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Show . WHERE CHHLST UVED." MODERN ASPECT OF MANY PLACES IN BIBLE HISTORY. The Sea of Oalflee Tho Dwelling Flae af Itcrod l'robnble Mite of Capernaum. The First Christian Church The Mount of Beatitude Other Scenes. The best view of the Sea of Galilee Is from Safod, a town several thousand feet above the sea level. About this little lit-tle inland sea, that is only 17 miles long and between 8 and 9 miles wide, were enacted some of tho most sacred 6cenes in the world's history. There is now but little life along the shores, for wurs, pestilence and other causes have tended to bring what wiw once a rich garden spot to rnin. but there can Btill bo witnessed wit-nessed tho daily occurrences told of in Scripture.- There lire fishermen casting their nets, sheep following good shepherds, shep-herds, lilies in tlw fields, scattered flocks, and the sea is tosjod by sudden storms. The eastern coast 13 possessed by Bedouins, Bedou-ins, and the Western side, onco thickly populated by. hardy, energetic mountaineers mount-aineers in favor wiih Christ, is quito desolate, with onlv a few scattered hamlets. ham-lets. - - At tho pi-riod of its prosperity, when Christ was living at Nazareth with bis parentis the country was under Roman government, Herod being tha ruler. A high stitta of excitement prevailed. The Roman yoke was heavy upon the Jows and conflicts wer frequent. Ilerod was living at Tiberias, and the lavish expenditure expen-diture of money and labor mndo the place palatial. In addition to this tho extensive hot springs near drew many rich and influential who woro in poor health, all combining to make Tiberias the center of Roman civilization. Tha Sea of Galilee was affected by all this. Vessels of all kinds were numerous, quays dotted the shores and activity was great. At this time Tiberias is visited by pilgrims pil-grims who come from all directions to nd their days in tho holy city aud to batho in the springs. South of these baths on the western shore there is nothing noth-ing of interest but the departure of the Jordan from the sea. Tho river continues con-tinues to. the south, running through fertilo meadows and between the hills wliich border it. A ford is thero. For- merly thero was a bridge, with a long, extended causeway. A great sea wall kept the turbulent waters under control. Even now the Jordan often plunges and swirls as though maddened by the interruption inter-ruption of the lake nnd drives hastily onward, only to be intercepted again and brought to a standstill by tho Dead Sea. Hounds of tho rubbish uro at the southern south-ern end of the Sea of Galilee, they being all thero is to show where the Roman city of Tarichea once stood. Tiberias can be fixed from a distance by the tall minaret of tho mosque. The first Christian church there is said to have been built in the Fourth century by Constant ine.' It stood on the site of tho mosque and was called St. Peter's At oue time Tiliorias had thirteen synit-gogues. synit-gogues. The oldest is yet well preserved, although 1,000 years and over have ' passed since it was erected. Its roof is eupjiorted by stone arches and columns. In tho center is a great cagelike inclos- uro eoiijjtruoted of wood, which is dried and twisted by centuries of exposure, bnt yet as 6ouud as when hewed from y the log. This is the retnling place. y Ascending the steps which lead to the "f interior the rabbi opened the scroll and began to teach tho law. Beyond this there is but little to interest. The mag- ; niiicenco of tho past has succumbed to present needs. Milhitonos nre cut. from the syenite columns or temples, porphyry columns are cut out for public drinking troughs, and floors for thrashers are paved with frieze chiseled with Greek designs by Herod's commands. j The nearest town to tho north is Mag tlala. It must have been important in i its best days. It is even now a halting place on tho caravan road from Jerusa- ', lem to Damascus, Bagdad and Nineveh, I Khan Minyeh, believed by some to have been tho site of ancient Capernaum, is the next point north. Tell Hum is an hour's journey from Khan Minyeh, and has ruins thought to be of the synagogue syna-gogue built by a Roman mentioned in Luke vii, 5. They claim that it was there Christ spoke on the "Bread of Life." Many think this point was where Capernaum stood, and is where Zebcdeo, James, John, Andrew and Peter lived, and where four disciples were called to be "iUshers of men." Continuing the journey a spot is reached tiiut is accepted us thu place where Jesnn sat when "teaching the multitudes" who followed him. "Ku run Hattin" the "Horns of Hattin" the Htippiised ".Mount of the Beatitudes" are upon tho mountain ridge followed in journeying from iSafed to the Sea of Galilee. Below tin in is a wide plateau where the assembled multitude could Imvn been seated while listening to the bermou on the Mount when tho sweetness sweet-ness of the Beatitudes was revealed to them. The two "horns" of Hattin seem to have been protected by massive structures. struct-ures. Tho approach to the higher one is easy from one side, while to tho northeast north-east there is a .sheer ascent of over 700 feet. The white limestone hills, tho basaltic dills, the modern village of Hattin in the plain below, the orango groves and the fruit gardens, the waving grain, tho varied families of flowers and the group of Druse farmers present pict-ores pict-ores at every glance. j From the historical mountain top is ' seen Sared, the city which some scholars believe to be the place alluded to by -Jesus when he said. "A city that is set i on a hill cannot be hid." ! In July, 1187, the plain of Hattin was the gathering place of the Crusaders : the spot where they were- hemmed in by ! the hosts that Saladin led against theni. The mountains of the Hauran on tha eatit und the Jaulan on tho south are S visible. When the air is clear the line of the Jordan may be made out creep- ; ing through the jungle to the Dead Sea. : Palestine Letter. j |