DAVIES, Frederick Rees
Service Number: | 1618 |
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Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
Last Rank: | Private |
Last Unit: | 12th Light Horse Regiment |
Born: | Not yet discovered |
Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
2 Oct 1915: | Involvement Private, 1618, 12th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: RMS Moldavia embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
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2 Oct 1915: | Embarked Private, 1618, 12th Light Horse Regiment, RMS Moldavia, Sydney |
Written Notes of Jerusalam to Jericho
Below is a copy of written notes from my Grandfather and his memories of arriving at Jericho.
The original was hand written, and later transcribed into typewritten form.
...
JERUSALAM to JERICHO. (page 1) As one travels from Jerusalam to Jericho if One leaves the highway now and then for a trek in the hills one can look down from afar upon the scattered homes of the inhabitants or these people of the wilderness, as commonly called. The road to Jericho winds through very rough mountainous country & one can see the truth of it, as its spoken of as a place for robbers and how a certain traveller fell among thieves. In the ravine of the Kendron authorities have loved to dwell in what is known as the Monks Valley, which eventually merges into the Wadi-en-nak, or the Valley of Fire All this region recalls to one's mind the history of Elijah, so full of drama & that school of Prophets which perhaps a mere name, till one has gone down from Jerusalam to Jericho remains ever after in the memory -a living reality. In going to Jericho we pass through Bethany where Christ raised Lazarus from the dead
and where He often retired to the house of Mary & Martha. Bethany is a small village of grey houses spread out on a slope of the western side of the Mt of Olives with some fruit trees & Olive trees about it overlooked by the Russian Church on the Mt of Olives where it is said that Mary met our Lord and begged Him to come to Lazarus. Most of these houses are
now (page 2) inhabited by Mohammedans. We descended a number of steps, very steep into darkness to see the place called the Tomb of Lazarus, a sort of cavern excavated in the limestone. In this Tomb the Franciscan Priests occasionally say Mass. We were also shown the massive ruins of the House of Simon, the Leper, & the House of Mary & Martha. The latter name is given to
an arch & a small rough bit of wall contained in an enclosure full of grass, poppies and wild cactus, and Pomegranate trees. The authenticity of these Holy places, is I believe very doubtful. The age of the fragments of ruin is not known nor is it established that their site is the site where she who sat at our Lord's feet with much serving once had their humble dwelling. Yet that small enclosure remains in my memory as a sweet & touching place, perhaps because it has been let alone, left to the grass & poppies, instead of the stiffly Marigolds & Stocks. In it one can picture & understand that Christ found peace at Bethany & loved to come there from the turmoil of Jerusalam. The name Bethany is said by some to mean 'house of affliction', by others, 'house of dates' though the latter in the East could surely never be the former also. On nearing Jericho, we pass what is now called Jericho Hotel, once said to be known as
the Inn of the Good Samaritan. This humble and rough place of refreshment stands guite alone near the summit of a (page 3) pass with barren hills behind it. It is a long^one storied building of yellow stone with a sloping roof of pink tiles, round windows with yellow shutters of wood & a great arched doorway leading into the paved interior, before it are long wooden troughs at which the horses feed while the drivers drink coffee and smoke. Far away beyond Jericho, the lofty mountains of Moak loomed through a wonder of haze. The descent into the plain of Jericho is tremendously wild, from the turmoil of rocks one looks down & beholds a green patch set in a great tract that
is like the desert & this tract stretches to the shores of the Dead Sea. This patch is Jericho. Jericho is often abused & is spoken of as a filthy & abandoned village, devoid of interest & as a place to get away from as quickly as possible, but it is in reality full of fascination of a peculiar poetry. Josephus has called it the Earthly Paradise, but that was very long ago. Once the patch of green (we were told) was only part of a great stretch of glorious fertility in which was a city shaded by groves of Palms from Mt ?Quarantana not far off in the west. Satan is said to have shown our Lord all the Kingdoms of the World & the Glory of them. This Mount is now known as the Mt of Temptation. In olden days the valley of the Jordan was used as a highway for great caravans going from, to Damascus to Arabia. Now a strange peace (page 4J has fallen upon this region & it is full of the beauty of desertion. One well known writer describes this as the wretchedness ruin of Jericho & it surely appears as such at the time we were there. Jericho lies between 8 & 900 ft below sea level & its a cruel place in mid summer, between the intense heat averaging from 120 to 130 degrees daily during summer and flies. At the edge of one of the strangest, most ghastly & abandoned wildernesses I have ever seen. The valley of the Jordan, with its slime pits, its hills covered with Sidr-trees, those cruel trees full of thorns, from one of which perhaps Christ's crown was made, its streaks and gashes of sickly white & sickly yellow like long & livid wounds made in the shrinking (shrieking) body of the earth, its yellow sands melting into clay, its lonely sea of Death. All that now remains of Jericho is a village of tumble down houses occupied by Bedouin Arabs, with a few better habitations of stone with red tile roofs, three or 4 small Hotels and a Russian Church & a Russian Hospice. The village is embraced by
gardens & thickets & wild vegetation. When night falls you remember that Jericho was also called the City of the Moon, for its fascination increases as afternoon wanes and the evening light takes all the plain, the Dead Sea & the mountains surrounding it. The Mt of Temptation forever connected with Christ. The mountains of ? Gilberd of Edom, Pisgah, Nebo, (page) from which Moses
beheld the land of Canaan. On the road leading from Jericho to Nazareth we pass the Jordan Hotel and close by is Elishas Fountain, perhaps a mile outside the old city. Elisha's Fountain is like a neatly constructed swimming pool & it is in this spring Jericho depends for its water supply. As we read in the Bible, the men of Jericho said to the Prophet 'The situation of this city is pleasant, but the water is naught & the ground barren. And Elisha cast the contents of a new ?cruse of salt into the spring & the waters were healed unto this day. The hills of Judea are just beyond & those wonderful mountains of Moab. The wonder & glory of the Holy Land & from these heights is said to be the finest view in the World & tradition says from the sanctuary of Moab. Moses gazed upon the promised land & there he died & is buried & before his death he made the covenant with the people of Israel when
God established them for a people unto himself & these mountains seem to guard the valley of the Jordan & Dead Sea at the frontiers of the land to which He led them forth. At Karttara, about midway between Port Said & the Great Bitter Lakes, our work here was all outpost duty at night & patrol work, at this section within a radius of 20 mis from Canal. Our stay at Kantara was only brief, only a matter of about 16 days then we were dispatched to another sector about 50 mis down Canal & across Canal about 20 mis out on the Desert to a place called ?Serapisina where we had a very strenuous time, doing long patrols & outpost duty as there was every possibility of the Turks again attempting to cross the Canal frnm that direction, or as it was feared the Turks may try a flanking movement in order to strengthen their attack which was then in progress at Roiuani . As the Turks OL{~ ^ were attacking Romani on 3rd August we stopped at ?Serapinin ^r **" till end of August & as there was no more danger in that Sector we were sent across the dessert on a march of 5 days, out into what was known as the Maghara Hills, about 60 mis west of Canal. Here we again camped for few weeks during whi ch t ime our Eegt. was split up into Sqds & again into troops & scattered over a radius of 20 mis in order to guard & dig wells which were to be used latter on for a shed? coming off as our mai n water supply, next we were concentrated about end of September & the 11th Regt 3]] joined us, also a Indian Companypy of Camel Corpsp & Mountain Guards, then this force set out on a 10 day trip further west across the dessert to attack a strong Turkish outpost, so on the morning of the 15th October we got our first christening of shell fire & our first taste of battle on the dessert. After a few hours hard fighting we captured or gained our/l objective & carried out important ?reckonos ter ing work & ~ -'A)returned to camp about 10 mis distant that night with horses & men absolutely dead beat, as neither our gallant horses or ourselves had had water for 42 hours previous. On returning to camp we found a limited supply of water awaiting us also a small portion of rations. Water was issued out at the rate of 1/2 gallon per horse & a quart per man, this had to serve us for next 24 hrs both horse & man. rations were also issued at the rate of 3 biscuits & 1 tin of Dully per man for 24 hrs & a light ration of feed to our horses was also issued, however we unsaddled & got a few hours sleep & started off on our return trip before daylight, & after trecking at the rate of about 15 mis per day for 5 days we landed back to another sector of the Canal ?gove known as El-Ferdan about 10 mis from Canal. Here we camped one night & next day to rest, then one Squadron 'A' was detailed to remain here & 'B' <S 'C Sqds moved out the 2nd night at sundown to another place called Ferry Post & Hagley Park ( cafie^4) respectively, 'B' Sqd stopping at Ferry Post & 'C'sqd went on to Hagley Park. Each Sqd was engaged in the usual routine of work patrolling day & night outpost duty & each had a strenuous time at the different posts & Xmas 1916 found us on the canal zone. Each Sqd remained at their Vksy* respective posts till Feb. 1917, then the Reg' t was 1; ;
concentrated at Ferry Post then the formation of the 4th Brigade was carried out, so we were joined by the 4th & 11th Regts & a company of F.A. known as the H.A.C.F.A. & as soon as Brigade was completed which was only a matter of a few days, the Brig'd then moved out in force to trek to Gaza, so we had a long and tiresome journey ahead of us, but we got to Gaza which is 110 mis from cana] in time for 2nd attack on y."*--! *^e l^th April. It was here we first got our heaviest fighting. Here we lost over 80 per cent out of our Regt in 2 days fighting. From Gaza we went to Right Flank of this front known as Te11-EI-Farra to carry out patrol work ect. Then came the attack on Beer-Sheba where our Regt made fame in a glorious wild charge through the Turkish system of defence & the capture of Beer-Sheba, also a few hundred prisoners fell to the credit of our Regt known as the Doupic Dozen. Then we returned to Tell-El~Farra & after 2 days rest to re-organise &
get reinforcements of men & horses we again took the field & took part in the attack & capture of Sheria, which meant the smash (page 5) of the Turks and led to the capture of Gaza a few days later. We took part in the chase accross the plains of Codrolon or ªp-,$r eg ^'ie Philistine Plains into the Judean Hills, our Brigade had some hard times here & Xmas 1917
found us holding the ridges entrenched in the Judean Hills, behind Jerusalam. 1 Jerusalam was captured on the 9th Dec by Aust troops supported by Impl troops. The official entry into the Holy City was celebrated on the 11th Dec. On entering Jerusalam we were greatly dissappointed to find the city of our dreams in such a filthy state & the people starving, instead of us beholding a grand sight as we expected, we found the opposite & never will we forget the filth & smell of the Holy City as we first saw it. No sooner had the city fell into British hands than the work of reconstructing the city commenced. First all the native population was commandeered by the British & a Muni ci pal Counci1 formed also a labour agency & the City streets cleaned under direction of the British Sanitary Corps, next water service was carried out & water supply was established in the course of a few days, various works of general improvement was carried out on a large scale so at the end of a month the city had a wonderful different appearance. Then the troops were allowed C.p_age6) to enter the old City in parties of 12 in charge of an Officer for the purpose of touring & sight seeing in the Ancient City. The old City is surrounded by a high wali, about 40 ft high, built of tremendous blocks of stone, some
of these blocks appear to be tons in weight. In the City Wall are 7 Gates or Entrances & each Gate has its name and particular history. The main Gate is called Jaffa Gate, next David's Gate, Zion Gate, Herod's Gate, or Gate of Flowers, St Stephen's Gate, for nearby St Stephen was stoned to death, & Damascus Gate. There is also another Gate inside the City Wall called the Golden Gate which is the entrance now to a place in the Temple Area, but this Gate is sealed up & there is a tradition that this is the Gate that Christ passed through when He entered the City riding on a donkey & now the Jews be 1i eve that when Chr i s t comes back to Earth He will come
f again & enter the City by this Gate & in the meantime , should this Gate ever be opened Christ will not return & the City doomed. This Gate is situated at the foot of the hill & the road coming down from Mt of Olives. Every year on Palm Sunday a great procession is held here to commemorate the occasion of Christ coming to g-m & as we are told Christ stood on Mt of Olives & said 'Oh Jerusalam, Oh Jerusalam1 ect, & riding on an Ass He entered the City & the people strewed the road with flowers & carried Palm & Olive branches. As we stood on the Wall of the west side of the City, we realised how true this was in reality. On entering the City we enter now by what is known as the New Gate, built alongside the Jaffa Gate, specially for the Kaiser to enter (page 7) the City on horseback during his visit there in 1912. & no one had ever entered the City on a horse, he wanted that privilege, hence the new Gate. After entering the Gate first we came to David Tower
which is a massive stone structure about 30ft high built on the side of the wall. Next we came to the Jews Wailing Wall. This Wall is about 30ft high & 60ft long built of very large
stones one stone is 7ft long 4ft high & 6ft wide. This Wall is portion of the old Wall not the present Wall. Every day the Jews congregate here but Friday is the chief day of worship for the Jews & on a Friday great crowds gather here to pray & wail for their lost King, this is a very ancient custom & carried out in great dignity & is very sacred to the Jews but rather amusing to us. After walking along the narrow slippery stone paved streets we come to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre built over the site of Mt Calvary, this Church is nothing from an outside appearance, but when you enter it one is dumbfounded by the magnificient sight & sacredness, wealth & splendour, On entering the Church first we came to the Stone of the Unction or the Stone said to be the one of which Christ was anointed, it is covered by a Tablet of Marble & lies in a setting of red & yellow Marble this is the 1st of the holy Places, above it hang eight white lamps from chains formed by golden crosses, strung together & surmounted with Ostrich Eggs set in gold & decorated with crosses of red. There are also ?immence Candelabra, & huge Candlesticks. To the left not far off, the Stone where the women stood watching is distinguished by a Cupola of Iron (page 8) with more Lamps & Chandeliers. Beneath a Plague of Brass a rent in the rock above which much of the Church is built is believed to have been made the earth quaked after the death of Christ. A hole above an Altar close to where
the Virgin is supposed to have met Her risin Son enables worshippers to touch with a brass rod (kept for this purpose) the Column to which Christ was bound while the soldiers scoured Him.
Another Column indicates where Christ sat when they placed on His head the crown of thorns. On Calvary has been erected an Altar above an aperture cut in a slab of marble through which can be felt the rock where Christ's cross was set up. Where ever you look in this gorgeous & sombre ?ladofwith you see some holy place with silent worshippers bowing down before it, crossing
themselves, kneeling, pressing their foreheads & their lips against it. They rise, they move on &
vanish into the shadows, going upwards, perhaps to some hidden shrine near the roof & downward to some sacred stone in the Caverns that are part of this great Church -possibly past the Altar of the penitent thief to the place where the Empress Helena discovered the crown of thorns & the 2 crosses & instantly their places are taken by others who resume the same gestures & postures assumed by the others, before the stone of the (page 9) Unction there are often two rows of silent worshippers kneeling holding parcels of purchases made in Jerusalum. They cross themselves, kiss the stone, then eagerly open their packets & bring out their cherished possessions, such as caps, thin shawls, handkerchiefs, Rosaries, Pictures & Candles, all are laid out on the stone which is often concealed from sight. The shawls & the Handkerchiefs are rubbed to & fro over its worn surface then the parcels are tied up again & carefully tied & with many crossings & ?jenuflections the worshippers rise & continue their long round of sacred sites. Few of them omit to visit & pray at every one. They are never tired of worship but seemed filled with a holy energy which conquers all bodily weakness. Almost hypnotized on our first visit we wandered on through the ?ladyrinth, visiting the great rotunda of the Sepulchre, the Ajits? Chapel, the Latin Sacristy & the Greek Cathedral once part of a Cathedral of Crusaders with a large Column of Granite marking the centre of the world representing the Christian World. The Chapels of Adam of the Syrians, of the apparition, of the forty Martyrs of
the invention of the Cross, visiting it seemed a thousand places where people were kneeling, praying adorning & weeping till we wandered back to the house of Marble beneath a high blue dome which protects a stone set in marble & a marble Altar lighted by lamps of Silver & Gold & ornamented (page 10) with jewels. This is the chapel of the Holy Sepulchred Tradition states that the stone was rolled away by the Angel, the Altar of Marble where Mass is said every day covers the place of the Tomb. It is here that the so-called miracle of the Holy Fire is accomplished & it is there beneath the figures of Angels with hands clasped that the worshippers adore most fervently & make their longest Prayers & all day long Hymns are sung to the risin Saviour. Here indeed is the centre of the Christian World at the wonderful time of Easter. At Easter time there is a most wonderful ceremony held in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre called the Ceremony of the Holy Fire. First comes the ceremony of the washing of feet, this is carried out in great dignity by a chief Priest or Elder, his job is to take the right foot up & wash the right foot of the 12 Bishops who are said to represent the 12 Apostles. This Priest is called the Patriarch, he goes from one to the other & kneeling on one knee takes the bare foot & then in a business like way washes the foot & dries it again on a fine towel, then he rises & allows the washed Bishop to kiss his hand & in return kisses him on the cheek, when all the Bishops are washed the Patriarch dones his vestments & ect & then the Bishops come one by one & stand before a Throne next the Patriarch mounts a platform
& reads a (page_l 1) a passage of scripture from a big Bible then a Service commences. During the ceremony of the Holy fire the people believe there is a great Miracle
performed in
the Holy Sepulchre as on the day of Pentecost fire descends from Heaven to the Priest who enters the Chapel of the Angels & he passes this fire out through a round hole to another Priest standing by in gorgeous vestments holding a bundle of candles & a handkerchief when the fire appears this Priest takes the fire & lights his candles off it & so on till all the candles are lit belonging to the crowd of worshippers, then a procession is held around the Church & the Bells chimed, and last of all comes the chief Priest bearing a Staff & a jewelled picture of the risen Christ. The procession stops & the Bells silent then the Priest holding the Picture aloft toward the people says in a loud voice Christ is risen, then the crowds melt quietly away but the Bells keep ringing & seem to say to Jerusalam & all the world that lay beyond the City of Jesus the truth of the Ressarection Christ is risen, Christ is risen from the Dead. In another part of the Church we come to the Image of the Virgin Mary this is most beautiful & realistic it represents the Virgin with the Infant Christ in Her Arms along side again is the Crucifix (page 12) of solid Gold inlaid with jewels & above it a most beautiful picture of Christ. Then there is a large jewel case containing all kinds of jewels & jewellery said to be gifts made to the Virgin these gifts are worth Thousands & during the War this great & wonderful collection was locked away for safe keeping. Next we leave this Church & wend our way along the narrow st known as the St of Stations of the Cross it was along this st Christ carried his Cross to Calvary & he rested 14 times so there are 14 of these stations each marked by a Marble tablet engraved in Latin. This st brings us to the Church of Condemnation or the Temple of Justice it was here Christ was brought before Pilate for trial & condemned to Death. Next we went to what is called as the Temple Area Here are built two most beautiful Mosques, one been the Dome of the Rock or commonly called the Mosque of Omar & the other the Mosque of El Asha. The Dome of the Rock is built on the site of the Temple in which Christ went to preach & He found the gamblers & money changers in possession so he turned them out saying my House is a House of prayer but you have made it a den of thieves. It is also built over the great Rock from which tradition says Mohammed mounted upon his (page 13) miraculous horse El-Burak ascended into Heaven, many traditions cluster about this Mosque. It is said this rock covers an abyss in which are contained all the waters of the Flood to have supported the Ark of the Covenant when they subsided & to have been the scene of Abrahams preparation for the sacrifice of Isaac, to have been anointed by Jacob, to be the foundation of the world & to have been held down by the Angel Gabriel when it Strove to follow Mohammed & also believed is now suspended between heaven & earth & also upon it is supposed to be divinely wrote the name of God. If you descend under the Sacred Rock which is hollowed out in a sort of Cavern with a Marble floor you notice a huge Dent in the roof of the cave which is believed to have been caused by Mohammed striking his head whilst Praying. The great Shrine which shelters the sacred rock is worthy to
e shelter such a fame, for it is gloriously beautiful, the proportions of the Mosque are perfect, the extremely elaborate & complicated decoration is amazingly effective & harmonious & full of a sort of rich & imaginative mystery. With the 16th century glass & the wonderful Mosaics covering the lower part of the interior of the Dome sparkling diamond like against a back ground of dull gold are superb (page 14) The general colour effect as a luminous mystery of pearl & black, gold & dim blue green, lit up by the glint & gleam of Mosaics like jewels. The Pillars are made of dark Marble with brilliantly
gilded Capitals. The screen around the Rock is made of wood & bordered by a narrow passage way paved with marble, on the farther side of which is a tall screen of wrought iron heavily gilded & broken up by Columns. On a platform outside this 2nd screen is a gigantic copy of the Koran covered with a green cloth & locked in a strong Iron box which is only opened once
a year during the feast of Ramadan when the Koran is read in great pomp & sacred dignity This Koran is said to be the largest in existence. Along side this Mosque is what is known as the Temple of the Chain it was here the persons were brought before the chief Rulers of olden days for trial the person committed for trial sat beneath this chain which hangs from the centre of the Temple & the Judge sat opposite & if the person for trial spoke falsely this chain would sway & prove him guilty of his offence, next there is the Mosque of El-Asha a very fine building. In this Mosque are the most wonderful pulpits built of Cedar & Ivory. The Chandeliers in this Mosque are worth Thousands one being solid Gold & diamonds, the floors are covered with very thick costly carpets all ?locke made from the finest material procurable, (page 15 -check earlier page for jc^ see if this corresponds) There are" many beautiful Churches in the old City. The principal Churches are (vis) The Church of St Ann. (the mother of the Virgin Mary) The Church of the Virgin, St Stephen's Church. Church of the Condemnation, King Solomons Temple, The Church of Mary Magdelene, The Church of St John of Jerusalam. The Church of the Via Dolorosa (where in are the 14 Tablets to represent the 14 resting places of Christ) The Church of the Pater built by the Princess Satour d . A ?revengne on the spot where Christ is said to have given the Lords Prayer to the Deciples, is not beautiful, but the Cloisters of
the Lords Prayer surrounding a garden of irises are interesting & touching. From beneath the Great Walls of the City one looks into the greyness accross the ravines & one sees dwellings of Russians, Benedictine Monks & Carmelite nuns. There is the Church of the Dominus Flevit & the Church of the Ascension & the Church of the Pater & the elaborate Russian Church with its brightly gilded Pinnacles & domes shining above Githsemane when a gleam of sun strikes them, and the mighty Russian Tower (or the Tower of the Ascension as its called) higher up on the Mt of Olives seems proudly to assert the ?divission in Jerusalam of the Bishops & Priests of the Greek Orthodox Church. On the hill to the right or north is the Grotti of Jeremiah & the so called Garden Tomb 16)
where some suppose that our Lord was buried in a dark niche of the Rock, though it is believed the assertion that General Gordon felt sure that this was
Golgotha is erroneous? not far off is the traditional site of the stoning of St Stephen near Mt Moriah & also the Tomb of the Virgin in the valley of Jehoshaphat is always swarming with
eager pilgrims who descend cautiously in the almost mystic darkness to the Church of the Grotto gleaming faintly with tiny lights from the lamp of Gold & Silver which hang from the low cavernous roof, nearby again is what is called the Cavern of the Agony, where between these walls of rock Christ is supposed to have agonised till the perspiration fell from His. body to the ground. Every where in & about Jerusalam one is confronted by Rock hollowed by tradition, ?ledewed by the tears, kissed by the lips of thousands & saluted by the voices of the thousands of Pilgrims who visit the Holy City. The new imprisonment of Christ is a dark Grotto where our Lord was imprisoned & left for a time by the order of Pilate or as its believed to be, The
Apostles have where it is believed to be the Apostleship concealed themselves during the Crucifixion. The Cotton Grotto & the Grotto of Jeremiah & the Garden Tomb are among the many famous places of the Rocks perpetually haunted by travellers & worshippers. The Garden Tomb is believed (page 17) by some to be the Tomb in which our Lord lay till the Resurrection, but majority don't believe in the Garden Tomb & these believe of course that the real Tomb was situated not far from the site or actually on the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Everywhere in Jerusalam the Mohammedans hold possession, not only the Temple area but the various tradional Holy places, perhaps the chief of these is the scene of the Last Supper. This famous site which is visited by every pilgrim is connected also with the miracle of Pentecost, with the appearance of Christ after the Resurrection, with the Death of the Virgin Mary & with the burial of David. It is Mt Zion which is ? sanctified with these events & the vaulted Gothic chamber to which so many thousands of pilgrims come from every part of the world every year is certainly hallowed by their belief if by nothing else, We were told that prior to the War only copy of the Tomb of David was shown to Christians, The actual Tomb lies under a canopy in the lowest of the 3 chambers which with are buildings are collectively called En-Nebi David. Close by here is also what is known as the Fortress of Zion & not a great way off in the Brook Kedron is Aboolanes? Pillar spoken of the Book of Samuel & called the Kings Dale. I think up to here was written possibly while on leave in the Middle East, or on board ship coming home, but definitely before 1920. The next few pages were written after 1930 when Pop was going to give a talk of his experiences & impression of the Holy City. Page 1. Church of Nativity Beth built where Christ was born. Points. Star. Visit of Wise Men The star 5 Pointed made of Silver inlaid with Marble. The
place where it lies is called the Recess of the Nativity & a small chapel before it where people kneel in Prayer & worship is called the Chapel of the Manger. The whole Cavern is called The Chapel of the Nativity. Here it is believed the Moji came with their offerings, here is created an elaborate Altar. Here there are the Lamps which burn perennially year in & year out said for a thousand years. The services are long & very monotonous. Perhaps Christ was not born here in the cave of the Rock as we are told of the visit & Adoration of the Moji. St Mathew wrote of it. And when they the Moji were come into the House They saw the child Jesus with Mary His Mother & fell down & worshipped Him. be it as it may Faith & Tradition have made the Chapel of the Nativity for ever sacred. From Bethlehem we travelled to Jerusalam about 5 mis & on the road we pass Rachels Tomb. Turkish school The Church of St John & a wonderful Monastery. Jerusalam The City Wall. 7 Gates. Vis Jaffa Gate (Main entrance) Zion Gate, Davids Gate, Herods Gate (or the Gate of Flowers) St Stephens close by where St Stephen was stoned to Death. The Golden Gate now sealed, believed to have been the Gate by which Christ entered City from Mt Olives Palm Sunday Procession to Church of St Ann (page 2) Mt of Olives is German Hostel (Kaisers Palace) Russian Cathedral. On entering City. 1st Jews wailing Wall on outside of Temple Area. As we wander on from Temple of Judgement where Christ was first brought before Pilate through filthy narrow caves under the arches of stone, down the many slippery flights of steps among the Bazaars & native shops & when we look at the Towering walls of Soljman? the Magnificient & pass along the narrow lanes known as David & Christian Sts the Tour of the City commences. First the Temple area, the Dome of the Rock or Mosque of Oman. The 2 most important centres of interest in J-em is this Mosque & the H.'Sep. The Mosque to Moahems & the H.Sep to Christians Mosque is the most beautiful & best placed building in Holy City. The shape it is octagonal each side measures 67 ft, built of marble & porcelain, coloured in Purple Turquoise Blue, Yellow & Deep Green & crowned with a mighty Golden Dome, beneath which are painted windows filled with glass like jewels. Patches of Marble & Porcelain project from it. Temple of Chain close by, Moslems call this the Mother of the Church. Chain across Entrance, chain broke ?tied by a Sin chain. World break. On this Mosque which is centre of Moslem world. The Rock traditions cluster around it mainly it contains an Abbes in which are stored all the waters of the Flood. To have supported the Ark of the Covenant when the
waters subsided. Where Abraham prepared Isaac for sacrifice and saw ? caught by ? in vine. To have him anointed by Jacob. In this Mosque is kept the largest copy of the Koran in the
World. The Mosque of Elasha, Procession of Holy Carpet to Mecca, (gage 3) Solomons Stables are nearby where once the horses of the Crusaders were tethered. The rings in the stone pillars are there still. Main streets of Jerusalam are David, Christian & the street of the Palace or Vice-Dolorosa which is spanned by the
celebrated Arch called Ecce-Homo Arch. In this street many sites are pointed out as connected with the Crucifixion for it was along this st Christ carried His Cross to Calvary. One point shown as where Pilate took Jesus before the crowd, saying, Behold tis man, I find no fault in Him. Another where the Cross was placed on His shoulder. It also has the stations of the Cross & all connected with it. Traditions has many stories. A
Monk will point out a broken Column & tell us it was here Christ fell down beneath His heavy Cross. Another it was where Pilate's Palace stood. There the Dwelling of the Dives. There Our Lord encountered His Mother. It was here St Veronica wiped the brow of our Lord with her H'chief, & so we travel on. The City wall 40ft High built of massive stones, from off the city wall one gets a wonderful view looking down into the Valley of Hinnom with the Mt of Evil Counic ? above it, Then into the Brook Kedron & Valley of Jeosophat, with the Mt of Olives like a sentinel watching over them. The Village (page ,41 of Siloam on the side of the Hill of the Offem where nearby are the Fountain of the Virgin, the Pool of Bethesta both sacred spots. The Pool, the Blind Man had his sight restored & Christ healed the sick, continuing on outside the City we come to the Grotto of Jeremiah & the so called Garden Tomb where some believe Christ was buried in a cave in the close by again is where St Stephen was stoned to Death. Mt Moriah where there is great blocks of stone dating back to the days of Solomon, from here we look down into the Garden of Gethsemane, The church of the ? built by the Princess Latour-D Aurerge on the spot where Christ is said to have given the Lords Prayer to Disciples. Close by again is the rock hewn Chapel of the Credo where the first I believe was spoken. The Tomb of the Virgin is always crowded with Pilgrims this is in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. On again to the Caves of Agony where it is believed our Lord agonised till the sweat fell from his brow to the ground. Next the Apostles Cave where they concealed themselves during the Crucifixion. The Garden Tomb & the Grotto of Jeremiah & perhaps the most important is the scene of the Last Supper. This famous site is visited by every pilgrim & connected with the so called Miracle of Pentecost when fire descends from Heaven also with the appearance of Christ after the Resurection. The death of the Virgin also burial place of David on Mt Zion. (page 5) Church of Holy Sepulchre. The most wonderful Church in Christendom. Built on the site of Mt Calvary on solid rock. On entering this great Church one is amazed at the magnificient wealth & beauty.
The first impression one gets of this Church is you imagine you have suddenly come into a barbaric castle of magic, connected with the innumerable caves of Aladdin. As you stand & look at
this strange & glistening mystery, caves lined with Silver & Gold & immence Jewels. Wonderful pictures among which marvelous fabrics shine softly. Wood carving Marble, Bronze & Gilded Ironwork fortunes untold are laid up in this world of brilliance & gloom. On entering the Church. This Church of Fire Creeds & Fire Monasteries either 20 or 30 Chapels, 70 sacred localities all these are crowded inside &
enclosed by this great building erected on Calvary & the supposed burial place of Adam. First we cross the Courtyard of the Sepulchre built by the Crusaders. In this courtyard is held the ceremony of the washing of feet by High Priest or Patriarch to represent the washing of the Apostles feet. Here is a most wonderful painting of Christ washing the feet of the Apostles. The High Priest washes the right foot of each of the 12 Bishops & dries the foot on a great white towel this ceremony is carried out with great pomp & dignity. Service of Holy Fire at Easter. To commemorate Pentecost when fire descends from Heaven (pafie 6) Direct to the Greek High Priest in the Chapel of Angels on the day of Pentecost & to commemorate the Resurection, Following this ceremony which is carried out almost with fanatical frenzy by the multitude of worshippers. The High Priest lifts on High a most wonderful picture of Christ before the crowd of worshippers & proclaims in a loud voice Christ is risen, Christ is risen from the dead, which is repeated by Bishops & Priests the crowd & finally the great bells peel out as the crowd disperses to carry the message to all corners of the world, that message, Christ is risen, Christ is risen from the dead. 1st the Stone of the Unicorn where Christ was anointed. The Pillar where Christ was scoured. The Column where Mary stood when Christ said Woman behold my Son. The 3 holes cut in the rock where the 3 crosses stood. The crack in the rock when the Earth quaked. The Tomb & the Great Rock which was rolled away There is a hole cut above an Altar close to where the Virgin Mother is supposed to have met her risen son. Through this hole Pilgrims are allowed to touch this sacred spot with a Golden Rod kept only for this purpose, & still another column indicates where Christ sat when the Crown of Thorns was placed on His head. The most sacred of all places is the Chapel of the Sepulchre where it contains the Tomb & the rock which was rolled away by Angels from the Tomb it is here the Holy Fire is carried out. (page 7) Jerusalam to Jericho. The road leading from Jerusalam to Jericho crosses Mt of Olives is very hilly & dusty, all limestone country, but there is nothing more desolate or impressive in all the Holy Land than the country that lies about Jericho which is a wilderness & very rough & covered with great cruel thorn bushes perhaps the Crown of Thorns Christ wore came from here Jericho to Dead Sea. From Jericho to the shores of Dead Sea we crossed a most desolate Desert waste the heat was terrific. The Dead Sea lies between 8 & 900 ft below sea level there is no sign of life or vegetation but here are great salt mines which are very interesting. Jordan Valley. The Jordan Valley too has its history & tradition. Mainly the Pilgrims Bath Place. The Ford close by where Christ was Baptised by John. Along the shore of the Jordan are dense thickets of Willow Oak & Poplar Trees. Here also is the spot where Elijah was caught up by the whirlwind into H ?. Jericho to Nazereth.
Across Mountains, the plains of Jericho ? & the plains of Halch, we passed many places of interest & villages. First Shiloh where there are many old ruins where once the City stone (page 8) and the Tabernacle & the Ark of the Covenant . Close by here are the
Villages of Singil & Geilutn Nablus the Ancient Sheeham once the home of the Samaritians & the chief City of Palestine. On the side of the mountain is the village of Samaria a dirty desolate uncared for place now almost deserted but here we got a very fine view extending to the Mediterranean Sea. In this village is a Mosque said to be formally the Church of St John & built by Crusaders. The Natives here are very bad and treacherous & fanatical Religious & expert theives & pick pockets. Saniaria where we came across the remnant of the dying race called the
Samaritians, we were reminded of the Parable of the Good Samaritian. These people affirm they are the descendants of Jacob & hate the Jews terribly, they hold themselves aloft from all other people & have their own little Synagogue where they worship on Mt Gerizim & celebrate the Passover. Here we saw the first & only cases of Leprosy & Lepe ? At Nablus we visited Jacobs Well & Joseph's Tomb. X Jacobs Well where Christ met the women of Samaria, most authenticated places in Holy Land & there seems to be no doubt it was here Christ spoke these words as he sat by this well. God is a spirit & they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit & in Truth. This well is very deep & there is a Chapel built over it & around about it are clusters of wonderful tiny pink Roses. The Greek Priest in charge of Chapel lowered a candle down the well & we could see the clear water far below. Here also are we reminded of those words spoken by our Lord, Whosoever drinkith of this water shall thirst again, but whosoever drinkith of the water I give unto him shall never thirst. (page 9) The Tomb of Joseph is close by the Village of Asker & is well kept & whitewashed & looks quite modern & is in a small enclosure with a Courtyard This is believed to be the Burial place of Joseph. Jacob's Well is most interesting of the two places & its here where Pilgrims love to visit. Village of Jenin. This is a very pretty Village inhabited by the Mohammedans. There are trees, flowers & plenty of water & well cultivated the people here are very industrious & the women folk very beautiful but beauty & dirt don't seem to harmonise. Jenin was once the City of Engeruim on the eastern border of the great plain of Esdralon as we crossed these plains we thought of the battles of old. Here in Jenin dwelt the women of Nai ? & at Endor close by dwelt the Witch to whom
Saul went disguised by night who called up Samuel & who saw God ascending out of the Earth. Again at Megidda Barak won his great victory and Joshial sank down in his Chariot pierced by the arrows of the soldiers of Pharaoh. (page 10) Neco & again at Gilbon Saul & his sons were killed. Jezebel must have often looked across this great plain from her Palace window. At Jezreal now a filthy Arab Village John drove in his Chariot & Gideon conquered the Midianites. This plain is mostly cultivated & is very flat & fertile
Nazereth. Next we came to Nazereth where we saw Mary's Well which is the main scource of water supply for the village. Nazereth is built on the side of Mt Tabor & looks down over the Great Plains of Jezreal & Hulch. The hills of Galilee & the hills of Samaria in the distance & drained by the Brook Kishon the waters of which swept away the ?n ests of Sisera & which is dotted with historic & ancient ruins & sites of ancient cities. Here we also saw Joseph's workshop & the house of the Virgin. Nazereth to Galille. (heading only, not described here) some end of lines on a page has not come clear on photocopy, could re check with originals.
Submitted 1 November 2015 by Noel Hanigan