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THE WALLS OF THE TEMPLE AREA.

entrance, and Issa-their name for Jesus-on the Mount of Olives opposite, and together judge the world.

Along the southern side there is little to detain us. We have on our right the wall surmounted by the roof of the mosque of El Aksa and on our left the slope of Ophel running down to the point at which the Valleys of

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Hinnom and Kedron meet. But immediately after turning the south-west corner we come upon an object of profound interest. The Temple was on this side divided from the city by a valley, now nearly filled up. From the wall which here bears traces of extreme antiquity and appears to be a part of the original structure, some huge blocks of stones are seen to project. These were found by Robinson to form the first courses of an arch. Captain

Wilson, acting on behalf of the Palestine Exploration Fund, caused a line of shafts to be sunk due westward from this point, and discovered a series of piers upon which other arches had rested, so that we have here the remains of a bridge which ran across the valley connecting the Temple with the city. We learn from Josephus that the valley was spanned by a bridge leading from the Temple to the palace. All subsequent researches have tended to establish the conclusion at which Robinson arrived that, "This arch could only belong to THE BRIDGE, and it proves incontestably the antiquity of that

PROJECTING STONES OF ROBINSON'S ARCH.

A

portion of the wall from which
it springs." The only difficulty
in the way of ascribing this great
work to Solomon or his succes-
sors is that the principle of the
arch was not then known.
more thorough acquaintance with
Egyptian architecture, however,
proves that this statement is not
strictly true. Examples of the
arch, though rare, may yet be
found in buildings of undoubted
antiquity. In the narrative of
the visit of the Queen of Sheba
to Solomon we read that, "When
she had seen . . . his ascent by
which he went up unto the house
of the Lord, there was no more
spirit in her." This seems to be
spoken of as the climax of all
the wonders which were shown
her.
If we may venture to iden-
tify the arched bridge across the
valley with "the ascent" thus
spoken of it will adequately

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explain the astonishment with which it was regarded.

A little farther along the western wall we come to the Wailing Place of the Jews. It is close to the Jewish quarter the foulest, most squalid and wretched part of the city. The masonry here is the finest, and in the best preservation, of any part of the enclosure. Many of the stones are twentyfive feet in length and apparently have remained undisturbed since the time of the first builder. Here the Jews assemble every Friday to mourn over

1 I Kings x. 4, 5.

2 If we adopt Mr. Fergusson's theory as to the site of the Temple, a line running through the Altar and the Holy of Holies would cut the middle of the Wailing Place.

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