IN PALESTINE

Hokitika Guardian, 15 June 1931, Page 3

IN PALESTINE

A FLYING OFFICER’S EXPEKIEGCcS. BIBLICAL SCENES DESCRIBED. Interesting descriptions of places in Palestine familiar to feadens of tiie Bible, and graphic accounts of incidents in the life of a flying officer are contained in letters written by c lynigOilicer Lance E. Jarman, No. 14 L Squadron, Royal Air Force, Amman, son of Mr H. E. Jarman acting-manag-er of the Christchurch Tramways. On February 2nd Flying-Officer Jarman wrote that the flight to which lie is attached had been turned into an Army Cooperative Flight operating chiefly in the Jordan Valley. He bad visited most of the landing grounds in the area. Shortly he expected to he camped at Semakl, on the shores of the sea of Galilee, where he would have an opportunity of exploring the old ruins in that locality.

“At present the .Jordan Valley is a wonderful sight with green grass in abundance everywhere. Northwards there are the green covered hills of Palestine on the left and the more rugged and bare hills of Transjordan <> nthe right straight ahead is the sea of Galilee, wonderfully blue, with Tiberias on the left shore standing out in the distance, and the head of the valley seems to he filled with the snow-covered Mount Herman. The mountain is actually about 30 miles further north, hut the wonderfully clear atmosphere makes all distant hills appear much closer, and as Mount Hermon is over 9000 ft high, it is visible for over 100 miles.”

FROM AMMAN r IO JERUSALEM. “The trip, by car, from Amman to Jerusalem is full of interest. After leaving Amman, leaving the old Roman amphitheatre and ruins on your left, and tile remains of Rabboth Amman the citadel of the Ainmanites, on your right you climb steadily to 3500 ft. Fourteen miles from Ammon is Suiveileh, a Caucasian settlement built on the side of a hill. In the far distance, towards the iiortlreast, may be seen the ruins of the Roman city of Jerash, with its two amphitheatres streets, lined with columns houses, and 1 a large tliatre. As soon a the crest nf the hill is reached the hills,on the Palestine side of the Jordan may bee seen through a 'due haze. The road winds downwards until the village of As Salt is reached. During the war the Australians suffered defeat here, and the prisoners and wounded were massacred hv the Arabs. After leaving As .Salt we descend down a wadi to the Jordan Valley, passing Roman water lifts, and block houses, until we cross a bridge at a point about 1000 ft above sea level. When near sea level mark we pass an enormous Krupp gun lying in the stream by the road. It. was blown up by the retreating Turks and was too heavy to salve, so it will remain there until it is covered with nibbih and is forgotten. We leave the wadi and cross the bed of the Jordan Valley. The Dead Sea lies about six miles on our left and shortly afterwards we cross the Jordan River, 1200 ft below sea level, on the Allenbury Bridge, built during the war by our troops.

NEARING THE HOLY CITY

On the western siuc ui tne va.»ey

we pass UH'ougii nioucru ueiionu, ainrounocu oy orange groves aim palm trees. The rums ol oiu deiu.no ins to me north-west ana are ueuiy, excalaleii by a party oi Uennans. .between the hllenbury Jbriuge find the Dead Sea is the spot where the Children of Israel, under Joshua, crossed the Jordan, and is the traditional site of the baptism of Jesus and is still the spot where pilgrims bathe. About three miles past Jericho we turn off the plain and commence our climb towards Jerusalem. The mosques of Nehi Musa (Prophet Moses), bu.lt on the side of the wadi, is about a mile from the road. Looking back from here there is obtained a fine view of the Dead Sea, Jericho, the Mount ol Temptation, with its chapel and monastery built on the face of a cliff. After passing the mosque of Nebi Musa the towers and minarets of Jerusalem are seen, and we pass the Inn of the Good Samaritan, which is built on a fine site. Above the inn the top of the hill is occupied by the Qalat el Dumm (castle of lilood), an ancient stronghold which probably owes its name to the blood-like colour of the rock of which it is built. We shortly travel along the route of the old Roman road and pass through Bethany the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, and from the top of the hill called Rasaal Annul there is otained a grand view of Jerusalem, its old walls, and the temple area. As we descend we pass through the Garden of mane, and by the old church of the Tomb of the Virgin with its columns and wonderful paintings on the front. At this noint we prop* B the hod of the Kidron and at the point where we. turn there is a stone which marks the snot where Christ was <coursed Before we can pnfer the citv we s lr; rt two sides of tl)p -'ir imR. nassin" St. Ste Mien’s or,,] TTprod’e ga + es. and enter hv the Domosons crate. Fvewtbing inside the pi tv that has nnv historical nr Ifihlipol interest- is Tnarl-'e'! arM the VUY to Calvary is marked by crosses.”

SEA OF GALILEE. Writing under date March 29th. Fly-ing-Oiiicor Jarman sets out that Tie had been to Jiar Mejamii, in the Jordan Valley where demonstrations were given before the native officers of control iToin the air, bombing attacks and front and rear gun lire. Hnna Acre, Rosphina. .vletulla, Tiberias and other places were visited. Tiberias was reached, via Demakb, by a good road running ro.und the Sea of Galilee, and from Tiberias the party rowed across to Capernaum, where they saw the remains of a synagogue, built by the Jews in the first century during the Roman occupation. On the way back to Tiberias, in the moonlight, they passed several large boats filled with people of different sects who were singing hymns. They stopped a while to listen to them, as they sang in harmony the result was very beautiful from ?. distance. A TYPICAL PALESTINE TOWN. Haita, at the foot of Mount Carmel. Fiying-Officer Jarman describes as a busy snport an da typical Palestine town, vry dirty and smelly. Tbe party went to al Muhraka (the Place of .Burning), commemorating the miracle of Eliiali and the priests of Baal. Acre, which also was visited, is a wonderful old city, and one of the most picturesque places in Palestine. It is surrounded by a deep moat, anu the walls, built on foundations put in by the Crusaders, still show the marks where they were hit by ro-und shot during the bombardment in tbe loth century. Tin*re are six beautiful mosque in the city, and the skyline is broken by domes and minarets. The.e is also a large ammunition dump, erected during the Napoleonic wars, filled with cannons, shot, fireballs. canister, grops, and other ordnance.

A RAID. “We had a spot of of trouble while at Were, when six.een raiders attacked a Jewish colony, killed a few people and departed with loot. We caught them successfully by driving them out of the village in which they, were sheltering and then leading the T.J.F.F. cavalry across the plain of Kishon to intercept them. The final act was full of excitement when tbe raiders were tra' elling at. full gallop towards tbe Jordan, and the T.J.F.F. cavalry coming from the north, also at the g Top, moving towards each other. We were not allowed to take air action, ao we hovered around watching the Transjordan calvary do some good sabre wr.rk. As a trophy of the chase. I collected a periscope, probably a relic of the war, which one of the raiders was carrying.