Page 46 - Holyland Magazine - 2009 Edition

150 years of settlement and progress can
truly enhance your Holy Land experience.
In his Letter to Alta California #50 written
from Jerusalem: “Of all the lands on earth
for dismal scenery, I think Palestine must
be the prince. The hills are barren, they
are dull of color, they are unpicturesque in
shape. The valleys are unsightly deserts
fringed with a feeble vegetation that has
an expression about it of being ashamed
of itself. The Dead Sea and the Sea of
Galilee – mere lakes they are – sleep in the
midst of a vast stretch of hill and plain
wherein the eye rests upon no pleasant
tint, no striking object, no soft picture
dreaming in a purple haze or mottled with
the shadow of the clouds. Every outline is
harsh, every feature is distinct, there is no
perspective – distance works no
enchantment here. It is the most hopeless,
dreary, heartbroken piece of territory out
of Arizona. I think the sun would skip it if
he could make schedule time by going
around. What Palestine wants is paint. It
will never be a beautiful country until it is
painted…
“The children of Israel wandered about the
desert beyond Jordan where we camped,
and marched into Canaan with songs of
rapture and rejoicing; and it is a wonder to
me that they didn't pack up and march out
of it again,” Twain noted acerbically.
Traveling today from the Galilee to
Jerusalem through the beautiful Jezreel
Valley and the Sharon plain bears witness
to the miracles performed here since the
children of Israel returned to the land.
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In Jerusalem, a visit to the Church of the
Holy Sepulchre with Twain gets an added
dimension. In chapter 53, Twain gives us
an iconic moment while visiting “the Tomb
of Adam.” Twain’s lament as he eulogizes
Below, the flagstone-paved courtyard of the
Mediterranean Hotel as it looked in the 1870s.
The photograph was taken by Sgt. H. Phillips,
the photographer of the Warren archaeological
expedition who lived in the hotel for 15 months.
Above, the courtyard as it looks today, with
the entrance to an apartment owned by former
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The flagstone
paving was the clue that led to the recent
rediscovery of the location of the hotel by
writer Yoni Shapira. (To read more, go to
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/
1001678.html)
P.E.F Photo Archives P707
Yoni Shapira over Adam’s grave became one of the best-
loved passages in the book.
“The tomb of Adam! How touching it was,
here in a land of strangers, far away from
home, and friends, ... to discover the grave
of a blood relation. True, a distant one, but
still a relation. ...I gave way to tumultuous
emotion. I leaned upon a pillar and burst
into tears. I deem it no shame to have wept
over the grave of my poor dead relative.”
Upon visiting the Church, American tourists
in particular seem to like visit this spot as
President Grant did, because it was the
place where Mark Twain wept.
While in the Church, do not forget to look
for one of the relics he writes about in
chapter 53: “…the relic that touched us
most was the plain old sword of that stout
Crusader, Godfrey of Bulloigne – King
Godfrey of Jerusalem.” He was the first
Christian to conquer the city, on July 19,
1099. Try knocking on the door of the
office of the Franciscan order and asking
for permission to peek at the sword that
played such a crucial role in the battle for
Jerusalem. Reflecting his doubt and disbelief
in relics, miracles and the magic of the
sword, Twain took his cynical humor to
new heights when describing the sword’s
powers by using it on a local: “I can never
forget old Godfrey's sword, now. I tried it
...and clove him in twain like a doughnut.
... I wiped the blood off the old sword and
handed it back to the priest.
“A Christian could not be so disguised that
it would not know him and refuse to hurt
him – nor a Moslem so disguised that it
would not leap from its scabbard and take
his life. These statements are all well
authenticated in many legends that are
among the most trustworthy legends the
good old Catholic monks preserve.”
On his last day in Jerusalem – Sunday,
September 29, 1897 – Twain and his
entourage “fell into procession and marched
out at the stately Damascus gate, and the
walls of Jerusalem shut us out forever.”
Jerusalem’s walls may have shut out
Clemens, but their secrets and mysteries
continue to be uncovered. As you explore,
take along The Innocents Abroad, which
is widely available in paperback; it’s one of
the travel companions you’ll be happiest
to have with you during your tour.