--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Badger, Ralph A. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 11 number: 11 published: 1908-09 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Badger, Ralph A., "The Kidron Valley and Gethsemane," *Improvement Era* 11, no. 11 (September 1908): 872–876.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera11011unse 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: improvementera11011unse start_page: 872 end_page: 876 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1908-09) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera11011unse publication_year: 1908 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 1908, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Kidron Valley and Gethsemane THE KIDRON VALLEY AND GETHSEMANE. BY RALPH A. BADGER, LATE PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN MISSION. [On his return journey home from Africa, Elder Badger visited the Holy Land. There he took the accompanying views of Gethsemane and the gates of Jerusalem, and has favored the Era with this paper written on board of a steamer in the Mediterranean sea. Prior to leaving his mission field, he took a journey through the interior of the Dark Continent and obtained many wonderful African scenes some of which are promised to the Era hereafter. Elder Henry L. Steed succeeded Elder Badger, (who arrived in Salt Lake City, July 10,) as President of the mission which is reported in a very satisfactory state of progress. — Editors ] The new residence part of Jerusalem is to the north and north-west of the old city, and is high, and as clean as cities of Gethsemane and the Mount of Olives. THE K1DR0N VALLEY AND GETHSEMANE. 873 the east generally are. The new is a great improvement upon the old part of the city, which is surrounded by a wall from thirty to fifty feet in height, and which has narrow streets and dark and musty houses. Jerusalem offers many sights of great historic interest, but in our recollection of the life and sacred acts of our Savior, Gethsemane, with its grand and awful history, looms up before us. In visiting Gethsemane, we take the road which leads along the northern wall of the city until we reach its north- St. Stephen's Gate. Interior of the Garden of Gethsemane. east corner. From here the road leads south-east, crossing the Valley of the Kidron. Across the ravine, we see the Garden of Gethsemane, with the Mount of Olives rising above it. To the left, the Kidron widens out and forms a little valley.1] To the right, along the east wall of the city, we see St. Stephen's Gate, and further on, the Golden Gate of the Temple area. Nestling against the city wall lies the Mohammedan cemetery, located there because they believe that in this valley will be the scene of the judgment. Across the valley, below Gethsemane and ex- 874 IMPROVEMENT ERA. tending to Siloam, is the Jewish cemetery; here also are the tombs of Zechariah, and St. James, and the Pillar of Absalom. Moslem tradition says that a thin wire will extend cross the Kidron valley from a post projecting from the Temple wall, and that at the judgment time Mohammed will sit on the wall, and Moslems, seeing him, will have confidence and pass over in safety, while the guilty will fall into the gulf of hell. As we descend to Gethsemane, we pass the road to St. Stephen's Gate, and a little farther on, just at a turn in the road, we are shown the spot where it is said St. Stephen was stoned. Gethsemane begins near here and extends up the slope of the Mount of Olives. Near here the road divides, and three deeply worn trails ascend the mount, one toward Scopus, the other reaches the summit of the Mount of Olives, and the third passes over its southern part and leads to Bethany. Below this path, and running around the hill to the south, is ■ s » >**§ '■■Wg 1 dr-ia-Q* r~- S^ %<&«* nS^ 4ii^ 8^1 The Golden Gate of the Temple Area. a good road which leads to Jericho and the valley of the Jordan . Here, at the junction of these roads, is a space of about one third of an acre which is enclosed by a high stone wall, and now called the Garden of Gethsemane. It is entered though a small square hole in the wall, through which you have to stoop to enter, and is in the control of the Franciscans. Within its borders are eight large olive trees of great age, and a well from which water is drawn for watering the neatly-kept little garden. Just outside the present garden enclosure, we are shown the spot where Judas betrayed the Christ. Also the place where the disciples slept during His agony, near by is a natural cave, and an ancient tomb which tradition says is the Tomb of the Virgin. THE KIDRON VALLEY AND GETHSEMANE. 875 Damascus Gate. At the Entrance to Damascus Gate. 876 IMPROVEMENT ERA. These traditional places are undoubtedly near the spot where our Savior spent those awful and solemn hours in prayer. And as we stand and reflect upon the scenes before us, our whole being breathes the sentiments: "Over there in Jerusalem his body was crucified; but here was the scene of the crucifixion of his soul. There the letter of the law was executed, but here the awful weight of its spirit was born. There he drank the dregs of sorrow, but here the 'full cup' was wrung out of him. Here the enemy National Life. Just oub of St. Stephen's Gate. who had departed from him for a season, returned with all the powers of hell to overthrow the Son of Man. Here his own familiar friend betrayed him. Here the Captain of our Salvation was made perfect through suffering, and from this place, brokenhearted as he was, with the cross before him, and a heavier cross upon him, he rose up from the garden and went forth to die."' S. S. Osiris, Mediterranean Sea, June 10, 1908.