. The pathways and abiding places of our Lord;. it with a far different sentiment since out of this remote, contracted,and once despised spot came incomparably the best thing the world has everseen or can see. The village stands upon the lower slope of the hill that bounds the valleyon the west, and contains a mingled population of Greek and Eoman Catholics,Maronites and Mohammedans. The prevailing number, however, is Christian,and their influence has been felt; for the Mohammedans are here far less big-oted than in other places. The convent is upon a rocky eminence, risingdirectly from the va
. The pathways and abiding places of our Lord;. it with a far different sentiment since out of this remote, contracted,and once despised spot came incomparably the best thing the world has everseen or can see. The village stands upon the lower slope of the hill that bounds the valleyon the west, and contains a mingled population of Greek and Eoman Catholics,Maronites and Mohammedans. The prevailing number, however, is Christian,and their influence has been felt; for the Mohammedans are here far less big-oted than in other places. The convent is upon a rocky eminence, risingdirectly from the valley, upon the eastern border of the village. It is a sub-stantial building of massive stone, enclosed in high walls. Within these, andconnected with the convent, is the church built upon the place where the houseof Joseph and Mary is supposed to have stood. The church itself, owing, it issaid, to the jealousy of the Turks, who prevented the original design frombeing carried out, is not well proportioned. Its length is much too little for its. HABITATION OF THE HOLY FAMILY. 163 width.; but in other respects it is handsome and adorned with rich grand altar and the choir are considerably raised above the floor of thechurch, and are reached by flights of marble steps on each side. Betweenthese is an opening, and a noble staircase of white marble, leading to a spaciouschamber or grotto, below the floor of the church, and directly beneath thealtar. Descending these, in front stands another altar, over which lamps areperpetually burning. Upon a plain marble slab you read the words YerbumCAEO HIC factum EST y Here the Word was made ISTear to this are twogranite columns, the one designed to mark the place where the angel Gabrielstood when he came with the message of Annunciation from heaven; theother the place where Mary was seated. The former of these is broken in two,the upper portion hanging from the ceiling above, miraculously suspended asthe ignorant Catholic
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1851
