Virgin Mary and Joseph lived before they could get a house. 4. The tomb of Rachel, Jacob’s wife, which the Turks do also much esteem. ”

“ Jerusalem lies about 25 miles westward of Jordan, and about 42 east of the Mediterranean Sea 90 miles south of Damascus. 300 miles south of Aleppo, and 230 miles north east of Grand Cairo in Egypt. It stands on a high rock, with steep ascents on every side, except on the north. It is surrounded with a deep valley, which is again encompassed with hills. ”

“ We then came to Acceldema a grot, now held by the Armenians for a burying place; it is said to be the potter’s field, which was bought with the thirty pieces of silver, which was given by the Jews to Judas to betray our Saviour; and it is said the earth thereof will consume the body of a man in forty eight hours; there are several vents on the top to set out the smell. We went down under a rock, to a place where we could look into it, and there saw the form of a man entire, he being only new laid in, but not covered with earth.42. ”

“ Then they cover him with a garment of rich sattin, and cloth of silver; the two that stood over against him, bowing at some words. His body being thus drest, the two fathers put a mitre on his head with all the respect imaginable; and after a short prayer, they take the father guardian by the hand, and lead him to the altar, he standing in the middle of the four fathers, adorn’d as aforesaid. The other fathers have their surplices on, and the organs go: then making a short prayer at the altar, they lead the guardian to his place again ”

“ The valley of Jehosaphat, at the bottom of the bill, between the mountain on which Jerusalem stands and Mount Olivet. 17. The place where the Virgin Mary is buried; whence going down a great many stone steps, you come into a large vault, where all the Christians have their altars apart, all being of several opinions, and the Turks and Christians both burn lamps over her grave: Here we pay one livre for entrance, and 48 stone steps upward is Joseph’s tomb, and against that, the tomb of Joakim and Anna. ”

“ May 15. about five in the morning, we rose from thence, and advanced with our guides to take a view of Lebanon, which, when taken at large, is about 300 miles in circumference, and consists of two large mountains, Lebanon and Antilibanus, and appears at a distance to resemble the shape of a horse shoe with its opening towards the north. The mountain is exceeding high, and looks like as it were four mountains rising one above another: the first has a fruitful soil, excellent for vines; the second is barren; the third enjoys an almost perpetual spring ”

“ Peter was chained; little rememhering how oft Jerusalem hath been destroyed, and the stones of that old wall are now probably as far under ground as those are above. 3. The monastery of the knights of Malta; a very fair building, one room hath several partitions for beds, with a hole in the middle, that if any of them are sick or fluxitive, they are laid there, to which the water being bad, and the air unwholesome, doth very much incline them. 4 Solomon’s temple, which if any Christian go into, or but up the stairs, he must turn Turk, or be burnt ”

“ The gallery, in which the treasures are lodged, is filled with gold, jewels and vessels and ornaments more precious than gold, the votive donations of emperors, kings, popes, and prince, &c for many hundred years past. Silver work are not thought worthy to be admitted here. ”

“ They are baptised, and hate, as we were told, the Jews and Mahometans, and have not hitherto submitted to the Turkish yoke; but the bulk of them have little more religion than the wild beasts among whom they dwell, allowing of all manner of lewdness with mothers, sisters and daughters. ”

“ The house of Annas, where our Saviour being hurrled with violence down a steep place, to prevent falling, he laid hold of the corner of a wall, where there is a place in one of the stones fit for a man’s hand, which the father's account a great miracle.12. ”

“ And to try the virtue that is reported to be in the water, wherein they say a man cannot sink, some of our company went into the lake, and found it impossible to get their.bodies under water, yea, could hardly keep their legs under. ”