These remains, with those in the pool of Bethesda, the lower part of David's castle, the gate of Damascus, and another gate, which I shall speak of hereafter, are all even with the stones that mark the ancient city; the ground plan of which being now so far beneath the surface, accounts for so very little having yet been discovered. The valleys and deep ravines through the town, where we read that bridges were of old thrown across, and from which steps led up to the temple, (the foundations of which were constructed of large masses of rock-probably those on which Dr. Richardson described the colonnade as resting,) were filled up with the stones and rubbish of the former city, which were hurled into them at the time of its destruction. At present the city is comparatively level, excepting that part leading towards the west; and Dr. Richardson, in speaking of the Habsul, or the hidden place here described, says it appears as if the earth had dropped through

Mount Sion, across the valley of Tyropoon. The traces of this arch are too distinct and definite to be mistaken; and it can only have belonged to the bridge, which, according to Josephus, led from this part of the temple area to the Xistus on Mount Sion; thus proving incontestably the antiquity of that portion of the wall from which it springs.”—American Biblical Repository. As I feel assured that this gentleman would not wilfully oppose, or endeavour to disprove, so awful a denunciation-one coming from the lips of Divinity itself, and one of which so manifest and literal a fulfilment has taken place with regard to the temple of Jerusalem-I conceive that he only looks upon it as the wall of the outer enclosure. It is, however, proper that this should be distinctly understood, that this square line of wall is not the temple wall, nor stood within some hundred feet of that sacred edifice, but was the wall of the enclosure of the outer court of that building. Since the foregoing was written, the "Biblical Researches" of the author have appeared, wherein we are led to believe from his description that the outer wall of Jerusalem ran through the valley of Jehoshaphat. With this opinion I do not think any accurate observer can agree, and the very passages which he cites in support of this idea from Josephus, evidently refer to the walls built by the Romans during the siege for the purpose of keeping in the Hebrews. The position of this antique masonry was not unknown to the Franks residing in Jerusalem, and had been already remarked by several visitors; but its historical import, that of being the bridge which led from the temple to the Xistus on Mount Sion, was first pointed out by Dr. Robinson, who found its probable span to be 350 feet, or about 116 yards.

STABILITY OF THE EASTERN WALL.

449 from the outer court, and that these columns were once above the surface.*

Walls constructed of stones of such magnitude as those I have described, surrounding the western enclosure of the mosque, in the east wall of the city, and in the tower, tell us that they belong to an era more than nineteen centuries old. No antiquary will, I think, be able to point out any such architecture since the Christian era. Parallels are only to be found amidst such structures as Baalbec, the magnificent theatre at Telmessus, the treasury of Atreus, the walls of the Piræus at Athens, the Cothon at Joppa, or the pyramids and gigantic temples of Upper Egypt and Abyssinia. Stones of this description were used in Jerusalem from the earliest time-"hewn stones," "stones of great size," ten and twenty cubits in length, both in the building of the temple and the city wall. And Josephus not only informs us of the general strength of the walls, but of this in particular, which was so strong, and the stones of such magnitude, that the Romans were unable to throw it down; and Titus himself on entering the city expressed his wonder and admiration at the extreme thickness of these walls. Again, on the east side, the very peculiar nature of the ground, and the steepness of the ravine that falls from it, together with the existence of the valley of Jehoshaphat, doubtless contributed to render it secure; and consequently the battering rams and engines of the besiegers could not without great difficulty have been applied to it-though I much doubt if such instruments could have taken effect on walls of such solidity. And I believe I am correct in stating, that unless in the late attack by Ibrahim Básha, cannon were never used against Jerusalem. Thus then we see that there was a physical impossibility of this wall being demolished at that time.

Now Josephus informs us, that as soon as the army had no more people to slay, Cæsar gave orders that they should demolish the entire city and temple, but leave a certain portion of the wall, together with the towers of Phasaelus, Hippicus, and Mariamne.

*These subterranean remains have been further described by Mr. Bonomi. See Dr. Edward Hogg's Visit to Alexandria and Damascus. They were also visited by Mr. Catherwood, who furnished Dr. Robinson with a plan of them.-"Biblical Researches," vol. i. p. 448.

450

A REMARKABLE RECORD.

"This wall was spared, in order to afford a camp for such as were to lie in garrison; as were the towers also spared in order to demonstrate to posterity what kind of city it was, and how well fortified, which the Roman valour had subdued: but for all the rest of the wall, it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither to believe it had ever been inhabited."

A palpable mistake occurs in the text of the historian here, in making the portion left standing by the Romans the western wall; for that, upon his own showing, was destroyed long before, not having the same natural defences as this; and the principal attacks of Titus were on the north and north-western walls. Thus we have the concurrent testimonies of the appearance and architecture of the existing wall; the written account of Josephus ; the traditions of the Jews, (and we know not only to what lengths they carry these, but that there were always Jews in the place, who would hand them down through successive generations ;) besides the prophecy of the word of God. And wherefore would the Psalmist have foretold of the servants taking "pleasure in her stones," if none such existed? What scenes has it not witnessed-what has it not yet to behold!

There is a very remarkable appearance observable in those parts of the ground around Jerusalem on which the ancient city stood; and when the place is viewed from the Mount of Olives, or any adjacent elevation, it is possible by it to trace out the probable extent of the ancient city. This is a peculiar blackness of the ground, perfectly different from the natural reddish yellow colour of the neighbouring fields. I have observed the sites of other cities composed of this kind of soil; but here a great quantity of the remains of tesselated pavement, with bits of white and yellow marble, are mixed through it.

Eusebius states the circumference of ancient Jerusalem to have been twenty-seven stadia, and Josephus thirty-three. The circuit of the walls in the accompanying map is but thirty-one stadia, or three miles and seven-eighths. Should apology be required for this disagreement with the Jewish historian, I can only answer,

*Josephus' Wars of the Jews, b. vii. chap. 1.

CIRCUIT OF MODERN JERUSALEM.

451

that such was the line marked out to me on by a close examination of the ground.

The modern town occupies not quite two-thirds of the ancient, and is two and a-half miles in circumference.* Its eastern wall is that which I already described as belonging to the ancient city; and contains the Bab es-Subat. The southern proceeds from Ophel, over the summit of Mount Sion, where it turns to the north, and joins the castle of David, the ancient Hippicus. In this we find the modern gate of Sion, or, as it is called by the Mohammadans, the Bab en-Neby Daud, the gate of the prophet David. From this, the western wall is very irregular, and completely devoid of any of the natural ravines that fence the city in other parts; it is probably that built by the Emperor Ælianus Adrianus, hence called Ælia Capitolina; in it, he laboured to confound and obliterate the ancient topography, and hence perhaps its present irregular form. It includes Calvary, and at the western angle a part of the elevation of Goath; it then slopes downward to the Damascus gate, where it becomes the northern boundary, and proceeding along the brow of Acra, it joins the eastern wall at the place that is assigned to the tower of Hananeel. In it, are the gates leading to Jaffa and Damascus, the former called in the Arabic Bab el-Kulil, from its being the way to Hebron also, and the latter the gate of the pilgrims, Bal el-Amud. William of Tyre tells us that the walls erected by Adrian were so placed, "that the scene of our Lord's passion and resurrection, which had before been without the walls was now included within their circuit." It is also stated by the same celebrated historian, that "the Golgotha, and the place where the cross was discovered, as well as the place where the body was anointed, were formerly small oratories without the church." These walls, renewed by the Saracens and Crusaders, are still in good preservation, and for the greater part of their circuit are from forty to sixty feet high.

*The last measurement, that taken by Dr. Robinson, makes it 4326 yards; but he says it was done "without regarding the short angles and smaller zig-zags;" under these circumstances our measurements nearly correspond.

CHAPTER XX.

JERUSALEM.

Promise of a New city-The Labours of Mr. Fry-Prophecies-Lines of the Prophetic CityTower of Hananeel-The Eastern Wall-The Northern Boundary-Goath-The Southern and Western Walls-The Prophet Ezekiel-His vision-The City-like Temple-Its Measurements-Its Supposed Symbolical Meaning-Reference to Solomon's Temple-The Eastern Gate-Its Architecture-Traditions-Its station in the Millennial City-Remarkable Predictions concerning it-Mohammadan Traditions of Jerusalem-The Manuscript of JalalAddin-Prophecy of Mahadi-Expected Return of Messiah- Dr. Clarke's Topography-His alleged Discoveries-Position of Mount Sion-Objections of Mr. Buckingham-Their Fallacy -His Map-Refutation of Clarke's Objections—Sepulchres of David-Proofs from the Book of Joshua-Clarke's Knowledge of the Holy City-Authority of the Apostles-Calvary-Vulgar Errors-Golgotha-Identity of the Holy Sepulchre-Opinions of Dr. Robinson— Grotto of Jeremiah-The Royal Sepulchres-Tombs of the Judges-Their Manner of Construction The Valley of Jehoshaphat-Tomb of the Virgin-Gethsemane-Mount of Olives -Sepulchres of the Patriarchs-Siloam-Valley of Hinnom-The Aceldama-Discoveries of the Author-The races of Mankind-Opinion of Dr. Prichard.

In the foregoing description I have endeavoured to trace the situation and precise locality of the several cities of Jerusalem that have been; from that of Salem, occupying Mount Acra alone; then Mount Sion added; afterwards Moriah, taken in for the site of the temple; Bezetha included in later times, as the population grew more numerous, and finally, the walls of the present city. But there is still a topography of Jerusalem to be considered, without which any treatise upon that subject would be incomplete.

We are informed by the inspired writers, in language such as cannot possibly be mistaken, that at the restoration of Israel “Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited—and men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction of it.”—(Zech. xiv. 11.) See also chapter ii., and this cheering promise is again and again repeated in other prophecies. But the inspired writers go further, and not only inform us of the rebuilding of the city,