I lodged with my old acquaintance the Arab of
Ezra, who had taken up his quarters in one of the ruined habitations.
June 27th.—After mid-day we returned to Tabaria by the same road. On
entering the church-yard of St. Peter’s, my old lodgings, I was not a
little surprised to find it full of strangers. Mr. Bruce, an English
traveller, had arrived from Nazareth, in company with several priests of
the Frank convent, who intended to celebrate mass at night, this being
St. Peter’s day. I was easily prevailed on by Mr. Bruce to accompany him
on his return to Nazareth the following morning, the more so, as I there
hoped to find a guide for the valley of the Jordan; for no person at
Tabaria
NAZARETH
[p.336] seemed to be inclined to undertake the journey, except in the
company of an armed caravan.
June 28th.—We left Tabaria two hours before sun-rise. There are two
direct roads to Nazareth; one by Kefer Sebt and El Khan, the other by
Louby. We took a third, that we might visit some spots recorded in the
New Testament. In one hour from Tabaria we passed a spring called Ain el
Rahham (Arabic). At two hours and a half, the road leads over a high
uncultivated plain, to Hedjar el Noszara (Arabic), the Stones of the
Christians, four or five blocks of black stone, upon which Christ is
said to have reclined while addressing the people who flocked around
him.
