July 26, 2025 • 14 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.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Section three 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,
(00:23):
Section three. The Way of the Sea, April twelfth greeted
us with a beautiful morning. The great day had arrived,
the day for which we had looked and longed. We
were really going to Akka. We started at seven o'clock
(00:43):
in the open carriage with three horses abreast. That ride
on the good hard road along the mountain crest, then
down the rocky sides by walled terraces, farms, and groves,
was a delight. We understood some of the reasons why
Carmel was called the Mountain of Beauty. We breathed the
(01:07):
sweet air and watched the play of color in sunlight
and shadow, as floating clouds moved over the long slopes
and rolling hills, Snow turbaned Hermon, and the encircling purple
robed steeps of Lebanon stood in silent guard over the
valleys beneath each wind and turn of the road changed
(01:31):
the view. Far below, the azure sea glistened, and long
white rolls of surf chases one another up the sandy beach.
In hazy distance, a faint cluster of white marked the
walls of the city of our desire. All else was
but the setting for that gem of divine choosing, for
(01:54):
it is the chosen land. We stopped a few minutes
at Cook's, then drove down through Haifa, halting a little
at Mirzahddi's store, then through the market square to the
eastern gate, a narrow curved archway in the wall, and
out onto the beach. After a little we came near
(02:17):
to a drove of camels that were being loaded with
rough blocks of building stone, where they had camped the
night before, and there Mirsa Assadulla joined us. Then began
the nine mile drive along the beautiful curve of the
Mediterranean shore, most of the way in the water, where
(02:37):
the sand is hard and the surf plays tag with
the carriage wheels while the horse hoofs clatter and splash
a quick tattoo through the gliding water. Higher up the
beach are mounds of loose sand with long, wiry bunch grasses,
and occasional tall date palms. When we crossed the two
(02:58):
rivers that run in to the sea, we rowed out
forty or fifty yards from the shore so as to
follow the sand bars formed by the breakers as they
meet the outflowing rivers. Sometimes the water was up to
the box of the carriage, and the horses had to
strain to pull us through. We passed carriages coming from Akka,
(03:20):
pack trains of asses and camels, flocks of little black,
lop eared goats, foot travelers, fishing boats, and fishermen standing
far out in the surf, casting their round nets as
their fathers have done for decades of centuries. Even before
Us was the walled city, rising clearer and larger from
(03:45):
the water by which it is nearly surrounded. It is ancient,
beyond the knowledge of man, perhaps the oldest city in
the world. Its depths have not been explored, but ruin
has followed ruin, and city after city. None knows how
(04:05):
many has been built on the remains of the past.
It has ever been a point of vantage and of strife,
and is renowned for its desperate sieges and defenses. There
are still remnants of the ruins of Alexander Balis, king
of Syria one hundred and fifty years before Christ. The
(04:29):
Genoese captured it in eleven oh four, and Saladin drove
them out in eleven eighty seven, only to be overcome
by the last victorious assault of the Christian Crusaders under
Kurdeleon in eleven ninety one. There Napoleon was brought to
bay in seventeen ninety nine and forced to abandon his
(04:52):
dream of Oriental conquest by that grain of sand, as
he called it. It was taken by storm in eighteen
thirty two by Ibrahim Pasha, who in turn was overthrown
by the British, Austrian and Turkish allies in eighteen forty.
It has witnessed many scenes of war and siege, of
(05:16):
hunger and thirst, of torture and death. Still do the
soldiers patrol its walls. It may be destined yet again
to bear the shock of battle. It is a tomb
of warriors, a whited sepulcher full within of dead men's bones.
But from that tomb shall arise in this millennial dawn,
(05:40):
the spirit of peace going forth to a glorious victory
over the hearts of men. How wonderful is the work
of God. The seed must needs be buried in the
dark dungeon of earth before it can bring forth the
living tree. The word must be hidden in the crypts
(06:02):
of death, in the tomb of loneliness and rejection, surrounded
by the darkness of ignorance and clay of prejudice. Ere
it can send forth the truth that makes men free,
the light that illumines their souls, the love that ripens
the fruits of righteousness, holiness, and beauty in the Kingdom
(06:25):
of God. When within a half mile of the city,
lying on the point of land out in the sea,
we left the beach and entered a roadway between fine
shade trees leading to the gate in the wall. We
passed through the gate into a marketplace filled with men
(06:47):
and animals, and through the inner gate, curving under the
second wall, and so into the prison city. Mirza Assadulla
had left us and we went on with Cook's driver,
as tourists do who visit Aka. Yet we were probably
recognized as Americans, and as we entered the city we
(07:10):
were greeted with a shower of stones which rattled harmlessly
against the carriage. Possibly they were thrown in a spirit
of mischief. A ravel of youths and boys ran after
us all the way across the city to the entrance
of the house of abdulbah. There the driver got down
(07:31):
from his seat and drove them away. Our progress had
been slow, as the three horses filled the ways and
crowded the people against the walls, and the turns in
the alley like streets were sharp and narrow and made
with difficulty. We did not know we had reached our
(07:51):
destination until we saw a Persian gentleman, and then another
and another step out at the entrance and smile at us.
We alighted, and they conducted us through the arched, red
brick entrance to an open court, across it to a
long flight of stone steps, broken and ancient, leading to
(08:16):
the highest story, and into a small walled court open
to the sky, where was the upper chamber assigned to us,
which adjoined the room of Abdul Baha. The buildings are
all of stone, whitewashed and plastered, and it bears the
aspect of a prison. Our windows looked out over the
(08:39):
garden and tent of Abdul Baha on the sea side
of the house. That garden is bounded on one side
by the house of the Governor, which overlooks it, and
on another by the inner wall of fortification. A few
feet beyond that is the outer wall upon the sea,
(09:00):
and between these two are the guns and soldiers constantly
on guard. A sentry house stands at one corner of
the wall and garden, from which the sentry can see
the grounds and the tent where Abdulbaha meets transient visitors
and the officials who often call on him. Thus, all
(09:21):
his acts outside of the house itself are visible to
the governor from his windows and to the men on guard.
Perhaps that is one reason why the officials so often
become his friends. No one with humanity, justice, or mercy
in his heart could watch abdul Baha long without admiring
(09:44):
and loving him for the beautiful qualities constantly displayed. Five
days we remained within those walls, prisoners with him who
dwells in that greatest prison. It is a prison of peace,
of love and service. No wish, no desire is there
(10:09):
save the good of mankind, the peace of the world,
the acknowledgment of the fatherhood of God, and the mutual
rights of men as His creatures. His children. Indeed, the
real prison, the suffocating atmosphere, the separation from all true
(10:32):
heart desires. The bond of world conditions is outside of
those stone walls, while within them is the freedom and
pure aura of the Spirit of God. All troubles, tumults, worries,
or anxieties for worldly things are barred out there. Over
(10:56):
the head of each one of the exiles in that
prison hangs constantly the sword of Damocles suspended by a hair,
and the coming of any American or English pilgrims sets
that hair to vibrating. This is not because of enmity
from the government, which shows a just and generous spirit,
(11:19):
but because the enemies to the cause of God are
always trying to incite troubles and suspicions. While we were there,
a message was sent to the government by certain of
the opposers complaining of our coming and trying to falsely
attach political significance to it. Therefore, it was deemed best
(11:42):
that we should leave. After that, further efforts were made
to bring troubles upon the friends. This illustrates the volcanic
condition there and the serious causes ever present for mortal
fears and anxieties. Yet there is the abode of peace, happiness, content, assurance,
(12:05):
and supreme faith. Even were that awful sword to fall
and sever the head from the body, faith would only
be strengthened and service be multiplied. So perfect is the
assurance and certainty that this is the work of God
destined to victory over the heart of mankind, and the
(12:29):
accomplishment of the peaceful kingdom of God in the spirits
of men over the whole world. While there and now
I realize the meaning of mister Winterburne's expression that the
world seemed miles and centuries away. Worldly matters indeed press
(12:53):
with keen intrusion on that family and those sweet friends
in the prison of Aca, and they cause anxieties too sometimes.
But so mighty there is the Spirit of God. So
absorbing are the considerations of spiritual things, so uplifting those considerations,
(13:16):
So overwhelming is the ocean of the Word, that all
other matters slink away out of sight, and man stands
erect in the bracing air of the Spirit, with its
life giving strength. In a tablet, he has said, set
(13:37):
all desires aside, leave worldly matters, devote thyself to God.
Be filled with the spirit. Guide the people to safety
and perfume the nostrils with the holy fragrances which emanate
from the Kingdom of al Abhall by the life of
(14:00):
Bahal he who is filled with the love of bah
and forgets all things. The Holy Spirit will be heard
from his lips, and the spirit of life will fill
his heart. The lights of the Sign will shine forth
from his face, and words will issue from his mouth
(14:22):
in strands of pearls, and all sickness and disease will
be healed by the laying on of his hands. End
of section three. Recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater, recorded in London, England,
Section three 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,
(00:23):
Section three. The Way of the Sea, April twelfth greeted
us with a beautiful morning. The great day had arrived,
the day for which we had looked and longed. We
were really going to Akka. We started at seven o'clock
(00:43):
in the open carriage with three horses abreast. That ride
on the good hard road along the mountain crest, then
down the rocky sides by walled terraces, farms, and groves,
was a delight. We understood some of the reasons why
Carmel was called the Mountain of Beauty. We breathed the
(01:07):
sweet air and watched the play of color in sunlight
and shadow, as floating clouds moved over the long slopes
and rolling hills, Snow turbaned Hermon, and the encircling purple
robed steeps of Lebanon stood in silent guard over the
valleys beneath each wind and turn of the road changed
(01:31):
the view. Far below, the azure sea glistened, and long
white rolls of surf chases one another up the sandy beach.
In hazy distance, a faint cluster of white marked the
walls of the city of our desire. All else was
but the setting for that gem of divine choosing, for
(01:54):
it is the chosen land. We stopped a few minutes
at Cook's, then drove down through Haifa, halting a little
at Mirzahddi's store, then through the market square to the
eastern gate, a narrow curved archway in the wall, and
out onto the beach. After a little we came near
(02:17):
to a drove of camels that were being loaded with
rough blocks of building stone, where they had camped the
night before, and there Mirsa Assadulla joined us. Then began
the nine mile drive along the beautiful curve of the
Mediterranean shore, most of the way in the water, where
(02:37):
the sand is hard and the surf plays tag with
the carriage wheels while the horse hoofs clatter and splash
a quick tattoo through the gliding water. Higher up the
beach are mounds of loose sand with long, wiry bunch grasses,
and occasional tall date palms. When we crossed the two
(02:58):
rivers that run in to the sea, we rowed out
forty or fifty yards from the shore so as to
follow the sand bars formed by the breakers as they
meet the outflowing rivers. Sometimes the water was up to
the box of the carriage, and the horses had to
strain to pull us through. We passed carriages coming from Akka,
(03:20):
pack trains of asses and camels, flocks of little black,
lop eared goats, foot travelers, fishing boats, and fishermen standing
far out in the surf, casting their round nets as
their fathers have done for decades of centuries. Even before
Us was the walled city, rising clearer and larger from
(03:45):
the water by which it is nearly surrounded. It is ancient,
beyond the knowledge of man, perhaps the oldest city in
the world. Its depths have not been explored, but ruin
has followed ruin, and city after city. None knows how
(04:05):
many has been built on the remains of the past.
It has ever been a point of vantage and of strife,
and is renowned for its desperate sieges and defenses. There
are still remnants of the ruins of Alexander Balis, king
of Syria one hundred and fifty years before Christ. The
(04:29):
Genoese captured it in eleven oh four, and Saladin drove
them out in eleven eighty seven, only to be overcome
by the last victorious assault of the Christian Crusaders under
Kurdeleon in eleven ninety one. There Napoleon was brought to
bay in seventeen ninety nine and forced to abandon his
(04:52):
dream of Oriental conquest by that grain of sand, as
he called it. It was taken by storm in eighteen
thirty two by Ibrahim Pasha, who in turn was overthrown
by the British, Austrian and Turkish allies in eighteen forty.
It has witnessed many scenes of war and siege, of
(05:16):
hunger and thirst, of torture and death. Still do the
soldiers patrol its walls. It may be destined yet again
to bear the shock of battle. It is a tomb
of warriors, a whited sepulcher full within of dead men's bones.
But from that tomb shall arise in this millennial dawn,
(05:40):
the spirit of peace going forth to a glorious victory
over the hearts of men. How wonderful is the work
of God. The seed must needs be buried in the
dark dungeon of earth before it can bring forth the
living tree. The word must be hidden in the crypts
(06:02):
of death, in the tomb of loneliness and rejection, surrounded
by the darkness of ignorance and clay of prejudice. Ere
it can send forth the truth that makes men free,
the light that illumines their souls, the love that ripens
the fruits of righteousness, holiness, and beauty in the Kingdom
(06:25):
of God. When within a half mile of the city,
lying on the point of land out in the sea,
we left the beach and entered a roadway between fine
shade trees leading to the gate in the wall. We
passed through the gate into a marketplace filled with men
(06:47):
and animals, and through the inner gate, curving under the
second wall, and so into the prison city. Mirza Assadulla
had left us and we went on with Cook's driver,
as tourists do who visit Aka. Yet we were probably
recognized as Americans, and as we entered the city we
(07:10):
were greeted with a shower of stones which rattled harmlessly
against the carriage. Possibly they were thrown in a spirit
of mischief. A ravel of youths and boys ran after
us all the way across the city to the entrance
of the house of abdulbah. There the driver got down
(07:31):
from his seat and drove them away. Our progress had
been slow, as the three horses filled the ways and
crowded the people against the walls, and the turns in
the alley like streets were sharp and narrow and made
with difficulty. We did not know we had reached our
(07:51):
destination until we saw a Persian gentleman, and then another
and another step out at the entrance and smile at us.
We alighted, and they conducted us through the arched, red
brick entrance to an open court, across it to a
long flight of stone steps, broken and ancient, leading to
(08:16):
the highest story, and into a small walled court open
to the sky, where was the upper chamber assigned to us,
which adjoined the room of Abdul Baha. The buildings are
all of stone, whitewashed and plastered, and it bears the
aspect of a prison. Our windows looked out over the
(08:39):
garden and tent of Abdul Baha on the sea side
of the house. That garden is bounded on one side
by the house of the Governor, which overlooks it, and
on another by the inner wall of fortification. A few
feet beyond that is the outer wall upon the sea,
(09:00):
and between these two are the guns and soldiers constantly
on guard. A sentry house stands at one corner of
the wall and garden, from which the sentry can see
the grounds and the tent where Abdulbaha meets transient visitors
and the officials who often call on him. Thus, all
(09:21):
his acts outside of the house itself are visible to
the governor from his windows and to the men on guard.
Perhaps that is one reason why the officials so often
become his friends. No one with humanity, justice, or mercy
in his heart could watch abdul Baha long without admiring
(09:44):
and loving him for the beautiful qualities constantly displayed. Five
days we remained within those walls, prisoners with him who
dwells in that greatest prison. It is a prison of peace,
of love and service. No wish, no desire is there
(10:09):
save the good of mankind, the peace of the world,
the acknowledgment of the fatherhood of God, and the mutual
rights of men as His creatures. His children. Indeed, the
real prison, the suffocating atmosphere, the separation from all true
(10:32):
heart desires. The bond of world conditions is outside of
those stone walls, while within them is the freedom and
pure aura of the Spirit of God. All troubles, tumults, worries,
or anxieties for worldly things are barred out there. Over
(10:56):
the head of each one of the exiles in that
prison hangs constantly the sword of Damocles suspended by a hair,
and the coming of any American or English pilgrims sets
that hair to vibrating. This is not because of enmity
from the government, which shows a just and generous spirit,
(11:19):
but because the enemies to the cause of God are
always trying to incite troubles and suspicions. While we were there,
a message was sent to the government by certain of
the opposers complaining of our coming and trying to falsely
attach political significance to it. Therefore, it was deemed best
(11:42):
that we should leave. After that, further efforts were made
to bring troubles upon the friends. This illustrates the volcanic
condition there and the serious causes ever present for mortal
fears and anxieties. Yet there is the abode of peace, happiness, content, assurance,
(12:05):
and supreme faith. Even were that awful sword to fall
and sever the head from the body, faith would only
be strengthened and service be multiplied. So perfect is the
assurance and certainty that this is the work of God
destined to victory over the heart of mankind, and the
(12:29):
accomplishment of the peaceful kingdom of God in the spirits
of men over the whole world. While there and now
I realize the meaning of mister Winterburne's expression that the
world seemed miles and centuries away. Worldly matters indeed press
(12:53):
with keen intrusion on that family and those sweet friends
in the prison of Aca, and they cause anxieties too sometimes.
But so mighty there is the Spirit of God. So
absorbing are the considerations of spiritual things, so uplifting those considerations,
(13:16):
So overwhelming is the ocean of the Word, that all
other matters slink away out of sight, and man stands
erect in the bracing air of the Spirit, with its
life giving strength. In a tablet, he has said, set
(13:37):
all desires aside, leave worldly matters, devote thyself to God.
Be filled with the spirit. Guide the people to safety
and perfume the nostrils with the holy fragrances which emanate
from the Kingdom of al Abhall by the life of
(14:00):
Bahal he who is filled with the love of bah
and forgets all things. The Holy Spirit will be heard
from his lips, and the spirit of life will fill
his heart. The lights of the Sign will shine forth
from his face, and words will issue from his mouth
(14:22):
in strands of pearls, and all sickness and disease will
be healed by the laying on of his hands. End
of section three. Recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater, recorded in London, England,
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!