Chapter 6

 •  14 min. read  •  grade level: 8
 
ENDOR AND NAZARETH
"I have put My words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of Mine hand."—Isa. 51:66.
Over whose acres walked those blessed feet
Which, eighteen hundred years ago, were nailed,
For our advantage, on the bitter cross.
AFTER spending a short time in Nain, we were much tempted to have a view of Endor, a name so interesting to Bible students. We therefore instructed our servants to prepare for us coffee on the ground whereon once stood a city of Manasseh. Thus our servants preceded us, and the dragoman and myself followed. After a ride of about one hour we arrived at Endor. At first we thought there was nothing worth seeing, but the historical associations made it delightful to linger here for a short time. Here took place some most thrilling events in the history of Israel. Doubtless it was the scene of the great triumph over Sisera and Jabin, and their awful death (Psalm 83:9. 10).
We rambled round this wretched village for some little time. The few Arabs we met were dirty and savage in appearance. They did not, however, interfere with us. It was with considerable interest that we found ourselves at the memorable cave where Saul, in his great trouble and dire extremity, consulted the witch previous to his last battle. We then spent a short time reading about the events that took place here; we found 1 Samuel 28 most interesting. "Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En-dor. And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee. And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits... And Saul sware to her by the Lord.... Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.... And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed.... Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?”
Having rested a little, we started for Nazareth. The ride was very enjoyable. Mount Tabor stands a mountain amidst mountains in splendid majesty. All the charm of the road was now fast losing its attractiveness to us, as we realized that we were about to find ourselves in the town where the "Man of Sorrows" was brought up. No place charmed us more since we left Jerusalem than did Nazareth. The beautiful landscapes we passed through inspired us with admiration and delight, but our first view of Nazareth surpassed them all. Every spot in this city seemed most interesting and sacred. We felt that doubtless no village, town, or city was more familiar to our Divine Savior than was this place.
As we gazed around and beheld the neighboring mountains, we thought of Him who trod these very hills as He went about publishing good tidings of peace! What sacred associations!
Our tent was pitched, and we started through the streets, full of European pilgrims, with its five thousand inhabitants, mostly Roman and Greek Catholics. The city is shut in by hills that cluster round it, protecting the inhabitants from the bleak winds. The limestone houses in the dazzling sun presented a beautiful appearance. The narrow and uneven streets—like all Oriental towns—reminded me that there is plenty of scope for European engineering skill. The bazaars or shops are unique in their size. We gratified our curiosity by visiting a cafe, where coffee was supplied us. We returned to our tent, and found great pleasure in reading the Gospel narratives. Here Joseph and Mary came with the infant Savior after the death of Herod (Matt. 2:2323And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene. (Matthew 2:23)). Thus the residence of the Holy Family in this place fulfilled the prediction, also one previously fulfilled concerning Samson who was a deliverer of his people (Judges 13:55For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. (Judges 13:5)): "The child shall be a Nazarite unto God.... He shall begin to deliver Israel." This was true of a greater than Samson when he began to deliver! (Mark 1:2424Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. (Mark 1:24)).
It was indeed most interesting to ramble about and read the sacred page concerning this place—particularly interesting because its fame in history became associated with the life of the Son of God. Insignificant and almost unworthy of the historian's pen is the city apart from Jesus of Nazareth
We spent a night in our tent, anxious to sleep, but tormented by insects. Though weary and worn, we were unable to obtain rest, and the whole night was a wretched and painful one.
At four o'clock the heat became great, and we dressed and took a walk. After walking about for half an hour, the heat became overpowering, and we were obliged to return to our tent.
Again and again we tried to rest in our tent, but the abominable insects made our sojourn in Nazareth painful.
Later on in the afternoon we ventured out into the streets of the city. Several hundreds of French pilgrims lounged about. Their tents presented the appearance of an English country fair. The natives were running about here and there, escorting Europeans and asking for bachshish, which seemed their only means of obtaining a livelihood. Thus tormented within the tent by insects, and in the streets by a crowd of miserable beggars, it made us almost sorry to have come to this most uncomfortable, though interesting Nazareth. We were obliged to give more bachshish in this town than at any place since we left Jerusalem.
One of the most interesting and delightful scenes was at the Fountain of Mary, the only source of water supplying the whole of Nazareth. Here we remained for over three hours, watching the inhabitants coming for water. Here the thirsty Bedouin delights to stop and drink the water. Old and young come here to quench their thirst, but the more picturesque scene is to see the maidens and women of every age and grade come with their pitchers and fill them, and gracefully carry, them home on their heads.
Here we saw some of the handsomest women we have ever seen. The men are fine and noble in their bearing. All seemed good-humored. Round this fountain is the center of life in Nazareth. Shepherds leading their flocks delight to stop here. The way worn pilgrim is charmed to rest for a while and slake his thirst. To this fountain doubtless the "Man of Sorrows" often came to refresh Himself. To this place also, no doubt, came Mary every day with her pitcher to take water to her humble home. As we spent the hours in watching these interesting scenes, we imagined seeing Joseph, Mary, and Jesus Himself.
And as we frequently drank drafts of water, and watched many pilgrims and inhabitants delighting to quench their thirst, we remembered the fountain of living water of which whosoever drinketh shall never thirst! The heat growing less, we extended our rambles. How interesting it was to realize, as we walked about the streets, that it was here that the angel "Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David" (Luke 1:26, 2726And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. (Luke 1:26‑27)). From this once insignificant village went Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem to be taxed (2:4, 5). It was in a synagogue in this place, too, that He was accustomed on the Sabbath day to read publicly (4:16). As we thought of the life of Christ, how many acts of benevolence must have been witnessed here! And yet how ungratefully was He treated, when His own townsmen sought to kill Him! There are many spots here visited by tourists, but all are associated with gross superstition, such as the Workshop of Joseph in the Mohammedan quarter. This is the property of Roman Catholics, and is much reverenced by them, although only an insignificant portion of the wall is claimed to be of the original building. The supposed table round which the disciples, with their Divine Lord, met and dined after the resurrection, is also shown.
We visited several other notable places in Nazareth. With no little interest we went to the supposed synagogue where Jesus taught. This place is the property of the Greek Catholic community. When Ibrahim saw that I was not over pleased with the above places, he suggested that we should go to the Church of the Annunciation. Sacred pictures adorn this edifice. Descending into the crypt by a flight of beautiful marble steps, we find ourselves in the Chapel of the Angels. We passed on, and entered the Chapel of Annunciation. Here stands the holy altar with the inscription: "Hic verbum taro factum est." And as we gazed round here Ibrahim said, "How wonderful that in this very place the Word was made flesh!”
Soon afterward we entered the Chapel of Joseph. Here several pilgrims were at prayers, whose evident earnestness and devotion caused us at once to withdraw from the place and enter the Virgin's kitchen. Each of these places is held in reverence by the Catholic world. We had now had more than enough of sightseeing, but were induced to see the Mount of Precipitation. It was, however, more than we cared to walk. We therefore saddled our mules, and rode to it. When we arrived, and had observed the place, it did not seem probable to us that it was the one mentioned in the Gospel narrative, as several other places closer to the city more nearly answer the description. We had had enough of Nazareth, and evening was now drawing near. We dreaded spending a second night in our tent, and therefore determined to set out at once and remain in our saddles the whole night, with the hope of spending the following day in Tiberias. We accordingly mounted our mules and started for the night's journey, although we had no sleep the previous one, and no rest during the day.
We had entered Nazareth with hallowed joy, but we certainly were most thankful to leave it. During our sojourn we had nothing else but misery and weariness, and if we had remained longer, we should certainly have had Syrian fever into the bargain. "Can any good come out of Nazareth?" was a saying appropriate to the persons we saw, and from whose presence we had no pleasure. For hours before leaving old and young yelled for bachshish. They flocked before us, every one showing us their little crucifixes as evidence that they were Christians, thinking that the sight of crucifixes would induce us to be more benevolent to them. Having distributed a pocketful of insignificant Turkish coins, we started on our onward journey towards the north. The heat was great. We could hardly bear our clothes on. We therefore contented ourselves by wearing our nightgowns, light shoes on our feet, and blue spectacles to protect our eyes from the glaring sun. Thus clad, we were most comfortable.
Every now and then a slight breeze refreshed us. We were glad that it found no garments on us to oppose it in administering refreshment to our weary bodies. When we left Nazareth we sang "Here we suffer grief and pain," &c., because our sojourn there was indeed grievous. Our poor bodies exhibited pitiful objects through having been so much tormented by the insects day and night. We then went onwards until we arrived at the small Oriental-like dirty village, Reineh.
Here we rested a short time. A little further on, after resuming our journey, we ascended a hill, and found ourselves in the well-known village, Meshed, the ancient Gath Hepher, once a large town on the borders of Zebulun.
Here, according to tradition and the information of our dragoman, was the birthplace of Jonah the prophet (2 Kings 14:2525He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gath-hepher. (2 Kings 14:25)). Having satisfied ourselves by seeing the birthplace of Jonah, we went to see his shrine, where his ashes are said to rest.
We now felt more comfortable, the great heat of the sun was becoming less intense, and we therefore, with better spirits and more vigor, spurred our Arab steeds, who soon brought us to the village of Kefr-Kenna, the ancient Cana of Galilee.
Here we again rested. Our servant made a fire and prepared coffee, and for a short time we interested ourselves reading the Gospel narrative. It was here the Man of Sorrows rejoiced in the joy of others;— here the Son of God made Himself known as the wonder-working Son of Man,
“And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: and both Jesus was called, and His disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto Him, They have no wine.... And there were set there six waterpots of stone.... Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And He saith unto them, Draw out now.... When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine.... This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee.”
Here also did the Lord of life exhibit His power in healing the sick. How charming the associations of this place!
It was when on a visit to this place that the nobleman whose son was sick and at the point of death at Capernaum, besought Him to go to the dying child to heal him. "And Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way: thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as the man was going down his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.”
Here is a church of the Greek community, who are fortunate enough to be the happy possessors of a real waterpot that once contained the wine made by Christ! Having seen so much of the Greek Church in Holy Russia, and never having had any respect, admiration, nor the slightest faith in the statements of friars and monks, I was not inclined to take the trouble of entering the Greek Church here, even to see the actual waterpot of Cana!
The breeze was now more than ever refreshing. We passed through several villages. Now and then the inhabitants favored us with their company, and their voices sounded pleasantly with the accustomed word, bachshish. The dirty villages seemed strange contrasts with the lovely land all round. Not a little were we charmed when we came to the supposed Mount of Beatitudes.
The sun was now setting. It was a most magnificent sight, when the moon, in all her splendor, came to meet her brother sun, and now both appeared in such glory as I have never seen in any other part of the world. As I gazed upon the Mount of Beatitudes, standing about sixty feet above the lonely plain, it seemed like a transfigured mount-on one side the sunset, and on the opposite the moon. I was tempted to ascend this lonely hill. We dismounted and ascended.
The situation of this hill is most remarkable. Standing on the summit, all the country of Galilee round it, a short distance from the Galilean Sea, we remembered that this landscape must have been very familiar to Jesus. How often He must have been charmed to find repose here, or on this summit find Himself in Holy Communion with His Divine Father. Here great crowds assembled, being attracted by the Healer and long-expected Messiah, and followed Him as He led them up the Mount.
It must indeed have been a marvelous assembly—a congregation of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond Jordan. We gently walked about the summit of this mount, which seemed like a splendid platform where an audience of some thousands could conveniently sit round their Divine Teacher.
We saw Thee not when Thou didst come
To this poor world of sin and death,
Nor e'er beheld Thy cottage home
In that despised Nazareth;
But we believe Thy footsteps trod
Its streets and plains, Thou Son of God.