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My Dear Father:—The very kind manner in which
you have received my communications respecting
the extraordinary prophet now drawing all Judea after him
into the wilderness, and the assurance that I can obtain
from your wisdom, learning and piety, a solution of all
difficulties, and a true guide to the truth, prompt me to
continue freely, and in detail, the relation of events that
have passed under my experience. I shall, in my accounts
of the marvellous occurrences that I have witnessod,
and may yet witness, not only convey to you the impressions
made upon my own mind, but upon the minds
of many others, of the wise, and learned, and great, who
also have heard and seen these things. Thus you will
have the weight of many testimonies, which you will
doubtless hold in respect in proportion to the dignity, and
wisdom, and rank of the persons.

My last letter ended with an account of the Roman
escort, under the authority of the young Roman Centurion,
who, as I have before written to you, with so much
courtesy proffered its protection to our little party. The
day was yet early, the sun not having gotten more than
an hour and a half high above the Arabian hills, and the
air was of that buoyant elasticity so agreeable to breathe,

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and which strikes me as one of the peculiar blessings of
this holy land of our fathers. In Egypt there is a want
of life in the torrid air at this season, that we do not here
experience; and as I rode along, I felt as if I would gladly
mount the Arabian of the desert, and fly across the sandy
seas of Edom, with the fleetness which amazes me whenever
I see the children of the desert ride; for a band of
thirty came near us from a gorge as we approached Bethany,
and after watching us a few moments, scoured away
into the recesses of the hills, like the wind, as a detachment
of a score of our Roman escort was ordered to gallop
towards them. Upon this Rabbi Amos said that we were
fortunate in having such strong protection, for this party
of the children of Esau would otherwise have attacked
and plundered us, as they are wont to do every party of
Israelites they fall in with; and the recent concourse of
so many people to Jordan, has drawn them boldly near
Jerusalem, says the Roman Centurion, in great numbers,
to lay in wait for, and rob them. Thus, the hostility
which began between the patriarch Jacob and the patriarch
Esau, has never yet been healed, but rankles
in the bosoms of their descendants even to this day;
and still, “Esau hateth Jacob, because of the blessing
wherewith his father blessed him.” The Romans greatly
admired the horsemanship of these children of Esau, and,
upon their heavy horses, armed with their iron armor,
it would have been vain to have followed them to their
retreats.

We soon afterwards reached Bethany, from which we
had a gorgeous view of the Holy City of God, with its
lofty Temple glittering in the sun-beams, like a mountain

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of architectural silver. The tower of Antonia darkly contrasted
with its splendor, and the citadel of David frowned
over the walls with a warlike majesty that deeply impressed
me. Ah, how could I gaze upon the scene, my dear
father, without emotions of awe, wonder, adoration, and
gratitude! I drew rein, and entreated Rabbi Amos
to delay a few moments while I surveyed Jerusalem,
which, familiar as it might be to him, and to all the rest
of our cavalcade, was new to me; but he was too far
ahead to hear me, for I had already been lingering for
some seconds; and the Centurion, riding up to my side,
stopped respectfully with a portion of his command, and
said he would await my leisure. I could not but thank
him for his civility, and then turning to the city, I was
soon lost to all else but the awful contemplation of it.
Irresistibly, as I gazed, I went back, in memory, to the
time when our father Abraham was met before its gates
by Melchisedek, its king, who received regal homage from
him. I saw again, David coming forth from its lofty
portals, at the head of armies, to conquer the surrounding
nations. I beheld the splendid trains of oriental monarchs,
of the kings of the South, and the kings of the North,
and of Sheba, the queen of happy Arabia, winding through
its pleasant valley, and entering in to prostrate themselves
before Solomon, the prince of wisdom, glory, and power, the
fame of whose wisdom and greatness filled the whole earth.
Alas! the whole earth is now filled with the story of the
shame and bondage of Israel! But the day cometh, dear
father, when she shall lift up her face from the dust, and
put on regal garments, and God shall place a crown upon
her head, and her glory and dominion shall be without end.

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This certainly quenched the tears that burst into my eyes,
as I contrasted the present with the past. In memory,
as I continued to gaze, I saw the armies of the Assyrians,
and the armies of the Chaldeans, the armies of Egypt, and
of Persia, of Cyrus, and of Greece, all, each in its turn,
encompassing the Holy City, and conquering it even though
God dwelt therein in the mysterious fire of the Shechinah.
But the presence of Jehovah in a city or in a heart, will
not save it from its foes, if the city or the heart be not
with God; and we know from the Prophets that the
hearts of our fathers were far from God; and therefore
were they delivered up to their enemies to be scourged.
Oh, my dear father, that our people of to-day would learn
the fearful lesson that the past teacheth them!

“You should see Rome,” said the Centurion, who had
watched my emotion evidently with surprise. “It is a
city of grandeur unequalled. It covers six times more
space than this city, and it contains three hundred and
sixty-five temples, while Jerusalem contains but one!”

“There is no God but one,” I answered, impressively.

“We believe that there is one God, who is the author
of a great multitude of lesser gods, and to each we erect a
temple.”

Upon this, touched with pity that one so noble in mind
and person should be so ignorant of the truth, I began to
show him from the Prophets that God was One, and that
all things were made by Him. But he, plucking a blossom
from a tree which was within reach, said:

“It is beneath the dignity of the Father of the gods,
the great Jove, to descend to make a flower like this; or
shape a crystal; or color the ruby; or create that

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goldendyed humming-bird which flutters among those fragrant
blossoms. He made the sun, and moon, and stars, and
earth, but left the lesser works to inferior deities. Talk to
me of thy One God, and prove to me, maiden, that He
made all things, and is One, and thy God shall be my
God.”

It was then no time for me to endeavor to combat this
error, but I have reserved to myself the first convenient
opportunity to endeavor to instruct him in the truth as it
is revealed from Heaven to our favored people. He has
already manifested an inquiring spirit into our holy faith,
and Rabbi Amos has taught him many things from the
books of Moses, but sufficient only to lead him to desire to
know more; but not to eradicate from his heart his pagan
superstitions. The gentleness of his nature, his sound
judgment, the frankness of his character, the ingenuous
temper of the whole man, inspire me with great confidence
that he will be ultimately convinced of his errors, and embrace
the faith of Israel.

We now rode forward through the principal street of
Bethany, and soon came to the house of your former
friend, Rabbi Abel, who died many years ago at Alexandria,
when he went there with merchandise, and after
the welfare of whose children you desired me to make
inquiries. They are now, as you are aware, grown to the
full estate of manhood and womanhood, and still dwell at
Bethany. Being friends of my cousin Mary, it was decided
that we should stop there to rest half an hour before proceeding
on our way. It was a plain and humble dwelling,
before which Rabbi Amos assisted me to alight; but there
was an air of sweet domestic repose about it that at once

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came home to my heart, and made me love the place even
before I had seen the inmates, who had come out to receive,
and gone in with my cousin; but on hearing of my arrival,
there came out a fair young girl of twenty-two, with the
most amiable expression of affectionate welcome; and,
approaching me with mingled respect and love, she embraced
me, while Rabbi Amos pronounced our names to
each other. I felt immediately as if I were in a sister's
arms, and that I should love her always. Next came
forth a young man of about thirty years of age, with a
countenance of an exceedingly interesting expression, full
of intellect and good will. He was pale and habitually
thoughtful, but a fine friendly light beamed on his dark,
handsome eyes, as he extended his hand to welcome me.
You have already had a full description of him, and of his
character, in one of my former letters, and need not be
told that it was the son of your friend. At the threshold,
Martha, the eldest sister, met me, but with more ceremony,
and made an apology for receiving into so lowly a
dwelling the rich heiress of Alexandria, as she termed me;
but I embraced her so affectionately, that this feeling
passed away instantly. I was much struck with this
whole family. Each member of it possessed attractions
of a peculiar kind; and in all three I seemed to have found
two sisters and a brother. Martha busied herself at once
to prepare refreshments for us, and soon set before us a
frugal but agreeable repast, more than we desired; for we
all insisted that we needed nothing, as we had not been
long in the saddle. Mary, in the meanwhile, and Lazarus,
sat on either side of me, and asked me many questions
about Alexandria, and particularly if I had ever seen their

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father's tomb. And when I told them that at my father's
request I had kept the flowers fresh about it, they both
pressed my hands and thanked me so gratefully, that tears
in my own eyes answered to the tears in theirs.

How shall I describe to you the loveliness of the person
of Mary, and yet not so much the perfection of feature as
the soul which animates them, and lends them a charm
that I cannot adequately convey to you? Her eyes are of
that remarkable color so seldom seen among our people,
and when it is, is of a richer and more cerulean tone than
is found in the azure-eyed natives of the north. They are
as blue as the skies of Judea, and yet possess all the starry,
torrid splendor of the eyes of the Hebrew maids. Her
hair, which is a soft, golden brown, is worn knotted in
wavy masses about her superbly moulded neck. Her air
is serene and confiding, and she has so little art that she
lets you read all the secrets of her pure soul in the summer
heaven of the sweet eyes I have spoken of. There is an
indescribable pensiveness about her that is most touching,
and at the same time pleasing.

Martha, the oldest, is of a more lively disposition, yet
more commanding in her aspect, being taller, and almost
queenly. Her eyes and hair are jet black; the former
mild, and beaming with intelligence, like those of her
brother Lazarus, whom she resembles. She has a winning
voice and a manner that leads you to feel strong confidence
in her friendship. She seemed to take the whole management
of our entertainment upon herself, which the quieter
Mary left to her, as if a matter of course, preferring rather
to talk with me about the land of Egypt, where our fathers
were so long in bondage, and about which all our young

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people in Judea have such awful ideas. Mary asked me
if I was not afraid to dwell there? if I ever saw the tomb
of the Pharaohs? and if the seventy pyramids of the
Nilus were not the work of our forefathers? Lazarus
conversed chiefly with Rabbi Amos, who questioned him
with much interest about the prophet John of the wilderness,
to whom, you will remember, I wrote you Lazarus
had paid a visit. After our repast, Martha showed me
three beautiful bands of embroidery, which she was working
for the new vail of the Temple to be put up next year;
for the sisters live by working needle-work for the Temple,
and Lazarus makes copies of the Law and Psalms for the
priests. He showed me his copying-table, and the rolls
upon it, some partly done, some quite complete. He also
showed me a copy of the book of Isaiah, which he had
just finished, and which had occupied him one hundred
and seven days. It was exquisitely executed. Another
incomplete copy was thrown aside, and was destined to be
burned, because he had made a mistake in forming one
letter; for if an iota be added too much, the work is condemned
and burned, so strict are the priests that perfect
and immaculate copies of the Law, and none others, shall
exist. Mary, also, showed me a beautifully embroidered
foot-tablet, which the wife of Pilate, when she was last
from Cesarea, ordered for herself.

“I shall not receive coin for it,” said Mary, “but present
it to her: for she has ever been very kind to us; and
when, last year, she and the Procurator Pilate, her lord,
came up from Cesarea to Jerusalem, about the time of the
Passover, she sent her own household physician to heal
Lazarus, who was taken sick from over-much confinement

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to his tasks. She knew us only by inquiring who it was
who worked the embroidering of the altar mantles, which
she had much admired.”

Seeing upon the table a richly worked book-cover of silk
and velvet, with the letters “I. N.” embroidered in olive
leaves upon it, I asked her if that, it being so elegant, was
not for the High Priest?

“No,” answered Martha, with brightening eyes, speaking
before her sister could reply, “that is for our friend,
and the friend and brother of Lazarus.”

“What is his name?” I asked.

“Jesus, of Nazareth.”

“I have heard John speak of him,” said my cousin Mary,
with animation, and appealing to me, reminded me how
John had repeated what Lazarus had spoken to him of his
friend from Nazareth, which I have written to you. “I
should feel happy,” added my cousin, “to know him
also.”

“And from what I have heard of him,” said I, “it
would be indeed a pleasure to see him.”

The two sisters listened to us with pleasure, and Martha
said:

“If you had been here a few days ago, you would have
seen him. He left us, after being with us three weeks, to
go to Nazareth again. But he requested to meet Lazarus
at Bethabara, on the third day from this, for some important
reason; and my brother will go, for he loves him so
that he would cross the seas to meet him.”

“Then,” said Rabbi Amos to Lazarus, “if you are to
journey so soon towards Jordan to meet your friend, you
had best join our company, and share our escort.” To

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this Lazarus, after some consultation with his sisters, consented.

What a happy family, thought I, is this! The sisters
happy in each other's love, the brother happy in theirs, all
three united as one in the purest affection, and yet a fourth
is added to the circle, whose love for the three is equal to
theirs for him! Humble in station, poor, and dependent
upon the labor of their hands for their daily bread, yet their
household is one that kings might envy, and which no gold
or jewels could purchase.

I left this blessed abode of fraternal friendship with regret,
and felt that I should be perfectly happy if I could
be admitted as a fifth link in the wreath of their mutual
love. Even the Roman Centurion had been struck with
the air of peaceful repose reigning there, and spoke of it
to me as we rode away.

About noon we stopped at a caravanserai, half the way
to Jericho from Bethany. Here we overtook a friend of
Rabbi Amos, the venerable and learned scholar and lawyer,
Gamaliel. He was, he confessed, also riding to Jordan,
to have an interview with the prophet, being persuaded to
seek it on account of an extraordinary dream he had, which
he repeated to his friend Rabbi Amos, but not in our hearing;
but the effect upon my uncle excited a good deal of
my curiosity to know what it was, but he has been studiously
silent upon the subject. Accompanying the lawyer,
Gamaliel, was a young man who was his disciple, and
who went with him as a companion by the way. His
name is Saul; and I noticed him particularly, because I
overheard the venerable lawyer say that he was the most
remarkable young man who had ever sat at his feet to

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learn the mysteries of the law. This young law-disciple
and Lazarus rode together, and talked long and earnestly
by the way, the former thinking that nothing but mischief
would come of the new prophet's preaching, while
the latter warmly defended him and his mission as divine.
To their conversation the Roman Centurion listened with
the closest attention, for Saul was learned in the Prophets,
and drew richly from its stores to prove that the true
Messias can never be heralded by so mean a messenger as
this preacher of repentance in the wilderness. Saul eloquently
drew a gorgeous picture of Messias' coming, and
the splendor of his reign, and that angels and heavenly
signs, and not a wild man of the wilderness, with water
baptism, should prepare the way before him.

At length, as the day closed, we came in sight of the
walls and towers of Jericho, but succeeded in reaching the
gates only after they were closed. But the presence of the
young Centurion caused them to be immediately re-opened,
and we were admitted, with some hundreds, who
having reached the gate after it was shut, now begged and
received permission to enter in our company.

The next day we proceeded to Gilgal alone, the road being
perfectly safe, the courteous Roman having early the
same morning issued from the gates, in haste to pursue
the famous Barabbas, who had the last night attacked a
caravan within four leagues of Jordan, and taken much
booty, as well as slain many men.

“I now write to thee beneath the roof of the summer
residence of Rabbi Amos. To-morrow early,” says a
passage which I copy from my journal, written there, “we
are going to Bethabara, a little village beyond Jordan, but

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on its banks, near which we learn John is now baptizing,
he being no longer at the ford of Jordan, where my cousin
Mary's brother John found him, and was baptized of him
a few weeks ago. Lazarus has gone on with Saul, and
the learned Gamaliel, with many lawyers and doctors in
company, who desire to see and hear this prophet of the
wilderness.”

Indeed, dear father, the advent of a prophet is of so rare
an occurrence among us, that the bare idea that John the
Baptizer may be a true prophet of God, has moved the
great heart of Israel, and stirred up curiosity, hope, and
marvel, in the highest degree ever known in the land.
There seems to be but one subject, and but one thought.
Every man says to his neighbor: “Have you seen or
heard the new prophet? Is he Messias, or is he Elias?”

My next letter will give you a narration, my dear father,
of what I witnessed at Bethabara, and will, perhaps, more
deeply interest you than any thing I have yet written.

That the hope of Israel may not be long deferred, and
that we may receive the Messias, when he cometh, in
humble faith, in honor, and in love, is the prayer of

p612-134

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