--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Lydia D. Alder collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 8 number: 10 published: 1905-08 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Lydia D. Alder, "Tomb of St. Polycarp," *Improvement Era* 8, no. 10 (August 1905): 740–741.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0810unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera0810unse start_page: 740 end_page: 741 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1905-08) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0810unse publication_year: 1905 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1905, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Tomb of St. Polycarp — TOMB OF ST. POLYCARP. BY LYDIA D. ALDER. [Mrs. Alder has just recently returned from an absence of a year ia Europe. While over the water she paid a visit to the Holy Land, and is, perhaps, the first lady missionary of the Latter-day Saints who has made a study on the ground of its great historical events, and its present condition. Her note on the tomb of St. Polycarp, (who lived about 66-166 A. D.) the Apostolic father, the disciple of St. John,and the martyr, will be read with interest. Editors.] High up on the side hills, back of the city of Smyrna, in Asia Minor, are the ruins of a once great stadium or amphitheatre. Almost in a line, and lower down, in a small cemetery where no cross can be seen, is the reputed tomb of Polycarp. It is said of him, he was one of the children that Jesus blessed, also that he was a disciple of the beloved John. Thus he was only one removed from Christ. He was steadfast in the faith, and being urged to renounce it, to save his life during one of the persecutions, it is recorded that he said, "These eighty and four years I have served the Lord and he has blessed me. I cannot now, in my old age, turn from him." He suffered martyrdom, in the city of Smyrna, of which he was the first bishop, in 166, A. D. This city alone, of all those mentioned by John,in the Apocalypse, has retained its commercial importance. Many students have visited here, and they agree that this is Polycarp's tomb. It stands about four feet high, seven long, and five feet in width. It is plastered over and resembles a Mohammedan tomb. There is a little opening over the head where a lamp is kept burning at night. According to a Mohammedan cus- 70MB OF ST. POLYCARP. 741 torn, in the tomb of a prince, a mosque pole was at the same end. On top it is larger, and a green, cloth ia twined around it, which signifies, "He will never die." It is the only grave there thus distinguished and cared for. The walks of the cemetery are narrow, only about a foot wide in places, and so steep that it is difficult to get among the graves, which are adorned with flowers and grass. The cemetery itself is gained by mounting quite a number of steep stone steps. A Mohammedan woman, who lives in the house, only two or three feet away from Polycarp's tomb, was putting out clothes to dry on some lines above the graves. Her face was partly concealed, according to their custom. She cried for "backsheesh" when the visitors turned to go. The road leading to the cemetery is steep, rough and rocky, and is extremely dirty. Carriages do not ascend above a given point. A throng of children there cry "Polycarp," and scramble in among visitors, accompanying the party to the grave. They also loudly call for "backsheesh." Turkish shops are on one side of the street leading to the cemetery, where idlers of that people; lounge lazily around. The stadium, where it is said thousands witnessed the martyrdom of Polycarp, was destroyed by earthquake, but its tiers of seats, even now, can be plainly seen, rising one above the other. Salt Lake City, Utah.