第29章

PresentlyawildArabinchargeofacameltrainrecognizedanoldfriendinFerguson，andtheyranandfelluponeachother\'snecksandkissedeachother\'sgrimy，beardedfacesuponbothcheeks。ItexplainedinstantlyasomethingwhichhadalwaysseemedtomeonlyafarfetchedOrientalfigureofspeech。IrefertothecircumstanceofChrist\'srebukingaPharisee，orsomesuchcharacter，andremindinghimthatfromhimhehadreceivedno"kissofwelcome。"Itdidnotseemreasonabletomethatmenshouldkisseachother，butIamaware，now，thattheydid。Therewasreasoninit，too。Thecustomwasnaturalandproper;becausepeoplemustkiss，andamanwouldnotbelikelytokissoneofthewomenofthiscountryofhisownfreewillandaccord。Onemusttravel，tolearn。Everyday，now，oldScripturalphrasesthatneverpossessedanysignificanceformebefore，taketothemselvesameaning。

Wejourneyedaroundthebaseofthemountain——"LittleHermon，"——

pasttheoldCrusaders\'castleofElFuleh，andarrivedatShunem。ThiswasanotherMagdala，toafraction，frescoesandall。Here，traditionsays，theprophetSamuelwasborn，andheretheShunamitewomanbuiltalittlehouseuponthecitywallfortheaccommodationoftheprophetElisha。Elishaaskedherwhatsheexpectedinreturn。Itwasaperfectlynaturalquestion，forthesepeopleareandwereinthehabitofprofferingfavorsandservicesandthenexpectingandbeggingforpay。Elishaknewthemwell。Hecouldnotcomprehendthatanybodyshouldbuildforhimthathumblelittlechamberforthemeresakeofoldfriendship，andwithnoselfishmotivewhatever。

Itusedtoseemaveryimpolite，nottosayarude，question，forElishatoaskthewoman，butitdoesnotseemsotomenow。ThewomansaidsheexpectednothingThenforhergoodnessandherunselfishness，herejoicedherheartwiththenewsthatsheshouldbearason。Itwasahighreward——butshewouldnothavethankedhimforadaughter——daughtershavealwaysbeenunpopularhere。Thesonwasborn，grew，waxedstrong，died。

ElisharestoredhimtolifeinShunem。

Wefoundhereagroveoflemontrees——cool，shady，hungwithfruit。

Oneisapttooverestimatebeautywhenitisrare，buttomethisgroveseemedverybeautifull。Itwasbeautiful。Idonotoverestimateit。ImustalwaysrememberShunemgratefully，asaplacewhichgavetousthisleafyshelterafterourlong，hotride。Welunched，rested，chatted，smokedourpipesanhour，andthenmountedandmovedon。

AswetrottedacrossthePlainofJezreel，wemethalfadozenDiggerIndians（Bedouins）withverylongspearsintheirhands，cavortingaroundonoldcrowbaithorses，andspearingimaginaryenemies;whooping，andflutteringtheirragsinthewind，andcarryingonineveryrespectlikeapackofhopelesslunatics。Atlast，herewerethe"wild，freesonsofthedesert，speedingovertheplainlikethewind，ontheirbeautifulArabianmares"

wehadreadsomuchaboutandlongedsomuchtosee！Herewerethe"picturesquecostumes"！Thiswasthe"gallantspectacle"！Tatterdemalionvagrants——

cheapbraggadocio——"Arabianmares"spinedandneckedliketheichthyosaurusinthemuseum，andhumpedandcorneredlikeadromedary！Toglanceatthegenuinesonofthedesertistotaketheromanceoutofhimforever——

tobeholdhissteedistolongincharitytostriphisharnessoffandlethimfalltopieces。

Presentlywecametoaruinousoldtownonahill，thesamebeingtheancientJezreel。

Ahab，KingofSamaria，（thiswasaveryvastkingdom，forthosedays，andwasverynearlyhalfaslargeasRhodeIsland）dweltinthecityofJezreel，whichwashiscapital。NearhimlivedamanbythenameofNaboth，whohadavineyard。TheKingaskedhimforit，andwhenhewouldnotgiveit，offeredtobuyit。ButNabothrefusedtosellit。Inthosedaysitwasconsideredasortofcrimetopartwithone\'sinheritanceatanyprice——andevenifamandidpartwithit，itrevertedtohimselforhisheirsagainatthenextjubileeyear。SothisspoiledchildofaKingwentandlaydownonthebedwithhisfacetothewall，andgrievedsorely。TheQueen，anotoriouscharacterinthosedays，andwhosenameisaby—wordandareproacheveninthese，cameinandaskedhimwhereforehesorrowed，andhetoldher。Jezebelsaidshecouldsecurethevineyard;andshewentforthandforgedletterstothenoblesandwisemen，intheKing\'sname，andorderedthemtoproclaimafastandsetNabothonhighbeforethepeople，andsuborntwowit—nessestoswearthathehadblasphemed。Theydidit，andthepeoplestonedtheaccusedbythecitywall，andhedied。ThenJezebelcameandtoldtheKing，andsaid，Behold，Nabothisnomore——riseupandseizethevineyard。SoAhabseizedthevineyard，andwentintoittopossessit。ButtheProphetElijahcametohimthereandreadhisfatetohim，andthefateofJezebel;andsaidthatintheplacewheredogslickedthebloodofNaboth，dogsshouldalsolickhisblood——andhesaid，likewise，thedogsshouldeatJezebelbythewallofJezreel。Inthecourseoftime，theKingwaskilledinbattle，andwhenhischariotwheelswerewashedinthepoolofSamaria，thedogslickedtheblood。Inafteryears，Jehu，whowasKingofIsrael，marcheddownagainstJezreel，byorderofoneoftheProphets，andadministeredoneofthoseconvincingrebukessocommonamongthepeopleofthosedays:hekilledmanykingsandtheirsubjects，andashecamealonghesaw。Jezebei，paintedandfinelydressed，lookingoutofawindow，andorderedthatshebethrowndowntohim。Aservantdidit，andJehu\'shorsetrampledherunderfoot。ThenJehuwentinandsatdowntodinner;andpresentlyhesaid，Goandburythiscursedwoman，forsheisaKing\'sdaughter。Thespiritofcharitycameuponhimtoolate，however，fortheprophecyhadalreadybeenfulfilled——thedogshadeatenher，andthey"foundnomoreofherthantheskull，andthefeet，andthepalmsofherhands。"

Ahab，thelateKing，hadleftahelplessfamilybehindhim，andJehukilledseventyoftheorphansons。Thenhekilledalltherelatives，andteachers，andservantsandfriendsofthefamily，andrestedfromhislabors，untilhewascomeneartoSamaria，wherehemetforty—twopersonsandaskedthemwhotheywere;theysaidtheywerebrothersoftheKingofJudah。

Hekilledthem。WhenhegottoSamaria，hesaidhewouldshowhiszealfortheLord;sohegatheredallthepriestsandpeopletogetherthatworshipedBaal，pretendingthathewasgoingtoadoptthatworshipandofferupagreatsacrifice;andwhentheywereallshutupwheretheycouldnotdefendthemselves，hecausedeverypersonofthemtobekilled。ThenJehu，thegoodmissionary，restedfromhislaborsoncemore。

Wewentbacktothevalley，androdetotheFountainofAinJelud。TheycallittheFountainofJezreel，usually。Itisapondaboutonehundredfeetsquareandfourfeetdeep，withastreamofwatertricklingintoitfromunderanoverhangingledgeofrocks。Itisinthemidstofagreatsolitude。HereGideonpitchedhiscampintheoldtimes;behindShunemlaythe"Midianites，theAmalekites，andtheChildrenoftheEast，"whowere"asgrasshoppersformultitude;boththeyandtheircamelswerewithoutnumber，asthesandbythesea—sideformultitude。"Whichmeansthattherewereonehundredandthirty—fivethousandmen，andthattheyhadtransportationserviceaccordingly。

Gideon，withonlythreehundredmen，surprisedtheminthenight，andstoodbyandlookedonwhiletheybutcheredeachotheruntilahundredandtwentythousandlaydeadonthefield。

WecampedatJeninbeforenight，andgotupandstartedagainatoneo\'clockinthemorning。SomewheretowardsdaylightwepassedthelocalitywherethebestauthenticatedtraditionlocatesthepitintowhichJoseph\'sbrethrenthrewhim，andaboutnoon，afterpassingoverasuccessionofmountaintops，cladwithgrovesoffigandolivetrees，withtheMediterraneaninsightsomefortymilesaway，andgoingbymanyancientBiblicalcitieswhoseinhabitantsgloweredsavagelyuponourChristianprocession，andwereseeminglyinclinedtopracticeonitwithstones，wecametothesingularlyterracedandunlovelyhillsthatbetrayedthatwewereoutofGalileeandintoSamariaatlast。

WeclimbedahighhilltovisitthecityofSamaria，wherethewomanmayhavehailedfromwhoconversedwithChristatJacob\'sWell，andfromwhence，nodoubt，camealsothecel—ebratedGoodSamaritan。HerodtheGreatissaidtohavemadeamagnificentcityofthisplace，andagreatnumberofcoarse1imestonecolumns，twentyfeethighandtwofeetthrough，thatarealmostguiltlessofarchitecturalgraceofshapeandornament，arepointedoutbymanyauthorsasevidenceofthefact。TheywouldnothavebeenconsideredhandsomeinancientGreece，however。

Theinhabitantsofthiscampareparticularlyvicious，andstonedtwopartiesofourpilgrimsadayortwoagowhobroughtaboutthedifficultybyshowingtheirrevolverswhentheydidnotintendtousethem——athingwhichisdeemedbadjudgmentintheFarWest，andoughtcertainlytobesoconsideredanywhere。InthenewTerritories，whenamanputshishandonaweapon，heknowsthathemustuseit;hemustuseitinstantlyorexpecttobeshotdownwherehestands。ThosepilgrimshadbeenreadingGrimes。

TherewasnothingforustodoinSamariabutbuyhandfulsofoldRomancoinsatafrancadozen，andlookatadilapidatedchurchoftheCrusadersandavaultinitwhichoncecontainedthebodyofJohntheBaptist。ThisrelicwaslongagocarriedawaytoGenoa。

Samariastoodadisastroussiege，once，inthedaysofElisha，atthehandsoftheKingofSyria。Provisionsreachedsuchafigurethat"anass\'

headwassoldforeightypiecesofsilverandthefourthpartofacabofdove\'sdungforfivepiecesofsilver。"

Anincidentrecordedofthatheavytimewillgiveoneaverygoodideaofthedistressthatprevailedwithinthesecrumblingwalls。AstheKingwaswalkinguponthebattlementsoneday，"awomancriedout，saying，Help，mylord，OKing！AndtheKingsaid，Whataileththee？andsheanswered，Thiswomansaiduntome，Givethyson，thatwemayeathimto—day，andwewilleatmysonto—morrow。Soweboiledmyson，anddideathim;andIsaiduntoheronthenextday，Givethysonthatwemayeathim;andshehathhidherson。"

TheprophetElishadeclaredthatwithinfourandtwentyhoursthepricesoffood