Travels in Turkey, Asia Minor, Syria, and across the desert into Egypt ...

SYRIA, EGYPT, GERMANY, &C. IJ9
of monks.
precipitate him from it: here was formerly a monastery
About an hour's distance from Nazareth is the mountain alluded
to, from which they intended to throw Christ, and which is on
that account called the Precipice of Christ. From thence, by a
very bad road, over hills, as you go to Jaffa, lies the country of
Zebedee, and his sons, James the Great, and John the Evangelist.
The church is destroyed; it is about three miles from Naza-
reth. Nazareth is about ninety miles from
Jerusalem by land,
and about twenty-four from Acre.
From Nazareth you go to the sea of Tiberias; and first presents
itself the of Cana in
city Galilee, about four miles from Nazareth.
In this place it was that Jesus converted the water into wine; and
it is said to have been the country of the apostles Bartholomew,
Simon the Canaanite, and St. Matthew. From this place you go
to the sepulchre of the prophet Jonas, on a mountain two or three
miles from the road, and about six miles from Nazareth. About
twelve miles further, passing through a large plain, you go to the
place called the Table of Christ, where, with seven loaves and two
fishes, he satisfied four thousand persons.
At a little distance is the
Mount of Blessings, where the Saviour declared the eight bles-
sings—" Blessed are the poor in spirit," &c. On the top of the
mount, ruins are yet to be seen. About six miles farther is another
mount, from which is seen the city of Tiberias, surrounded by a
wall. In this place, Jesus Christ, after being risen from the
dead, constituted Peter chief of the apostles, head and master of
the world. The Turks have destroyed this place. Tiberias is
distant from Nazareth about twenty-four miles. A little way far-
ther, near the Sea of Galilee, is the famous city of Capernaum,
where our Saviour preached for the first time the doctrine of the
most august Eucharist ; where he cured the paralytic ; where St.
Matthew, standing at the " receipt of custom," was called by him,
and followed him ;
and where he cured the Centurion.
All the places here described are true and genuine, and the devout
pilgrim will be able by this description to form an idea of them so
as not to
forget them— Praise to God.
Jerusalem,
:'2'\ October, 1300.