Jesse Lyman Hurlbut

“ They may not yet be prepared to appreciate the night of prayer on the mountain, the agony of the Lord in Gethsemane, or the rapturous experiences of St. John on Patmos; but they may take delight in the land, its customs, its wonderful histories, read with gratification an account of journeys from Dan to Beersheba, with perils from robbers, and the pranks of native children, the lonely horseback ride from Jerusalem down to Jericho, the encampment by the "Fountain of robbers" north of Jerusalem, the loveliness of Nazareth, the beauty of the Sea of Galilee, and the glories of Lebanon and Hermon. ”

“ In view of the supernatural character of Bible history, acquaintance with Bible geography is particularly important. Once give its wonderful transactions an actual locality among the hills, valleys and cities which may still be found and visited, connecting and comparing them with the records of our present history, and our youth will readily distinguish the miraculous from the mythical, and discover not only clear illustrations of many portions of the Bible, but strong and irresistible evidence in favor of its divinity. ”

“ No class of literature is more refining and exalting than the records of cultivated minds made amid the sacred scenes of Palestine, and the not less interesting ruins of Egypt, Asia Minor and Greece. A taste for such mental pabulum is a better safeguard against the popular and polluting fictions of the day than all the mandates of the parent or the uncompromising denunciations of the pulpit. Preoccupy by the good, and there will be no evil to expel. ”

“ As we sit down on this side of the sea, it is well that we are able to look beyond the sea to the lands which gave to the world the book in our hands. And it is well, that, as we look, we are able to connect the book of to-day with those same lands as they now lie among the rivers and by the seaside, from the sources of the Tigris and Euphrates to the mouths of the Nile, from the palaces of Babylon to the dock at Puteoli and the prison at Rome. ”

“ Have the mummy wrappings of Mohammedan domination held the far East unchanged through the centuries, that in these days of doubt the hills of Canaan, the plains of Egypt and the ruins of Mesopotamia might lift their voice in solemn attestation to the divine truthfulness of the sacred historians? ”

“ After a course of thorough preliminary training, arrangements were consummated for a tour of observation through Egypt, Arabia, Palestine,—the lands of Hebrew life and literature, the scenes of the early Christian history, and, later, the arena of Saracenic invasion and domination. We are now on the way thither. While the tide of mighty immigration is pouring westward toward the American desert, the Rocky Mountains, Pike's Peak and Cherry creek, a tiny rill of exploration is trickling eastward toward the desert of Sinai, the mountains of Egypt, the peaks of Lebanon, and the river of Jordan. ”

“ All the lands between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean were united at different periods under one government, and formed an empire which was constantly changing according to the power or weakness of its dominant state; for in the Oriental world there never has existed anything like a confederation of states on an equality. At different periods Ur, Babylon or Nineveh conquered all the surrounding lands; or at other periods a single race, as the Medes and Persians, obtained supremacy. The empire thus arose and fell, to be succeeded by a similar empire with another centre. ”

“ The desert of Arabia occupies more than half of the map of the Old Testament World. That portion of it included upon the map is a vast triangle, having for its base the 28th parallel of latitude, from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, the Euphrates on its northeastern side, and the border of the Lebanon chain of mountains for its western. It is called in the Bible "the land of Kedar." It is a high, undulating, dry plain, with few oases, and almost impenetrable to travelers. ”

“ It is a book that deals with man as an immortal soul; making known the beginnings of the race; going back of the beginning to God, who is from "everlasting to everlasting," and who "in the beginning created the heaven and the earth"; revealing the creative purpose and loving grace of God; tracing the fall and deterioration of man, the divine interposition in human history, the preparation of a family, a race, a nation, and a world at large, for the coming of the Redeemer; revealing the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ ”

“ At the close of the eleventh chapter of Genesis a change is made in the subject of the Bible story. Thus far it has been a history of the entire race; but from this point to the close of Genesis a single family is brought into prominent notice, and the rest of the tribes of men are referred to only incidentally. The family of Abraham, of Semitic origin, deserve all their prominence in sacred history, since through them the true religion was perpetuated until the world was ready for its wider dissemination in the gospel period. ”

“ We measure the years by millenaries, and by the thousand miles we measure the distance. The greatest contrast exists between the age and land in which we live and the age and lands in which this book found its beginning, its material and its ending.
To one familiar only with the habits, dress and customs of American life, the every-day events recorded in the book seem fabulous. We do not dress as the book says that people dressed in those far-away years and far-away lands; we do not eat as they did; our houses are not like theirs; we do not measure time as they did ”

“ There are no more places of interest to the Bible reader until we reach Hebron, 18 miles from Jerusalem. This is one of the most ancient towns in the world, occupied before the time of Abraham; the burial place of the Patriarchs, the capital of David's kingdom of Judah, and the place where Absalom's rebellion was begun. It is still a large town, inhabited by intolerant Mohammedans, who closely guard the sanctity of the Mosque which covers the graves of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. ”

“ The city of Jerusalem occupies a prominent place, not only in the history but also in the topography of the Holy Land. It is one of the most elevated sites in a land whose important places were among the mountains. There are many peaks higher than Mount Zion, on which the city stands; but few cities in Palestine are built upon a site so lofty. ”

“ Beginning at the north, on the narrow plain by the Mediterranean Sea, we find the Zidonians, with their two great cities, Zidon the earlier, and Tyre the later. Perhaps the latter city was not yet founded in the patriarchal age. These people were early famous as the traders of the Mediterranean world, having commercial relations as far as Spain. They occupied a narrow strip of territory between Mount Lebanon and the sea, north of Mount Carmel. Their country was never possessed by the Israelites, and most of the time the relations between the two races were peaceful. ”

“ The disciples took another ship at Patara, and sailed in a southeasterly direction for Phœnicia, passing by Cyprus without stopping. The vessel paused for a week at Tyre to unlade its burden, and here Paul found a church, perhaps planted by Philip the evangelist. Tyre had once been the great commercial metropolis of the Mediterranean, known as "the strong city" as early as the time of Joshua. It was the capital of Phœnicia, and in Old Testament times held friendly relations with Israel, but was idolatrous and abominably wicked. ”

“ The Nile, the great river of Africa, rises in the centre of the continent and flows northward into the Mediterranean Sea, turning the desert through which it passes into a garden.
V. The Lands. These are not easy to determine since their boundaries and names varied at different periods of the history. Yet their locations may be given, and their natural limits are generally known. They may be classified as follows: 1. Lands of the Mountain System, all north and east of the Zagros chain of mountains: Armenia, Media, and Persia. 2. Lands of the Plain: Assyria, Elam, Mesopotamia, Chaldea, Arabia. ”

“ At Babylon, it is nearly a mile in width, though for 800 miles it does not receive a single tributary, as it flows through a desert. It overflows its banks every year, rising as high as twelve feet. 4. The Orontes rises in Mount Lebanon, and flows northward parallel with the Mediterranean until, just before reaching Asia Minor, it breaks through the mountains and empties into the sea. 5. The Jordan, least yet most important of all, flows southward from the foot of Mount Hermon into the Dead Sea. It will be described in connection with the Physical Map of Palestine. ”

“ Create a taste for healthful literature in our young people, and they will not crave the blood and fire potions now so mercilessly provided by the corrupt press. This is one object of our present pilgrimage to Palestine. We would open a new world—the newest and yet the oldest of worlds—to their view. ”

“ North of Mount Carmel a narrow strip is called Phœnicia. Directly east of Mount Carmel the level country is pressed inward, and lies between the mountains, forming the remarkable Plain of Esdraelon, physically belonging to the Maritime Plain, but geographically to the Mountain Region. South of Mount Carmel lay Sharon; and further southward was Philistia, a land whose people, the Philistines, were long the enemies of Israel, and have since given the name Palestine to the whole land. ”

“ Under the Maccabean princes Jerusalem was generally prosperous, though with occasional reverses. The Romans first besieged and took the city under Pompey, B.C. 65. Herod the Great beautified the city, erected many buildings, and rebuilt the Temple throughout. But the most terrible of all scenes in Jerusalem's annals, were those which took place in the revolt of the Jews against the Roman empire, and the destruction of the city by Titus, A.D. 70. For years it was the arena of riot, of the bloody strife of factions, and of massacre, which scarcely ceased during the final siege. ”

“ We would unfurl bright maps and open new books, and delight them in a field of thought and research, in which healthful influences prevail, a field of fragrant and thornless flowers, of luscious and life-giving fruit. ”

“ From the times of Joshua to those of Saul, the Israelites were ruled by men raised up to meet the needs of the hour, not by succession or appointment, but by personal character and influence. Most of them ruled over a limited region, and more than one doubtless was in authority at the same time, in different parts of the land. They were called forth by a series of oppressions, which were sometimes invasions by foreign tribes, and sometimes the uprising of the native peoples against their Israelite conquerors, reversing the relation for a time. ”

“ Achaia was the Roman name of the little land of Greece, whose fame has filled all history. In the later period of its independence, its ruling state had been Achaia, which gave its name to the entire province when annexed to the Roman empire. In the apostolic age, Corinth was its metropolis and political capital, though Athens still retained its fame as a centre of art and literature.
The apostle Paul and his companions sailed across the Ægean Sea from Troas, in a northwesterly direction, passing the storied isles of Tenedos and Imbros ”

“ We do not take the division by tribes; as that is more difficult to learn, and not often referred to in history. At the time when Christ was among men, Palestine was divided into five Provinces, though two of these were under one ruler.
I. Draw the boundary line of Judæa, and write its initial, J. This was the southern province, and the largest. [Review the names of the places contained in it.] Its people were the Jews, or men of the tribe of Judah, and its principal city was Jerusalem.
II. North of Judæa was the province known as Samaria, having Shechem as its principal city. ”

“ The city of Rome stands on the river Tiber. In the period of its greatness it occupied ten hills, with the valleys between them, and a plain near the river. The apostle lived near the Pretorian Camp, on the northeastern border of the city, and at the opposite end of the city from the Jewish quarter, which was on the west of the Tiber. At the time of Paul's imprisonment, Rome contained about 1,200,000 inhabitants. One-half of the population were slaves, and two-thirds of the rest were paupers, supported in idleness by the free distribution of food. ”

“ Even when it lay in ruins, Daniel, in the land of captivity, opened his window toward its site when he prayed; and the front of every synagogue looked toward it. It stood on Mount Moriah, which was originally outside the wall of the city, east of Mount Zion. In order to give room for all its courts, the surface of the hill was increased by building out from its sides on successive platforms, supported by immense substructions of brick and stone, so that the entire mountain is honeycombed with artificial caves. ”

“ It stood a mile from the Ægean Sea, fronting an artificial harbor, in which met the ships of all lands, and above which rose the Temple of Artemis (Diana) , celebrated as the most magnificent building in Asia Minor, though the image which it enshrined was only a shapeless block. ”

“ Warned by the fate of Jericho and Ai, and alarmed at the defection of Gibeon, the kings of five cities formed a league to resist the invading host. The head of the confederation was Adoni-zedek, the king of Jerusalem, and associated with him were the rulers of Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon, and perhaps other subordinate chiefs. They began by an attack on the city of Gibeon, as a tributary of Israel. Joshua at once called forth his warriors, left the camp at Gilgal, made a swift night march through the mountain passes, and came suddenly upon the enemy near Beth-horon. ”

“ In most lands the earliest people have been of an unknown race, as the mound builders of America and the cave dwellers of Europe. Very early in the history of the race a people entered Palestine, and settled upon both sides of the Jordan, generally among the mountains. They were remembered by different names in various parts of the country, but the names show the dread inspired by them among the later tribes. They were doubtless of one race, but whether of Hamitic or Semitic stock is uncertain ”

“ He began by a siege of Jebus, or Jebusi, a fortress of the Jebusites, on the border of Judah and Benjamin. Though deemed impregnable by the natives, it was taken by storm, and, under its new name, Jerusalem, became the capital of the kingdom. The Philistines had been friendly with David in the past, and were perhaps recognized as the "lords paramount" during his reign over Judah; but now they were jealous of his growing power, and, as of old, entered the mountain region with their armies. But in David they met an enemy of a different character from either Samson or Saul. ”

“ Although the struggle of the conquest was over, yet in most of the land the task of expulsion or destruction was yet to be accomplished, and in many places was never entirely wrought. The entire section of the maritime plain remained in the hands of the Philistines; in almost every tribe were fortresses, which long resisted the Israelites, and formed centres of rebellion, and sometimes of oppression. And many of the cities taken by Joshua were soon reoccupied by their original inhabitants, and once more fortified. ”