The Holy Land To-day

Evening Star, Issue 20053, 19 December 1928, Page 13

The Holy Land To-day

After a sleep of centuries Palestine the wonderful, the fascinating, is. today awakening into a new lile. Since the Great War oppression and tyranny have been supplanted by freedom and opportunity. Black despair has been followed by hope. It seems as if the dream of prophets, patriarchs, and patriots is to he fulfilled—but the end Is not yet. It is sometimes imagined that Palestine has always been an. insignificant strip of land separating the Mediterranean from the desert; This is an entirely wrong conception. It is true that in the time of, Jesus Christ Palestine was an outpost of the great Roman Empire. But in His day and long before it was the highway of Eastern commerce. BATTLEGROUND OF THE EAST. Again and again vast armies have marched across the plain of Palestine to victory or defeat. It has been lor ages the battleground of the East. Further, Palestine is the home of the three great. world religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It is therefore not surprising that the enthralling dominating story of this little country is woven into the historical fabric of the world—West as well as East. ' Recently I was privileged to make a tour of the country from north to south and from east to west. I found everywhere far-reaching changes in' progress. The old world is being' reborn before our eyes. Yes, there is to bo a new Palestine; whether it will be a happier and a more prosperous country remains to be seen. At the moment the country is in a state of transition. Ancient and modern jostle 'each other in amazing fashion on every hand. Motor cars—mostly, by the way, from American factories —are to be seen everywhere. But picturesque caravans of camels still carry their loads of merchandise from centre to centre. The Palestinian is slow to change, and he has not yet learned to trust the “ dangerous vehicles ” from the new world. -New roads are being constructed under the guidance of the British Government, and the towns are being modernised and, in some cases, unfortunately, Westernised. Education is slowly spreading, and -English is now being taught in all the State schools. AS IN ABRAHAM’S DAY.

Notwithstanding these outward evidences of a new order, the habits, customs, and dress of the country people remain practically what they were in the days of Abraham. The land is still cultivated, or perhaps I should say the soil is “ tickled,” with a small wooden plough usually drawn by two oxen yoked together. Most' of the work in the fields is done by women, picturesquely if not suitably clad, as in the days of Ruth. Women still go to and from the village well carrying water-pots on their heads, although in one or two villages near towns I noticed that the old and beautiful earthen water-pots have been replaced by horrible discarded petrol cans! Corn is still cut with , reaping hooks and carried to the barns, often several miles distant, on the backs of camels or asses. In one district I witnessed a pair of unmuzzled oxen treading out the corn just as in Old Testament days. In all parts of the country shepherds arc to be seen leading (not driving)

A Country That is Being Reborn

[By Herbert Upward, in ‘John o’ London's Weekly.’]

their flocks of sheep and goats across the rugged slopes of the hills in search of fresh pasture. In these and countless other ways'-' the ancient survives. Probably in another ten; or twenty years most of these alluring customs will have disappeared. One realised as never before the beautiful imagery and poetic expression of the witters of the Old and Now Testaments. Indeed, I felt it was .impossible thoroughly to understand the Bible without a visit to the Bible Lands. As I passed from village to village I became moro and more fascinated by what I saw and heard. DISAPPOINTING JERUSALEM. It may surprise some of my readers to hear that my greatest disillusion came at Jerusalem. The Holy City itself is still unique, elusive, wonderful, but to find tho Mount of Olives almost covered with all kinds of buildings, and the summit crowned with a tawdry modern German hospice, and to see nearly tho whole or the Garden of Gethsemane occupied by churches and grottos, made my heart sink within me. It is gratifying to know that steps have been _ taken to preserve the remaining sacred sites from further building or desecration. .Sir Ronald Storrs, the first Governor of Palestine under tho British Mandate, organised a pro-Jerusalem society for the purpose of preserving the historic places, the provision of parks,gardens, and open spaces, the establishment of museums and libraries, and the encouragement of arts, handicrafts, and suitable industries. > This is at present a private enterprise, and already a good deal has been done, but • the work has been hampered through lack of funds. It is to be hoped that the Government will before long see its way to support so laudable a work. ROMANCE OF BRITISH OCCUPATION.

The British ’Army had scarcely entered Jerusalem before the authorities realised that the water supply was wholly inadequate for the needs of so large a city. Steps were at once taken by the authorities to increase the supply. In a district between Jerusalem arid Hebron an ancient system of aqueducts dating from the time of Herod was discovered. The engineers found a large quantity of fresh water was being wasted every day. They at once set to work to save the precious liquid which would mean so much to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, The aqueducts were restored and extended, and in less than six months an abundant, if not altogether adequate, supply of fresh water was delivered at Jerusalem. ■ This is one of the romances of the British occupation. In addition to this, telegraphic communication has been improved throughout the country. The telephone has been established for the first time, and a wonderful railway has been built from Jerusalem to Egypt. After ngzagging across the hills of Palestine the railway runs through the Desert cf Sinai, with its miles and miles of eternal sand, and hero and there a refreshing oasis. To-day_ the journey from Jerusalem to Cairo is accomplished in about twelve hours, whereas in the olden days it must have taken as many months.