prototype of the Roman St. Paul's, and of St. Apollinaris of Ravenna -and the subterranean church, are alone in common. Whether the Cave of the Nativity be genuine or not, yet there is the deep interest of knowing that it is the oldest special locality fixed upon by the Christian Church. Before the Sepulchre, before the Church of the Ascension, before any of the other countless scenes of our Saviour's life had been localised, the famous passage in Justin Martyr proves that the cave of Bethlehem was already known and reverenced as the scene of the Nativity. And one of the most striking instances of this reverence exists in a cave, or rather in one of the many winding caves which form the vaults of the church, the cell where Jerome lived and died, that he might be near the sacred spot.'

I have said one is reminded of the Nativity by the convent. But, in truth, I almost think it distracts one from it. From the first moment that those towers, and hills, and valleys burst upon you, there enters the one prevailing thought that now, at last, we are indeed in the "Holy Land." It pervades the whole atmosphereeven David and Ruth wax faint in its presence.

XXIII. FIRST VIEW OF JERUSALEM.

Next came Rachel's Tomb-a modern mosque, but the site must be the true one-and then, far on the top of the hill opposite Bethlehem, was the Convent of St. Elias, seen from Bethlehem, and from which I knew we should see Jerusalem. It is the one place which commands the view of both. We reached the spot from its broken ridge. I saw a wide descent and ascent, and a white line rising high-of I knew not what buildings-but I knew that it was Jerusalem. What were the main features of the approach? First, there was still the mighty wall of Moab; secondly, there was the broad green approach of the valley of Rephaim,' so long, so broad, so green, that it almost seemed a natural entrance to the city, which still remained suspended, as it were, above it-for that white line kept increasing in height and length, as we neared it yet saw not the deep ravines which parted us from it. The first building which catches the eye is the palace of the Armenian Patriarch, then the castle, then the minaret over the mosque of David. The Mosque of Omar and even the Mount of Olives were for a long time shut out by the Hill of Evil Counsel, which, with its solitary tree'

before us, intercepted all to the east. High beyond towered Ramah (of Benjamin). At last the deep descent of the Valley of Hinnom appeared, opening into that of Jehoshaphat. What struck me as new and unexpected was the rush, so to speak, of both the valleys to the south-west corner of the city. We entered the Jaffa gate

about 4.30 P.M.

CHAPTER II.

PALESTINE.

Numbers xiii. 17-20. "And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain and see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many; and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strongholds; and what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit

of the land."

Deut. i. 7. "Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the desert,' in the 'mountains,' and in the 'low country,' and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates."

PALESTINE.

General features.-The four Rivers of Syria: the Orontes, the Leontes, the Barada, the JORDAN.-General aspect of Palestine.-I. Seclusion of Palestine. II. Smallness and narrowness of its territory. III. Central situation. IV. Land of ruins. V. "Land of milk and honey." VI. Variety of climate and structure. VII. Mountainous character. VIII. Scenery: hills and valleys; flowers; trees: cedars, oaks, palms, sycamores. IX. Geological features: 1. Springs and wells; 2. Sepulchres; 3. Caves; 4. Natural curiosities. X. General conclusion.

BETWEEN the great plains of Assyria and the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, a high mountain tract is interposed, reaching from the Bay of Issus to the Desert of Arabia. Of this the northern part, which consists of the ranges known in ancient geography under the names of Amanus and Casius, and which includes rather more than half the tract in question, is not within the limits of the Holy Land; and, though belonging to the same general elevation, is distinguished from the southern division by strongly marked peculiarities, and only enters into the sacred history at a later time, when its connection with any local scenes was too slight to be worth dwelling upon in detail. It is with the southern division that we are now concerned.

The range divides itself twice over into two parallel chains. There is first, the main chain of Lebanon, sepa- Lebanon. rated by the broad valley commonly called Cole-Syria; the western mountain reaching its highest termination in the northern point of Lebanon; the eastern, in the southern point of Hermon. This last point-itself the