Part 32

Hard by it, you shall see still some old ruins of old stones, where first _Abraham_ the Patriarch did build a tent as you read in _Genesis_ xii. 8. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of _Bethel_, and pitched his tent, having _Bethel_ on the west, and _Hai_ on the east. _Senacherib_, the King of _Assyria_, when he went before _Jerusalem_, did come into this valley with all his might and power; and had by the angel of the Lord in one nights time, one hundred and eighty-five thousand men slain; and still to this day, there are two great holes to be seen, wherein they flung the dead bodies; one whereof is hard by the road towards _Bethlehem_, the other towards the right hand over-against old _Bethel_; which town fell to the children of _Benjamin_, and is called still to this day _Bethisella_, and is situated half a league farther towards the west, at the foot of the hill, in a very fruitful country. There did _Jacob_ the Patriarch when he fled from his brother _Esau_, see in his sleep the ladder which reached up into heaven, whereon the holy angels ascended and descended, wherefore he erected there a stone for a mark, and called the place _Bethel_, which was called _Luz_ before, as you may read in _Genesis_ xxviii. As you come nearer to _Bethlehem_, you see the grave of _Rachel_ at your right hand near the road, which _Jacob_ did erect there, when his wife died in labour with _Benjamin_, as you read in _Genesis_ xxxv. 16. ‘And they journeyed from _Bethel_, and there was but a little way to come to _Ephrath_:’ and verse 18. ‘And it came to pass as her soul was in departing (for she died) that she called his name _Benoni_; but his father called him _Benjamin_; and _Rachel_ died, and was buried in the way _Ephrath_, which is _Bethlehem_. And _Jacob_ set a pillar upon her grave; that is the pillar of _Rachel_’s grave unto this day.’ Before you come quite thither, there is just by without it, on the left, a good rich cistern, which is deep and wide. Wherefore the people that go to dip water, are provided with small leathern buckets and a line, as is usual in these countries; and so the Merchants that go in carravans through great desarts into far countries, provide themselves also with these, because in these countries you find more cisterns or wells, than springs that lie high. This was formerly under the gates of _Bethlehem_, whereof King _David_ longed to drink; wherefore his three champions did break into the camp of the _Philistines_, and did dip some water out of the well, and brought it to the King; but the King would not drink of it for certain reasons, as you may read in _Samuel_ chap. xxiii, and in I. _Chronicles_ chap. xii. From thence we went by the path of the mount into _Bethlehem_ the town of _David_, where he was born and anointed King by the Prophet _Samuel_; it lieth upon an ascent, it’s buildings, town walls and towers are so decayed, that now it is quite open, and nothing at all to be seen, except the well and monastery, but ruined cottages.

Just without _Bethlehem_, at the other side of the path, towards the east, for formerly the town reached so far, they shew still the stable under a large rock, wherein _Jesus Christ_, the promised _Messias_, God and Man, was born of the immaculate Virgin _Mary_, and laid in a manger. Of his coming, and the place where he should be born, the holy prophet _Micah_ long before prophesied in his fifth chapter, and second verse, saying: ‘But thou _Bethlehem Ephrata_, though thou be little among the thousands of _Juda_, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is to be ruler in _Israel_; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.’ On that place hath _Helena_, mother of _Constantine_ the Great, also build a stately church; but since it is so ruined and demolished, that hardly half of it is left, as one may see by the old walls of the foundation, and other places and arches that are still left without; yet that part that still remaineth standing, is very large, covered with lead at top, and is so glorious a building, that one shall hardly find a better any where. For within it is paved with white marble all over, and upheld with a great many large and high marble pillars, each whereof is about nine spans in diameter; I told about fifty of them, they stand without before the chancel (and underneath them is the place of the holy and joyful birth of our Lord _Jesus Christ_) in four rows one behind the other, and so give a glorious ornament to the whole church. There are also to be seen on the arches and the walls about, some fine histories taken out of the Old Testament, made in _Mosaick_ work, laid in with colours very artificially; and are still so plain to be seen and discerned, as if they were made but the other day. The cave wherein _Christ_ was born, hath without, on each side of the chancel, underneath which is a peculiar way into it, one against the other, the doors thereof are commonly locked up, because behind the church, there is still another, through which they generally go down into it; therein is below at the right hand still another less one, going down two steps more, which is the true stable, wherein our Saviour _Jesus Christ_ did lie in the manger between the ox and ass; so there is still in the same place made a marble one very well wrought. Without before it we put off our shoes, and went in with the father Guardian into the holy place. Where, when I considered the joyful birth of our Lord _Jesus Christ_; where he, as the true long before promised _Messias_ and Saviour was born; I was affected, as if I saw the child wrapt up in swadling cloaths, and lying in the manger, disguised in our mortal flesh and blood, yet without sin, that we as children of wrath and eternal damnation, might be received again by God his Heavenly Father, as his children unto everlasting salvation; that did humble himself so low, as to be born in a dark stable in the miserablest poverty, that he might bring us out from the filth and mire of sin wherein we lay, into the parlour of his Heavenly Father. ‘Seeing then, my dear Lord _Jesus Christ_, that thou art come to us into the world, as the true light, to make of us, that were children of darkness and eternal damnation, children of light and eternal salvation and felicity; I return unto thee, O Lord, for these thy unspeakable benefits, eternal praises, and seeing that thou hast assumed our flesh and blood, and hast also caused these thy merits and benefits to be by thy holy angels proffered to me; therefore I pray thee let me come to thee with the poor shepherds, and see thy saving incarnation, give me and us all thy grace and holy spirit, that we may comfort our selves with this thy blessed birth, against our sinful and impure one, constantly and without cessation, that we may rejoice in it, in good and bad times, in tribulations and adversities, in prosperous success and ill fortune, in the time of this temporal life, heartily, until at length we shall, in the life to come, see thee with all the elected ones, face to face, to all eternity.’ Amen.

This cave is underneath about the walls, lined with long tables of grey marble, adorned with blue, artificially laid in; the rock that cometh out over the stable only excepted. Just by the furthermost entry of the fine chapel there are others, in one whereof St _Jerom_ did live, and did translate the Bible out of the _Hebrew_ and _Chaldean_ languages into the _Latin_. In another near it, lieth buried the noble pious _Roman_ lady _Paula_, with her daughter _Eustachia_. Who, after the decease of her husband, went thither to St _Jerom_, where she led all the rest of her days in Christian piety, until at length she died in the Lord. From thence we came up again into the church, wherein without close to the chancel each side, were to be seen two altars, covered with good large marble; on one thereof on the left, the father Guardian did shew me the effigies of the old _Simeon_, holding the child _Jesus_ in his arms, and in the manger still another, with this admonition. ‘That from hence we may see, conclude and learn, that it is not culpable at all to have images, seeing that nature itself alloweth so much unto stones, that images may grow in them. Wherefore they are not only not to be forbidden, but rather to be honoured.’ What every Christian ought to think of this, being quite contrary to the holy Scripture, every child that hath but begun to learn the Catechism, can easily and sufficiently decide. The _Franciscan_ monks have near the church, a large and pleasant habitation, and also by it great gardens (rich of fine plants and good fruits) defended round about with high walls, against the incursions of the _Arabians_, which they make daily. _Bethlehem_ lieth high, surrounded by the hills of _Judæa_, as you may see by the words of _Jeremiah_, chap. xxxi. verse 15. where he doth prophecy the murdering of the children, which cruel tyranny _Herod Ascalonit_ did a great while after in Christ’s time execute, the words are these: ‘Thus saith the Lord, a voice was heard in _Ramah_, lamentation and bitter weeping: _Rachel_ weeping for her children, refused to be comforted for her children because they were not.’ In this monastery, because it lieth at the top of the path, you see with pleasure, as well as on mount _Olivet_, the confines of _Jericho_, and the Dead Sea, and the mountains of _Arabia_, but chiefly within the space of a league and a half towards the south, a great and high hill, which extends itself much farther than the rest; whereupon, in former years, the strong and mighty castle of _Theckoa_ was built, whereof the holy Prophet _Jeremias_ maketh mention in his sixth chapter, and also _Amos_ (who did prophecy there) in his first chapter. The Christians had this in possession a great while, and did keep it against the Infidels and Heathens for above thirty years after _Jerusalem_ and the Holy Land were taken; for they had corn, wine, water, and other necessaries, abundantly of their own growing, so that they might have kept it longer, if a great contagious distemper had not got among them, which did increase to that degree, that they were forced to leave it, and to retire to more healthy places. When the Heathens did understand that the Christians were marched off, they fell into the castle with a great multitude, tore it all to pieces, and did demolish it to the very ground, so that now one cannot discern that such a one did stand there before. But this lost troop of the Christians, did at length settle themselves on mount _Libanus_, and began to inhabit it, where they are still remaining in our times, and call themselves (as I have told you before) _Trusci_. About _Bethlehem_, there are some valleys very well tilled with corn and vines, and among the rest a very pleasant and fruitful one that beginneth immediately by the church and fountain, and runs down towards _Jericho_ and _Jordan_. This is below pretty wide, full of Olive and Fig-trees, it also bringeth forth some comfortable herbs, _viz._ some strange _Origanums_, _Tragoriganum_, _Roman Serpillum_, which the _Arabians_ call _Sathar_, _Absinthium Santonicum_, which groweth every where in the Holy Land, this hath small ash coloured leaves, very like unto them of ours, and many small stalks full of small yellowish seeds, it is of an unpleasant smell, very bitter, with a saltish sharpness, wherefore it is reputed to be the _Scheba_ of the _Arabians_; from whence our Wormseed cometh.

In this valley were the shepherds, to whom the angels of the Lord did appear, and declared to them the saving birth of our Lord _Jesus Christ_, saying, ‘Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people; for unto you is born this day, in the city of _David_, a Saviour, which is _Christ_ the Lord, _&c._ and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men.’ In that place, which is about half a league below _Bethlehem_, is still a church, which also Queen _Helena_ did build, as _Nicephorus_ testifieth in the thirtieth chapter of his eighth book, this is for the greatest part fallen in, so that nothing more but a small arch is to be seen of it. Hard by it did stand the tower _Ader_, as St _Jerom_ writes, whereby _Israel_ did erect a tent, (as you may read in _Genesis_:) and looked after the sheep with his twelve sons. This is in our time so demolished, that it lieth quite in ruins. Beyond it, in another valley, not far from _Bethlehem_, they shew still to this day a large orchard full of Citron, Lemon, Orange, Pomegranate, and Fig-trees, and many others; which King _Solomon_ did plant in his days, with ponds, canals, and other water works, very pleasantly prepared; as he saith himself in _Eccles._ chap. ii. verse 5. ‘I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits; I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees.’ This is still in our time full of good and fruitful trees, wherefore it is worthy to be seen for their sakes, and also for the ditches sake that are still there. Wherefore I really believe it to be that same whereof _Josephus_ maketh mention in his eighth book of the _Jewish Antiquities_, and the seventh chapter; saying, ‘And the King rode in a chariot, cloathed in white, and it was his custom to ride early in the morning to a place called _Hetten_, a hundred furlongs from _Jerusalem_, where he had a garden with water pools and works very pleasant, and rich. Thither went the King for his pleasure; and did always use great diligence and consideration in all things, and took delight to see every thing neat and handsome.’ _&c._ After we had seen the chiefest places within and without, near and afar off _Bethlehem_, we returned to _Jerusalem_ again by another way, that was near as far again about, and went over the mountains of _Judea_, which have first as you come from thence very good and fruitful valleys, full of vines and corn, but the nearer you come to _Jerusalem_, the higher and rougher are the mountains. In this way, half a league from _Nebeleschol_, the friers shewed us a well very rich of water, just by the road that goeth down to _Gaza_, this runneth into a small rivulet, wherein the holy Apostle _Phillip_ did baptize _Candaces_ chamberlain to the Queen of _Ethiopia_; by it, is nothing else to be seen but a small church and a fish pond. From thence we came over high, rough and steep hills into the deserts, where St _John_ the _Baptist_ did lead his life in his young age, there is nothing to be seen but a very ancient chapel, and hard by it a delicate spring on the top of the hill, where we went up to refresh ourselves a little, with eating and drinking of what we had taken along with us. About the roads grow many trees, by the inhabitants called _Charnubi_, the fruit whereof is called _St John_’s _Bread_ in our country, and is brought to us in great plenty. From thence we had still a very rough and hilly way to the church and habitation of _Zachary_, whither the Virgin _Mary_ did come (climbing over the hills) to give _Elizabeth_ a visit, _&c._ Before it, a league distance nearer to the town, at the end of the valley _Raphaim_ (whereof the holy Scripture maketh often mention, _viz._ in _Joshua_ xv. and xviii. and in I _Chronicles_ chap. xii.) stands in a very pleasant and fruitful place, the church of St _John_ the _Baptist_; and by it, before you come quite to it, falleth down the spring of _Nephthaah_, that is very rich of water. This church is very ancient, but yet pretty well built, and hath on the left hand as you go in, a deep and hidden cave, wherein _Elizabeth_ did hide herself with _John_ her child, that it might not be slain with the children of _Bethlehem_ by the servants of _Herod_, whereof you may read more in the _Proto-Evangelium_ of St _Jacob_, where it is thus written: ‘When _Elizabeth_ did hear, that among the rest of the innocents which _Herod_ had commanded to be killed, her son _John_ was also searched for, she did climb up the hills, and looked about her where she might hide him; but when she saw no place there where she could preserve him, she sighed, and cried out with a loud voice, saying: _O ye hills of ~Gad~, take both the mother and the child_; for she could not ascend them; the hill did open itself instantly, and took them into it, _&c._’ But how afterwards _Herod_ did search for _John_, and how he did threaten and exhort his father _Zachary_ to tell him where his son was, and also how his servants did kill _Zachary_ (not being satisfied with his answer) for it in the porch of the temple is at length related in the books of the martyrs of the learned and reverend _Ludowich Rabus_. As you come from the beforementioned church, nearer to the town of _Jerusalem_, there is still seen a large pillar, that is of great antiquity, and lieth very high between the mountains on a high hill, five furlongs off of _Jerusalem_, wherefore some take it to be ruins of the fortification of _Betzura_; but as far one can understand by the books of _Maccabees_, that is situated more towards the east behind mount _Olivet_. Just before it, within, stands in the valley (that is full of pleasant Olive-trees) a very old, yet well built church, called the Holy Cross, whereof some _Greek_ friers are possessed; they pretend, that in that place the tree did stand, that was made use of for the cross of Christ: this we did soon leave, and went over a small height through the gate of _Hebron_ again into _Jerusalem_, and made ourselves ready to return the next day again to _Joppe_ towards our ship. And so we rewarded the father Guardian, their interpreter, and others that had conducted us, for their faithfulness and services done us according to our ability, to their full content and satisfaction, wherefore the father Guardian did freely give to each of us a certificate under his usual seal, that we had seen all the holy places which were named in it. This done, we went away, and came the next day to _Rama_ towards _Joppe_. By the way, I found some _Lentiscus_’s, from whence the _Mastich_ cometh, _Arbutus_, _Ilex_, and a strange sort of Willows, by the inhabitants called _Sassaf_, but by _Theophrastus_, _Elæagnus_, some Olive-trees, Palm-trees, white Mulberry-trees, _Sumach_-trees, and _Styrax_, from which cometh a sweet smelling Gum, called by the same name, that is brought from thence into our country; _Spartium_, _Lycium_, which is a strange shrub, and the juice thereof retaineth the same name, and is found sometimes in our Apothecaries shops; the King and Prophet _David_ maketh mention thereof, under the _Hebrew_ name _Hadhadd_, by which also the _Arabians_ call it, their speech running much upon the _Hebrew_. Hereabout grow also very many fruits (called _Siliquæ_ by the _Latins_, and κερατιὰ and κερατονία by the _Greeks_, but by the inhabitants _Charnubi_) whereof many are brought out to us, and are very well known by the name of St _John_’s _Bread_. These are so common in these countries, that they esteem them less than we do the worst fruit we have, wherefore they give them to the cattle to eat. Wherefore it is probable, that the prodigal son desired to fill his belly with these fruits, which, as it appeareth by the _Greek_ text, the hogs did eat, and yet could not have enough of them to satisfy his hunger. Besides these, I found also by the way many Turpentine-trees, by the inhabitants called _Botin_ and _Albotin_, which are very common in _France_, chiefly about _Montpelier_, they have small green kernels, that are of a reddish colour, and hollow within, and are oftentimes basely sold and used by the Apothecaries for the true _Carpabalsamum_; for these and others abovementioned, as we read in _Nehemiah_, chap. viii. the _Israelites_ did take bows, and made themselves tents of them to live in, during their great feast of Tabernacles. I saw also chiefly between _Rama_ and _Joppa_ some white _Barberry_-trees, which I took first for _Paliurus_, the third kind of _Rhamnus_, unto which they are very like, except the fruits whereby I did discern them first, and besides, they are much higher, and their branches covered with a white bark. Now although they are not to be taken for the same, yet they are very like unto the second _Paliurus_, whereof _Theophrastus_ maketh mention in the fourth chapter, and the fourth verse. Among the corn, I did find a strange _Origanum_, _Serpillum_; _Smilax aspera_, _Triones_ of _Theophrastus_, whereof I have made mention above.

After we had made our selves quite ready to sail for _Tripolis_, whither we had about forty _German_ miles, we went aboard the ship, and set sail with a fair wind. But this did not last long, for, as soon as we were out at sea, there arose one that was so contrary to us, that we hardly reached the confines of _Tirus_ and _Sidon_ the fourth day, where we arrived in our former voyage at night, as I have said before. I saw nothing of any buildings on the shoar, but some small houses in the place where formerly the town _Sarepta_ did stand, which (as you may read in St _Luke_, chap. iv. and in III _Kings_, chap. xvii.) was situated near unto _Sidon_, or as _Josephus_ writes in his eighth of the _Jewish Antiquities_, chap. xiii. between _Tyrus_ and _Sydon_, in the country of _Phœnicia_, wherein the holy prophet _Elias_, during the great scarcity, did live a great while with a widow, and did restore her dead son to life again.

Departing thence, the night befel us before we gat overagainst _Sidon_, but we went so near the town, that we could see the houses, and some rocks butting upon them by moon-light. From thence, the nearer we came to _Tripolis_, the more the wind was for us, so that we arrived there on the first of _October_ in the year 1575, in very good health and condition. Wherefore I give eternal thanks, glory and praise unto the Almighty God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. _Amen._

CHAP. XXIII.

_How I took ship at ~Tripolis~ in ~Syria~, and sail’d back from thence to ~Venice~, and travell’d home again to my own relations at ~Augspurg~._