Show MER ER FROM PALESTINE yi VW I 1 id blob talu friends have ha US h time me of it just now and s ti aa this lethe ia the a of their year called wand 44 as this inch jo 8 par ticul arly holy the edans tast fast during the whole month that is to say not a bit to eat not a drop to drink of any description must be taken from sunrise fill sunset the farthest a good abod moslem can go during this period of trial is to take a mouthful of water enjoy its refreshing fre abing qualities for a few minutes and then spit it out again but although no food nor drink can be had in the daytime day time during the night no abstinence is required As soon as the sunsets sun sets the hungry people are at liberty to do their best and avail themselves of the opportunity A natural result of this reversing of the common order 0 of fth things ings from froin night to day and day to night are numerous derangements derange ments of the physical functions and consequent sickness which always accompany the so called fast in the night time during this mouth month the streets present quite a lively scene the minarets mina are illumined and the inferior of the mosques shine through the hour of prayer with m magical I 1 I 1 light the artson why this mo monh h is so holy may here be told the of ramadan is the very day on which the prophet mohammed received the koran frona from heaven no wonder then that this event should be celebrated for a whole mouth month every year one circumstance cum cun stance istance is awkward though the mohammedan year is a moon year aw it is therefore eleven days shorter than ours for instance their heir year 1304 commenced on september 1886 their year 1305 commenced eleven days before in the next year that is september lath 1887 their present year is 1306 and commenced on september 8 1888 and the new year will commence on our august 29 this year it will hereby be understood that the mohammedan year has no fixed dates as it were any of their days will in course of time coincide one after another with all our days in the year the ramadan which now happens to fall in our spring will another time occur in the winter in the autumn or in the summer yet the moslems rele celebrate brate the receiving of the koran on one and the same date whether this falls at the end or at the begin beginning ping of the actual year to tome me this bract practice lee of celebration cele celebrating bratin the same event at af any time of t the e year seems somewhat absurd but it is after all just as good as for instance the celebration of the birth of christ in december and so on the night between the and the ath ot ramadan Bw nadan is a very holy time tt it is called laia ut kaa the of omnipotence during its sacred hours thou thousands sanda of miracles I 1 visible to the imagination of the faithful are performed and the prayers then offered are particularly pleasing to god the NA fast mouth month Is followed by three days ot of festivities during which time everybody rejoices fit at having successfully passed through the ordeal of fasting for thirty days and eating for thirty nights yesterday it was my privilege to witness a baptism the first since my arrival in the koly holy land the candidate candidate was a native of austria austa frond from his early childhood he W had been in contact with the light bearers of the catholic church in his native country and what he has as seen and ex experienced perlen ced what lie he has suffered from fanatic fanaticism loni and bigotry and what he h has ben offered as religion he says sAy shad had driven him to the verge of doubting even the existence of bod A strong desire drove him to leave his country and visit palestine an and d although he could not explain the reason en i s on whlor produce any particular nicular pan yet he followed this desire and d came e after a long journey overland here clearing the gospel after dill diligent search he was led to ac accept C pt it and can now see why the spirit should drive him from his own oh country where as yet the of the gospel messengers has not been heard it was beautiful last evening As we bended wended ed our way down to the shore the moon was hidden g behind a thick cloud but gradually gra tully her silver rays biake broe through ohp the waves of the mediterranean sometimes very unruly here w were I 1 ere quiet quie and calm and as the cap candidate was I 1 immersed maraea in the wa watery ry grave in n atle the name of god the dark ark gloddy aidy veil was broken and a flood of rava from the light boarer bearer in iii th the 6 sky aps poured out upon the very spot and n allaround all around making the I 1 impression upon those present pie sent not easily forgotten aten it Is io b be h this arutt fruit of the rust austrian Tan I 1 nation 1 I 0 may prove to be like the arst VIT pul p U ul i in the ancient tim times Ps exit entirely I 1 re dept set apart for the use of the holy one of israel rifa haifa is in these days visited by not less than french pilgrims priests and members of various sister and brotherhoods brothe clergy and lay people ladies and gentlemen any or of these classifications will do they have spent two days in the monastery at mount carmel worshiping ahi ping or honoring as it must be called the prophet elijah I 1 have been wondering what that gentleman etleman would have done had he happened to notice all the meaningless ceremonies of such visitors to his supposed cave the prophet was not noted for clemency when he had to vindicate the honor of god against the crazy priests of baal and heaven alone knows what he would do today if he be had the time or inclination to glance at the wron wrong doings of the half brothers of 1 his ancient antagonists the river kishon might once more be made to carry blood into the bay of aakko but I 1 suppose as we live ina in a new covenant and near the final judgment such idolatry will be tolerated ted until that day and then judged palestine is swarmed with pilgrims some are an rich some poor some can pay for a horse others walk some are an young some old some pray others curse and seek their fray inspiration from well filled bottles but all seek by coming here and kneeling upon and kissing certain spots by burning candles by saying pra brayen ers though no not praying to please le see god and to secure ure ha happiness in hereafter r 0 when a shall I 1 the e light of zion b break for forth a and all t the e ends odthe of the world see the salvation of godl god from in asia minor the news comes that two brethren have been arrested and sent prisoners to constantinople their sin was this one bad painted an inscription thus repent for the kingdom of god is at hand and the other had carried this inscription around the town cati slathe causing the people to crowd together when I 1 en arrested they were eA examined mined with the result that they were transported to stamboul to await I 1 suppose further decisions ty by higher authorities I 1 have not yet lear learned Eked any particulars tic tac ulars but it is possible that the brethren in speaking of the kingdom of heaven have been suspected of meaning something po political ti ic ai perhaps the officials feared a plot of some kind at least this seems to be the only possible explanation considering the radical steps taken what the consequences of this persecution se cution will be to the mission in turkey generally I 1 have of course no means of knowing but then god rules everywhere and the final lame issue will always be according to his wisdom it is impossible to blame the asiatic nations if they should think it necessary to commit acts of violence against their fellow countrymen out en for embracing a new creed re alm seeing ax what europeans and americans have been able to do by way of fanaticism notwithstanding their boasted civilization and libery liberty auf Wieder when J M S HAIFA may 16 15 1889 |