"JERUSALEM."

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 75, 31 March 1915, Page 2

"JERUSALEM."

In the Parish Hall last evening, Miss Marchant delivered an extremely interesting and instructive lecture on “Jersualem.” From the 1 opening to the close of the address, the speaker held the attention of the audience. After briefly giving the history of the city, which had seen so many changes that the present city was the tenth or eleventh built on the same site, Miss Marchant proceeded to describe tho buildings as they are to-day and the life of Jerusalem. The one great disappointing feature was the Turkish rule, which was very lax. When excavation was propely done, wonderful things would be brought to light, but Turkish jealousy would not allow that work to be done. There were few roads in the city wide enough for a carriage to be driven over. Miss Marchant referred to the Jewish custom of weeping at the wall of Solomon’s temple, and expressed the opinion that the Eastern people were more sincere than Europeans. Interest centred round two buildings, the Moslem mosque on the site of Solomon’s temple, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The mosque is one of the, most magnificent buildings in the world. Until quite recently, however, "Moslems had not allowed strangers to enter it; and to-day they were very jeal-J ous of strangers. Religious feeling runs very high in Jerusalem. The' Turks have a great reverence for their religious buildings, and everyone visiting the mosques have to put on slippers over their boots. A particularly jinteresting part of the lecture was a description of the rites in connection with the holy fire service of the Greek I church, and the speaker referred to 1 the great enthusiasm of the Russian pilgrims. At the conclusion of the, address a hearty vote of thanks to. Miss Marchant was passed. j