volume 2 - Robert Bedrosian's Armenian History Workshop

174
The Sacred Caves of Jabal Kdsyun.
in the Kufi character of the ninth or tenth century.
When we left the Great Mosque we went about and saw
a great many tombs, mosques, churches, etc., which are
held in veneration by the Damascenes. We also went
and looked at an old building which stands outside the
city wall on the east and is supposed to mark the site
of Naaman's house. Near the cemetery we were shown
the place where Saul of Tarsus saw the bright light and
fell to the earth (Acts ix, 4), and when we came back
to the east wall the window through which he was let
down in a bcisket (Acts ix, 25), and a little further on
the house of Ananias. There may be some evidence
which would support such traditions, but it was difficult
to believe that any existed. We ended our sight-seeing
for the day by paying a visit to the English School, which
was maintained and directed by Miss Helen Butchart, and
we were cordially received. This lady devoted many years
of her life to teaching the children of Damascus English ;
she selected her own assistant mistresses and paid them,
and conspicuous success crowned her work. Muslims
and Christians alike were glad to send their children
to her school, which increased and flourished until the
failure of the health of its founder compelled that bright
example of Christian devotion and sacrifice to leave Syria.
The whole of the morning Of October 31st, my last
day in Damascus, I was occupied in making preparations
for my departure on the morrow and in paying a farewell
visit to the Wall Pasha. I reported to Sir William
White by telegraph that I was about to set out for
Mosul, and that the Wall had given me letters to the
Ka'im Makam of Tudmur, and asked that the permit
to dig at Der might be sent on to Mosul. These things
done I was free to accept in the afternoon an invitation
to drive out to Jabal Kasyun^ (Casius) in order to
* A famous mountain in legends of both Jews and Arabs. From
the top of it the prophets ascended into heaven. In its sides are
the cave in which Abraham was born ; the cave where Abel's blood
can be seen in the rock, and where Moses, Christ, Job and Lot used
to pray ; the cave in which Adam lived ; the cave of the seventy
prophets who fled from Jezebel ; and the cave of the Seven Sleepers.