enough to see that there was an opening below. We could not ascertain its diameter; but, by the time of a stone's descent, it was evident that it was of considerable depth, as well as that it was perfectly dry at this season, the fall of the stone giving forth a dead and hard sound." This well is, doubtless, that at which our Lord conversed with the woman of Samaria. Its identity has not, indeed, been disputed by any traveller; and Dr. Clarke thinks that the spot is so clearly pointed out by the evangelist John, that if no tradition existed, with reference to its being the well in question, the site could hardly be mistaken. On the interesting chapter which records this condescending act of the Redeemer, this learned and pious traveller makes the following remarks:-"Perhaps no Christian scholar ever read the fourth chapter of St. John, without being struck with the numerous evidences of truth which crowd upon the mind in its perusal; within so small a compass, it is impossible to find in other writings so many sources of reflection and interest. Independently of its importance as a theological document, it concentrates so much information, that a volume might be filled with the illustration it reflects on the history of the Jews, and on the geography of their country. All that can be gathered on these subjects from Josephus, seems but a comment to illustrate this chapter. The journey of our Lord from Judea into Galilee; the cause of it; his approach to the metropolis of this country; its name; his arrival at the Amorite field, which terminates the narrow valley of Sichem; the ancient custom of halting at a well; the female employment of drawing water; the disciples sent into the city for food, by which its situation out of the town is implied; the question of the woman referring to existing prejudices which separated the Jews from the Samaritans; the depth of the well; the oriental allusion contained in the expression 'living water;' the history of the well, and the customs thereby illustrated; the worship upon Mount Gerizim; all these occur within the space of twenty verses and if to these be added what has already been referred to in the remainder of the same chapter, we shall, perhaps, consider it as a record, which, in the words of him who sent it, we may lift up our eyes, and look upon, for it is white already to harvest." Some wells in the East appear to have had a descending stair. Thus it is said of Rebecca, that she I went down to the well, and filled her pitcher," Gen. xxiv. 16. Chardin thinks that where steps to a well are mentioned, a reservoir of rain-water is always to be understood; it being necessary to have such, that the water may be reached by the hand as it diminishes in quantity. This is not, however, always the case with reservoirs, nor are wells invariably without them. For instance, the grand well at Cairo, in Egypt, called "Joseph's Well," has a descent of nearly one hundred and fifty feet, by a winding staircase six feet wide. It must be confessed, however, that steps to wells are very uncommon in the East. Wells are sometimes covered with a stone, to prevent their being choked up by the drifted sand, etc. To this fact there is an allusion, Gen. xxix. 3, where it is said of Jacob, that he "rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep" of Laban. At the present day, however, when the well is private property, and in a locality where water is scarce, it is frequently locked, to prevent the neighbouring shepherds from watering their flocks in a clandestine manner. And even when wells are left unlocked, some person is so far the proprietor of it, that it may not be opened unless in his own presence, or in the presence of some one acting for him, which illustrates ver. 8. From this circumstance, it has been conjectured that the well spoken of in this text belonged exclusively to Laban's family. So great is the care of the Orientals not to leave the well open any length of time, that they wait till all the flocks are assembled, before they begin to draw water; and when they have finished, the well is immediately closed. Of the practice of women watering the flocks in the East, to which there is an allusion ver. 6, and Gen. xxiv. 15, Forbes, in his "Oriental Memoirs," says, "In the Brahmin villages of the Concan, women of the first distinction, like Rebekah and Rachel, draw water at the public wells, tend the cattle to pasture, wash their clothes in the tanks, and gather the flowers of the nymphea, for their innocent sacrifice at the dewal, and its foliage for plates and dishes, which are renewed every meal from the lotos, or some other vegetable with a large leaf." See also Exod. ii. 16; John iv. 7. It is said of the Eleusinian women, that they practised a dance about a well, which was called calli-chorus, and that their dance was accompanied by songs in honour of Ceres. Ancient poets, moreover, composed verses which were sung by the people while they drew water, and these effusions were expressly denominated" Songs of the well." The ancient Hebrews appear to have practised similar customs, for in the book of Numbers we find this passage : "Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it: The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves," Numb. xxi. 17, 18. In later times, we find that on the last day of the feast, the people used to fetch water from the fountain of Siloam, which the priests poured out upon the great altar, singing one to another, With joy shall ye draw water from the well of salvation," Isa. xii. 3. A reference to this custom is made by our Saviour, John vii. 37, 38, in which verses he speaks of himself, in the same terms as he did to the woman of Samaria, namely, as being the living water, of which whosoever partakes shall thirst no more. 66 Wells have been used by the Orientals both for hiding places and prisons. To the former of these practices, there is an allusion, 2 Sam. xvii. 18, 19; and empty cisterns, (made for the preservation of rain water,) sometimes with mire at the bottom, were used for the latter purpose by the Jews, as we see from Jer. xxxviii. 6; Zech. ix. 11. Instances have been known of persons in the East being confined in wells for a considerable length of time. Waring, in his "Tour to Sheeraz," mentions a descendant of Nadir Shah, who was "confined in a well for two, and then three years, and was indebted for his escape, each time, to disturbances which distracted Khorasan." |