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CLIMATE AND PRODUCTS.

maize, tobacco, yam, sweet-potato, and other southern or tropical field or garden crops, will carry him back in thought to his own sunny home."-Geikie.

These pictures reflect the state of the country in products in the time of our Lord rather than at present. Along the streams of the upper Jordan and Lake Merom the reeds and tropical grasses, the willow and the oleander, are very abundant even now. The lilies also are very beautiful at this season, and even later, especially about the upper end of the Sea of Galilee, upper Jordan, and the "Huleh." Doubtless these are the same as attracted the attention of Jesus by their magnificence.-Luke 12: 27.

"Consider the lilies how they grow! They toil not, neither do they spin (i. e., produce clothing), yet I say unto you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." For convenience of reference we have arranged the following

table:

WEATHER AND PRODUCTIONS.

JANUARY - Rainy season; heavy | rains; thunder storms; snow squalls on the ridges; colder nights produce thin ice, but ground does not freeze; winds northwest and east.

FEBRUARY-Rains continue, with winds and thunder. "Parent of rains," say the Arabs, of these two months. Days are warm, nights cool; winds same as during January, but less violent.

Whole face of nature clothed in green; corn above ground; meadows in bloom; fruit trees generally in bud and blossom; oranges begin to ripen in valleys.

While peach and almond trees are in full bloom, oranges hang ripe on the trees in the lower regions, and green in high latitudes; cereals advancing fast ; a growing season.

Lemons and oranges ripe in the lowlands and in protected places; foliage lovely in green and blossom; palms are magnificent; barley turning brown.

Barley harvest commences this month called Abib, "the earing month," also Nisan, "the flower month;" wheat harvest; oleaster and white mulberry ripen.

CLIMATE AND PRODUCTS.

IN no other country has dress undergone so little change during two thousand years as in Palestine. The dress usually proclaimed the wearer's social position. That of Pilate, the governor, and also of Caiaphas, the high-priest, is shown in the illustrations of this book. That of the common people consisted of a close tunic, under a long, loose outer robe, with or without sandals for the feet.

vest.

THE DRESS OF JESUS is first and only mentioned after the crucifixion. According to John it consisted of five articles, viz.: a hood, a cloak, a broad girdle, sandals, and a tunic or The cloak was long, reaching to the feet. It was made of linen for summer, and of wool for winter. The Bedowin's cloak is made of wool and hair, and usually marked with broad white stripes on a brown or black ground. It is called an abba. "The most common are made of black sackcloth, of goat's or camel's hair, very large so the owner may wrap himself in it to sleep." Drawers are worn in colder weather. Shoes now take the place of sandals.

THE DISCIPLES' DRESS did not vary greatly from that of the Master. When fishing it is said, as of Peter, "he was naked" (John 21: 7): they divested themselves of all clothing. This only applied to the one who swam around, to beat the water and drive the fish, attracted by the torch, into the drag-net.

LABORERS' ABBAS were worn short, only to the knee.

PETER'S DRESS.-Peter's limited dress is shown in that last fishing excursion described in the twenty-first chapter of John, when he was said to be naked, and afterward gird the garment about him when he saw the Master on the beach. His improvement in dress is demonstrated, as he grew in grace and honor in his Master's service, in Luke's description of his dressing himself on that night when the angel took him out of prison (Acts 12: 8). His dress consisted on this occasion of an undergarment, and a girdle to go around it (a wide belt), sandals for his feet, and the outer garment, or cloak of a rabbi.

THE BIRDS OF PALESTINE.

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FEMALE DRESS.-See woman, page 106, from a photograph; also Salome's and the dress of the girl in Tadema's Children of Jerusalem. When the girl was past twelve she wore fringe of silk, or linen, on her skirts.

THE BIRDS OF PALESTINE.

MY VENERABLE FRIEND, MR. JAMES CAMPBELL, of Boston, who has sold books for more than half a century, and who knows every book, worth knowing, in the English language, is unable to find for me a book of the above title or character. He showed me one, entitled "Birds of the Bible," but the illustrations were of American birds, and not a Syrian bird among them.

The fire which consumed my first manuscript also burned my beautiful collection of "Birds of Palestine," gathered at great cost of time and money. Some of those I have not been able to reproduce.

PALESTINE HAS UPWARD OF 300 KINDS OF BIRDS.

Through the body of this book the reader will find illustrations of the principal birds met with in the "JOURNEYS OF JESUS."

In His teachings the Lord often noticed the beautiful birds. After being expelled from the Samaritan city, He said: "The birds of heaven have their nests,

But I have not a place to lay my head."

Again, in the grain-growing land of Perea, where the ground was alive with the little pests, Jesus said to "His friends,"

"Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings?

And not one of them is forgotten in the sight of God!" In that same country, and where the rich man built the store-hcuses (Luke 12: 18) for corn and wheat, Jesus drew an

578

THE BIRDS OF PALESTINE.

illustration from the numerous birds peculiar to the district.— Verse 24.

Consider the RAVENS; which neither sow nor reap, and have no store-houses, or barns: yet God feeds them." (See illustration.)

Wild Pigeons were very numerous, especially in Galilee. The Dove, by which we understand the domesticated pigeon, was the exalted bird of the Hebrews, symbolizing the Holy Spirit (John 1: 32). Doves were the only birds offered in sacrifices. Such Mary offered in the temple. "A pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons."—Luke 2: 24.

The Eagle was, however, the bird of "abomination," the first pronounced " unclean," by the Levitical law. Eagles were very numerous in Syria. Over the route by which Jesus and the Twelve returned from Sidon, across Lebanon, the cliffs and trees were full of them. (See illustration.) Their eyries are seen on every available crag.

Below, the timid Conies den in equal numbers, and are an easy prey to the rapacious eagle. (See illustration.) She, swooping in the air, sees them "afar off," and falling upon them like a swift bolt from heaven, carries them away for her young.-Ps. 103: 5.

Job describes the scene very graphically-39: 29.

She dwelleth and abideth on the cliffs

Upon the craggy rocks and the high places,

From whence she seeketh her prey,

And where the slain are, there is she;

Her young also suck up the blood."

The Osprey (see illustration), the diligent fish-hawk of the lake and seashore, were a numerous and "unclean" bird. They are the only fishers of Galilee at the present day. The Owl, several species, the Bat, Hawk, Ossifrage, Cormorant, Gier-eagle and Cuckoo were also pronounced "unclean,” and were very numerous.

The Purple Gallinion is a beautiful bird, inhabiting the seashore. It was a bird of worship in Africa, hence unclean in Syria. (See illustration.)