The Bethlehem of to-day has entirely recovered from the massacre of Herod. Its streets swarm with babies many of whom are not as clean as they should be. There are many older children as well, and all howl for _baksheesh_. The Bethlehemites are noted for their beauty, especially the girls, who are fair-skinned and bright-eyed. Their plump, well-rounded forms are clad in long gowns of white linen so beautifully embroidered in silk that one dress requires many months’ work. The main part of their costume is much like a lady’s nightgown. The gown falls to the feet, being open at the front in a narrow slit as far down as the breast. Over the gowns they wear sleeveless coats of dark red stripes and cover their heads with shawls of linen embroidered in silk. Each girl has necklaces of coins and a headdress decorated with coins of silver or gold. They do not cover their faces, and their features are usually refined. They are very intelligent, and in trading with them I find that they generally get the best of the bargain. [Illustration: The Samaritans dress in white for the Feast of the Passover on their holy hill of Mt. Gerizim, where lambs are killed as in the days of Aaron. They are very poor and greatly despised by the orthodox Jews] [Illustration: Pulling tares from the wheat is the children’s task. If they are not removed the bread will be bitter] [Illustration: The camel blubbers and bawls as his hair is clipped off to make tents for his master] CHAPTER XIX AMONG THE SAMARITANS I have just had an interview with a lineal descendant of Aaron, the brother of Moses. I refer to Jacob, the high priest of the Samaritans. He belongs to the tribe of the Levites, who in ancient times were at the head of the priesthood, and he claims a genealogical tree reaching from that day to this. His family has lived in Palestine for more than three thousand years, and high priest has succeeded high priest until this man took the position at the age of fifteen, succeeding his childless uncle. He is now almost eighty, and he looks, I imagine, as Aaron and Moses may have looked in the latter part of their lives. Over six feet tall, he has the face and form of a prophet. His long beard falls down upon his chest and his scholarly face is refined and spiritual looking. I met Jacob here at Nablus on the site of old Shechem, within a stone’s throw of the well where Christ talked with the woman of Samaria. It is not far from a farm which Abraham owned, and about on the spot where Joshua gathered together the tribes of Israel and read them the law of Moses.