FROM Tiberias to Nazareth is a seven hours’ journey. Our way lies across a rocky, hilly country. The sun is hot. The heat seems to have positive weight. Icarus would not have had to soar very high beneath this fierce sun, before his “waxen wings” would have “melted” and let him down with a crash. The reflection from the rocks is almost like the hot breath of a furnace.

Look! yonder to the right, and not far away, are eight or ten gazelles dashing down the steep hillside. Their tongues are lolling out; they have been up on the elevated table-lands, and now, dry, hot, and thirsty, they are making their way to the Sea of Galilee. How swift they go! And yet Asahel, we are told, was “as light of foot as a wild gazelle.” The men of Gad, who swam the swollen river to join King David, had the “faces of lions” and the “feet of gazelles.” Isaiah, when speaking of the beauty of Babylon, could bestow no higher praise than to say: “She is as the gazelle of kingdoms.” Solomon says: “My beloved is as beautiful as a gazelle leaping up the mountains, skipping upon the hills.” To see this swift-footed animal, going with parched lips to the sea, reminds one of the Psalmist’s earnest words: “As the hart (the gazelle) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God.”

The Arab word “gazelle” is not used in the Bible, yet it is generally understood that the “roebuck” of Scripture is the same animal. They are plentiful here, and may be found in all sparsely settled sections of the country. South of Hebron they are sometimes seen in droves of from fifty to a hundred. They are not so large, but are otherwise very much like our American deer. Their flesh, like the antelope and venison of America, is considered delicious, and the Nimrods of to-day are constantly on their track. The gazelle, however, having a swift foot and a keen eye, is seldom hung up before an Arab’s fire.

We are now upon what is thought to be the corn-field referred to in Matthew 12:1. “And at that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn, and His disciples, who were an hungered, began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat.” The field is still worked and it will soon be seed-time again. The corn referred to was of course wheat, as our Indian corn was not then, and is not now, known to Eastern people.

After five hours and a half in this scorching sun, we are thoroughly prepared to appreciate the grateful shade of the great olive and palm trees under which we are now resting. We are in Cana, of Galilee, whose history is sacred and whose name is familiar to all Bible readers. Yes, here on this rough, rocky hillside, is Kefr Kenna—the village of Cana—where Jesus made wine of water. Few passages of Scripture impress me more than the account of this wedding feast. I read, “And the third day there was a marriage in Cana, of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there, and both Jesus and His disciples were called to the marriage.” It was during this wedding feast that Christ turned water into wine. “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana, of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory, and His disciples believed on Him.” Christ’s first miracle, wrought at the beginning of His public career, was, we see, turning water into wine. And the night before His crucifixion, He took wine and said: “This is my blood,” and “without the shedding of blood there is no remission.” I see a significance, therefore, in the fact that the first miracle was making wine. That miracle was prophetic. It pointed to something yet to come. That miracle was, in Christ’s thought, closely connected with the Cross and Man’s Redemption.

Having finished the account of the wedding-feast, the evangelist continues: “After this He went down to Capernaum (about five hours’ walk); He, and His mother and His brethren and His disciples.” Jesus had already taken up His abode in Capernaum. Probably Mary had never been there. It is quite probable, also, that Christ had not seen her for some time. It may be that the hope of meeting her son was the main thing that induced her to attend the wedding. Her hope was realized. What a joyful meeting that must have been! Somehow I love my Savior more, because He loved His Mother so well. How beautiful this is: after the wedding is over Jesus goes back to Capernaum, taking His Mother with Him. She wanted to see how her “preacher-boy” was situated in His new home by the sea. No doubt when they reached Capernaum, at the north end of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus took His Mother up on the flat-roofed house and pointed out different places of interest.

At present, Cana is of little importance and is not at all inviting. Large beds of tall, thorny cactus plants are everywhere to be seen. The houses of the village are few in number, and rude of structure. Here, as elsewhere in this country, the people are filthy, ignorant and half naked. The two best houses in the place are convents; one belonging to the Roman and the other to the Greek Catholics. We now visit these convents in the order named. Clad in a black gown, with a rosary fastened around his waist and hanging from his side, the Latin Priest approaches us, invites us in, and kindly shows us through his convent. He rehearses the history of Cana, and speaks of the wedding that Jesus attended as though it had taken place only yesterday. We come now to the sacred chamber; the Priest pauses; he is deeply moved (?). With tears in his eyes and pathos in his words he says: “In this room the marriage occurred. Just there, ‘pointing to the side of the room opposite him,’ just there the wedding couple stood. Christ, Mary, and John stood here on my right, while the other guests occupied the portion of the room to my left. Just here, where I am, stood the Catholic priest who pronounced the wedding ceremony. Here, gentlemen,” the good priest continued, “here are some of the identical water pots that our Lord used in making wine. Yes, sirs, these are the veritable water-pots that Jesus used. Come up here and handle them and see for yourselves.” We express no doubt and I suppose we really appear somewhat credulous. The superstitious priest now becomes enthusiastic. “There were,” he says, “originally six of these jars or pots; but one was broken, one we sent to Jerusalem, one to Rome, and here are the other three. Come, come, and handle them yourselves that you may tell your friends when you get home.”

As soon as we get out of the door, Johnson, with his characteristic sense of humor, touched me in the side and said: “Chestnuts! Chestnuts!!” At this moment a short, heavy-built, broad-shouldered, bushy-headed Greek monk, wearing a hat whose broad, board-like brim was at the top of the crown instead of the bottom, comes up to us. He introduces himself, and after a few words says: “Now, gentlemen, please come with me. I have something of very great interest to show you.” He leads us into, and conducts us through, the Greek convent, reciting and explaining the history of the village as we go along. He shows us into a large room whose walls are lined with pictures. The Greek pauses, uncovers his head, strikes an attitude; sorrow seizes his soul, a heavenly look settles on his troubled face. With noiseless step and slow, he approaches us and whispers: “The wedding that we read about in the Bible occurred in this very room. Yes, gentlemen, this is a sacred place—this is where the marriage was solemnized. Christ, with His Mother and disciples, stood on the left, the other guests on the right. The wedding couple stood there in the centre, and the Greek priest who married them stood here.” Johnson is dumb as an oyster. But I have to speak—I can hold in no longer. I say: “Did Jesus attend two weddings in this place?” “No, sir; only one, sir, only one!” “Well,” I continue, “I was a few minutes ago in the Latin convent and the Romish priest told me that the wedding took place there, and now you tell me that it occurred here. How about that, sir; how can you explain this?” “The explanation, the explanation, sir, is very easy. It is simply this: the other priest lied! Yes, sir, he lied—only one wedding here, and that one took place in this room. And here are the identical water-pots that He used—these are the very jars that held the water which was turned into wine.”

I speak of this at length to bring out an important fact. On almost every sacred spot in Palestine, wherever Jesus lived or spent the night, wherever He preached a sermon, or wrought a miracle, there we find two convents—one Roman and one Greek. Each claims to stand upon the exact spot where such and such a thing occurred. Occasionally the two convents are some distance apart; again they stand hard by each other. As one might naturally suppose, this engenders strife, and provokes jealousy among the priests, and greatly perplexes most travelers. But all this confusion among the priests does not trouble me for a moment. What do I care whether the marriage occurred here or there? I know full well that I am in Cana. I know it is a sacred place. I know that Christ, with His presence, sanctioned in Cana what God, in His wisdom, instituted in Eden—the marriage relation, which has come along down the ages, elevating man, purifying society, strengthening the State and honoring God. The wisdom of this law strongly argues its divine origin. I have traveled in many countries, among many nations, kindreds, tribes and peoples; and I have never yet traveled in a country where the Bible was a sealed book, where God’s law of marriage was unknown or disregarded, but that the women of that country were in a low, vile, degraded and servile condition! In such places woman is regarded as man’s inferior; she is neglected, imposed upon and down-trodden; hers is a life of shame and drudgery; she is man’s burden-bearer and nothing more! In Palestine, and some other countries where I have traveled, it is considered a disgrace for a mother to give birth to a female child! and for this cause men frequently ill-treat and forsake their wives!

And on the other hand, I have never been in any land where the Bible was known and read, where God was worshipped, and His law obeyed, but that woman was loved and honored and elevated to her true position in the family and in society. The Bible teaches that woman was taken, not from man’s heel that he might trample upon her, not from his head that she might rule him with a rod of iron, but from his side that she might walk beside him—that she might be his companion; perchance from his right side, that his strong right arm might lift her burdens and fight her battles; or, forsooth, from his left side, near his heart, that he might love and sympathize with her. Blessed Bible! thou hast shattered woman’s shackles; thou hast brought the aureole of glory, and placed it upon woman’s matronly brow!

One hour from Cana brings us to a scene of greater interest. The day is far spent when my eyes fall for the first time upon Nazareth, nestling on the sunny slope of a high hill which gracefully swings itself around and forms something of a horseshoe. The city, situated near the centre of this curvature, is built partly in the valley and partly on the hillside. The lower part of the city is half hidden amid a rich profusion of pomegranates, orange trees, olive groves and vineyards. “Jack Frost” has brought no tidings of autumn; consequently the leaves are still green and the luscious fruits are still hanging upon the boughs of the trees.

Leaving the hilltop we come down into the valley, and pitch our tents under some large orange trees on the edge of the city. Oh, what a privilege it is to be here! Nazareth is a holy city. It was the childhood home of the Savior. Here is where Luke says “He was brought up.” Again, “And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned unto Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them; but His mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” Dutiful child! Model son! A mother would naturally keep such a boy, as well as his “sayings, in her heart.” No doubt He, in childish glee often played with other children, only He never lost His temper. He never got angry and called His playmates hard and ugly names. He was always kind and gentle; consequently all His acquaintances and fellow playmates liked Him, and the more they saw of Him the more they loved Him; for we are told “He grew in favor with God and man.” We are only human; and yet, with God’s help, it is possible for us so to conduct ourselves that we, like Jesus, may grow in wisdom and in favor with God and man.

Yes, Nazareth was the home of Christ. Here He played, here He worked, here He studied Nature in all its loveliness and manifold beauty. One who visits Nazareth can well imagine that in spring-time Jesus would pluck the rose-buds and orange blossoms, and weave them into bouquets for His mother. We know He loved flowers. He was so fond of them that the betrayer knew where to find Him at the evening hour. It was he who said: “Consider the lilies of the field; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you that Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.”

Knowing as we do His fondness for solitude, nothing is more natural than to suppose that the youthful Christ would often forsake the busy scenes of street-life and climb to the top of the hill back of the city. In the valley He had studied nature and human nature; on the mountain He could study God and revelation. From here His view of the country was something like the catechism definition of infinitude—“without bounds or limits.” Here, seated on a rock, leaning against an olive tree, with the old Hebrew Bible unrolled on His lap, He could read and think and plan to His heart’s content. Here He could read about almost any event, whatsoever, and at once lift His eyes from the parchment and let them fall upon the spot where the scene took place. Did He read of the fish swallowing Jonah, He could look out upon the heaving bosom of the Mediterranean, flecked with white-winged ships, some of them no doubt bound for Tarshish. Did He read about Elijah praying for rain, there was Mt. Carmel projecting into the sea and standing out in such bold relief that one could almost see a man standing on its summit. Did He read from the parchment of Elijah’s contest with the priests of Baal, He could look there at the base of Carmel where the altars were built. Looking to the north, He could see Mt. Hermon where a few years later He was to be transfigured, and was to meet Moses and Elias from the other world. In the same direction was the hill where He was to preach a sermon to a great multitude; there, also, and not far away, was Cana where His first miracle was to be wrought. Eastward, He could see around the Sea of Galilee, where He was to make His future home, and where He was to do “most of His mighty works.” With His face still to the east, He could see Mt. Tabor, six miles distant, rising up like a sugar-loaf to the height of two thousand two hundred feet. Seeing this, He would naturally read of Deborah and Barak with an army of ten thousand men on Tabor while Sisera, with an armed host including nine hundred chariots of war, stood at the base of the mountain. Just south of Nazareth is the broad and fertile plain of Esdraelon, which has been the “battle-ground of the nations.” From the hilltop behind Nazareth, Christ could see, flowing through the midst of this plain, the river Kishon, whose swift and swollen current swept so many of Sisera’s men on to the “Great Sea” and to death. Beyond this plain He could see Nain where He, in after life, was to raise the widow’s son. Near Nain is Endor, where Saul called up the witch by night. There, also, are the heights of Gilboa, where the same King breathed his last. There, too, is Shunem, where Elisha often spent the night; and Jezreel, where Jezebel, the wicked Queen, was flung from the upper window of the palace, and dashed to death upon the stone pavement below.

I am standing upon this same hilltop with an open Bible in my hand. As I read of these different incidents, and then look from place to place where the different scenes occurred, I am deeply moved. These several passages seem to sink into my heart. I am not surprised that Jesus knew the Scriptures so perfectly. This was the best place in all the world for Him to have been brought up. Surely these valleys were spread out, and these hills lifted up to form a fit play-ground and a suitable school-room for the Royal Child.

It was from a high bluff, on this mountain also, that the heartless populace, who rejected Christ’s teaching, tried to “cast Him down headlong. But He, passing through the midst of them, went His way.” To be thrown from this cliff, one would fall a hundred and twenty or thirty feet before striking the jagged rocks below.

Tradition still points out the place where Joseph and Mary lived. It is a plain, simple grotto, hewn in the side of the hill near the city. Joseph’s carpenter-shop is also shown, and some work is still done in that shop. Of course one is to use his own judgment as to how much or how little of these traditions he will believe. The spring, the only water supply of the town, is called “Mary’s Fountain,” “The Virgin’s Fountain” and “The Fountain of the Queen.” During all hours of the day, and far into the night, one sees scores and scores of women and children, with their jugs and goat-skins, crowding around the spring for water.

It is a great privilege to be here and see these things that were once so familiar to the Savior; to mingle and talk with these people who live and dress and think now, just as their ancestors did in the time of Christ. Of course they crowded around this fountain then just as they do to-day, and no doubt He often came with His mother to this same spring for water. Being here and seeing these things is almost like being introduced into the family circle, and becoming acquainted with the home life of Jesus.

At present Nazareth has 10,000 or 12,000 inhabitants. The houses, with a few exceptions, are small, ancient and forbidding in appearance. The narrow streets are crooked, and filthy in the extreme. The people have little or nothing to recommend them to the traveler. When one views this aspect of the city, one is naturally reminded of Nathaniel’s question: “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

The English and Presbyterian churches have missions here. The former is in a flourishing condition, but the latter is at a stand-still because of some trouble with the Turkish government. The English have an Orphans’ Home here in which they feed, clothe, and educate one hundred orphan girls—as some go out others come in. Some of these girls are almost grown, and many of them are bright and beautiful. I have just had the sweet privilege of preaching to them. Oh, how it stirs one’s heart to stand here in Nazareth and preach! to stand here where Jesus was brought up, and preach His gospel to His people—the Jews! After preaching I sang several songs for the people. In turn, the orphan girls in a sweet tone of voice sang for me a beautiful song which touched me deeply, and which I have translated, that the reader may also enjoy it.

“We are little Nazareth children,

And our Father placed our home

’Mid the olive trees and vineyards

Of His earthly childhood home.

“For the Lord who loves the children,

And was glad to hear their praise,

Cares that Nazareth children know Him,

Do His will and choose His ways.

“Cares that they should keep in memory

All that sacred life spent here;

Try in heart to walk beside Him,

Safe and happy in His fear.

“And we know that He is coming—

Every knee to Him shall bow—

And the joyous shouts to meet Him

Shall begin in Nazareth now.

“Jesus, Savior, dwell within us,

Make a temple of each heart,

Pure and loving, true and holy,

For thy service set apart.”