Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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'• i: Thui^day, December 24, 1959 <?>• THE CIbiw Ody Sttflitiy Little Town of Bethlehem Bethlehem, Jordan, Dec. 17 — On the Plain of Boaz to the east, little Bedouin girls follow the wheat har vesters to glean bits of grain. Men in flowing headdress trudge along rocky trails from the south accompanied by women, children and baggage. The whine of reed flutes from distant slopes heralds the passing of lonely shepherds watching their flocks. Identical scenes might have wel comed the Holy Family on the out skirts of the little town of Bethle hem the day Christ was born. At the time of Christ’s birth Beth lehem was a market town for rural people, especially for Bedouins to the east and south. In this respect, the town has not changed. As long as David’s ‘time 900 years before Christ, David’s son, Chamaan, built a caravanseri here which served as shelter for Be douins and their flocks as they moved in and out of town. That same caravanseri was probably the inn where Joseph aad Mary were unable to find lodging. The cara vanseri has disappeared but the same kind of Bedouins still come to Bethlehem. Marked by the typical Arab head dress falling down over the neck and shoulders, the wide-shouldered cloaks and th^r loping gait, these Bedouins throng Bethlehem's streets almost any day. They come in to buy and sell on a meager scale and spend long hours in crude sidewalk cafes sipping thimble-sized'j^ups of bitter Arab coffee. The market place for the^e peo ple is an open square paved with flagstones. The grain, rice, vege tables or old clothes for sale are displayed on , flat trays on the ground or stacked in crude tempo rary wooden stalls. The settled inhabitants of Bethle hem’s population, number around 10,000. live in a city ..which still bears the mark of the Crusaders. The overwhelming majority of the population is Christian; only one Moslem minaret competes with in- & Santa said to the reindeer, “It’s a real privilege to serve so many wonderful people.** We are proud and thankful for the privilege of serving you, and we wish you a very happy holiday. LEAGUE’S DAIRY NO DELIVERY ON ( HRISTMAS DAY LAURENS HWY. PHONE 359 * . each and every valued friend, we wish good fortune without end. Here’s to your happiness, health and good cheer, at this joyous season and throughout the New Year. May your holiday tune be merry and bright, and may all your dearest wishes turn our just right GEO. A. COPELAND * ^ & SON HARDWARE numerable church spires and domes on Bethlehem’s skyline. These people live in stone houses, many of them with low domes as protection against summer heat and winter rain. Some of their houses date back to Crusader times. Many open into cobblestone streets barely wide enough to accommo date an automobile. Ihe arched gateways and vaulted roofs stretch ing across streets recall the me dieval Europe of the Crusades. Costumes of^the women of Beth lehem bear the Crusader mark. Those who wear traditional dress have long full garments, usually black or dark red, decorated with square stitched red or gold embroi dery, usually in the form of a Cru sader's cross. These women wear a headdress found only in Bethlehem and un known in the rest of Palestine. This is a conical shaped high hat, cov ered with a large white veil. When Christ was bom the people of Bethlehem lived largely from sheep raising and olive growing. Many live from the same accupa- tion today. Olive groves braced with stone terraces fall away from the edge of the town to the Plain of Boaz below. On the plain wheat is grown. Here Ruth of the Old Tes tament story gleaned behind the harvesters, just as Bedouin girls do today. Many Bethlehem inhabitants own flocks of sheep or goats in addition to the land they till Caring for these sheep dictates a way of life unchanged since the night shep herds on nearby slopes heard an gels sing of the new-born King. Shepherds daily leave the town and take their flocks over the same slopes where the angels sang. Some times they travel 25 miles in a sin gle day, clambering over the rocky hillsides to find bits of grass and shrubs A new element has been added to Bethlehem's population since 1948 —Arab refugees from Israel Driv en from their homes by the AFab- Israel war, these people live in the outskirat of the town in tents, ho vels, and caves Many a baby has been born in the past seven y^-ars in curcumstances similar to those of Jesus—in a grotto shared by animals, placed in a crude wooden crib made toy the father On Christmas Eve these refugees ait sullenl) beside the road watch ing well-dressed tourists arrive for Christmas ceremonies at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre As there ere n o European standard hotels in Bethlehem, mo* tourists stay in Je rusalem They 6nve back and forth for the Christmas Eve services which recount the incidents of the day the Holy Family came into a crowded Bethlehem and found there was no room for them in the inn '* Almost fur the first time in his tory. the shepherds of Bethlehem today have their freedom of move ment restricted Within light of their town is the military frontier dividing Arab Jordan from the newly created state of Israel. With the war still unsettled shepherds are forbidden to approach the de marcation line, for fear of touching off a frontier incident At noon each day shepherds must leave grazing grounds to find wa ter for their flocks Many visit Solo mon s Pools near Bethlehem at midday In the evening the ahep herd carefully counts his flock as it enters the fold, one by one The fold may be a little stable built by the shepherd More often it is a limestone grotto, with the entrance practically closed, to admit only one animal at a time. Bethlehem s status as the birth place of Christ has given the town a new modern industry—tourism. The otherwise sleepy little town ranks as one of the foremost sites of religions pilgrimage in the world and every year it is visited by thou sands of tourists from all continents. It is the center of numerous relig ious orders and institutions of all types — Catholic. Orthodox, Armen ian, and Protestant The varied dress of friars, priests, nuns, and sisters acki to the color of native costumes. Many modern Bethlehemites make a living carving objects of piety from mother of pearl, Dead Holiday Spirit Dies Too Quickly With all the excitement and hus tle that precedes Christmas, It often happens that the day after Christmas is an anti-climax. It shouldn't be, although many new toys will already be broken, a few are certain to be disappointed be cause they didn’t get what they really wanted from Santa—and. of course, there are bills that must be paid. Yet, it isn’t quite right to put Christmas so far behind us when December 26th arrives. There are many thing* that can and should be done to keep the Christmas spirit alive. This is the time for everyone in the family to write thank-you notes. Writing at once to acknowledge a gift serves two purposes. The giver appreciates such prompt thoughtfulness and it’s always much aasier to write a thank-you note promptly than to kaep putting It off. The day after Christmas la also a good time to start taking memo# that will fctlp make the next cele bration of tike holiday a greater event And, before dlaoarding those Christmas cards and letters, he sure tiiat your address book Is up to data. Taka a look around you at soma of the gifts your Moods received— and you may got some Idea that will help you do a better shopping job fe CLINTON ad. Them CHRONICLE Sea Stone and olive wood, souvenirs, along with embroidered and brocaded Crusaders' jackets are offered for sale in small shops not far from the Church of the Na tivity where Christ was born. The shop-keepers lounge in the sun in the sidewalk cafes, waiting for tourists to arrive at the church As soon as a tourist arrives—and they converge on him in a pack. Each of are easy to spot—the shop-keepers fers his services as a guide. He will show the tourist through the church and all the other Bethlehem sights at no charge. This offer may sound suspicious, but U is valid. The guide asks no money. At the end of the tour he invites the tourist to his shop for a rest and a cup of coffee or tea —still with no obligation. Once visitor is seated the shop keeper casually calls atlention to the souvenirs he has to isell. The tourist is lucky if he can escape without buying. Busines sis slow for these people 1 most of the year, but when Christ- : mas comes, Bethlehem’s population more than doubles for a few days and souvenir sellrs ar happy Rest wishes of the festive season from all of us to everyone, everywhere! *• JONES GUli 7 SERVICE Comer Musgrove and Florida Sts. f uithei for Holiday Happinea from our door to jours. * MAXWELL BROS. - Furniture - V HROAI) >T. ( LINTON, >. ( easons Frank M. Boland, Jr„ Ward One S. A. Pitta, Ward T*t> all our wonderful friends, we hope this ■ glorious holiday will bring everything that maKes for a life of happiness and contentment. CITY OF CLINTON JOE P. TERRY. Mayor ALDERMEN: Harry C. Layton, Ward Three James P. Sloan. Ward Four George W. Bagwell. Ward Five Charles R. Leatherwood. Ward Six mas, which on a year away.