THE

CHILDREN'S JEWISH ADVOCATE.

DECEMBER, 1863.

THE WALL OF JERUSALEM.

THE wall of Jerusalem has often been destroyed. There are several passages of Scripture which show that this had been done in ancient times. And in Ezra and Nehemiah we have the account of the means which were taken to rebuild it, after the return of the Jews from Babylon.

After the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, the wall of Jerusalem, as well as the city, was destroyed. Several times since then it has been rebuilt, and the enemies of the city have again thrown it down. There are few parts of the wall which now surround the Holy City, which are more than four hundred years old.

One of the oldest parts is that of which a photograph was taken, from which the picture on the frontispiece has been drawn. It is to the

right of the Damascus gate, and forms the northwestern corner of the wall. The lower part is of solid rock, and the whole has a great and imposing appearance.

Just below it, is seen a large excavation. This is thought by many persons to be the upper Pool of Gibeon. But a hole which is seen at the base of the wall is the most remarkable feature. It forms the entrance to the great excavations, or stone quarries, which have been found beneath Jerusalem, and which pass under about a quarter of the city.

We have a glance of the Mount of Olives to the left of the wall.

THE BLIND BOY.

ALL our readers who know anything of our devoted missionary, the Rev. H. A. Stern, will rejoice to hear that the Lord has prospered him in his second journey to Abyssinia. He reached Genda in health and peace, and found a rich blessing resting upon the efforts now being made for the good of the Falashas, as the Jews of Abyssinia are called.

We shall only at this time give an account which he sends in a letter to his little daughter, of a blind Falasha boy. Mr. Stern writes :—

"Little children manifest even more solicitude to learn to know the good, loving, and gracious Saviour, than the adults. A few weeks ago, I visited, in company with Mr. Flad, a Falasha village called Shoaghee. On approaching near, we noticed a little group of youthful Jews squatted under an umbrageous tree, and reading the Scriptures. On seeing us, they all immediately rose, and gave us a polite salutation. Their teacher, a converted Falasha, called Yason, now requested them to repeat their lessons; and it would, I feel sure, have rejoiced your heart, my dear girl, had you seen the solemn and reverential deportment of these untutored African lads, as they rehearsed various chapters of Holy Writ. One youth, whose sad and mournful stooping posture particularly struck me, now rose. I was then standing behind him, but the quavering tone of his voice, the deep emphasis he laid on the words, and the upturned and heavengaze of his countenance, all combined to

ward

make me

shift my position, in order to see what I expected to be an intelligent and devout face. But judge of my surprise, when instead of dark lustrous eyes, in which I expected to behold the devotional soul of the youth, there was before me an afflicted sightless lad. I immediately turned towards the teacher, and inquired how his blindscholar had attained such an extensive acquaint

ance with the sacred volume. This is easily explained,' was the instant reply. The poor fellow, unable to learn to read, and yet bent upon learning some of the truths contained in the Bible, regularly came to school, and listened to what was taught. By dint of perseverance, and the aid of a retentive memory, he gradually learnt to repeat a good many of the most beautiful Messianic passages. The children now took an interest in him, and in regular succession repeated to him every day a few verses of the Bible, and in this tedious and round about way,' added the teacher, as he concluded the affecting narrative, he hath acquired by heart whole chapters of the Old and New Testament.' Pray, my dear child, for this poor afflicted lad, and for all the young and old in Abyssinia, that they may speedily come to the source of all light, and the promise take its fulfilment: Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands unto God.'"

6

RYE.

THAT Rye was one of the seeds in use in Scripture times, we know from Exodus ix. 31, 32. In the plague of hail, with which Egypt was troubled, we read that the "flax and barley were smitten, for the barley was in the ear, and the