. "From Dan to Beersheba"; or, The Land of promise as it now appears : including a description of the boundaries, topography, agriculture, antiquities, cities, and present inhabitants of that wonderful land .... over the Lion ofthe Kidron attracted his fellow-anchorites to the glen, to thenumber of 14,000, to share his glory and devotion. From thecells Avhich they excavated in the rocks gradually rose thewalls, towers, chambers, and chapels of the edifice; and so cu-riously are the several parts arranged, that it is difficult to de-termine the masonry from the native rock. Crowned with adome a
. "From Dan to Beersheba"; or, The Land of promise as it now appears : including a description of the boundaries, topography, agriculture, antiquities, cities, and present inhabitants of that wonderful land .... over the Lion ofthe Kidron attracted his fellow-anchorites to the glen, to thenumber of 14,000, to share his glory and devotion. From thecells Avhich they excavated in the rocks gradually rose thewalls, towers, chambers, and chapels of the edifice; and so cu-riously are the several parts arranged, that it is difficult to de-termine the masonry from the native rock. Crowned with adome and clock-turret, the church stands on the brink of thehighest cliff*, supported by enormous buttresses rising from thebed of the Kidron. Tlie interior is after the Byzantine order,adorned with pictures, ornamental lamjjs, and sacred the church is the charnel-house, where the bones of thepious have been carefully preserved from the time of the pa-tron saint to the last brother deceased. The bodies of thedead are deposited in vaults till the flesh has Avasted away,when the skeleton is broken to pieces, and the bones are piledup in ghastly array, arm Avith arm, leg Avith leg, skull OF WANTA !SA);. FROM DAN TO BEERSHEBA. 211 Though enlarged aud beautified by monkish industry, thecave in which St. Saba lived still retains its native the pictures which adorn the walls is one representingthe beheading of John the Baptist. The artist has transferredto the canvas the horror of the murder and the turpitude ofthe crime which led to the execution. In the background isseen the martyrs cell, with barred window aud iron in green garments, the headless body of John lies pros-trate upon the marble pavement, Avhile over it stands the fierceexecutioner, holding in one hand his sword still drippingwithblood, aud in the other the bleeding head. With an air of tri-umphant revenge Salome is approaching, attired in ermineand adorned Avith a
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Keywords: ., bookauthornewmanjo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookyear1864
