is the sink of Christendom and
its condition is a disgrace to humanity and to all sects of religion.

Jerusalem is a very old city: Abraham lived there and it was David's
capital. When Solomon was king it was one of the mighty and magnificent
cities of the world. Sixteen sieges have destroyed it, and the city of
to-day is really built on the ruins of its seven predecessors. How
utterly preposterous, then, is it for any one to attempt to identify the
sacred places! The present population is 60,000. It is a walled city
and has eleven gates. The Mosque of Omar is its principal feature; this
was completed by Solyman the Magnificent in 1561; parts of the
construction were done by the Crusaders. It has a noble dome and is a
masterpiece of architectural beauty; it is said to be one of the finest
buildings in Asia.

In the Church of the Holy Sepulchre the various sects have certain
portions allotted to them for worship; the lines between them are guarded
by armed soldiers, and if even an unintentional trespass is committed, a
bloody riot usually ensues. In one of these three men were killed and
many wounded a few days before we arrived, and the defeated sects were
planning reprisals when we were leaving. This is Christianity at high
pressure, and is characteristic of the whole place.

We saw Mount Zion, the Mount of Olives, the Damascus Gate, Calvary, the
Garden of Gethsemane, the Pool of Siloam, the Pool of Bethesda, and the
other celebrated places mentioned in the Bible. These were fairly
authentic, as they were not "spots," but wide places of considerable
dimensions, and not gathered under one roof.

[Illustration: THE WAILING PLACE, JERUSALEM. THE LESS SAID ABOUT THIS,
THE BETTER]

The condition of the "Wall of Wailing"--which, by the way, is an open,
paved court--is particularly offensive in a sanitary sense and no
self-respecting person should enter it. Some writers have spoken plainly
about these things. Here is a quotation from an eminent writer on the
East, Dr. D. E. Lorenz, who knows his subject thoroughly, and to whom I
am indebted for other data herewith:

"The moral degeneracy of the people as a whole is incredible. Profanity
and obscenity are said to be mingled in the speech of the common people
to an extent unknown among almost any other people on earth. Filthy
homes and utter uncleanliness of person are the general rule. Sanitation
is almost wholly disregarded, and it is a wonder that a