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THE OUT-GOING OF THE JORDAN.

This out-going of the Jordan, in the lifetime of our Lord, teemed with life and business. The bridge was thronged with travellers and merchantmen, crossing and recrossing, laden asses and camels, horses and war-chariots, from the great East, from Jerusalem, and up and down the shores of the lake, and away to the Great Sea and Egypt, while the lake was alive with vessels, pleasure yachts and fishing boats, all presenting a scene of great activity and prosperity.

Present ruins indicate the existence of other and unknown cities farther down the river.-Lynch, Robinson.

Seven miles below the first is another bridge called "Tisrel-Mujamia."

The Jordan is very crooked throughout.

"In all her length, far winding lay,
With promontory, creek and bay,
And islands that, empurpled bright,
Floated amid the lovelier light;

And mountains that like giants stand
To sentinel enchanted land."

Several rivers, worthy of the name, fall into the Jordan, below Terak.

The largest of these rivers is the Jermuk on the east, and the Sharar and Jalud on the west. These are bridged.

"HOUSE OF REST.”—A BIT OF HISTORY.

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"HOUSE OF REST." Such is the meaning of the name of the largest place on the river Jordan. It was named Bethshean in the days of Joshua, afterward called Scythopolis, B. C. 631, and lastly, Beisan. It lies on ascending ground, two miles from the Jordan, west, eighteen miles from the lake, and on the old road from Damascus to the south and west. Its ruins cover some three miles, showing it to have been a large city.

In history it is famous. It was assigned to the tribe of Manasseh, who never was able to conquer it. On her walls the Philistines hung the headless body of King Saul, which was rescued in the night by the brave men from Jabesh-Gilead. This latter city stood upon the mountain heights, over the Jordan, in full view of Bethshean, and the rescuers could creep up the banks of the river Jalud, whose deafening roar drowned all sound of their approach. These Jabeshites owed Saul a debt of gratitude for his saving each of them an eye, which may account for this rescue of his body. Nahash had demanded the surrender of the city, and an eye from every male inhabitant—to unfit him thereafter for military services. They agreed to this, with seven days for ratification of the treaty. Meantime Saul collected an army and hastened to their relief. Forty years later, these Jabeshites rescued the bodies of Saul and his three sons, which they carried to Jabesh-Gilead, and there cremated.

The city of Bethshean originally occupied several hills divided by deep ravines, spanned by high bridges, under which flowed "noisy cascades," leaping over ledges of black basalt. I have seen no city except Damascus so abundantly supplied with water. The ruins of a large amphitheatre are easily traced out in the lower part of the city. It was one hundred and thirty-nine feet in circumference in the circle, and the dens for wild animals on either side of the grand entrances are yet nearly perfect and are used for stables.L. & B.

From this interesting city, the great highway led directly westward up the valley of Esdraelon, or, turning southwest

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RUINS.-A BEAUTIFUL LAND.

erly, it branched off, to the south of Gilboa and En-Gannim, to Dothan.

In the bright, spring month of April, everything is fresh and fair through these valleys and about these mountains. The hill-sides are clothed in living green with oak and cypress, cedars and palms; the valleys are resplendent in flowers, roses red, marigolds yellow, and tulips gay; the fields are rich in flowing grain, "white for the harvest," for it is not only the "flowery month," but the "earing month," also; while vineyards, orchards and gardens abound in luscious grapes, groves of olives, figs, almonds and pomegranates, and gardens of orange, lemon, citron and small fruits, and vegetables fit for a king's table.

By the pathway grow wild flowers in great profusion, from the humble "hyssop that springs out of the wall ” (1 K. 4: 33), to the royal oleander which adorns every water-course through this prolific vale.

What a marvellous history has this highway!

We can hardly touch upon its story as we pass on.

The armies of Joshua have filed over this same route. Those Ishmaelites passed over it before reaching Dothan, where they purchased Joseph from his jealous brethren. Ahab and Joram led their mighty hosts up and down it. Jehu rode pell-mell up this way to Jezreel, to usurp the kingdom of his master. Saul, Jonathan and David have ridden over it conquerors, and fled over it again vanquished. Elijah and Elisha have wandered about this interesting vicinity. Terrible tramps were they! Did they ever "abide" anywhere? We read of them everywhere up and down Palestine; now at Damascus at the north, now at Beersheba at the extreme south; now at Mount Carmel overlooking the Mediterranean sea, down on the sea-shore at Sarepta, and away to the east, at Jericho, at Moab, at Bethel.

Alexander, Vespasian and Titus have also marshalled thier mighty hosts along this route.

We leave the great valley, Jezreel, Mt. Gilboa, Shunem and En-Gannim on the right hand, and pass down to Dothan.

A GREAT HIGHWAY.

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This is the point at which we arrived on the first journey from Nazareth to Jerusalem, and the remainder of the route from here to the holy city may require no further description.

As then, the way is crowded with pilgrims, with asses, beasts of burden, oxen, and sheep in immense flocks, all pressing on toward Jerusalem to attend the Passover.

CHAPTER XV.

THE FIRST PASSOVER.

TIME.-April 11 to 18, A. D. 27. A. U. C. 780.

PLACE.-Jerusalem.

RULERS.-Tiberius Cæsar, emperor at Rome; Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea; Herod Antipas, tetrarch (king) of Galilee.

ND Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Reference.

John 2: 13.

Here He began His ministry by purifying the temple, while His (6) disciples stood by as witnesses. This occurred three months after His baptism.†

Pilgrims from the north entered at Damascus gate. The streets were crowded already with people from every land, with asses laden with crates of doves, bulging out on each. side, great flocks of sheep with their noisy shepherds, immense droves of cattle, maddened with heat, dust, thirst and the lash of hired drovers; "sellers of wares besetting pilgrims to buy, for the great feasts were the harvest time of all trades at Jerusalem."-Geikie's Life of Christ.

The temple presented a scene of greater confusion. Traders and money-changers, who had long been established from the eastern gate (Shusan) to Solomon's Portico, had gradually crowded upon the temple itself, until that portion of it called the "Court of the Gentiles (heathens, not Jews) had become almost as noisome as the streets.

* Friedlieb, Andrews, Geikie.

† Greswell says sixty-four days, Friedlieb eighty-seven. See Andrews. Farrar.-Into this court during the feasts, any one could enter unchallenged, heathens, cripples, beggars, any but lepers.