DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5295#0182
HOLY LAND, AND CVPRUS. 149
account of the Ramazan ; nothing broke the silence of the
place, but the hoarse voice of the imams, which called the
faithful Mahometans to praj'ers. I could not but carry my
thoughts to past times : many of the deeds related of Samson
were performed within sight of the place where I stood. It
was between Lydda and Ramla that his prowess was dis-
played, in the slaughter of the Philistines; and the present
Ramla seems to be a corruption of Ramath Lehi, the name
he gave to the place of his victory *. The plains of the
Philistines lay at the foot of the mountains of Judah; and I
could easily picture to myself the universal destruction of the
corn, vineyards, and olive trees, which his firebrands scat-
tered amongst them; where no hedge nor deep ravine op-
posed the extension of the flames.
The " voice of lamentation in Rama" is still heard. The
Christians still weep for their fallen state, in that country;
but whilst they consider they fulfil their duties by nothing
but a rigorous observance of fasts, they must long have to
mourn their fate. The old traditional tales and prophecies
of the country foretell a change; and the only consolation
they have is in the hope of being liberated from the op-
pression of the Turks by some European power, and this is
See Judges, chap. xv. verses 4, 5, 15, 16, and 17.
account of the Ramazan ; nothing broke the silence of the
place, but the hoarse voice of the imams, which called the
faithful Mahometans to praj'ers. I could not but carry my
thoughts to past times : many of the deeds related of Samson
were performed within sight of the place where I stood. It
was between Lydda and Ramla that his prowess was dis-
played, in the slaughter of the Philistines; and the present
Ramla seems to be a corruption of Ramath Lehi, the name
he gave to the place of his victory *. The plains of the
Philistines lay at the foot of the mountains of Judah; and I
could easily picture to myself the universal destruction of the
corn, vineyards, and olive trees, which his firebrands scat-
tered amongst them; where no hedge nor deep ravine op-
posed the extension of the flames.
The " voice of lamentation in Rama" is still heard. The
Christians still weep for their fallen state, in that country;
but whilst they consider they fulfil their duties by nothing
but a rigorous observance of fasts, they must long have to
mourn their fate. The old traditional tales and prophecies
of the country foretell a change; and the only consolation
they have is in the hope of being liberated from the op-
pression of the Turks by some European power, and this is
See Judges, chap. xv. verses 4, 5, 15, 16, and 17.