Mark Twain’s Journeys in the Holy Land – Days 13,14,15; September 29th-October 1
Mark Twain’s travel journal entries for his last few days in the Holy Land are rather brief, and so we’ve transcribed the full text below. The time was spent in Jerusalem, Ramle, and Jaffa. It’s two days before he departs that he notices a discrepancy in his dating of the entries. From the Holy Land, Twain would continue onto Egypt, and ultimately return to New York by way of Bermuda.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this journey with us through Twain’s travel notes. Check back soon, as we’ll be sharing more great Twain articles in anticipation of the opening of the exhibition, Mark Twain and the Holy Land, at the end of October.
Regarding the date listed in the journal, see here.
Excerpted from Mark Twain’s Notebook 9:
Sept 28 – Went all through the Holy Sepulchre again.
Saw the rock faces in a wall on Via Dolorosa that cried Hosanna! when Jesus passed.
Visited the Fountain of Hezekiah, where David saw the mother of Solomon bathing.
Went to the Pool of Bethesda again for water.
Got a branch from the Cedar of Lebanon planted by Godfrey de Bouillon, first King of Jerusalem about 1085 to 1099.
28 or 29
Went out by the Damascus Gate 3 PM & left for Ramleh – reached there at 8 PM. or 9. Tall, handsome Crusader’s tower. This is the valley of Ajalon, where the moon stood still.
Next morning – Sep. 30 – rode 3 hours in a gallop to Joppa – where timber for Solomon’s temple was landed
Jonah sailed from here on his mission.
Visited house of Simon the Tanner where Peter had the vision of unclean beasts.
Napoleon took this place once.
Oct. 1. – Sailed for Egypt.