Page:Mount Seir, Sinai and Western Palestine.djvu/185

Rh comparatively modern date, founded in A.D. 716 by 'Omayyad Khalif Suleiman, but at a distance of only two miles to the north, on the old road to Jerusalem, is the village of Lydda (Lud), the name of which is dear to every reader of the New Testament, the home of Æneas. We are told that Lydda was nigh to Joppa, —that is just twelve miles,—and thither the messengers from Joppa were sent to hasten the steps of the Apostle to the deathbed of Dorcas. Like Ramleh, Lydda is surrounded by extensive olive-groves, and seems a pleasant spot. The road from Jaffa to Jerusalem is not one of the best in the world, but it is the best in Palestine. It is repaired when there is a prospect of the visit of some foreign prince or potentate. Not far out of Jatfa we passed a large number of men busily engaged in breaking stones for repairing the specially bad places, and near Ramleh we found them laying the stones on the mud and (will the reader credit the fact?) rolling them with segments of marble, or granite, columns which may have adorned some ancient palace, temple, or theatre! On seeing this desecration one might well exclaim —

On leaving the courtyard of our hotel next morning I was shocked to behold, for the first time, a group of lepers, who, lining the wayside on either hand, plaintively called on the "hawajahs" for bakhsheesh, and holding out their hands approached unpleasantly close to the horses. Except on the Bethlehem road outside the walls of Jerusalem I nowhere else saw any persons afflicted with this incurable disease. An excellent hospital for the reception of these unhappy beings has been established outside Jerusalem by the liberality of Germans and English. It is presided over by a pious German, who has devoted himself to the duty of attending on the patients, who are well cared for when within the walls. Unfortunately, however, for society, seclusion of lepers is not compulsory, and thus the disease, which is hereditary, is perpetuated. Under the circumstances, of which I was fully informed, it is a crime against society to give alms to the lepers of Palestine.

On leaving Ramleh the sky was cloudy, and rain was falling; but as we proceeded the weather improved, and our ride was full of interest. About