this volume was about to be sent to the press. I allude to Murray's truly admirable Handbook for Syria and Palestine well known to have been prepared by the Rev. Mr. Porter, of Damascus, than whom it would have been difficult to find one more competent to the task which he has so ably executed. According to his estimate, the adherents of

The Greek Church in Jerusalem amount to

...

1500

smaller sects, such as the Syrian, Coptic, and Abyssinian, 150

To these, in making up the entire population of the
Holy City, he adds:

The extent, however, to which this estimate differs from that of other authorities upon the point, serves only to show how little reliance can be placed on the statistics of the Holy Land. While some writers of note rate the population of Jerusalem so low as 10,000, others carry it as high as 30,000. Those residents in the city with whom I conversed upon the subject, and whose means of information seemed to be such as to enable them to form a tolerably correct opinion regarding it, generally estimated the population at 18,000 or 19,000.

The uncertainty that prevails as to the numbers belonging to the several sects and churches in the Holy City, prevails not less as to the numbers of their adherents in the country at large. Mr. Porter, for example, sets down "the total number of those who belong to the Greek Church in Syria and Palestine at 115,000;"* while Dr. Wilson, in his Lands of the Bible, esti

*Handbook, page xliii.

RELIGIOUS STATISTICS OF SYRIA.

253

mates the Greek Church as "numbering there a population of 345,000 souls." He adds, that "the other Christian bodies embrace only about 260,000 souls," whereas Porter states that "the other Christian sects put together amount to 326,000." The result is, that while the latter authority gives the total of Christians in Syria and Palestine as 441,000, the former swells them up to 595,000. It will probably be safe to estimate the real number at somewhere about 500,000.

The one item in the estimate, as to which there is unhappily no difference of opinion, is that which refers to the very small number of Protestant Christians to be found in Judea. Out of Jerusalem itself there is scarcely one to be found. It would seem to have been part of the curse which the heinous national sin of the Jews, in rejecting and crucifying their Messiah, brought down upon their unhappy country, that not they themselves alone have been banished out of it, but pure Christianity too. Not otherwise, indeed, could either the greatness of their guilt or the terribleness of its punishment have been made sufficiently manifest. But it will not be always thus. Better days are in store for Judea. Jerusalem is still trodden "down of the Gentiles" but "the times of the Gentiles" shall at length "be fulfilled;" and then shall the old wastes be built, and the desolations of many generations be repaired; then shall God "create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy."

*Lands of the Bible, vol. ii. page 448.

16

CHAPTER VII.

Preparations for a visit to the Dead Sea and the Jordan-Engage a military escort-Leave Jerusalem by the Jaffa gate in the afternoon-Descend the valley of the Kedron-Its present state compared with Ezekiel's vision-An incident in the life of David illustrated-Arabs watering their flocks at sunset—Is this fountain the En-shemesh of Scripture?— The Arab tents in the valley-Arrive by moonlight at the convent of Mar-Saba-Rugged grandeur of the surrounding scenery-Pitch our tents in a deep ravine beneath the convent walls-Visit the convent in the morning-Its history-Its fortress-like size and strength-The useless life of its monks-Cross the Wilderness of Judah-Incidents on the way-Sterility of that dreary region-Approach the plain of the Jordan-Its appearance as seen by Lot-The contrast now-The Dead Sea and the desolation that reigns around it-The fords of the JordanThe great events associated with that river-Jericho-The fountains of Elisha, &c.

HAVING resolved on making an excursion to the Dead Sea, two of our number had an interview with Mr. Finn, the British consul, upon the subject. The Arabs of the Jordan valley have the reputation of being troublesome to travellers; and it is not considered wise or safe to approach that lawless region without some suitable protection. Until very recently the protection, such as it was, used to be of a kind that strikingly illustrated the weakness of the Turkish government. The protection was granted, not by the Pasha of Jerusalem, but by certain allies or representatives of the Jordan Arabs themselves. On payment of a sum of money to these agents of the chiefs, whose tribes hover about the north-eastern boundary of the Dead Sea, a sort of passport was granted, in virtue of which, if the travellers possessing it should be robbed notwithstanding, the chiefs, whose faith it pledged, were bound to enforce restitution. The pay

SETTING OUT FOR THE DEAD SEA.

255

ment, in plain terms, was a sort of black-mail, in respect of which the Rob Roys of the Jordan undertook to come between the traveller and the risks of his journey.

It would appear, however, that the Turkish authorities had at last become ashamed of a system which so openly proclaimed their impotence; and had given notice to the European consuls in the Holy City that to the Turkish governor alone all applications for protection must now be made. Mr. Finn seemed to doubt whether travellers were as secure under the new arrangement as under the old one. The safe-conduct issued in the name of the Arab chiefs was seldom violated. The escort of Turkish soldiers now put in its place, he feared, would prove a less efficient guarantee. If danger should arise-if an attack should be made-he seemed much to apprehend that the valiant military guard would be the first to flee. There was now, however, no alternative; and the consul's cawass was accordingly despatched to the governor to make known our purpose of visiting the Dead Sea, and to request that the necessary escort should be directed to follow us to the convent of Mar-Saba, on the edge of the wilderness of Judah, where we designed to pass the night. It is hardly needful to say, that for this protection we had to pay. The transaction, in short, amounted to the simple hiring of three Turkish soldiers, at the rate of about four shillings each per day. Besides settling for us this piece of business, the consul kindly procured for us a letter from the patriarch of the Greek church at Jerusalem to the superior of the convent of Mar-Saba, in order to obtain for us such civilities as the monks of the establishment might find themselves in circumstances to offer.

These preliminaries arranged, preparations were immediately made for setting forth on this exciting expedition. The horses previously engaged for ourselves and our baggage, were mustered in the narrow lane at the door of our hotel. We were about to make our first experiment in tent life, and many things had to be thought of and provided for, about which travellers in this part of the world have no occasion to concern themselves. At

last everything was complete, and in single file an order of march indispensable in the narrow streets, or rather lanes and alleys of Jerusalem-we took our course towards the Jaffa gate. Three ladies, and the like number of gentlemen, formed our party. It was about half-past four o'clock in the afternoon when we left the city. Descending the steep path into the lower part of the valley of Gihon, and skirting along the base of Mount Zion, we passed down the narrow defile of the gloomy valley of Hinnom, at the lower end of which we emerged into the valley of the Kedron. For about three miles our course lay along the bed of this interesting valley, in riding down which we many times turned round to look back on the venerable heights of Moriah and Mount Zion. Although the valley for a considerable distance seems as if, at least, "the scent of the waters" of Siloam continued to reach it, causing it to exhibit a corresponding verdure and fruitfulness, these waters are far too feeble to form a running stream. The bed of the Kedron was altogether dry. Ezekiel's vision, in its literal sense, is at present but very partially realized. The waters that issue from the sanctuary fail long, long before they have approached the wilderness, or penetrated to the Dead Sea. But not the less truly and faithfully on that account do they reflect the very likeness of that state of things which the imagery of the prophet was meant to describe. The waters of life, the gospel of salvation, has also, as yet, come far short of its full and final triumphs. It has, indeed, abundantly proved its divine efficacy wherever it has appeared; but, alas! there has not been faith enough in the church to keep it steadily flowing on. As yet, the vast spiritual wildernesses of Asia and Africa have been hardly touched by its quickening stream; and the Dead Sea of their foul idolatries and corruptions remains to be healed.

After about an hour's riding we left the valley of the Kedron, and began to slant up the steep hills that overhang its eastern side. Below the point at which we turned out of it, the valley becomes a mere cleft or gorge between bare, lofty, and precipi