Biblical Geography and HistoryKent, Charles Foster
History
Biblical Geography and History
Kent, Charles Foster
Bible -- Geography; Palestine -- History
=View from the Heights Above the City.= Probably the ancient city
extended farther to the west, possibly climbing the heights that
overshadow the town and rise to the height of one thousand six hundred
feet above the level of the sea. Here was spread out before the eye of
the young boy of Nazareth one of the most beautiful and significant
views in all Palestine. To the west was the Bay of Haifa and the long
line of Mount Carmel running out to the blue Mediterranean. On the
southeastern end of this massive plateau was the Place of Burning,
where Elijah appealed to the dull conscience of his nation. Below, on
the farther side of the Plain of Esdraelon, was the huge ruin of
Megiddo, beside which had been fought so many decisive battles in
Canaan's history. Directly south lay the hills of Samaria, with the
lofty height of Mount Ebal in the distance. Standing out boldly to the
southeast was the battle-field of Gilboa. Behind it was the deep gorge
of the Jordan and beyond the lofty hills of Gilead. In the immediate
foreground lay Little Hermon, with the town of Nain on its
northwestern side,^{(9)} looking out upon the Plain of Esdraelon.
Eastward, in the immediate foreground from Nazareth, was the rounded,
tree-clad top of Mount Tabor. Over the hills to the northeast ran the
road to Cana and Capernaum. On the north rose the lofty plateau of
upper Galilee, and on its summit Safed, "the city set on a hill that
could not be hid." Beyond rose the cold, snowy top of Mount Hermon. To
the northwest, only five miles away, was Sepphoris, Herod's earlier
capital, the chief stronghold of his kingdom.
=The Spring at Nazareth.= Nazareth has but one spring, situated on the
side hill, in the eastern part of the town, probably outside the
ancient city. It leaps from the native rock a little north of the
Church of the Ascension. Thence it is conducted to the famous Mary's
Well,^{(117)} where the water spouts from the wall under a covered
stone arch and thence is conducted into a great square stone trough.
Here the women and children gather to draw water to-day as they
gathered in the days of Jesus. About this ancient spring, as well as
in his home, the keen, thoughtful boy of Nazareth was able to study
human life, so that it was unnecessary that he be told what was in the
heart of man. Nazareth was so small that the character and deeds of
each of its inhabitants were like an open book, and yet it was large
and central enough to feel the pulsations of all the great world
movements.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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