Mill on Jerusalem Road, Damascus
Mill on Jerusalem Road, Damascus The old Jerusalem road from the Holy City to Damascus is but little traveled and is neither safe nor interesting. Between the shore of the Sea of Galilee and the plain of Damascus we pass but one inhabited village. While we are not able to identify the spot of Saul’s conversion, the scenery of plain, mountain, river and sky is substantially unaltered. Near this sacred spot is this old mill in the suburbs of Damascus. The artist and his associate reached Damascus after a hot ride through the desert. We started from Beitima, about twenty miles from Damascus, at three o’clock in the morning. The stars deep and thick filled the Syrian sky. Our path was narrow and rough. The dragoman forbade us talking until the sun was up. He said, if robbers were lying in wait and heard horses’ hoofs and no talking, they would assume that the party was composed of soldiers and would not attack us; but the voices of foreigners would expose us to robbery, and pos...