July 26, 2025 • 10 mins
Delve into the fascinating life and journey of Thornton Chase, widely acknowledged as the first person of Western descent to embrace the Baháí Faith. Chase was a pivotal figure in organizing Baháí activities in Chicago and Los Angeles, making him a well-respected figure within the Baháí community. His 1907 pilgrimage to Akka profoundly impacted him, particularly his three-day encounter with `Abdul Bahá. So taken was `Abdul Bahá by Chases character, he bestowed upon him the title of Thábit, meaning steadfast. Upon his return, Chase penned his pilgrimage experiences, producing a richly detailed and emotive depiction of `Abdul-Bahás home, family, and personal demeanor in Akka. Published in 1908 as In Galilee, this insightful account stands as a notable contribution to the genre known as pilgrims notes.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Section one of in Galilee by Thornton Chase. This is
a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater. In Galilee by Thornton Chase,
(00:22):
Section one. Nevertheless, the dimness shall not be such as
was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly
afflicted the land of Zebulon and the land of Naftali,
and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way
of the sea beyond Jordan. In Galilee of the Nations,
(00:46):
the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light.
They that dwell in the land of the shadow of
Death upon them hath the light shined Isaiah nine one two.
The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them,
and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.
(01:10):
It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it the
Excellency of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory
of the Lord and the Excellency of our God, and
in highways shall be there and away, and it shall
(01:33):
be called the Way of Holiness Isaiah thirty five one
two eight. Out of Ashure, his bread shall be fat,
and he shall yield royal dainties Genesis forty nine twenty.
And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the
(01:55):
valley of Ahore a place for the herds to lie
down in for my people that have sought me Isaiah
sixty five ten. And I will give her her vineyards
from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door
of hope. And she shall sing there as in the
days of her youth, as in the day when she
(02:17):
came up out of the land of Egypt Hoseia two fifteen.
On April eighth, nineteen o seven, a bright, cool day,
our little party, mister Agnew, with wife and boy, mister
Scheffler and I gathered on the deck of the cadivial
steamer Aswan, lying off the ancient port of Jaffa in Syria.
(02:43):
Around us were other Americans, tourists, teachers, and missionaries bound
for Haifa and some for Beirut, about seventy miles north
from Haifa, where a Presbyterian college is located. There were
also Turkish officers and Egyptian bays, the latter in European
dress with red fezes, and a number of Franciscan monks
(03:07):
with close cropped heads, dressed in the typical brown hooded
robes and sandals. On the lower deck, where they had slept,
rolled up in blankets through the night were the steerage passengers,
crowded groups of Arabs and Turkish men, women and children
in native costumes. After Noon, we left our anchorage and
(03:30):
sailed northward over the blue Mediterranean from Jaffa toward Carmel,
skirting the broken, rocky edge of the Syrian coast, with
its background of green slopes and distant hills. Our hearts
were so affected with thankfulness to God and with the
beauty and import of that land of promise, that we
(03:53):
spoke but little to each other, and in subdued tones.
Our tongues were bound in golden silence. Our eyes searched
the ancient scenes and looked keenly to the north for
the first glimpse of Mount Carmel and Akka, and we
longed for the approaching goal of our pilgrimage. Gradually, the
(04:16):
bold front of the mountain swelled up from the coastline,
and a little after, when the lowering sun slanted its
brightness across the waters, the white walls of the little
fortress of Akka rose from the ocean and gleamed afar
like a marble island in a turquoise sea. You can
(04:37):
be sure that our eyes looked long and steadily at
the little cluster of white as we came nearer and
nearer to that door of hope. Haifa was not to
be seen, as it nestles within the elbow of Carmel
on its northern side, until the ship had passed by
the mountain and turned inward toward the We arrived off
(05:02):
Haifa at five pm. As the steamer anchored, a fleet
of boats came racing toward the ship. They represented different
landing companies, the Hamburg, American, Clark's Cooks, etc. Each was
manned by eight to ten swarthy, sturdy, red fezzed boatmen
(05:24):
handling as many long, heavy, square handled oars. The race
was in earnest, all eager for passengers and baksheesh as
they came nearer. At a signal from the leader of
the crew, each rower placed one bare foot on the
cross seat before him, leaped up as high as he could,
pulled back his oar with a long, powerful sweep, sinking
(05:47):
down to his seat, and then sprang up again for
another mighty pull, accompanying each effort with a quick, strong
call of encouragement. Holly, Holly, Holly, ha Sally. It was
an exciting welcome, the crews rising and sinking, the boats
lifting through the waves and almost in collision, the stirring
(06:09):
cries keeping time and becoming louder and more intense as
they approached. Cooks arrived first and took our party to
the landing place. When entering the boat, the passenger has
to submit entirely to the crew. One goes down the
slippery steps of the ship's side to the little hanging platform,
(06:30):
and as the light boat rises on a wave to
meet it, one or two of the Arab sailors seizes
him or her in his arms, holds him as the
boat sinks, and bears him to a seat. The process
is repeated at the landing place, where each person is
lifted by strong arms from the boat as it rises
to the dock. So we entered Palestine. A crowd of
(06:53):
people was on the pier, and as we went up
toward the street, a familiar face appeared and one of
us exclaimed, there's Mirza Asdola. As we hurried to the
cook's carriage, I managed to touch his hand in passing
and received a pressure of recognition, but no further attention Haifa.
(07:15):
We were taken to the Catholic Hospice of the Little Child,
conducted by German sisters, where we had spacious rooms, plainly
furnished and scrupulously clean. Over the door of each room
was an inscription dedicating it to one of the saints.
Mister Scheffler and I had the room of Saint John.
(07:36):
In it were two neat beds, plain chairs, washbuls and
matting on the stone floors. In the dining room, all
the guests sat at one long table. The food was
plain and wholesome. Mirza Asdola, with Mirza Mussen and Mersa
Jalal called in the evening, and we were happy to
(07:57):
meet them. Others were in the room who understood both
English and Arabic, and they were listening intently, curious to
learn what acquaintance or business the Americans had with the Persians.
They would not have understood that only the love of
our hearts drew us together. We learned that word of
(08:19):
our arrival would be sent the following day, and arrangements
made for going to Aka as soon as convenient. We
were rejoiced that we should soon enter the presence of
the renowned teacher, whom we called the Master. He, however,
asks us not to so call him, as he says
the titles Master and Lord belonged to Jesus, and he
(08:44):
wishes to be called by his proper and perfect title,
abdul Baha, the servant of God. He asks each one
of the friends to first learn this station of his clearly,
that he may know in his heart the meaning of
abdul Baha. We slept well that first night in Syria.
(09:07):
In the morning we went up the hill to Mirza
Assadulla's home, passing through the German colony. This colony was
established in Haifa in eighteen forty three in expectation of
the second Coming of Christ, which they claimed was prophesied
to occur soon after that time. On Mount Carmel, over
(09:29):
the doors of school and church and of many houses
are inscriptions signifying their expectation, such as derhel is Naha,
the Lord is near, et cetera. Yet they know not
that the prophecy has been fulfilled, and that the Lord
has indeed been at their very doors. Mirza Asadolla and
(09:54):
Mirza Mohsen welcomed us warmly. They inquired after the friends
in America, naming many of them. They asked concerning the
growth and condition of the great cause, and rejoiced that
any news of love and unity in service among the friends.
Mirzamossen interpreted end of section one. Recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater,
(10:19):
recorded in London, England,
Section one of in Galilee by Thornton Chase. This is
a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater. In Galilee by Thornton Chase,
(00:22):
Section one. Nevertheless, the dimness shall not be such as
was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly
afflicted the land of Zebulon and the land of Naftali,
and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way
of the sea beyond Jordan. In Galilee of the Nations,
(00:46):
the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light.
They that dwell in the land of the shadow of
Death upon them hath the light shined Isaiah nine one two.
The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them,
and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.
(01:10):
It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it the
Excellency of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory
of the Lord and the Excellency of our God, and
in highways shall be there and away, and it shall
(01:33):
be called the Way of Holiness Isaiah thirty five one
two eight. Out of Ashure, his bread shall be fat,
and he shall yield royal dainties Genesis forty nine twenty.
And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the
(01:55):
valley of Ahore a place for the herds to lie
down in for my people that have sought me Isaiah
sixty five ten. And I will give her her vineyards
from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door
of hope. And she shall sing there as in the
days of her youth, as in the day when she
(02:17):
came up out of the land of Egypt Hoseia two fifteen.
On April eighth, nineteen o seven, a bright, cool day,
our little party, mister Agnew, with wife and boy, mister
Scheffler and I gathered on the deck of the cadivial
steamer Aswan, lying off the ancient port of Jaffa in Syria.
(02:43):
Around us were other Americans, tourists, teachers, and missionaries bound
for Haifa and some for Beirut, about seventy miles north
from Haifa, where a Presbyterian college is located. There were
also Turkish officers and Egyptian bays, the latter in European
dress with red fezes, and a number of Franciscan monks
(03:07):
with close cropped heads, dressed in the typical brown hooded
robes and sandals. On the lower deck, where they had slept,
rolled up in blankets through the night were the steerage passengers,
crowded groups of Arabs and Turkish men, women and children
in native costumes. After Noon, we left our anchorage and
(03:30):
sailed northward over the blue Mediterranean from Jaffa toward Carmel,
skirting the broken, rocky edge of the Syrian coast, with
its background of green slopes and distant hills. Our hearts
were so affected with thankfulness to God and with the
beauty and import of that land of promise, that we
(03:53):
spoke but little to each other, and in subdued tones.
Our tongues were bound in golden silence. Our eyes searched
the ancient scenes and looked keenly to the north for
the first glimpse of Mount Carmel and Akka, and we
longed for the approaching goal of our pilgrimage. Gradually, the
(04:16):
bold front of the mountain swelled up from the coastline,
and a little after, when the lowering sun slanted its
brightness across the waters, the white walls of the little
fortress of Akka rose from the ocean and gleamed afar
like a marble island in a turquoise sea. You can
(04:37):
be sure that our eyes looked long and steadily at
the little cluster of white as we came nearer and
nearer to that door of hope. Haifa was not to
be seen, as it nestles within the elbow of Carmel
on its northern side, until the ship had passed by
the mountain and turned inward toward the We arrived off
(05:02):
Haifa at five pm. As the steamer anchored, a fleet
of boats came racing toward the ship. They represented different
landing companies, the Hamburg, American, Clark's Cooks, etc. Each was
manned by eight to ten swarthy, sturdy, red fezzed boatmen
(05:24):
handling as many long, heavy, square handled oars. The race
was in earnest, all eager for passengers and baksheesh as
they came nearer. At a signal from the leader of
the crew, each rower placed one bare foot on the
cross seat before him, leaped up as high as he could,
pulled back his oar with a long, powerful sweep, sinking
(05:47):
down to his seat, and then sprang up again for
another mighty pull, accompanying each effort with a quick, strong
call of encouragement. Holly, Holly, Holly, ha Sally. It was
an exciting welcome, the crews rising and sinking, the boats
lifting through the waves and almost in collision, the stirring
(06:09):
cries keeping time and becoming louder and more intense as
they approached. Cooks arrived first and took our party to
the landing place. When entering the boat, the passenger has
to submit entirely to the crew. One goes down the
slippery steps of the ship's side to the little hanging platform,
(06:30):
and as the light boat rises on a wave to
meet it, one or two of the Arab sailors seizes
him or her in his arms, holds him as the
boat sinks, and bears him to a seat. The process
is repeated at the landing place, where each person is
lifted by strong arms from the boat as it rises
to the dock. So we entered Palestine. A crowd of
(06:53):
people was on the pier, and as we went up
toward the street, a familiar face appeared and one of
us exclaimed, there's Mirza Asdola. As we hurried to the
cook's carriage, I managed to touch his hand in passing
and received a pressure of recognition, but no further attention Haifa.
(07:15):
We were taken to the Catholic Hospice of the Little Child,
conducted by German sisters, where we had spacious rooms, plainly
furnished and scrupulously clean. Over the door of each room
was an inscription dedicating it to one of the saints.
Mister Scheffler and I had the room of Saint John.
(07:36):
In it were two neat beds, plain chairs, washbuls and
matting on the stone floors. In the dining room, all
the guests sat at one long table. The food was
plain and wholesome. Mirza Asdola, with Mirza Mussen and Mersa
Jalal called in the evening, and we were happy to
(07:57):
meet them. Others were in the room who understood both
English and Arabic, and they were listening intently, curious to
learn what acquaintance or business the Americans had with the Persians.
They would not have understood that only the love of
our hearts drew us together. We learned that word of
(08:19):
our arrival would be sent the following day, and arrangements
made for going to Aka as soon as convenient. We
were rejoiced that we should soon enter the presence of
the renowned teacher, whom we called the Master. He, however,
asks us not to so call him, as he says
the titles Master and Lord belonged to Jesus, and he
(08:44):
wishes to be called by his proper and perfect title,
abdul Baha, the servant of God. He asks each one
of the friends to first learn this station of his clearly,
that he may know in his heart the meaning of
abdul Baha. We slept well that first night in Syria.
(09:07):
In the morning we went up the hill to Mirza
Assadulla's home, passing through the German colony. This colony was
established in Haifa in eighteen forty three in expectation of
the second Coming of Christ, which they claimed was prophesied
to occur soon after that time. On Mount Carmel, over
(09:29):
the doors of school and church and of many houses
are inscriptions signifying their expectation, such as derhel is Naha,
the Lord is near, et cetera. Yet they know not
that the prophecy has been fulfilled, and that the Lord
has indeed been at their very doors. Mirza Asadolla and
(09:54):
Mirza Mohsen welcomed us warmly. They inquired after the friends
in America, naming many of them. They asked concerning the
growth and condition of the great cause, and rejoiced that
any news of love and unity in service among the friends.
Mirzamossen interpreted end of section one. Recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater,
(10:19):
recorded in London, England,
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