Travel
Diary of Mrs. R.P. Eaton:
Europe,
Egypt, and Palestine, ca. 1857
Egyptians.
If one wishes to observe what is occurring, let him go to the
gate in the afternoon, where the motley crowd is gathered in the
open space and around the fine fountain. A great many
matters are transacted in the gates of Eastern cities. There
the people meet, and as from a newspaper, learn what is going
on, talking over the things in which they are interested. The
Bible frequently speaks of this. The king and the Court are at
the gate. There burdens are imposed or lightened; there the
poor are turned aside; and there judgement is established.
As Jappa is surrounded by a wall and ditch, and has but
one gate, all these characteristics may be witnessed there.
One of the oldest cities in the world, Jappa in the distribution
of land, was given to Dan.
Here Jonah embarked for Jarshish, in a vain endeavor to
avoid going to Nineveh, as the Lord had commanded him.
Much of the history of Jappa is written in blood. It has
been the scene of terrible massacres Jews, Romans, Saracens,
Moslems, and Christians have fought decisive battles here.
Napoleon figured here, too, in no very enviable light. It is
said that he ordered hundreds of sick soldiers to be prisoned,
and had some four thousand prisioners of war, taken in the
capture of the city, shot down in cold blood.
Interesting as Jappa is one other accounts, and especially as
the apostle Peter had the remarkable vision opening his mind
to the great truth of Gentile evangelism, it has a peculiar sa-
credness, also, as the scene of Dorcas’s charitable labors, death,
and miraculous restoration.
---It was a beautiful afternoon of a spring day,
and memorable as our first in the Holy Land, when we
left the old city of Jopper on our way to Jerusalem.
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