QUIET NAZARETH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20450, 3 July 1928, Page 12

QUIET NAZARETH.

How familiar has this name been in our ears from childhood’s days, and how often have we tried to visualise in . our mind’s eye exactly what the town is like I It nestles away among the mountain slopes—a day’s walk from Galilee—-and there is nothing at all beautiful about the town itself. But the surrounding country is a veritable Paradise, and from the hill-tops round about can be seen one of the finest panoramas in the Holy Land, with the beautiful plain of Esdraelon, carpeted with myriads of wild flowers of every colour, stretching away in the distance. The actual town is much the same today as it was in Christ’s days, with a population of about 20,000. You have the narrow streets, so typical of the East, with still narrower pavements on each side, and then down the middle of the street, a few inches lower than the pavement, runs another cobbled portion. Into this part all the refuse and filth of . the, town is thrown, and if any water is available, it is all washed down. But as water is none too plentiful, the refuse generally remains where it is. Sanitation is hardly known there, but fortunately in these narrow streets there is plenty of fresh air, and so the awful smells, so typical of the East, do not overpower you as they do at Jerusalem. Everywhere are hospitals, which all Chrigtian countries seem to have vied with each other in erecting, orphanages, as well as schools of every description. One wonders why there should be such „ superfluity of charitable institutions in such a small township. Whether the holy sites are authentic or not, is doubtful. When I visited the Church of the Annunciation, I asked the monk who escorted us round if the site was really authentic. His reply was, “ Tradition says so, madam.” “ But,” I replied, “is not tradition often a lying jade?” “ Ah,” was the quick response, “ it is but tradition you have to rely on always, for how would you know who your parents really were, were it not for tradition? So the argument was abandoned, and I was none the wiser regarding the authenticity. The site of the house of Mary and Joseph is in the crypt of this church, and according to an old tradition, it was miraculously conveyed to Loreto in 1291, in order that it should escape desecration at the hands of the Moslems. Near by is another church, under the control of the same order, erected on the site of the carpenter’s shop. On the east of the town is Mary’s Well (Ain Miryam), and it is most interesting to watch the women coming here to fill their water pots. It is a typical village scene, and one can quite imagine Christ and His mother being one of their number in those far-off days. It is the one and only well in the village, so it is almost certain that they came here frequently to draw water. In the evening • particularly, it is the happy hunting ground of all the villagers, who come here to meet each other and to enjoy an interesting gossip. The people live mostly by farming and cattle-raising, as well as by growing all sorts of fruits and vegetables. The women are very dignified, and have a most beautiful carriage. Whenever there is any particular festival on, they have a most picturesque attire, and wear garments which have been most beautifully embroidered in exquisite colours, while the whole person is lavishly adorned with countless gilt coins. Many of these women make beautiful lace. This they have been taught to do , in one of the convents in the village, and they then sell it to the various tourists who are constantly passing through. In these schools and convents, they are taught English, and there is never any difficulty ia making, oneself understood. —lrene'Hughes, in tie Weekly Scotsman. {