Identifier: wanderingsinbibl00mill (find matches)
Title: Wanderings in Bible lands: notes of travel in Italy, Greece, Asia-Minor, Egypt, Nubia, Ethiopia, Cush, and Palestine
Year: 1894 (1890s)
Authors: Miller, D(aniel) L(ong), 1841- (from old catalog)
Subjects:
Publisher: Mount Morris, Ill., The Brethren's publishing company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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lf closed; their mind wasapparently absorbed in the contemplation of Allah. Theperformance consisted of four different acts, and I countedforty to fifty turnings in one minute. The spectacle isvery exciting, and the dexterity and elasticity of theirbodies are astonishing. The faces betrayed fanatical de-votion. But to my great amazement, I saw the next dayone of these very Dervishes in a state of beastly intoxica-tion, reeling to and fro on the large bridge of the GoldenHorn without observing anybody. This was a strangecommentary on Mohammedan temperance. The higherclasses, I understand, and it would seem from this excep-tional example even Dervishes, freely indulge in the useof strong brandy and champagne. The Howling Dervishesswing their heads up and down, crying incessantly with alltheir might, La ilaha UV Allah, and some other phrases,until they are stopped from sheer exhaustion. In entering a mosque, we may keep on the hat orturban, but must take off the shoes, or cover them with
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WANDERINGS IN BIBLE LANDS. 355 socks, or put on slippers in commemoration of the divinecommand to Moses, Put off thy shoes from off thy feet,for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.Slippers or sandals of straw are usually provided at theentrance of these mosques, and must be paid for. Thereare always a half dozen claimants for backsheesh. Women are seldom seen in the mosques. The Korandoes not command them to pray, and some Mohammedanphilosophers doubt whether women have souls. Yet theyare necessary for the bliss of their Paradise, where thehumblest believer is allowed eighty thousand slaves andseventy-two wives besides those he had in this life, if hechooses to keep them. Islam is a religion of men, while Christianity has morefollowers among women. The one keeps women in a stateof slavery and ignorance; the other raises her to true dig-nity and equality with man. In nothing is the superiorityof Christian civilization over Mohammedanism so manifestas in the position of wome

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