easily be at a loss as regards the eastern, southern, and a portion of
the western boundaries of the ancient Jerusalem. The northern limits
offer a subject of greater difficulty, and it is one also of greater
importance, for on this depends the question whether the spot pointed
out as Mount Calvary be really the place of the crucifixion or not. The
objectors, including almost all Protestant visitors, say it is not and
cannot be, since this spot was evidently within the ancient city; and
both from the Scriptures, and from the well-known custom of the Jews
on such occasions, we know that this event occurred without the walls.
This subject we will now examine.

The valley of Cheesemongers, commencing, as we have seen, just south
of the temple, took a course to the north-westward, and formed the
boundary of Mount Zion on the north, separating this hill from another
on the eastward, called Acra,[30] probably from the Greek word _αχρος_,
_high_. Acra was originally a flat[31] on the summit, except at one
part, where it rose to a peak of sufficient height to overlook the
temple. On this Antiochus Epiphanes (B. C. 168.) erected a citadel,
strengthened with high walls and towers, which proved such serious
annoyance to the citizens, that, under the rule of Simon Maccabeus,
(B. C. 143.) not only was the citadel demolished, but, to prevent its
being rebuilt, the hill or peak itself was cut down to the level of the
adjoining ground. In this way the whole of Acra got to be comparatively
low ground,[32] and, to facilitate intercourse between the Temple and
the “Upper City,” or Mount Zion, a bridge[33] was carried from a gate
near the S. W. corner of the Temple quite across to the neighborhood of
the palace of David.

Of the valley of the Cheesemongers after it enters the modern city,
there are at present no traces, it having doubtless been filled up
at the time when Jerusalem was levelled with the ground by order of
Titus; but as Mount Zion was much higher than Acra, we may expect to
find some remains of the steep ascent by which they passed from this
valley up to Zion, or, as it was called by them, “The Upper City.” And
of this there are considerable remains. Mr. Nicholayson’s house stands
about three hundred feet a little east of south from the Jaffa gate,
which is designated on this map by the figure 1, at the place where
the roads from Bethlehem and Jaffa meet. Sixty feet eastward from his
house is a slope, about twenty-five feet high, and so steep as to
make it difficult even for donkeys to ascend. Standing on its edge, we
are still able to overlook a large part of the city to the east of it.
This slope continues thence to the south-eastward, keeping parallel to
some extensive ruins now to be seen there, the remains of a hospital
belonging to the time of the Crusades; the slope being separated from
them by a narrow bazaar. This slope is undoubtedly the north-eastern
edge of Mount Zion, and I have so expressed it in the map which we are
endeavoring to form. I have not been able to trace it further than to
the end of this bazaar; but as it passes in the direction of Siloam,
or the opening of the valley of Cheesemongers, I have marked it in the
map as continuing down to that place, as I have no doubt that it does.
This gives us the northern boundary of Mount Zion exactly as described
by Josephus, who says that “this city laid over against the temple in
the manner of a theatre.”[34] At the place where this slope approaches
the nearest to the valley of Hinnom, or near Mr. Nicholayson’s, I have
placed the tower of Hippicus, which stood at the northern angle of the
city of Zion.[35]

The “old wall,” as it is called by Josephus, first erected by David and
Solomon, and strengthened by succeeding kings, commences at the tower
of Hippicus, and had its course on the west and south, directly along
the edge of the valley of Hinnom. On reaching the valley of Kedron, it
bent to the northward, and curving again to the east just below the
pool of Siloam, joined the temple wall nearly at its south-eastern
angle. On the northern side, starting again at the tower of Hippicus,
it kept along the edge of the bank above the valley of Cheesemongers,
until curving opposite the Xistus, it here crossed the valley, and
passing by the Xistus and the council-house, joined soon after the
western wall of the temple, probably at the south-western angle.[36]

He does not tell us what is meant by “the Xistus,” but it is probably
from the Greek word _Χιστος_, “a division” or “separation;” and I
suppose refers to the branching of the valley of the Cheesemongers,
one part keeping along by Mount Zion, and the other just on the west
of Mount Moriah; the latter branch, as I have already said, was filled
up by the Maccabees. Just south of the temple, on the ground sloping
down to the pool of Siloam, was a small section of the city called
Ophlas.[37]

It is probable that a wall separated also Mount Zion from Ophlas; for
we find, that when Titus had possession of Acra and the Temple, he had
still to bring his engines against the northern wall of Zion;[38]
which would not have been necessary if he could have passed at once
through Ophlas into that city.

Mount Zion was called by David “The Citadel;” it afterwards frequently
went by the name of “The Upper City,” in contradistinction to Acra, the
latter being frequently styled “The Lower City.”[39]

Acra, we are informed by Josephus, was “in the shape of a moon when
she is horned;”[40] and though he gives no intimation to that effect,
I suppose the horns must have been to the northward, for I do not
see how it is possible that they could have been otherwise. On the
west they certainly could not have been, nor on the south, nor on the
east; and there remains only the position which I have given them. The
northern wall of Acra, sometimes called “the second wall,” commenced
at the gate Gennath, (i. e. “gate of the gardens,”) and then making
a curve,[41] terminated at the castle of Antonia.[42] I have placed
the gate Gennath about five hundred feet from the tower Hippicus, and
have carried the wall, in the first place at right angles across the
valley of the Cheesemongers, and then placing a tower at the angle,
have there commenced the course over towards Antonia. My reasons for
this arrangement are as follows. When Titus had set down with his
army before Jerusalem, and came to select a spot for his assaults, he
determined to commence at the tomb of John the High Priest, because
the outer wall (marked here by the zigzag lines) was weakest at that
place; and here, too, he could pass at once to the “old” or “third
wall,” without the necessity of first taking the second;[43] which
expectation “of an easy passage to the third wall” would not have been
reasonable, had the gate Gennath and the branching of the northern wall
of Acra been nearer to the tower of Hippicus than I have placed them.
And when the Romans had taken this outer wall, and the Jews were driven
to their next line of defences, they immediately commenced a line of
fortification, which seems to have been from the second wall to the
tower of Hippicus; for which reason, as well as because it is a more
rational way of carrying a wall across a valley, I have made this angle
in the outer wall of Acra.

_These walls, namely, those of Mount Zion and Acra, are all that were
standing in the time of our Saviour._ The outer wall, marked here by
the zigzag lines, was erected by Agrippa, not till eight years or more
after the crucifixion; a circumstance that seems to have escaped the
attention of those who maintain that the spot now marked as Calvary was
then within the city. At the time of our Saviour, a very large suburb
extended northward from the temple and the tower of Antonia, occupying
a hill called Bezetha, but _it was not yet walled in_. Speaking of this
outer wall, Josephus says, “It was Agrippa (Agrippa ruled over Judea
from A. D. 41 to 43.) who encompassed the parts added to the old city
with this wall, which had been all naked before; for as the city grew
more populous, it gradually crept beyond its old limits; and those
parts of it that stood northward of the temple, and joined that hill
to the city, made it considerably larger, and occasioned that hill,
which is in number the fourth, and is called Bezetha, to be inhabited.
It lies over against the tower Antonia, but is divided from it by a
deep valley, which was dug on purpose.... This new built part of the
city was called _Bezetha_, in our language, which, if interpreted in
the Grecian language, may be called _The New City_. Since, therefore,
its inhabitants stood in need of a covering, the father of the present
king, and of the same name with him, Agrippa, began that wall we spoke
of; but he left off building it when he had only laid the foundations,
out of the fear he was in of Claudius Cæsar, lest he should suspect
that so strong a wall was built in order to make some innovation in
public affairs; for the city could no way have been taken if that wall
had been finished in the manner it had been begun; as its parts were
connected together by stones twenty cubits (thirty-six feet) long and
ten cubits broad, which could never have been either easily undermined
by any iron tools, or shaken by any engines. The wall was, however, ten
cubits wide, and it would probably have had a height greater than that,
had not his zeal who began it been hindered from exerting itself. After
this it was erected with great diligence by the Jews as high as twenty
cubits, above which it had battlements of two cubits, and turrets of
three cubits altitude; insomuch that the entire altitude extended as
far as twenty-five cubits.”[44] De Bel. lib. v. cap. 4. § 2.

The slope which I have noticed as near Mr. Nicholayson’s house, and
as showing, southward from that, the outline of Mount Zion, does not
however terminate at the site of the tower Hippicus. It there bends
to the eastward, and again, near the present Latin convent, turns to
the northward, but is at that place reduced to an elevation of only
five or six feet. For a reason to be seen in Josephus, de Bel. lib. v.
c. 7. § 3, as well as on account of the ground, I have made Agrippa’s
wall, which started from the tower Hippicus,[45] keep along the upper
edge of this slope, and have placed the tomb of John at the angle; the
reasons for which may be found also in the above reference. Thence the
course of this wall is uncertain; we only know that it proceeded far
to the northward, and enclosed the suburb of Bezetha; but, though the
course which I have drawn corresponds, as far as I can judge, with the
data given us in Josephus, those data are too few to furnish us with
any thing positive. I think, however, the outline cannot be far from
the truth.

But, as I have just remarked, this wall was not existing at the time
of our Saviour’s crucifixion. If I am correct in the conclusions which
have just been laid before the reader, the castellated walls on the
map, together with the temple, were the only portions then enclosed.
This would make a small city; but the extensive suburbs around would
make up for the deficiency of room. Vienna is an example in our own
times, similar to this, where “the city” or fortified portion is of
very limited extent compared with the vast stretch of suburb attached
to it; these castellated parts of this map have, indeed, just about the
extent of the _Burg_, or city proper of Vienna.

The suburb of Bezetha at that time, though stretching a considerable
distance to the north, seems not to have extended much to the west of
Antonia, for, in addition to the intimation to that effect in Jos. de
Bel. lib. v. cap. 4. § 2, we are informed that the wall of Agrippa,
when erected afterwards, was left weaker at its south-western extremity
than in the other portions, “the builders neglecting to build the wall
strong where the new city was not inhabited.”[46] The dense portions of
this appendage to Jerusalem were on the higher ground lying directly
northward from the temple, the ground over towards the spot which I
have marked as Calvary having a few scattered dwellings, and those of
the meanest order. The ground west of this suburb was probably taken up
with great roads, and such thoroughfares as are usually to be seen in
the neighborhood of a populous city.

And now, if we had no tradition whatever as regards the spot of our
Saviour’s suffering, and were left simply to the guidance of our own
judgment, I think I should look for it somewhere in this angle between
Hippicus and Bezetha. Public places are usually selected for such
occurrences, and in this instance the enemies of the sufferer would be
apt to seek for every circumstance that would add to his humiliation.
We are told by the Scriptures (John xix. 20.) that the place was
_near_ the city; and as it is not probable that they would select a
spot on the other side of the valley of Hinnom or of Kedron, and the
hill Bezetha was covered with houses, we have left only this angle
immediately north of Acra; and in Matthew xxvii. 39, we are informed
that “they that _passed by_ reviled him,” which seems to intimate that
the cross was adjoining some public roads or thoroughfares.

Our search then is restricted to a narrow compass; and now, if upon
this ground we should find a rocky knoll about twenty feet or more in
height, it would appear to us that this would be, in all probability,
the spot selected for such an occasion. It would elevate the sufferers
to a height sufficient to expose them to the eyes of all the multitude,
and would in all respects be adapted to a spectacle like this. Just
such a rock is existing at this day, and _is the one built into the
present church of the Crucifixion_. The place is in Scripture no where
called _Mount_ Calvary; but simply Calvary, or “Golgotha, that is, a
place of a skull,” and we have no reason given us there to look for
a larger eminence. Indeed this seems just such an one as would be
selected for such a purpose, and corresponds, both in elevation and
extent, to its ignominious title.

In these remarks it will be observed, I have been guided entirely by
the judgment, and have endeavored to see whither it would lead us,
without any reference to traditions on this subject. As we have seen,
it conducts us exactly to the spot that tradition _has always pointed
out as the place of the crucifixion_. This tradition I will now proceed
also to notice.

It is not probable that the early Christians would soon forget a
spot of such tender and deep interest to them; for, as I observed
at the beginning of this chapter, the subject is also one of some
practical character. It was rather to be feared that they would attach
to it a reverence that would degenerate into superstition, than that
they would entirely forget it. If at our day the idea of the bare
possibility of visiting Mount Calvary sends a thrill through the whole
system, with what feelings must they have regarded the place when the
memory of this event was fresh among the Christians, and when they
were able to converse with those who had themselves witnessed the
ignominious death of their Lord and Saviour. It does not appear to me
at all probable that such a place would be forgotten; and we have a
proof of the respect in which it was held, in the fact that Hadrian
erected on the sepulchre a statue to Jupiter, and one to Venus on
Mount Calvary. This could have been done only to mock their feelings
and distress them, by desecrating places held by them in high regard.
The fact that he placed these statues on these spots, at all events
shows that they were at this time (about one hundred years after the
events themselves) considered as the places of the crucifixion and the
sepulture of Christ. Helena, the mother of Constantine, two hundred
years subsequently to this, erected on the spot a Christian church,
which, with some changes not affecting the locality, has continued ever
since. There is, therefore, a chain of evidence with regard to these
localities of a very satisfactory kind; and as the judgment finds no
difficulty in the case, but, independently of tradition, is led to the
same conclusion, my own convictions are clearly and decidedly in their
favor.

Let us then examine into the circumstances of this affecting event. The
place of the crucifixion was about six hundred feet from the city wall,
to which the ground from this place had a gentle descent; on the east
were the low and straggling outskirts of the large suburb of Bezetha;
on the west, the ground, at the distance of a few hundred feet, sloped
upward rapidly for a short space, and then stretched off in a long
ascending plain; on the northward it also ascends gently for the
distance of more than a mile. The rock of Golgotha or Calvary is now
about sixteen feet in height, though as the ground around it has been
elevated by the ruins of the old city, it was probably at that time a
few feet higher. It was of sufficient altitude to bring the sufferer
into distinct view before all the crowds that probably at this time
covered the walls and houses and the upward slopes of the hills, and to
make him visible to those “afar off.”[47] A few gardens were near; but
most of the space around this rocky knoll was open, and traversed by
the dusty thoroughfares to the populous city.

It was now the Passover, and more than two millions of people had come
up to Jerusalem;[48] the city, the suburbs, were crowded, the country
around was covered with the dense multitude; and the ceaseless hum
of men, even in their calmer moments, was like the deep hollow roar
of the ocean.--And now the multitudes are agitated, and the stormy
passions are at work amid the countless throng.--He who had excited the
wonder of the Jewish nation, and the rage of the priests and of the
stately Pharisees, had been brought forward before the judgment-seat
of the high-priest and the governor of Judea, and had been condemned
for blasphemy.--He, for blasphemy! The good, the benevolent, the
Godlike! who had given sight to the blind, and had caused the lame
to walk, and had healed the sick, and had brought the dead to life;
who had led their thoughts to heaven, and taught them pure and holy
doctrines; and had been among them in his miracles with the power
of the Divinity himself. He, for blasphemy? Yes, he had publicly,
before their council, declared himself to be the Christ, the Son of
God, and that they should see him sitting on the right hand of power,
and coming from heaven in majesty; and he had foretold that of their
glorious temple, the object almost of their idolatry, not one stone
should be left upon another; and had been accused of saying that he
himself would destroy it. The passions of the dense multitudes rise;
and rumor, with her exaggerations, excites them to phrensy.--And now
comes forth the sufferer, bearing his cross; his back lacerated with
thongs, his brow dropping blood from the crown placed on it in mockery.
Though sinking under fatigue and pain, he meets no commiseration but
is driven on with tauntings and scorn; and they come to the place of
public execution, and the victim is nailed to the cross, and between
two malefactors is raised up to be a spectacle to man; and wherever he
turns his agonized eyes he sees only rage and scorn; and his ears hear
only bitter tauntings;--“he saved others; himself he cannot save.” “If
he be the king of Israel let him come down now from the cross, and we
will believe him.” “He trusted in God; let him deliver him now if he
will have him; for he said, I am the Son of God.”

There is a punishment somewhat similar to this of crucifixion, that
until lately was practised in Algiers and in various parts of Turkey.
The criminal was thrown from the top of a wall and caught by large
hooks projecting from its side, and there left to perish. His torments
were frightful. A fever seized on the body, and excruciating pains
coursed through the whole system; the eyes became bloodshot and
glaring, and starting from their sockets; the sufferer was burnt up
by a scorching thirst, and begged piteously for drink, and after many
hours died in frightful agonies.

Death upon the cross was probably similar to this, for the nails were
driven through the hands and feet, where are congregated an unusual
number of delicate nerves; and by them the whole weight of the body was
suspended. The agonies were probably even greater than those I have
been describing.

Such was the price of our redemption. “He hath borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows; he was bruised for our iniquities; the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are
healed.”

The question with regard to the place of our Saviour’s burial is in a
measure dependent on that into which we have just been examining, and
will therefore not require more than a few minutes’ attention. St. John
(xix. 41, 42.) tells us that “_in the place_ where he was crucified,
there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein never
man was yet laid. There laid they Jesus, therefore, because of the
Jews’ preparation day, for the sepulchre was _nigh at hand_.” We are
therefore to look for this spot close in the neighborhood of Calvary;
and I think that the merriment in which Protestant visitors sometimes
have indulged on finding the spot pointed out for the sepulchre, so
near that of the crucifixion, to be quite out of place. It certainly
is in bad taste; for whatever these places may be, they bear sad and
solemn names, and have been regarded by Christians from time immemorial
as really the places of our Saviour’s bloody death and burial, and
glorious resurrection. However, then, we may be disposed to regard
their genuineness, we should approach them with solemn feelings; and
levity or sarcasm in such a place becomes us very ill.

For myself, I believe that as regards the place of our Saviour’s
crucifixion, there is no just ground for disbelief, nor can I see
much as regards also that pointed out as the place for burial. It is
about 110 feet from the rocky knoll, and is not at all too near to
have a garden wall intervene, and make this a proper place for Joseph
of Arimathea to hew out a sepulchre. _Gennath_, the name of the gate
opening from the Upper City to this place, means gardens,[49] and it is
probable that much of this space was originally occupied with gardens.
We find also that it was a place of tombs; for the monument of the
high-priest John was near this, as were also probably “the monuments
of king Alexander.”[50] The circumstances of the case are, therefore,
in favor of this spot; the Scriptures in some measure give it their
sanction, and tradition from the earliest years has been uniform on the
subject. Hadrian over it erected the statue of Jupiter, and here also
Helena built a church; and among the rival sects of the Greek and Latin
church, which soon after sprung up, and which have been endeavoring to
appropriate, each to itself, as much as possible of the holy places, no
one has ever attempted to designate another spot.

I confess I take pleasure in believing that the spot pointed out to
us as that of our Saviour’s sepulture, is the true one; and that, to
the scene of his deep humiliation and his agony for us is in close
proximity the scene of his triumph over hell and the grave; and though
it can be no argument, I confess there seems to me to be a fitness of
things where we are allowed to stand where stood the cross of Christ,
and look down on the empty tomb, and say through him, “O death, where
is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin;
and the strength of sin is the law; but thanks be to God which giveth
us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

FOOTNOTES:

[18] Josephus, Bell. Jud. lib. v. cap. 4. §5. Also, Antiq. lib. xiv.
cap. 4. §1.

[19] Josephus, passim.

[20] Jos. Antiq. lib. xv. cap. xi. § 5.

[21] Do. § 3.

[22] These dimensions seem incredible; but this is a subject that will
be noticed by and by.

[23] Jos. Antiq. lib. viii. cap. 3. § 9. lib. xv. cap. xi. § 3.

[24] Jos. de Bel. lib. v. cap. 5. § 8.

[25] Antiq. lib. xv. cap. xi. § 4.

[26] Jos. de Bel. lib. v. cap. iv. § 1.

[27] Ibid.

[28] Tacitus Hist. Lib. v. cap. xi.

[29] Ib.

[30] Jos. de Bel. lib. v. cap. iv. § 1.

[31] Josephus informs us, that the Jews under Simon, “all set
themselves to work and levelled this mountain; and in that work spent
both day and night, without any intermission, which cost them three
whole years before it was removed and brought to an entire level with
the plain of the rest of the city; after which the temple was the
highest of all the buildings. Now the citadel, as well as the mountain
on which it stood, was demolished.” Antiq. lib. xiii. cap. vi. § 7.

By the words, “to an entire level with the plain of the rest of the
city,” he cannot mean to a level with the plain of Zion; for in another
place (de Bel. lib. v. cap. iv. § 1.) he says that the upper city, or
Zion, was much higher than this; we must understand him to say, that
the peak was reduced to the general level of the rest of Acra.

[32] Jos. de Bel. lib. v. cap. iv. § 1.

[33] Ibid. lib. vi. cap. vi. § 2, and cap. viii. § 2.

[34] “For the city lay over against the Temple in the manner of a
theatre, and was encompassed with a deep valley along the entire south
quarter.” Antiq. lib. xv. cap. xi. § 5.

[35] Jos. de Bel. lib. v. cap. iv. § 2.

[36] Jos. de Bel. lib. v. cap. iv. § 2.

[37] Ibid. Also cap. vi. § 1.

[38] Ibid. lib. vi. cap. viii. § 1.

[39] Jos. de Bel. lib. v. cap. iv. § 1. et passim.

[40] Ibid.

[41] _Κυκλουμενον_ is the word used by Josephus; Whiston has translated
it “encompassed;” L’Estrange, I think, translates it “passes along;” it
means simply making a curve, either inward or outward, and so I have
used it.

[42] Jos. de Bel. lib. v. cap. iv. § 2.

[43] Jos. de Bel. lib. v. cap. vi. § 2.

[44] In Antiq. lib. xix. cap. vii. § 2. is a short passage that
seems to be opposed to this. It is probable that his predecessors
contemplated such a wall, and made a commencement in one or two places;
both Pompey (B. C. 63) and Herod (B. C. 37), when they came to attack
Jerusalem, found this place quite naked, and made their assaults at
once on the temple and the second wall at Acra. Tacitus, Hist. lib. v.
cap. xii. has a passage bearing on this subject. “Moreover the covetous
temper that prevailed under Claudius gave the Jews an opportunity of
purchasing for money, leave to fortify Jerusalem; so they built walls
in time of peace as if they were going to war, they being augmented in
number by those rude multitudes of people that retired thither on the
ruin of the other cities.” Claudius reigned from A. D. 41 to 54.

[45] Jos. de Bel. lib. v. cap. iv. § 2.

[46] Jos. de Bel. lib. v. cap. 6. § 2.

[47] See Luke xxiii. 49.

[48] Jos. de Bel. lib. vi. cap. 9. § 3.

[49] גנת Esther i. 5, &c.

[50] Jos. de Bel. lib. 5. cap. 7. § 3.

CHAPTER XV.

  Commencement of our visits. Hospital of the knights of St. John.
  Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Reputed tomb of the Saviour. Marble
  sarcophagus. Effect of this visit on us. Question whether this is
  the real tomb, or only a representation of it. Removal of the floor
  two centuries since. Greek chapel “the centre of the world.” Origin
  of the various incredible traditions. Charity to be exercised. Cave
  where the cross is said to have been discovered. Fissure in the rock.
  Tradition about the head of Adam. Calvary. Holes for the crosses.
  Another fissure in the rock. The humiliation in the tomb, and
  resurrection.

We were glad, on arriving at Mr. Nicholayson’s, to find the ladies
of the Commodore’s family quite recovered from the effects of the
preceding day’s severe fatigue. Mrs. Nicholayson herself was in
a feeble state of health, occasioned by her watchings over Mrs.
Thompson’s couch, and exposures during the earthquake, and the
subsequent fighting in the city; their house, as has already been
observed, having been used as an advanced point of attack on the
citadel. The presence of ladies speaking her own language had
immediately an astonishing effect on her spirits, and she became
rapidly convalescent.

Impatient, and with feelings almost in a nervous state, we soon found
ourselves out, and winding along the narrow lane that leads from Mr.
Nicholayson’s to the slope by which we descend from Mount Zion to the
lower city. Standing on the edge of this, we looked down on the ruins
of a great edifice erected for the knights of St. John at the time of
the Crusades. It is a very large building, I should think near six
hundred feet in length by two hundred in width; but the lower story or
basement is all that now remains. This forms a suite of vaults, which
are now occupied as stores for grain and merchandize; a street of shops
forming a kind of bazaar passes along the western side of it, and on
the south is the principal bazaar of the city, the exterior range of
vaults answering very well for stores. The place where we were then
standing was about the spot where I suppose the gate Gennath to have
been.

Descending from this eminence, we entered a street which passes along
the northern side of this ruin, and is lined with fruit shops and
houses, sometimes one, sometimes two stories in height, of stone, the
windows small and the exterior very plain. This street is about one
thousand feet in length. At its further extremity on our right was an
edifice distinguished by its size and massiveness, but presenting on
the exterior only a bare wall pierced with a few narrow windows. This
was “The Church of the Holy Sepulchre.” It forms altogether a block
of masonry about one hundred and sixty feet by one hundred in width,
in which are included the chapel of the Crucifixion, the church of
the Sepulchre, some small chapels, and a monastery, the cloisters
of the monks occupying the portions of the building next the street.
Just before coming to this building, we entered a low door in a stone
wall, and then, having descended along a narrow alley, we turned
presently to the left, and had before us the court and grand entrance
to the church. On our left was the church tower, but without bells,
as, with the single exception of Mount Lebanon, bells are not allowed
to Christian churches in Turkey. The height of this tower has also
been reduced, from a similar feeling of jealousy on the part of their
Turkish masters. Three sides of the court were formed by a mass of
buildings of irregular shape, while the fourth, or that looking towards
the west, was open; in the central part was an arched portal ornamented
with columns of verd-antique, and sculptures of the Norman style of
architecture; it was open at the time of our visit, and I believe is
so daily for an hour or two in the morning. After this it is closed,
the key is returned to the Turkish governor; and admittance during the
rest of the day, if desired, must be purchased from him. The monks,
therefore, are prisoners in their monastery, except during this short
interval, and intercourse with them must be held through a square hole
in this door, where also provisions and other necessaries are taken in.
We visited the place once in the afternoon, and were allowed to enter
after waiting nearly an hour, and at the cost of a dollar or two.

Passing through this door, the visiter finds himself in a hall or
vestibule, about forty feet long by twenty in width; and in front of
him, on the floor, a slab of reddish marble, with huge candlesticks
and candles at either end; they call it the stone of unction, and say
that on it our Saviour’s body was anointed previous to interment. And
here commences a series of legends and fictions, dealt out unsparingly
to the visitor, which often produce disgust, and always jar on the
feelings of the pilgrim whose mind is not steeped in the grossest
credulity. I could fill a book with them, but have no relish for such
a task; and during this visit gave but little attention to them, as I
wished to keep my feelings free from the effect of such puerilities;
and I shall at present trouble the reader with them only so far as to
give him an idea of this blot on Christianity at Jerusalem. By doing
more, we should only stir up emotions that cannot harmonize with the
place, and which will prevent us from feeling the influence of that
which is real and true.

Turning now to the left we came, at the distance of about twenty feet,
to a large door-way which admitted us into a circular church, quite
lofty, and about fifty feet in diameter.[51]

The lower part of this is lined with a range of pilasters, between
which are arched openings into a dozen chapels, some used by the
Copts, Greeks, and Armenians, and some occupied by altars connected
with the legends which have just been noticed. Above these runs a
corridor, and the whole is surmounted by the large dome which had drawn
my attention when on the top of our monastery. In the centre of the
area of this church is a structure of masonry, about eight feet wide,
eight or nine in height, and about twelve in length; at one end is a
marble platform, raised about twelve inches from the floor, with steps
quite around, and bordered part of the length with a low marble wall
or parapet on either side; the other end of this structure, instead of
being square, has three faces, in which are very small chapels for the
Copts, Abyssinians, &c. The structure itself is faced with the richest
marbles, in compartments, and enriched with mouldings, and has on the
summit a little tower like a lantern, used, I believe, as a vent for
the smoke from some lamps within the tomb. Yes, this, they tell us, is
the tomb of our Saviour, hewn originally in the solid rock; but that
the exterior rock has been cut down so as to form a kind of shell,
in the shape of a chapel, with its exterior surface enriched in this
manner with marble. If this be so, they have sadly disguised the place,
for, being lined with marble also in the interior, it has now not the
least resemblance to what the Scripture account of it would lead us
to expect. The entrance is at the end towards the east. We ascended
the marble platform, and entering by a low door found ourselves in a
chamber about six feet wide and five in depth, in the centre of which
is an upright column irregularly shaped, about two feet in height.
They say it is the stone on which the angel sat when he announced the
resurrection to Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and
Salome. At the further end of this room, at the corner on the left, is
a low door; and there, stooping down, we entered another chamber about
six feet square. One half of this latter apartment was occupied by a
marble sarcophagus; and in this, they say, was deposited the body of
our crucified Saviour.

For a while we were unwilling, and I believe should have been unable,
to enter into the inquiry whether this was really so;--so strong an
emotion was created by the annunciation that we were in our Lord’s
sepulchre, and that before us was the coffin where his body had lain,
and from which he rose triumphant, leading captivity captive. We stood
for a long time silent, gazing on the marble; and I believe it would
have taken little to have caused us to shed tears. The place was
lighted only by lamps suspended from the ceiling over the coffin; no
sounds were heard, except occasionally of our deep breathing, as our
emotions became almost too strong to be restrained. And our feelings, I
believe, were of a salutary nature.

There was then in our company, one of whom I am allowed here to
speak, but whom the shrinking modesty which she always evinced while
living, and which should still be regarded, will allow me barely to
notice. She was dear to us all; and although, with such solemn scenes
as these around us, it becomes me to speak with humility of worldly
accomplishments, I may say she possessed them in an unusual degree, and
that she was admired and beloved at home and abroad by every one that
knew her. She is now no longer in this world. In the grave, earthly
accomplishments, and even earthly love, avail us nothing; but religion
does avail; and the religion of the cross of Christ, so full of hope
and glory, she was led to adopt by this visit to Calvary and to the
sepulchre of Christ. She had been educated by pious friends, and had
respected and esteemed the ordinances of the gospel; but this visit,
and the scenes here brought before her mind, made her realize as she
had not done before, how great was the price paid for her salvation,
and how strong are our obligations to give ourselves unhesitatingly to
Him who hesitated not to give himself for us. Selecting a proper time,
when the act would be free from ostentation, she took out her Bible,
which she had brought to the city, and placing it on the coffin, wrote,
as was long after discovered, her name and the date of our visit, with
the quotation, “Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.” Not
long after her return to the ship she made a meek yet decided avowal of
this Saviour as her only hope and trust; and all who knew her witnessed
a corresponding exhibition of Christian character. For the change
which brought the humble and gentle virtues into striking relief, while
hope rose higher and became full of immortality, she always referred to
this visit as the immediate cause. She was, at that time, apparently in
excellent health; but youth and health are no guarantee for us in this
our earthly home. When our ship, eighteen months afterwards, approached
our own shore, it bore her a feeble and exhausted invalid; and when
land at length rose to our sight, we scarcely heeded it; for she, our
companion so long, and so beloved by us, was now a corpse. She had
expired suddenly only the evening previous. By her mourning parents in
that hour of anguish, I heard this visit spoken of, and they found in
its consequences a source of consolation, such as the whole earth could
not have afforded them; to her, had she possessed worlds, what would
they have been in comparison with her religion?

When we spoke, at length, as we stood by the coffin in this sepulchre,
it was involuntarily in low tones, and in brief sentences; and it was
a relief to get out where the feelings were less oppressive. I speak
of the sensations of others as well as of my own; for I have since
frequently heard them speak of this visit and of its effects on their
feelings.

Our feelings however, in this case, led captive by the scene around us,
by the silent chamber lighted by a few lamps, the marble coffin, and
the tradition that this was our Lord’s sepulchre, acted without the
concurrence of our judgment; or rather, they suspended for a while
the power of judging or the disposition to inquire. Yet, although for
reasons already given, I have little doubt that this was the spot of
our Saviour’s interment, the assertion that this is the sepulchre
itself, wants confirmation; and the marble coffin or sarcophagus,
I cannot regard as any thing more than a mere _representation_ of
the grave, or the place where the body was deposited; and for this
it is by no means happily chosen. This _may_ be the sepulchre, cut
on the outside into the form of a little chapel; but as nothing but
marble is seen both within and on the outside, the native rock,
if it exists, being no where allowed to appear, we have no means
of satisfying ourselves that it is so; and the circumstances are
altogether suspicious, particularly when taken in connexion with the
many other assertions with regard to sacred places in Jerusalem which
are manifestly beyond belief. The coffin is of white marble, slightly
marked by a few veins of a light blue color; it is rectangular, six
feet long within, about three feet broad, and two feet two inches
in depth; being in all respects exactly like the ancient sarcophagi
found all over Greece and in Asia; the cover remains, and the whole
exterior has a slight degree of roughness, as if it might once have
been exposed to the weather. This is entirely at variance with the
ancient tombs still to be seen in great numbers about Jerusalem, and
particularly in the district lying north from the present city. They
are composed sometimes of a single chamber, sometimes of a succession
of chambers, cut in the solid rock, with a rectangular cavity large
enough for a body, in the floor, at the side of the chamber; in the
larger chambers, there are more than one cavity, and in a few cases,
instead of being cut in the floor, they form a box against the side,
but cut also out of the solid rock. In no case that I have heard of,
has a marble sarcophagus been found within them, none would be needed;
and even in the tombs of the kings of some magnificence, northward from
the city, the native rock has been exclusively employed. The evidence
is altogether against this marble sarcophagus, and I cannot yield it my
belief.

But still, whether it was that I had some lingering doubts on the
subject, or whether it was the name it bore, and the silent and
lamp-lit chamber in which it is presented, I cannot say: but though I
visited this chamber repeatedly, it was always with a feeling of awe
mingled with a degree of reverence.

There was in the city, at the time of our visit, an English gentleman,
who had become a Roman Catholic, and was now a priest, but was a man
of enlightened and liberal views; he had been residing some time at
Lisbon, and had now been sent to Jerusalem with the contribution of
the Portuguese churches for this year. He visited us frequently at Mr.
Nicholayson’s; and we were all struck both with his intelligence and
very gentlemanly manners. He informed me that a short time previous to
this, when occupied one day in examining the library of the principal
Latin convent, he lighted on an old musty book, written in Latin by the
father guardian of Jerusalem about three centuries since. The author
said, that during his residence here it was found necessary to take
up the pavement of this church in order to make some repairs; that he
watched the process with deep attention, and that his satisfaction
can scarcely be imagined, when, on coming to the native rock, he
found, immediately under this spot, a chamber cut in the rock, and
corresponding exactly to the tombs we find about the city. That on
further research among the old records of the convent, he (the father
guardian) found it stated, that in ancient times the sepulchre had
stood open and exposed; and was beginning to be greatly mutilated by
pilgrims, each one being desirous of carrying away some portion of
the sacred rock. In order to preserve it, a strong railing was built
around; but that now, the visitors being debarred from touching the
sepulchre, votive offerings, rags,[52] &c. were thrown in by them in
such quantities that the place soon become offensive; and that finally,
to prevent this new evil, the tomb was filled up, and a small chapel
was erected over it, with a sarcophagus, as a representative of the
real sepulchre beneath.

The account of the father guardian has the appearance of probability,
but the reader is left to take it for what he may consider it worth. I
tried to get sight of the book; but as the convent was in quarantine on
account of the plague, could not succeed; and I regret to say that I
have forgotten its title.

The light which we can gain from the Scriptures on this subject, joined
with the uniform tradition, lead me to suppose that this is the spot;
whatever may be the fact with regard to the sepulchre itself, whether
it be now beneath the structure going by its name, or whether it has
been cut away to make room for a heathen temple erected by Hadrian, or
for the present church.

The little chapel of the Sepulchre stands in the centre of the great
church, facing the east. Directly in front of it is a large opening
into a church owned by the Greeks, and no wise remarkable, except for a
ball suspended from the ceiling, and a plate beneath it, on which is an
inscription, telling that this is the centre of the world.

The authority for this is in Ps. lxxiv. 12. “For God is my King of
old, working salvation in the midst of the earth;” and here I must
warn the reader that his feelings will sometimes be shocked in the
course of these visits, and I must be allowed to warn him also against
allowing his disgust to operate so as to make him reject the truth
with the error. This is not consistent with the principles of sound
judgment, but the contrary. Where truth is, error will generally
come; and error, as I have already remarked, is to a certain degree a
proof that there is truth somewhere; for man could not hang up such a
mass of fictions if there was not something real to hang it upon; and
generally, the more important the truth, the more earnest is error to
draw advantage therefrom.

I cannot, however, join in the frequent outcry of imposition, craft
and falsehood against the sects who hold these places, and recite
these traditions to the visitor. That such things as these are to be
found in high and sacred seats, is doubtless true, and that they are
sometimes practised here is also very probable; but I can find, for a
great many of these traditions, an origin of a more charitable nature,
and I believe one more consonant with the real state of the case. We
live now in an age of light and knowledge, and find it hard even to
imagine the darkness that once covered Europe and all these lands. We
can form only some idea of it from the books of the middle ages--books
full of fable and false philosophy on every subject. These fables on
medicine, on alchemy, on astrology, and on a multitude of other topics,
grew up, we are willing to believe, from men’s ignorance; in some cases
there may have been deliberate deception; but in most, their origin was
in the gross ignorance of the times; they show the strivings of minds
shorn of their strength by diseases hereditary and for ages universal;
men saw but dimly, and wandered into the ways of error when really
and honestly in search of truth. And if we are willing to extend
this charity to the other sciences, why not also to that of religion,
where men’s feelings are apt to be more warmly affected, and even in a
good cause, to warp the judgment, particularly if it be weak, than in
any other? In this very city, the Mahomedans have a great variety of
traditions with respect to the mosque of Omar, and some other of their
sacred places about Jerusalem, quite as wild as any thing among the
Christian sects; yet when we listen to them, we do not at once cry out
“craft and roguery,” and believe the narrator to be wilfully imposing
on us. We are willing to suppose him honest. We look at him; his face
is grave; he has the appearance of sincerity; and we attribute the
error to the deep and dark ignorance in which these people are known to
live. Now I wish to claim for the Christian traditions just what we are
willing to give to those of the Mahomedans. The principle of charity
may, it is true, be carried too far, but I wish to see it carried
further than it is. Let us go among these sacred places cautious,
as cautious as you choose; but not sneering, or cultivating bitter
feelings towards one another; let us pity the ignorance of our brother
and commiserate him, but not load him with harsh epithets. Uncharitable
insinuations are certainly very much out of place in this region, which
should excite only humble and tender feelings; where, amid tauntings
and contumely showered upon him, the Saviour prayed, “Father, forgive
them, _for they know not what they do_.”

After leaving the Greek chapel, we crossed to the western side of this
circular church; and here entering a narrow winding passage, came
presently to a floor of naked rock with two graves cut in it, called
the Sepulchres of Joseph of Arimathea and of Nicodemus. They are just
deep enough to contain a body; that of Nicodemus is only about four and
a half feet in length.

From this place we were taken to a chapel on the northern side of the
church, where, they say, our Saviour appeared to the Virgin after his
resurrection; and next, by a winding passage, to a place in the rear
of the Greek church, where are altars marking, it is said, the spots
where they cast lots for his garments; where he was confined till they
had prepared the cross; where occurred the conversion of Longinus,
the officer who pierced his side with a spear, &c. Here also we were
conducted, by a descent of forty steps, into a large cave, the place
where Helena discovered the cross. They tell us that the Jews, in order
to stop the adoration of the cross by the early Christians, cast it
here into a hole called the “Valley of Corpses,” where it remained
three hundred years; that Helena, on digging for it, discovered three
crosses, and, unable to distinguish which was the one she was searching
for, had them carried to the place where is now the chapel of the
Virgin, and where was then a woman at the point of death; and that the
sick person being made to touch them, two produced no effect, but the
third or true cross restored her immediately to health.

Ascending from the cave and following another dark passage, we came
presently into a chapel about fifteen feet square, one side of which
is formed by a bare precipitous rock. This is a portion of the rocky
knoll of Golgotha or Calvary; and here they showed us a rent or fissure
about sixteen inches in width, telling us that it was formed at the
time of the crucifixion, when the veil of the temple was rent in twain,
and with the quaking of the earth the rocks were rent. They tell also a
story, which I feel loth to repeat, that here, at the time just spoken
of, the head of Adam was discovered; and that when the Saviour’s side
was pierced, the blood and water flowed down upon it; that, as Adam had
been the first to sin, he might be the first to experience the benefit
of the redemption.

After giving an impatient glance at these various spots, we passed on;
and soon after, emerging once more into daylight, found ourselves in
the vestibule, and at the foot of the staircase leading to the summit
of Calvary.

I have mentioned, that on entering the vestibule from the outer court,
we had before us the stone of unction, and on the left the entrance to
the circular Church of the Sepulchre. On the right, at the distance of
about thirty-five feet, is a narrow stairway of eighteen steps, cut in
the solid rock, and leading to a platform elevated about sixteen feet
above the lower church, and nearly square, having about forty feet on
each side. This is Mount Calvary. The surface is now level, and paved
with red marbles; and, by a kind of partition formed of two arches with
square columns between, is divided into two chambers, one being nearly
square and the other oblong. They are surmounted by a dome, more peaked
than that over the church of the Holy Sepulchre. When we reached the
top of the stairway, we found ourselves in the first of these chambers,
or the square one; but were first taken across it into the other,
where a large star, formed of marble mosaic work in the pavement, was
pointed out as indicating the spot where the Saviour was nailed to the
cross. That designated as the place where the crosses stood during the
crucifixion is in the first chamber, at its northern side.

Returning to this place, we found there a platform against the wall,
running the whole way across the church, and sixteen inches in height
by about three feet in width. It was also covered with marbles, and
half way across had a large embossed silver plate with a hole in the
centre; and this is said to be over the very spot where stood our
Saviour’s cross. On each side are similar plates, said to be over the
holes for the other two crosses; but the holes are so near together,
that the arms of the three crosses could not have been in a line,
unless, as might have been the case, that of the Saviour was higher or
lower than the others. I put my hand several times through the hole
in the central silver plate, and found beneath it a hollow of rough
sides, rather large, and about a foot or fifteen inches in depth. Half
way between it and the hole on our right, as we stood facing them,
is another plate of silver about thirty inches in length, and with a
narrow slit in it, corresponding, they informed us, to a fissure in
the rock, the commencement of the crevice which we had seen below.
There is something very much like a crack, about two inches wide, the
opposite parts of which appear to correspond; but a close examination
is prevented by the silver plate above; its direction is across the
natural stratification of the rock. The object of these silver plates
is probably to guard these places from violence, as pilgrims or other
visitors are much given to chipping off fragments from such spots[53]
for friends at home. Whether these are really the holes where the
crosses stood, and whether this is a real fracture or “rent” in the
rock, it is impossible to say; there can be no doubt, however, that
this is really a mass of native rock; and its elevation is just such
as would be desired for the infliction of death by crucifixion. It is
now so built around, and so, covered with marbles, that it is not easy
to form an exact judgment of its original altitude or extent; but if I
may venture a rough estimate of the former, I should say it was about
twenty or twenty-five feet. It appears to be nearly precipitous at the
northern end.

Our feelings while standing on Mount Calvary were of that high-wrought
but solemn kind that we had experienced while at the Sepulchre, but not
perhaps so strong in degree; for although this was a place of agony
and shame, and yet of the highest moral grandeur, there was connected
with the other a depth of humiliation, a completeness of abandonment,
that was extremely affecting. The grave had received the body of the
sufferer, cold and stiffened in death; the winding sheet was around
those mangled limbs, and over the temples where the blood stood on
many a wound. Nature that day had sympathized and shuddered,--but this
now had passed; the taunters, after praying that his blood might be
on them and on their children, had gone their way; the disciples were
appalled and had fled; the tomb was sealed up, and the moon threw its
mild rays on a scene forsaken apparently of God and of man, except the
silent sentry pacing to and fro. The humiliation was now complete; the
price of our ransom was paid to the utmost, and then glory from heaven
poured down upon the spot. The God-Redeemer rose, and death, who,
though conqueror, had set trembling to see the Creator of all things
prostrate and beneath his sway, was now himself led captive, and made a
ministering servant to bring the redeemed to eternal glory.

FOOTNOTES:

[51] All these dimensions, I wish the reader to understand, are not by
actual measurement, but as nearly as I could judge by the eye; I think
they are sufficiently accurate to serve as a guide in the present case,
but I do not affirm them to be strictly accurate.

[52] Such a custom still prevails in the east. In Turkish burying
grounds, we frequently see bits of rags suspended about the tombs of
the dead whom they regard with reverence. The monumental enclosures in
Pere la Chaise, near Paris, are often rendered offensive by the heaps
of decaying garlands within them, the offerings of friends.

[53] Many parts of Jerusalem bore testimony to our itchings for such
relics; fresh fractures were to be seen in a great many places on the
walls and along the streets.

CHAPTER XVI.

  Dimensions of the Modern City. Ground within the city, and in its
  environs. Its picturesque appearance. Continuation of our visits. Via
  Dolorosa. Sentence of the Saviour from Salignatius. House of Veronica
  and Picture of the Napkin. House of “the Rich Man.” Arch of the Ecce
  Homo. Pilate’s House. Mosque of Omar. The Locked-up Stone. Pool of
  Bethesda. Place of Stephen’s Martyrdom. The Golden Gate. The Emperor
  Heraclius in a dilemma.

The modern Jerusalem is about three fourths of a mile at its greatest
length, and about two thirds of a mile in width.[54] It contains a
population of about 20,000 persons; namely, 10,000 Mahomedans occupying
principally the northern and eastern portions; 6,000 Jews living on
what was formerly the Acra; 3,500 Greeks and Catholics, around the
church of Calvary; and about 500 Armenians, in and about their great
convent on Mount Zion. Of the last eminence only a small portion is
included within the limits of the present city.

Seen from the Mount of Olives, Jerusalem appears to stand on a plain
declining gently towards the east; but the ground is far from being
an unbroken level. On the contrary, it is quite uneven, though in no
part rising into hills, unless the remains of Mount Zion be entitled to
this name. The steep descent from Zion on the eastward I have already
noticed. Passing from Calvary to the south-east, we begin immediately
to descend, and towards the site of the ancient castle of Antonia the
slope is very rapid; then succeeds a piece of low ground for the space
of 100 feet; and next as we reach the site of the castle is an eminence
fifteen or twenty feet in height, with a rapid ascent from the west,
but sloping gradually down towards the gate of St. Stephen (marked _c_)
in the eastern wall. From Calvary, northward and westward, the ground
ascends by a gentle inclination, with the exception of the rapid slope
already mentioned, at the line which I have marked for Agrippa’s wall.
But this slope does not continue far.

Without the city on the south and west, after crossing the valley of
Hinnom, we find ourselves on an open and rather barren plain ascending
gently as it recedes from the city, and stretching off for a distance
of two or three miles; on the northward the ground is rolling for a
few miles, when it begins to ascend, and at the distance of about five
miles attains considerable elevation; there was probably the _Scopus_
of ancient times.

On this, the northern side, Jerusalem as it is approached appears to
the best advantage, as the cultivated grounds, the olives scattered
thickly around, the verdant slopes of the Mount of Olives, towering
upward just on the left, impress the visitor favorably with the
environs of the city; while the walls of the city itself, at the
northern end battlemented in a fanciful manner, and by numerous angles
broken in a picturesque form, produce, with their numerous towers,
a very favorable effect. Jerusalem, however, seen from a great many
points of view, is a highly picturesque city; and I can say for myself
at least, that I found it presenting on the outside a more imposing
appearance than I had anticipated. War and the earthquake had left
the interior wretched indeed; nor, as far as we could judge, have
its narrow streets, and its low rude houses, even in better times,
any thing very attractive; but from numerous places without, and
particularly as we wound along the valleys below, its battlements,
and castles, and towers, rising from the edge of the high steep bank,
and brought into strong relief against the sky, sometimes overhanging
our path, and sometimes stretching off to a distance, appearing and
disappearing along the uneven ground, had a very picturesque effect.
When viewed from the Mount of Olives, the whole city appears like a
map at our feet. The houses, which are of stone, are seldom more than
two stories in height, and on the exterior are rude and without any
pretensions to beauty; but when seen from an elevated spot, the city
has a singular appearance, in consequence of the domes, with which
every dwelling is covered. Sometimes every chamber in the house has its
dome; and as these are whitewashed on the exterior, when we look down
upon it from the Mount of Olives, the whole city appears dotted over
with these excrescences. A couple of open green spots just within the
walls, a few trees rising here and there, the tower of the church of
the Holy Sepulchre and its large domes, several minarets, and close to
us the extensive open court of the mosque of Omar, with its trees, and
in the centre the handsome mosque itself, complete the view as seen
from the Mount of Olives.

The walls of Jerusalem are twenty-five or thirty feet in height, and
are flanked with numerous towers, both circular and square; and at
the Jaffa gate are still further strengthened by a mass of buildings
forming a castle. There are four principal gates; and on the north
and south two smaller ones or posterns, which, however, I believe are
seldom used.

Leaving the church of the Holy Sepulchre, we turned down a street at
right angles to the one by which we had come, and leading towards
Mount Moriah. It forms a portion of the “Via Dolorosa,” or way by
which, they tell us, our Saviour came, bearing his cross, from the
judgment hall to the place of his suffering. The street is narrow and
badly paved, and at the distance of about 600 feet from the church, is
crossed, for a space of twenty feet, by a low heavy arch, which, they
say, is a remnant of the ancient gateway. I suppose this arch is near
the line of the northern wall of Acra, but, apart from what is said in
Josephus, (de Bel. lib. vii. cap. i. § 1.) this arch wants the massive
character of that wall; and the account is not at all probable. They
call it the _Puerta Judicaria_, and point to a broken column as one on
which the Roman authorities were accustomed to stick the sentence of
persons condemned to death; and they quote from Salignatius that of
our Saviour as posted here. “_Jesus of Nazareth, a subverter of the
kingdom, a derider of Cæsar, and a false Messiah, as is proved by the
evidence of the chief men of his nation, is to be led to the place of
common punishment, and with mock majesty is to be crucified between two
thieves; hasten, Lictor, and prepare the crosses._”

We pass on, and again they try to tax our credulity by pointing to
a house on the left, about two hundred feet below this gate, as the
veritable house of Veronica, a pious woman living at the time of the
crucifixion. They say that as Jesus passed by this dwelling, his
face covered with blood streaming from the crown of thorns, Veronica
offered a napkin, which, having been pressed against his face, when
given again to her was found to present an exact copy of his features.
Pictures of the Saviour are to be seen in all Catholic countries,
represented as painted on a towel, and said to be copies from this.

Though we cannot believe it, yet there is something pretty in the
tradition; and the same may be said of a great many of the traditions
which they relate to us, but it would require an excess of credulity
to suppose that this is her house, when we know that by the infuriated
soldiers of Titus every dwelling was destroyed;[55] and the appearance
of the building itself must satisfy us that it is comparatively a
modern dwelling.

Still lower down they put a climax to all this by pointing out the very
house in which dwelt “the rich man,” and the spot (on the opposite side
of the street) where Lazarus used to recline. The house is a large good
looking edifice, and I believe is now occupied by Aboo Ghoosh.

Here the Via Dolorosa bends, for a short space, to the left, and then,
turning again in the direction of St. Stephen’s gate, ascends a low
eminence, and terminates at what they call the ruins of Pilate’s house.
At this place is a lofty arch over the street, with two windows above,
in which, they tell us, the Roman governors were accustomed to address
the people; and which they call “Ecce Homo,” from a tradition that the
Saviour was there brought out before the Jews, when they cried out,
demanding his crucifixion. (John xix. 5.) Here, too, they showed us
the place from which were taken a suite of marble steps, now shown at
Rome, as then belonging to the Judgment Hall, and which I have seen
in that city, where no one is allowed to ascend them except on his
knees. Indeed, all the region around this spot is fruitful in their
traditions; some of which are sufficiently curious, but the reader has
probably by this time had enough of them. I will only add, that the
windows over the arch had formerly a pillar between them; but that on
one occasion a deputy of the Sultan being on a visit to the cities of
Syria, on his arrival at Jerusalem the Father Guardian of the Latins
neglected to carry him a present, on which the deputy ordered him to
carry this pillar on his shoulders to the mosque of Omar. “But for this
he was well chastised; for, on departing from Jerusalem, he fell from
his horse and broke a leg; so at least it is affirmed by many.”[56]

Pilate’s house stands a short distance from the street leading to St.
Stephen’s gate; and we turned aside to it, not to speculate upon their
traditions, but for the advantage offered by the lofty terrace that
forms its roof for getting a good view of the mosque of Omar. The
Turks will allow no Christian to enter even the court of this mosque,
and as the edifice from which we had our view forms a part of its
boundary, we were able, from our elevated position, to overlook the
whole of it.

This court stands at the south-eastern angle of the present city,
the walls of which bound it on the east and partly at the south.
Its dimensions are 1500 feet by 1000; and it therefore occupies
considerably more ground than the ancient Mount Moriah, which was,
I suppose, towards its southern extremity. Its clean grounds, and
the shade trees which are scattered over them, make a very pretty
appearance. The platform in its centre is ornamented along the edge
on either side by a species of triumphal arch; and the mosque itself,
which stands towards the southern end of this platform, is a very
handsome building. It is octagonal, and is built of light colored
marble with blackish veins, into which are set pannels of a darker
shade. The other portion of the building, and the lofty cupola, are
ornamented with various colored tiles disposed in fanciful patterns;
and below, at each of the entrances, is an ornamented porch attached.
The interior is enriched with twenty-four columns and pilasters, and
also with carving and gilding.

The mosque of Omar, called by the Arabs _El Sakhara_, or the
“Locked-up,” owes its high sanctity to a large stone in the centre,
apparently a portion of the native rock of the mountain. It is rough
as when hewn from the quarry, is surrounded by a wooden railing about
four feet high, and covered by a cloth of green stuff and satin. This
is the _Hadjr-el-Sakhara_, or the “Locked-up stone.” The Turks relate
that it fell from heaven when the gift of prophecy was bestowed on
man, and was used as a seat by the ancient men who were thus endowed.
But when the prophets were at length compelled to abandon it and fly
to other countries, the stone showed also a disposition to take its
departure; on which the archangel Gabriel came, and, grasping it with
his hand, held it in its place until Mahomet had flown from Mecca,
and firmly attached it to the mountain. The Caliph Omar afterwards
built around it the present mosque. They show on it the marks of the
archangel’s fingers, made in the struggle to detain the rock.

Beneath the mosque is a cave about eighteen feet square, with niches,
called by the names of Abraham, David, Solomon, Elias, Gabriel, and
Mahomet, but containing nothing remarkable.

In the south-eastern angle of the large court is another edifice of an
oblong shape, 162 feet in length and 32 in width, called by the Turks
_El Aksa_, and used by them as a mosque. It is enriched by a great
number of columns within, but has a plain exterior; the Latins say it
was the church used in the Presentation, but it probably belongs to the
times of the crusades.

Immediately without the court of the mosque of Omar, on the north, is
a rectangular pit, about 150 feet long and 40 wide, and 12 or 15 in
depth, walled around with hewn stones, evidently placed there in very
ancient times. It is called the Pool of Bethesda; but though I should
like to consider it so, I know not of any sufficient evidence. The
sides are perpendicular, and the plan is altogether different from that
which the Scriptures would lead us to expect. See John v. 2.

A little beyond the Pool of Bethesda we come to the eastern gate of
the modern city, called after St. Stephen, from a belief that this
proto-martyr met his death on the slope, by which, just without this,
we descend to the brook of Kedron. A rock about half way down the
declivity, projects a little; and some stains, produced by an oxide
of iron in the rock, are pointed out to the pilgrims as caused by his
blood.

This gate is at present the only outlet on this side of the city; but
there was formerly another gate opening from the court of the mosque,
about 230 yards further south. It was called from its splendor “the
Golden Gate;” but it is now walled up, in consequence of a tradition
current among the Turks, that the city will one day be taken by the
Christians, and that they will make their entrance through this gate.

Connected with it is also a Christian legend, somewhat fanciful, and
of no bad moral, but destined to little credit in these severe and
searching times.

In the year 608 Cosroes, king of Persia, conquered Jerusalem; and
after plundering the city and desecrating the holy places, returned to
his kingdom, carrying back with him the true and venerated cross. The
emperor Heraclius, fourteen years after this, was fortunate enough not
only to regain possession of the city, but following up his conquests,
recovered also the sacred relic. Returning to Jerusalem, his intention
was to enter the place by “the Golden Gate;” and after having proceeded
in grand cavalcade to the churches, and having purified them, to
restore the cross to its original site. Attired in robes all glittering
with royal gems, and followed by a long train of courtiers and nobles,
he advanced with gladness, and was about to enter through this splendid
gate, when an invisible but steady hand pushed him back. Twice again
he essayed to enter, but as often was brought suddenly to a stand; nor
could any force succeed against this unseen and mysterious power. At
this moment Zacharias, the patriarch of Jerusalem, came up; and seeing
at once how matters stood; exclaimed, “Say, O emperor, art thou adorned
with these splendid robes, and in this triumphant procession,--art thou
imitating _Him_ who, in humility and sorrow, bore on his shoulders this
sacred wood? Doff thy jewelled garments, put on a coarse and humble
dress, and quickly shalt thou find an entrance, and be able to effect
thy pious desires.” The emperor hastened to comply, and the invisible
hand ceased to obstruct his way.[57]

FOOTNOTES:

[54] I paced the circuit of the city, taking notes and plans of the
whole, and marking the towers; but the paper has been unfortunately
lost.

The following are the dimensions in detail, as furnished by Messrs.
Fisk and King:

                                    paces.
  From N. W. cor. to the Jaffa gate, 300}
    “  thence to the S. W. corner,   468} 768 on the western side,

    “     “   to Zion gate,          195}
    “     “   to bend in S. W. wall, 295} 1149 on the southern side,
    “     “   to S. E. corner,       659}

    “     “   to St. Stephen’s gate, 583}
    “     “   to N. E. corner,       360} 943 on the eastern side,

    “     “   to Damascus gate,      759}
    “     “   to N. W. corner,       660} 1419 on the northern side,

which, at their computation of five paces to a rod, makes the whole
circuit two miles and seven tenths, or nearly two thirds of a mile;
Sandys made it nearly the same, namely, two miles and a half.

[55] In addition to the passage of Josephus just referred to, see also
de Bel. lib. vi. cap. ix. § 1.

[56] El Devoto Peregrino.

[57] El Devoto Peregrino.

CHAPTER XVII.

  Valley of Hinnom. Potter’s field. Singular properties attributed to
  its earth. Will not act on the citizens of Rome. Gloomy character
  of the valley. Job’s well. Pool of Siloam. Fountain of Siloam.
  Periodical in its flow. Stones and columns belonging probably to the
  court of the ancient temple. Monuments of Zachariah and Absalom. Tomb
  of Jehoshaphat. Burial-place of the Jews. Valley of Jehoshaphat. View
  from the Mount of Olives. Plain of Jordan, and the Dead Sea. Garden
  of Gethsemane. Tomb of the Virgin. Tradition about her death and
  ascension.

Another interesting excursion was along the valley of Hinnom or
Gehenna, thence up the valley of Kedron, or, as I shall hereafter call
it, of Jehoshaphat, (its present name,) to the summit of the Mount of
Olives, and to the reputed Garden of Gethsemane.

We left the city by the Jaffa gate, and began immediately to descend
into the first of these valleys, which here widens considerably and
then terminates. At the distance of about 500 feet from the extremity
we came to a causeway, stretching quite across, and supposed to be
an ancient embankment for confining waters that were discharged from
an aqueduct still to be seen in the rocks above. This aqueduct may
be traced for some distance on the western side of the valley where
the rocks have in some places been cut with great labor to make way
for it; it passes on towards Bethlehem, and I was informed, has its
commencement at the Reservoirs of Solomon, about two miles beyond
that city. This causeway and aqueduct probably belong to the very few
remnants of the ancient Jerusalem now to be seen.

Our road laid near the bottom of the valley, upon the debris of the
ancient Jerusalem, consisting of loose earth mingled with pottery;
immediately over us, on the left, rose the frowning battlement of
the city; on the right at the distance of about 200 feet were the
perpendicular cliffs which on that side bounded the valley; they are
composed of parallel strata of limestone, and are pierced with numerous
sepulchral caves belonging to the times of the Jewish ascendancy. Near
the bend of the valley, in a recess among the cliffs, was pointed out
the spot supposed to be the Aceldama or field of blood. It belongs
now to the Armenians, and if we are to believe numerous strong
affirmations, the soil has the property, miraculously bestowed, of
destroying the flesh of any body deposited in it in the short space of
twenty-four hours. Earth from this place has been transported both to
the famous Campo Santo at Pisa in Italy, and to Rome; and in both is
said to retain its miraculous properties, with the single exception,
that in the latter city, though it acts on the corpses of strangers,
instead of eating, it indignantly thrusts out from it the bodies of
the citizens themselves. For this distinction the Romans have to thank
themselves. The earth was sent to them in 270 ships by Helena (or St.
Helena according to the Roman calendar), who expected that it would
be joyfully received. On its arrival, the strangers then in the city
joyfully proffered their services in assisting to unload it, but the
citizens took the liberty of declining, saying that they had already
sacred earth enough, since the whole of their soil had been consecrated
by the blood of the numerous martyrs who had suffered there. “For which
act of contempt it is permitted of heaven, that if the body of any
Roman is interred in the Campo Santo of Rome, the earth thrusts it out,
fœted and deformed, but operates on that of a stranger as has just been
related. There are many books which treat on this subject; and when I
was myself in Rome, I inquired with great diligence into it, so as to
inform myself about the matter; and all affirmed it to be the fact.”[58]

This valley, which had presented a somewhat cheerful aspect at its
upper extremity, became more sombre as we advanced; and our path,
winding at last among large fragments of stones, was tiresome enough.
We had lost sight of the city walls; the hill on our left was solitary
and deserted, and around us were the ruins of habitations that had
once covered it; the vegetation that had carpeted the bottom of the
valley higher up had now ceased, and on our right were the rude large
cliffs of the opposite precipice. The scene was adapted to recall to
our minds the ancient times when parents here caused their children to
pass through the fire to Molech; it was a place well suited to such
abominations. The valley is about a mile and a quarter in length; and,
wearied with its rudeness and dreary solitude, we were glad when we
emerged at last into the more open valley of Jehoshaphat, and found
ourselves in a wide space, and by a well of cool delicious water. It is
called Job’s well, from a tradition that Job, when recovering from his
diseases, came and facilitated his cure by washing here.

The valleys both of Hinnom and Jehoshaphat were quite dry at the
time of our visit, but the numerous rounded pebbles in the bottom,
particularly of the latter, gave evidence of rapid torrents in the
rainy season.

Following up the latter valley on the western side, we came, at the
distance of about 1200 feet from Job’s well, to the outlet of the
valley of Siloam, and our road was here crossed by the first stream of
water that we had seen any where in or about Jerusalem; it is a mere
streamlet however, a few drops oozing among the clods, and these soon
lost in the thirsty soil. They come from the _Pool of Siloam_, which
was a hundred yards on our left, and presents a chamber once apparently
arched, and walled on either side, but open at the lower end, while
from the upper part of the other extremity, a small stream drops in
a light cascade, and forms a pool below, still much resorted to for
water and for washing. Whether it presents the same appearance as in
ancient times it is impossible to say; but there can be no doubt that
the site is exactly that[59] of the pool to which the man blind from
his birth was sent to wash, and whence he returned with his sight
restored. There is great satisfaction in being able to identify a spot
so highly interesting, and connected with such tender associations as
this.

About 150 yards further on, as we were passing along the steep descent
to the valley of Jehoshaphat, an opening in the rock suddenly presented
itself on our left, and we found here the _Fountain_ of Siloam--the
spot from which the _Pool_ is said to draw, by a subterranean channel,
its supply of water. It is called the Virgin’s Fountain, from a
tradition that she used to resort to it frequently, and its waters
are still used for diseases of the eye. It may, perhaps, have some
medicinal qualities; for it is brackish, and not very pleasant to
the taste. The fountain is subterranean, and is reached by a descent
of thirty steps cut in the solid rock. At my first visit the water
was gushing out at the bottom of this in a full stream as clear as
crystal, and in this land of drought was really an attractive object.
At my second visit, I could scarcely recognize it to be the same. The
flow had ceased, and it was a stagnant pool; which a lad, filling some
jars on a donkey alone, had defiled with sediment so as to give it a
yellow muddy color. Its flow is periodical, and my visits must have
been at times when the phenomenon is most striking in its operation.
The waters of the Pool of Siloam have always been represented as sweet
and pleasant, and those of this fountain are brackish. Can the former
be supplied from this? It appeared to me also that the latter is lower
than the _Pool_ of Siloam; but my time did not allow me to settle the
question. The water is conducted off from it by a subterranean channel
deeply sunk in the hill.

Not far from this fountain is the south-eastern angle of the present
city; and the wall here, projecting a little into the valley, is on
this account about twice the usual height. Even at a distance our
attention is attracted by some remarkable stones at this corner; and an
examination satisfied me that they belonged to the ancient Jerusalem.
I have frequently been asked, since my return, whether I could see
any remains whatever of the ancient temple. These stones probably did
not belong to the temple itself, but there is little doubt in my mind
that they were a part either of its cloisters, or of the huge wall
that supported its courts. They are just at the foot of Mount Moriah,
and are in all respects quite different from the stones that form the
remainder of the present city wall. The latter are of irregular shape
and of no great dimensions, such as are to be seen in any common wall.
These are all rectangular, with a remarkably fine joint, and are
sometimes of very great size; I noticed some, the length of which would
measure twenty-one feet; and they were all of considerable dimensions.
Though the stones are of the common compact limestone found northward
of the city, the joints are so closely fitted as to be perceptible
only on a close inspection. On the outer surface of each stone, is a
pannel, raised one fourth of an inch, and approaching to within two
inches of the joint; there is an edifice at Baalbec, supposed to belong
to the time of Solomon, the stones of which are all ornamented with a
panelling similar to this; the castle or citadel of Damascus is also
in the same peculiar style of architecture. Josephus, when speaking
of the wall that supported the court of the temple, seems to refer to
something like this when he tells us that, although the stones were
neatly fitted together, yet “the vastness of the stones in the front
was plainly visible on the outside.”[60]

Built into the wall, at different elevations, from this angle on to
the Golden gate, are also a great many columns, that appear to have
belonged in ancient times to some splendid edifice. They are in a
horizontal position; their extremities, which alone are visible,
projecting two or three inches beyond the face of the wall. Some of
them are of verd-antique of remarkable beauty, some are of a common
kind of cipoline, and others are of a very handsome rose-colored
marble. Their position, directly under the site of the ancient temple,
and their beauty, lead me to think that they belonged once to the
courts of that splendid edifice.

In front of us, on the opposite side of the valley of Jehoshaphat, were
now two remarkable objects, and descending, we crossed a bridge which
here spanned the dry channel of Kedron, in order to examine them. They
are two square monuments, lying about thirty feet above the bottom of
the valley, and seem to be partly imbedded in the side of the Mount of
Olives. In fact they are cut out of that mountain, being composed each
of the solid undetached rock, but isolated from the hill by a channel
ten or twelve feet wide, cut at the back and sides. They are called the
monuments of Zachariah and Absalom.

The first of these is ornamented on each face with four semi-columns
of the Ionic order, and a pilaster at each angle, crowned by an
entablature, making, with the columns, an elevation of about twenty
feet; all of this is one solid piece of rock. The whole is surmounted
by a flat pyramid of masonry, the sides of which are smooth, and come
down to the edges of the cubical mass. We can discover no opening of
any kind in this monument, though there is doubtless a cavity beneath
the pyramid.

The monument of Absalom stands about one hundred feet north of this,
and is nearly of the same dimensions; the columns in this, however,
are of the Doric order, and with an entablature to correspond. These
are also cut in the same mass of rock, but are surmounted by a square
block of masonry edged with mouldings; this again by a circular mass
similarly enriched, and this by a sharp pointed dome, which, finally,
is crowned by a stone ornament resembling a flame of fire. In the
hinder side of this monument is an opening about ten feet from the
ground, giving access to a chamber in it, which is now nearly filled up
with pebbles. Both Mahomedans and Christians, as they pass along, throw
a pebble at the monument, to show their detestation of the unfilial
conduct of him whose name it bears. The authority for calling it after
Absalom is in 2 Samuel xviii. 18. “Now Absalom in his lifetime had
taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king’s-dale,
‘for,’ he said, ‘I have no son to keep my name in remembrance;’ and he
called the pillar after his own name; and it is called unto this day
Absalom’s Place.”

It has been conjectured that the columns and other exterior ornaments
are of more recent date than the rest of the work; but the parts all
correspond so well, and harmonize also so well with the shape and
proportions of the main body of the rock, that I can see no room for
such an opinion.

Between the two monuments is a cave, called the Tomb of Jehoshaphat,
on what authority it would be difficult to say; it consists of three
chambers, one of which borders on the front of the precipitous rock in
which they are situated, and is there adorned with two Doric columns,
placed so as to support the roof. Back of the tomb of Absalom the face
of the rock is also ornamented with scrolls and other sculptures, in
bas-relief, covering, apparently, the entrance to a tomb cut in the
mountain.

Turning here into a footpath that by zigzag lines begins to ascend
the Mount of Olives, we found ourselves soon in a scene of pathetic
interest. Yearning ever after the holy land of his forefathers, the
Jew, as life begins to wear out, often collects together his earnings,
and rouses up his sinking strength to carry him hither, that he may
die in Jerusalem, and have his bones laid beneath the mountain of
the ancient temple. They are not permitted to set foot within the
enclosure of Mount Moriah, but in pleasant weather they may be seen
just without the outer wall, seated on the ground, and reading in their
devotional books; and even for this privilege they have to pay the
Turkish governor. Sad and humbled people! They come hither from the
ends of the earth, and, excluded from the Holy Mountain, sit down in
the dust without its walls to mourn over their desolations, and, cry,
“Lord, how long, how long?” And the mark that is set upon them follows
them, even in death. The Moslems occupy the slope down into the valley
of Jehoshaphat for their own burying-place; and the Jews, desirous of
having the shadows of Moriah fall upon their graves, have to take the
opposite side of the valley along the slopes of the Mount of Olives.
The ground there is whitened with the humble slabs that cover their
graves.

“And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from one end of the
earth even unto the other; and among these nations shalt thou find
no ease, neither shall the sole of the foot have rest.” The sleep of
death! The graves of such a people here by the relics of the ancient
city, are a touching spectacle!

The valley of Jehoshaphat, which takes its name from the monument
we have just been noticing, is about two miles in length. It is the
belief, both of Mahomedans and of the eastern Christians, that the Last
Judgment will be held in this place. The authority given by the latter
is in Joel iii. 2 and 12. “I will gather all nations, and will bring
them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat,” &c.--“Let the heathen be
wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit
to judge all the heathen round about.”

I have already, I believe, mentioned that the Mount of Olives is
about a mile in length, and about seven hundred feet in height. To a
spectator on the west, it has a gently waving outline, and appears to
have three summits of nearly equal height. On the top of the centre one
is a Christian church, erected over the spot where, they inform us,
our Saviour ascended into heaven; and, in confirmation of the fact,
point to a stone with the impression of the left foot, made, as they
say, as he was about leaving the earth; that of the right foot has
been carried away by the Turks. On Ascension day they come up in great
crowds, and have service here. The chapel had been shaken down by the
recent earthquake, and the floor was covered by rubbish, so that we did
not see the stone, nor did we care about it. In Luke xxiv. 50,[61] it
is very clearly stated that the ascension occurred near Bethany, which
is on the eastern side of the mountain, more than a mile from this. The
Turks have a similar tradition with regard to Mahomet in connexion with
this spot, and close to the Christian chapel have a mosque, also nearly
laid in ruins by the earthquake.

From this central height a ridge stretches off towards the east for
a distance of three fourths of a mile, when it terminates by a bold
descent. We were conducted to the end of it in order to enjoy the view
eastward, which is very extensive. The plain of Jordan, the mountain
beyond, the Dead Sea, and the dark and singular chain of mountains
on the east of it, were in full view, as well as all the country
intermediate between them and us. Some of us thought that they could
see the waters of the Jordan; but although this was uncertain, we could
easily trace the course of the river through the plain by the verdure;
and where this failed, by the broken nature of the ground. Beyond it
towered the lofty mountains of Moab, rising peak above peak in great
majesty, including among them Mount Nebo; and as I stood gazing upon
them, I took pleasure in repeating the hymn which I had often sung
among friends in my own father-land,

  “There is a land of pure delight.”

It had a been part of our design to visit the Jordan and the Dead
Sea; but the country was then filled with bands of people driven from
their homes by the incursion of Ibrahim Pasha, and in a high state
of excitement, as well from disaffection to the government as from
their sufferings in consequence of the war; and when we proposed this
journey, the men who owned our horses refused absolutely to let them
go. The Governor of Jerusalem said that a guard of 300 men would be
necessary, and offered to furnish us with such an escort, if the
Commodore desired it; but this polite offer was of course declined. So
we made the most of our mountain view, which was a very extensive one.
The atmosphere in these lands of scanty exhalations is so clear that
the Dead Sea and the Jordan appeared to be close to us, and we wondered
that the journey to them should be esteemed so toilsome. But glancing
at the country between us and them, we saw hill succeeding hill, till
the detail swelled out into a distance of at least thirty miles. The
country below us was a scene of complete and utter desolation; the
hills were bare and red, and cut into deep ravines, and in the whole
stretch between us and the Dead Sea, scarcely a spot of verdure could
be seen. The mountains east of that lake of death have a very unique
aspect, rising to a great height, and presenting an outline as smooth
and even as if they were an artificial wall.

It was a relief to turn from this dreary prospect to the fertile
and verdant mountain on which we were then standing. And as we
returned, and, gaining the summit towards Jerusalem, looked down over
its graceful slopes, and at the city, all displayed before us, no
one could wonder that the Saviour often sought the Mount of Olives
for meditation; and that the view around, then so varied, so rich,
so beautiful, and soon to be changed by a fearful war into utter
desolation, should incite to prayer.

The sun was now beginning to approach the western horizon. We descended
by a steep zigzag path leading directly down towards the gate of St.
Stephen; and near the foot of the mountain, now immersed in the broad
shades of the city, came to a spot, that, as soon as it was named,
excited a universal and powerful interest. It was the Garden of
Gethsemane. It lies near the foot of the mountain, at an angle formed
by the branching of the lower road to Bethany and that to Jericho, by
which we had just been descending; and is marked by eight olive trees,
that look as if they may have stood almost as many centuries. The
Latins, to whom they belong, say, indeed, that they were here in the
time of our Saviour, and would punish with excommunication any person
of their order who should venture to break a limb or otherwise injure
them. They allow pilgrims to peel off any loose pieces of bark that
they may find on the huge trunks; which accordingly are kept white
and raw looking by the frequency of such visits. They are very large;
and as the olive tree is of very slow growth, there may be some truth
in the declaration, that the Turks, on regaining the city from the
Crusaders, having imposed a yearly tax of ten cents on every olive tree
then standing, and half as much on any that should be planted, the
records of the monastery show that the former sum was then paid for
these trees; but as to the statement that would carry their age to the
early times of Christianity, we cannot believe it; for if the olive
tree itself were ascertained to last so long, we know that Titus had
all the trees within several leagues cut down[62] for the construction
of banks and instruments of assault.

As to the query whether this is the Garden of Gethsemane, I do not
see that we have any reason for deciding in one way or the other, the
notice of its location in the Scriptures (and I believe we have no
others) being so very slight. The ground here slopes off more gently
than in most other places, and is favorable for a garden; but it is
quite near the foot of the mountain, and I think the expression (Luke
xiv. 26.) “they went out _into_ the Mount of Olives,” would have led
me to look for it higher up; and it seems probable, also, that a spot
more retired than one so immediately adjoining the thronged city would
have been selected on such an occasion. But these objections are not
entitled to much weight, and I feel loth to disturb the belief in a
spot of such tender interest. I broke off a few of the branches, and
gathered up some of the earth, which I have brought home with me.

Although few of these places can be identified, and all have changed,
it was still a high gratification to know that we were among scenes
often blessed by the presence of our Saviour and Lord; that here, in
this region, he had healed the sick, making joy spring up in bosoms
where it had been long a stranger; here had given sight to the blind,
and hearing to the deaf, and had taught his pure and benevolent
doctrines; and that from the scenery around us, and now in our sight,
had drawn elucidations and found the subjects for his parables.

About twenty paces northward from this, is a cave twenty-five or thirty
feet in diameter, to which we descend, by eleven steps; and here they
say our Lord retired for prayer on this occasion; and they show also
the spot where the three disciples reclined and slept.

Proceeding again to the northward, we come, at the distance of thirty
yards, to a large subterranean chamber called the Tomb of the Virgin.
It was lighted up for us; and having descended by a noble flight of
steps, fifty in number, and twenty feet wide, cut in the solid rock, we
found ourselves in a lofty apartment, branching off into small chambers
on the right and left. The latter chamber is used as a chapel by the
Copts, while in the other is the reputed Tomb of the Virgin, together
with an altar. On either side of the flight of steps, about half way
down, is also a recess, containing the reputed tombs of her parents,
Joachim and Anna, and of Joseph the husband of Mary. This region is
fruitful in traditions connected with the virgin and the apostles; but
I pass them by, with the exception of one that is so full of poetry
that I trust I shall be pardoned for noticing it.

The Virgin being sick, and now at the point of death, prayed her
Son that the apostles might all be permitted to be present at her
departure; and they were accordingly transported in a moment from all
parts of the world, whither they had travelled preaching the gospel;
and found themselves together by her bedside at Jerusalem; all except
Thomas, who by a particular judgment was left behind.

She died, and was buried by the apostles in this spacious tomb, which
they left not for three days and nights; during all which time sweet
music from unseen angelic harps was floating amid the vaults and
through the air above. At the end of this time, Thomas was placed
among them, and was disconsolate when he found he had been denied the
privilege of witnessing her death. He begged, however, that as he had
not been allowed to see her while yet alive, he might be permitted to
look at the corpse; they complied, and the tomb was opened for him; but
the body was gone, nothing remaining but the grave clothes and winding
sheet. At the same time the music of the angels ceased, by which they
knew that the body was ascending to heaven. Thomas, with tears, gazed
upward, and caught a glimpse of the ascending form; and to comfort him
she dropped for him a girdle of marvellous beauty, which fell upon a
rock adjoining the tomb; “which rock,” says the book, “is held in the
greatest veneration by all persons, and has granted for it indulgences,
like those of the other sacred places of Jerusalem.”[63]

Maundrell says of this stone, that there is “a winding channel upon it,
which they will have to be the impression of the girdle when it fell,
and to be left for the conviction of all such as shall suspect the
truth of their story.”

FOOTNOTES:

[58] El Devoto Peregrino, p. 68.

[59] See Josephus de Bel. lib. v. cap. 4. § 1. lib. vi. cap. 9. § 5.

[60] Antiq. lib. xv. cap. 11. § 3.

[61] Compare this passage with Acts i. 12, where the ascension is also
spoken of. There are two roads to Bethany; one around the southern end
of the Mount of Olives, and one across its summit; the latter being
considerably shorter but more difficult. It was probably on this latter
road, in the descent to Bethany, that the Saviour was taken up from the
Apostles.

[62] Jos. de Bel. lib. vi. cap. 1. § 1.

[63] El Devoto Peregrino, p. 105.

CHAPTER XVIII.

  Visit to the Mount of Olives to procure olive root. Cabinet work from
  it. Attempt, by a Fancy spell, to raise up again the ancient city
  of Jerusalem. Its appearance. Fortifications. Towers. Royal palace.
  Stupendous wall supporting the Courts of the Temple. Outer Cloister.
  Solomon’s Porch. Court of the Gentiles. Inner Cloister. Gate called
  “Beautiful.” Court of the Jews. Court of the Priests. Altar. The
  TEMPLE. Its dazzling façade. Noble entrance. Skill of the Architect.
  Vestibule. Grape-vine of Gold. The Sanctuary. Its furniture. Holy of
  Holies. Effect of this place on Pompey. Walls of the edifice. Stones
  of amazing size. Frame work of the city. Villages and gardens around.
  Effect of the contrast between the Temple and Mount of Olives. The
  millions coming up to the Passover. Their Hymns. The Roman army.
  Titus takes a view of the city. Events foretelling its doom. The
  horror-stricken prophet.

The olive root makes beautiful cabinet work; and, desirous of procuring
some from the Mount of Olives to be worked up for my friends, I took
one day an interpreter and a couple of natives, and ascended the
mountain to see if I could purchase some. Southward of Absalom’s
monument is the village of Siloa, standing in what appears to have
been a quarry; and consisting partly of houses erected on the rocky
platforms, and in part of caves cut in the side of the declivity. This
was quite deserted; but near the summit of the mountain I was fortunate
enough to find a house with occupants, from whom I purchased the
privilege of cutting some roots.[64] It may afford an idea of the state
of the arts at Jerusalem, when I mention that the best axe which we
could find in the city was a species of blunt grubbing-hoe; and that
we actually grubbed through the thick roots; and this, they informed
me, is the usual way of cutting wood in that country. Mr. Nicholayson
had owned an English axe, but his Arab guards had carried it off at the
conclusion of the siege.

Soon after commencing operations on the trees, we found ourselves
surrounded by a dozen wild looking men, who seemed to have started up
from beneath the ground, where probably they had been concealed in
the caves and artificial pits with which the country abounds. They
were induced, by the offer of a trifling compensation, to assist us;
and while they were tugging away at the wood, I sat down a few yards
off to make some plans and sketches of the city. In half an hour the
interpreter came to say that they had all fled; and on returning I
found that not an individual of them was to be seen. The soldiers
at the city gate below had spied them out with their glasses, and a
detachment had been sent up to seize them; but they were too cunning,
and escaped; and as we stood by the tree, we heard them, in their
flight, calling to the soldiers, and using epithets that were any thing
but complimentary. I have introduced this simple circumstance, however,
not so much for its own sake, as to give me an opportunity of carrying
the reader once more to the top of the Mount of Olives. And here I wish
him to sit down at the spot which I have just been occupying on the
central eminence, and gaze down on this place of wonderful history,
and of tender and thrilling association. But my object is not to speak
of the present city of Jerusalem; I wish to blot out all that picture,
defaced in so many places by wretchedness and unsightly ruins, and to
place before his imagination the ancient city of Jerusalem, when she
sat upon these hills in her jewelled ornaments,--when “glorious things
were spoken of thee, O city of God.”

Often as that city is upon our lips, I believe there are few persons
who have an idea of its extraordinary splendor in the olden times; for
it was a place not only unique, and of strange religious interest, but
also of wonderful magnificence. The period of Solomon’s reign might
perhaps be selected as that when its effect was most imposing; but I
prefer for our picture the time, of the Agrippas, because, while the
splendor of Jerusalem was scarcely less than in the reign of Solomon,
we have, by the aid of Josephus, more ample materials for forming a
judgment of its appearance; and this, too, with a slight exception,
was the city whose streets our Saviour trod, and over which, while
observing it from a spot just below us here on the Mount of Olives, he
wept in the sad anticipation of its downfall.

And now look northward, and westward, and southward, and notice how,
from these distant heights, the land slopes gently downward; bending
hitherward as if in reverence, and to add dignity to the consecrated
spot. Now look downward. Behold now I spread over the place the spell
of a sober and chastened Fancy. I call up again the buried objects of
other days. City of the olden time--arise!

See, this is the ancient Jerusalem!

Truly it is a magnificent place; a picture of rare and exquisite
beauty set in a frame of brilliants. Recovered from our surprise, and
the eye having grown more familiar with the unique spectacle, we turn
now to examine it in detail. And, first, observe the walls by which
it is begirt; what a proud and formidable array of strength is here.
The massive battlements seem to set all earthly power at defiance,
while the stones of immense size excite our wonder, not only by their
prodigious size, but by their peculiar and careful finish. That wall
on the north is eighteen feet in thickness, and with its battlements
and turrets is forty-five feet in height; it runs zigzag, so that
each part may be raked from the towers, of which there are ninety in
this wall. The towers, thirty-six feet square, are of solid masonry,
and are crowned each with two stories or suites of rooms, in which
architectural beauty is consulted as well as strength, and which are
of great magnificence. The angles in the wall are acute, receding
considerably from the towers; and the whole structure, as it sweeps
around the city, looks like a mountain of solid and immoveable rock.
At its north-western angle, high above all the rest, rises the tower
of Psephinus, massive below, but in its upper part marked by graceful,
though still heavy architecture; it is octangular, and attains an
elevation of one hundred and twenty-seven feet.

Within this, separating Acra from Bezetha, is another wall, a solid
mountain of masonry, presenting high angular walls, battlements, and
towers of exceeding strength; and here, south of Acra, on the edge of
Zion, is a third line of similar defences, making, with the steepness
of the ascent, a bulwark by no means less formidable than the rest; and
on the southern and western sides of this mountain, grow up from the
edge of the high rocky precipice, by which it is there begirt, lines of
broad and high stone-work, presenting an utterly hopeless barrier to an
assailant. “Walk about Zion, and go round about her; tell the towers
thereof; mark ye well her bulwarks; beautiful for situation, the joy of
the whole earth is Mount Zion. The kings were assembled, they passed by
together; they saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and
hasted away.”

The chief glory of these defences of Zion, however, is a nest of towers
there at the north-west angle, “which, for largeness, beauty, and
strength, are beyond all that are in the habitable earth.” They were
built by Herod, and called after his friend, his brother, and his wife.
They stand at a point where the elevation of Mount Zion, contracting
into narrow limits, becomes more remarkable, and thus presents their
altitude and elaborate architectural beauties in a more striking point
of view. One of them is placed in the sharp angle, and is called the
tower of Hippicus. It is 46 feet square; and to an elevation of 55
feet is composed of firm and solid masonry, the stones with which it
is built being 36 feet in length, by eighteen in width, and nine in
height; above this enduring mass is a reservoir 36 feet in elevation;
next above this is a double range of magnificent chambers of ornamental
yet massive architecture, making an additional height of 46 feet; and
above these rise battlements and turrets, the whole height of the tower
being 146 feet.

A short distance from it we behold the tower Phasaelus, 72 feet square
and 164 in height. Seventy-two feet of this elevation consists of
stones like those in the tower just described; and the rest is composed
of heavy stone work faced with colonnades; of richly ornamented
chambers, and of battlements and turrets.

The third tower of Mariamne, named by Herod after his wife, is smaller
than these, but of exquisite beauty, and richly adorned with ornaments;
it attains an elevation of 91 feet.

All these look immediately down upon the royal palace, also on Mount
Zion; and here the eye is wearied with tracing the labyrinth of courts,
the succession of porticos adorned with rich and curious pillars, the
ranges of lofty windows, giving light to halls where statuary and
carved work have added their embellishments, and where the vessels are
of silver and gold. And in the courts below and in the gardens are rare
trees, and fountains, and brazen statues, and winding streams. No cost
or skill has been spared in this palace by a prince whose resources
were of the most ample kind. These palaces and courts and towers are
the _Kremlin_ of Jerusalem.

Observe now that long bridge, with its lofty arches, a striking feature
in this scene, and adding greatly to its picturesque effect. It rises
high above the dwellings of Acra, and, stretching quite across that
portion of the city, connects the precincts of this palace with the
Temple. But let us hasten to turn our attention to the Temple. The
city has yet many striking objects that solicit our attention; the
lofty and frowning castle of Antonia, palaces in great numbers, private
edifices of remarkable architecture, brought out into strong relief by
the uneven nature of the ground, invite our notice; but the wonderful
Temple, grand, mysterious, awful, is here before us, and the eye
glances impatiently at other objects. Let us turn then, and suffer our
eyes to dwell and feast on this.

And it is indeed a glorious sight. It stands here all before us, the
walls that support its courts rising from the very depths of the valley
of Jehoshaphat, and towering aloft to an astonishing, a giddy height.
It was a bold and daring conception--that of carrying up this mountain
of stone-work to such a stupendous elevation. This wall here fronting
us is 729 feet in height![65] On the northern and western sides, owing
to the inequality of the ground, the elevation is somewhat less.

You perceive that in order to obtain greater strength, the walls are
not perpendicular, but somewhat slanting, so that with the ascending
nature of the ground in the courts above, the whole structure has
somewhat of a pyramidal form. The stones of which it is composed are of
prodigious size, yet are fitted together with the greatest care, and in
addition to the security afforded by their magnitude, are strengthened
internally by means of iron clamps. This wall is above 730 feet in
length on each side; it forms an exact square, and the whole interior
space being filled up, we have thus a vast mountain raised by human
labor, a stupendous structure that must excite the astonishment of all
succeeding ages. But this is only the ground work, the substructure for
the great Temple and its sacred courts. Look upward now; you see along
the edge of this wall, far up at its giddy elevation, where the brain
reels as it attempts to measure the depths below, you see a cloister
or ornamented colonnade, on the outside ornamented with architectural
embellishment, and yet more remarkable still for massiveness and
strength, as if to guard from the assaults even of the wildest fancy
the sacred precincts of the Temple. This cloister is 55 feet wide, and
consists on the outside of a range of chambers, and within or towards
the Temple, of a double row of marble columns 46 feet in height, each
column consisting of a single block of white marble; the entablature
gives to the whole cloister or colonnade an elevation of more than 60
feet. At the southern end, instead of two, are four rows of columns,
each column six feet in diameter and 27 in height; the heaviness of
the shaft being relieved by fanciful flutings at the base, and by rich
leaf-shaped capitals, like those which we consider as belonging to the
Corinthian order. This end is called Solomon’s Porch;[66] it consists
of a nave, if I may use the term, 45 feet wide, and in height 100
feet, with side aisles, each 30 feet wide, and 50 in height. It is an
enchanting spot, and fanned at that high elevation with a perpetual
breeze, and is a favorite resort; but, indeed, where, in this whole
colonnade, forming a complete circuit of 2900 feet, is a spot that is
not marked by exceeding beauty and magnificence? At each angle you
perceive towers of elaborate architecture, crowned with turrets or
pinnacles, where, gazing downward, the senses recoil with horror from
the frightful depth.

But this is only the commencement of the grandeur of this wonderful
Temple. Within this cloister is an open court, running also quite
around; it is paved with marble, and its level is broken by a few steps
of ascent, also passing along the whole circuit of the court. This
is the court of the Gentiles; and inscriptions on columns are seen
at intervals, forbidding this class of people to advance nearer to
the Temple. Along the inner edge of this court runs another cloister,
consisting also of a row of chambers, with a single colonnade in the
interior, or looking toward the Temple. In the space allotted here to
the chambers, the ground has taken an ascent of seventeen feet from the
court of the Gentiles, but the colonnade itself is on level ground, the
pillars being, as in the outer colonnade, forty-six feet in height, and
making, with the entablature, likewise a full elevation of more than
sixty feet; but from the rise of the ground this colonnade is twenty
feet higher than the other.

In this cloister, fronting us on the east, is the “Beautiful Gate;”[67]
and truly, no one need be directed to mark its surpassing magnificence.
It is ninety-one feet in height by seventy-three in width; the doors
are of massive Corinthian brass, covered on both sides, as are also
the jambs and lintels, with plates of gold and silver, sometimes plain,
sometimes in fretted work, or raised into figures in low or in high
relief. On either side of the doorway is a tower, seventy-three feet
high, adorned with columns twenty-one feet in circumference. On the
northern and southern sides of this cloister are eight other gates,
of less magnitude, but covered in a similar manner, as are also their
jambs and lintels, with plates of gold and silver; and strengthened
also like the former, with towers and massive columns.

Passing through this, we are once more in an open court, paved with
marble, and rising by steps towards the central point. The eastern side
of this court is allotted to the worship of the Jewish women, while
that on the north and south is divided off for the men. At the inner
edge of this court is again another wall; it is of marble, only a few
feet in height, and is richly ornamented with sculpture; it separates
the court of the Jewish worshippers from the inmost court of all, the
court of the Priests.

And there, at the eastern side of this inmost court, in the open air,
at the apex of this stupendous Pyramidal structure, canopied only by
the heavens, stands the Altar of Burnt Sacrifice. It is a colossal
structure, being twenty-seven feet in height and ninety-one feet on
each of its sides. The ascent is by an inclined plane on the south.

And just beyond it, is the TEMPLE. This looks also to the eastward, and
as we attempt to gaze upon it in this bright morning sun, now darting
its rays across the Mount of Olives, our dazzled eyes turn away, pained
by the glorious sight. It presents a front one hundred and eighty-two
feet long and of an equal height, _all of which is covered with thick
plates of gold_. What a magnificent spectacle! What a grand termination
to this stupendous structure, towering upwards from the deep valley
towards the clouds. Cast your eye downwards, and let it range over the
immense masses of chiselled rocks, wrought into regular shape, enriched
with architectural device, and piled on each other till the senses
are pained in endeavoring to take in the colossal fabric of more than
seven hundred feet in height; glance at the huge mouldings into which
the wall swells at its termination; mark the high colonnades of pure
showy marble, that are ranged along the edge of this mighty structure;
see within this the marble tesselated pavement, ascending by flights
of steps, and encircling the mountain; and then again another range
of light marble porticos sweeping quite around; mark the pavement,
again ascending by unbroken flights of marble steps; and here, at
length, crowning the whole magnificent work, is the gorgeous Temple,
its front one hundred and eighty-two feet high, decked with elaborate
architectural embellishments, and covered with massive gold.

And “the Lord is in his Holy Temple, let all the earth keep silence
before Him.”

Yes, in this gorgeous edifice, raised to such a stupendous height,
wrapped in a splendor that the eye can scarcely look upon; deep
within the edifice in a spot of mysterious darkness and solitude, is
shadowed forth the presence of Jehovah; and this Temple belongs not to
Jerusalem, but to the whole world. And He, the Deity, whose very name
is awful, and should be used with reverence, hath blessed this spot
with his peculiar presence; and it is meet that man should look upon it
with deep and solemn feeling. “How amiable,” said the Psalmist, when
far distant, “how amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts. My
soul longeth, yea, even fainteth, for the courts of the Lord; my heart
and my flesh crieth out for the living God. For a day in thy courts is
better than a thousand. I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of
my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.”

In this eastern front of the Temple is an open and ornamented door-way,
46 feet wide and 128 feet in height. The architect of this edifice
was a man of skill. He knew well the powerful effect produced by the
prevalence of high ascending lines in a building, and in the Temple he
has taken advantage of this effect, and with the best results. How fine
is the appearance of this grand and lofty door-way, open also so as to
give a view of the rich vestibule just within! Our thoughts and our
feelings, whatever they may be, are not checked at the very threshhold,
but are allowed to penetrate to a short distance; they are not excluded
from the edifice; they enter sufficiently to make us a part of it;
and yet it is not made common by being all exposed; sufficient of it
remains shut up to excite our wonder, to cherish feelings of respect,
to inspire that awe which arises from mystery.

He who may enter this lofty door-way, will find himself in a vestibule
at right angles with his path; it is 36 feet wide, 92 in length, and
164 feet in height. The wall in front of him is all covered with plates
of gold, which, like that on the exterior front, is in various forms,
smooth and highly burnished, or in patterns of embossed work, or in
figures of various kinds. From the lofty ceiling, which the eye is
pained in attempting to reach, hangs down a golden vine, with leaves
and fruit of the same metal, and so colossal are its dimensions, that
the clusters of grapes are six feet in length.[68] Our foot may not be
placed within this vestibule; but through the large open door-way we
can discover much of the splendor by which it is distinguished. In the
golden wall that bounds our vision at its further side, is a door-way
twenty-nine feet wide by 100 in height, covered by a Babylonian
curtain, of blue and scarlet and purple, richly embroidered, and of
wonderful workmanship. Its ample folds conceal a door, which, like the
wall, is covered with plates of gold, plain or in various patterns, and
of exceeding richness.

He who enters this door will find himself in _The Sanctuary_. This
is a chamber thirty-six feet wide and seventy-two in length, and 109
in height; its height, however, cannot be reached by the eye; for
this chamber is in darkness, except the obscure light shed upon it
by several lamps. Daylight cannot penetrate it, unless occasionally
a feeble glimmering through the door-way; a mysterious obscurity is
left to pervade it, and the vision, turning upward, combats for a
while the deepening shadows, and is then repelled by utter darkness.
The furniture of this room is simple, for it contains only the Table
of Shew-bread, and the Golden Candlestick, and the Altar of Incense.
While the incense ascends silently, and keeps the chamber filled with
perpetual odours, the softened light of the Seven Golden Lamps of
the Candlestick falls upon a table with twelve loaves of bread, one
for each tribe; as if, by this simple emblem, the staff of his life
kept here in memorial, man would gratefully acknowledge by whom his
existence is prolonged, and whence are derived its blessings. There is
something in this quiet and simple scene, a subdued and humble, yet
grateful character in its speech, that is very impressive.

At the further end of this chamber is again a door-way covered by a
thick veil of many folds. It opens into a square chamber thirty-six
feet on each side, and 109 in height. In this chamber there is nothing
at all. _It is quite dark_; and its deep obscurity and its vacancy are
fit emblems of HIM who is invisible to mortal eye, and whom mortal
thought can never reach. This is the Holy of Holies. It is entered only
by the High Priest, and by him but once a year. Unadorned, and deeply
shut up within the Temple, it is left to darkness, and silence, and
impressive solitude.

When Pompey, after a toilsome siege, at length took this mountain by
assault, he hastened to the Temple, incited both by curiosity, and by a
desire to feed his eye on the wealth that had at length become his own;
but when, having examined the Sanctuary in its dim mysterious light,
and then, raising this veil, he stood in the Holy of Holies, and found
no object, nought but an obscurity that his eye, as he gazed upward,
sought in vain to pierce, a feeling of awe and dread seems to have come
upon him; he left the Temple, having touched neither its furniture nor
its treasure, and, calling off his troops, he gave orders to repair the
injuries that had been occasioned by his assault.

The walls of this building are fourteen and a half feet in thickness,
and are composed of stones forty-six feet long by twenty-one in
width, and fourteen in thickness, interspersed with some that have
the astonishing length of eighty-two feet.[69] The main body of the
edifice, containing the Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies, is so narrow
in proportion to its elevation, that it would be in danger from
earthquakes if that were not guarded against by an outer wall nine feet
from this, with which it is connected so as to form between them three
tiers of cells, thirty in each tier; the upper part of the building is
used as store-rooms for the furniture and utensils of the Temple. The
vestibule, being at right angles with the body of the edifice, projects
thirty-six feet on either side. The stone employed here appears to be
a pure white marble, for those portions of the building which are not
covered with plates of gold are of dazzling whiteness, so as to appear
at a distance like a mountain covered with snow.

The whole mass, the foundation walls, the porticoes, the Temple,
are indeed a wonderful structure; and with the sacred and solemn
associations connected with them, form an object of surpassing interest
and grandeur.

And now look down again upon the city and upon the fair region
stretching all around. The ground on which Jerusalem is built, assists
greatly, as you perceive, in giving it architectural effect. Babylon,
Nineveh, Thebes, Memphis, those cities of ancient renown, were built
on level plains, and with all their riches and greatness were in
most parts tame and monotonous; but here the picturesque is added to
greatness and splendor; the walls and towers overhang deep precipices;
the lofty palaces are brought into stronger relief by their situations;
each portion of the city, by harmony or by contrast, adds a charm to
every other; and the Temple, like another sun chained to the dizzy
heights of Moriah, sheds an effulgence over all.

Gaze now around. What a frame-work is there for the city of Jerusalem!
See the villages, embosomed in gardens of deep verdure, sprinkled
thickly over all the plains, which, ascending as they retire from
the city, expose every object to our view. Here the houses stand in
thick clusters, there they straggle along amid the overhanging trees;
and the whole immense extent of country seems only a continuation of
the city in a more cheerful form. And this Mount of Olives, what a
beautiful object it must be when viewed from the city. Its graceful
slopes, its gardens, its deep shade, its white cottages, its villas,
where the wealthy love to retire, half exposed, half concealed, by the
dense verdure; its groves and public walks; what an admirable picture
they form; and alongside of the stupendous and glittering pyramid of
Mount Moriah, each by contrast gives new beauties and new charms to the
other. Where in all the world shall we find a scene equal to this?

And now glance your eye along these roads that come winding over the
hills by which Jerusalem is encircled. See! The whole country seems
awakened into an intensity of life and animation. _It is the Passover._
Far off as the eye can reach, the great highways and the narrow paths
are covered with masses of living beings, thousands upon thousands
pouring onwards, and still succeeded by other thousands, till it seems
as if the whole habitable globe was sending its inhabitants and its
tribute to this sacred city. And it does. Here are “Parthians and
Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea,
and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt
and in the parts of Lybia about Greece, and strangers of Rome, and
Cretes, and Arabians,” in their various costumes, and speaking their
various tongues. The number that assembles here on this occasion is
about three millions. They come, some purely from religious feeling,
some also for commerce; for the occasion is seized by dwellers in far
distant countries for the interchange of commodities. As they approach
the city, however, a common feeling takes possession of all of them,
delight, reverence, awe, wonder, admiration. As they gain the summits
of the distant hills, and catch a view of the Temple, they burst into
shouts of joy, they prostrate themselves upon the ground, they break
out into hymns of praise. The air seems burdened by the noises that
unceasingly ascend; one while they are like the roar of the ocean;
at another, they rise, and sink, and swell upward again into lofty
strains of wonder and thanksgiving; the earth trembles under the
moving to and fro of these countless multitudes. See--still they come,
thousands and yet still countless thousands pressing onward towards the
city. The eye is wearied with beholding them; the senses are pained and
overwhelmed.

And now the sounds abate and sink into a deep but continuous murmur.
They are preparing for the Paschal sacrifice. The multitudes are
divided into companies of from ten to twenty, and each company, by a
deputy appointed for that purpose, is to offer in the courts of the
temple a lamb without blemish or spot; the blood is to be sprinkled at
the foot of the great altar, and the fat is to be cast upon it for a
burnt offering. There will be 250,000 of these sacrifices.

See! the courts of the Temple, the flat roofs of the colonnades, are
covered by the dense throngs; the walls and towers of the city, the
terraces of the lofty dwellings of Jerusalem, are crowded by the
multitudes; and the ascending plains around, and the slopes of the
Mount of Olives, are all animated; it is an ocean of living beings.

And now they are silent all. Soon you will perceive a great cloud of
smoke roll up from the altar and envelope the Temple, and then you will
hear their hymns. There it is! and astounding! the millions of voices
that ascend seem to burst the very heavens; the mountain shakes under
the strange concussion.--Their Hymn.--

           Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
  O praise God in his holiness,
  Praise him in the firmament of his power.
  Praise him for his mighty acts,
  Praise him for his excellent greatness.

_Instrumental music accompanying._

  Praise him in the sound of the trumpet,
  Praise him upon the lute and harp.
  Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.

_Children of the Levites, from the Temple._

  Thine ordinances, O God, how glorious they are.
    But tell us, fathers of Israel, what mean ye by this service?

_Solemn recitative, from the Elders._

  It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, who passed over the
  houses of the children of Israel, in Egypt, when he smote the
  Egyptians, and delivered our houses.

_Hymn from Mount Moriah._

  Sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously.
  He has brought us in and planted us in the mountain of his
      inheritance;
  In the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in,
  In the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thine own hands have established.

_Full chorus of all the multitudes._

  The Lord is our strength, and he is become our salvation.
  He is our God, and we will honor his habitation.
  Our father’s God, and we will exalt him.
  Hallelujah. The Lord shall reign for ever and ever. Hallelujah.