Tent and Testament: A Camping Tour in Palestine, with Some Notes on Scripture Sites

This volume was published in 1907. From the book's Preface: The tour which is recorded in this book followed in part the hackneyed tourist route; in part a route which is seldom taken. It is hoped that each may have its own interest. The average tourist who arrives in Jerusalem finds himself in the midst of perplexity. He is confronted by two or more sites for most biblical scenes. Two Zions, two Temple areas, two Bethanys, two Geth- semanes, two or more Calvarys, three Holy Sepul- chres, several Bethesdas, put in their claims for his veneration. And it is the same throughout his tour : there are two Bethlehems, two Capernaums, two Sychars, four Jerichos, and so on. Some attempt is made here to discriminate between the true and the false in respect of the Bible places which are visited by most pilgrims to Palestine. For the rest, the detours to Bethlehem of Zebulon and to Chorazin, and the journey down the Ghor, with visits to Gadara and Pella, may interest those who have not left the beaten track and the Bible student in general. The narrative is in some respects belated. The tour was taken five years ago, and, though the notes were written out in full immediately upon return, the publication, with the results of subsequent study, has been delayed partly by an active life, partly by illness. The ** Unchangeable East " has not, however, essen- tially altered since then. So far as the tourist is concerned, the main alterations are the completion of the northern road from Jerusalem as far as Sinjil, and the establishment of hotels at Nablus and Jenin. The opening of the railway from Haifa to Semakh does not help the average tourist : it is intended for and will be chiefly used by Mohammedan pilgrims. The suffering from drought, which occurred during my visit to Jerusalem, led to an attempt to lay on water from Solomon's Pools, and a feeble stream now arrives in the Haram esh-Sherif, but it is available only for Moslems, and, since the pipes are laid on the surface of the ground, it arrives hot. Besides these "improvements," I do not know that any change remains to be noted which would alter the record if the tour had been taken this year. PUBLISHERS NOTE Mr. Rix died on October 10, 1906, while this book was in the press. We have endeavoured to make it accord ini all respects with the Author's wishes, and we are greatly indebted to those of his friends who have assisted us in the attempt.