Chapter 48 Summary

Magdala is filthy. Poverty-stricken vermin flood the streets begging and stinking. The pilgrims hand out money on their way to the house of Mary Magdalene. They stare at it for a few moments, and the "boys" pick pieces of the house off and stuff them in their pockets as is tradition. Then they leave. They reach Tiberius, which is also poor and slovenly, but the architecture suggests a much grander beginning. Galilee is the beauty spot of this area, so Twain spends his journal entry describing it. He says it's even beautiful in the starlight.

Chapter 48 Analysis

Twain is somewhat annoyed at the people in this area. He describes the biblical histories and the beauty of Galilee, but there are still the sick beggars and those who have lived here all their lives and don't see the beauty nearby. He spends a lot...