our Lord, might, in their zeal to retain the memorial of an event so remarkable, trace an outline on the last spot of the earth which had been touched by his sacred feet. Admitting, therefore, such outline was formed to mark the place, it would appear that he stood with his left hand towards Jerusalem, a most appalling sign, and that his face was directed towards the north. No person in the slightest degree acquainted with a knowledge of Scripture, can stand on this commanding elevation, from which the most perfect view of Jerusalem * underneath it and the surrounding country is presented, without perceiving that boundless field which opens for contemplating the wisdom and goodness of the omnipotent Creator of all things. The infinite variety of stupendous and miraculous events which occurred on this chosen part of the earth during past ages, demonstrative of his power, and marked as the seat of the redemption of the human race, besides the pinnacle of this mountain, the very spot where our Lord, triumphing over death and the grave, ascended to heaven. I say these are considerations most strikingly calculated to stamp upon the soul feelings of profound veneration. I have to deplore that such a country should be under the dominion of men who worship an impostor, and in whose hearts there is a deadly hatred against those who offer up adoration to that Great Being, as the only name under heaven by whom the salvation of their immortal souls can possibly be accomplished. The most elegant building of all at Jerusalem in point of architecture, and which is peculiarly striking, is the mosque I formerly mentioned, or what has been improperly called the Temple of Solomon, from the fact of that edifice having been founded on the spot. It stands directly in front of the Mount, on which I saw several persons occupied in painting and ornamenting. This leads me to observe, that nothing is considered more difficult than for a Christian to enter any mosque; *Rev. xxi. 10. indeed, if he does obtain admittance, he runs the hazard of losing his head, since it is considered by the Mahomedans that he pollutes the place by his presence. Instances, however, have occurred, under peculiar circumstances, where admission was obtained. Sir Sidney Smith had been allowed to go into this mosque, so also was a medical gentleman who travelled with Lord Belmore, from having preferred this privilege to receiving presents which had been offered him by Omar Effendi, Capo Verde at Jerusalem, for having performed some operations in removing a complaint with which he had been afflicted. One celebrated traveller, I heard, had found his way into the temple without permission, by disguising himself; he affected to go through the Mahomedan mode of worship, but having been discovered, after he had left the place, and returned to the Franciscan convent, he was assailed there by a party of Turks, and considerable apprehensions being entertained for his personal safety, he made a hasty and secret departure from Jerusalem. Here I should observe that from the foundation of the Mahomedan religion, the site of Solomon's Temple appears to have been held in great veneration by the disciples of the Impostor, and history records that it was for some time undecided whether it should not be built on that spot to which all his followers were to turn their faces in prayer, as they now do towards the Arabian temple at Mecca. The general view of Judea from the summit of the Mount of Olives, reminded me of many parts of the Highlands of Scotland, from the number of hills, like an ocean fixed into solidity when heaving in its wildest fury, presenting themselves on all sides. In turning round, the eye perceives, in a southern direction, at a great distance, the stupendous mountains from which the children of Israel had the first view of the Land of Promise. Part of these appear to overhang the Dead Sea, which exhibits a scene of awful desolation and silence. In descending the Mount, I observed olive trees scattered along the sides of it, some of which had the appear ance of considerable antiquity. The olive is of unknown durability, and I am disposed to think that the neighbourhood of Athens abounds with groves of these trees, which are older than the most antient monuments of that venerable city. I now came to the Garden of Gethsemane, which is situated at the foot of the Mount, and near the Brook Cedron. It is a piece of ground surrounded by a coarse loose wall of a few feet in height, and about the third part of an acre in extent. There are seven olive trees of enormous magnitude remaining, and separate from each other, said to have been in existence since the time of our Lord; they are highly venerated by the Christians, who consider any attempt to cut or injure them as amounting to an act of profanation. Should a Catholic be known to pluck any of the leaves, it subjects him to a sentence of excommunication from church privileges. Beads are made of the stone of the olive, and a string of them was given me by one of the monks of the convent, who mentioned it was the most sacred object that could possibly be presented to a traveller. It was to this garden that our Saviour had occasion to resort with his disciples to engage in prayer and devotional meditation, and a view of it is well calculated to impress the Christian mind with the deepest religious awe and veneration, especially when contemplating that agony which his soul experienced. At the upper end is the place where the Apostles Peter, James, and John, fell asleep during the passion of their divine Master; and in the middle of the garden, the spot where Judas betrayed him. Many other interesting places and grottos were pointed out, but these I shall not mention. * I cannot leave this part of my narrative without observing, that on walking over the garden I was strongly impressed with a belief that at such a period this place might have contained tombs, since it was an antient practice to commit the ashes of the dead in gardens. In this idea I * Matt. xxvi. 25. 36. 40. Mark xiv. 44. John xviii. 2. JERUSALEM. apprehend I am sanctioned by Revelation. 119 The body of our Lord was laid in a garden+, and it may be added, that at the present day the Jews ornament their churchyards like gardens, and have recourse to them to exercise acts of devotion. It is a singular circumstance, that those who undertake to point out to travellers histories of events given in Scripture, describe these as having principally taken place in grottos or underground. This shall be further shewn in the sequel. Such representations, I admit, had the effect of weakening my faith in the credibility of the guides; nor can any person divest himself of the idea that there must be something approaching to deception in many of their representations, since, among the early Christians, we do not find that any degree of importance whatever was attached to the places which had been the scenes of the events above alluded to; and when we take into consideration how much the Christian priesthood about Jerusalem, have been for a series of ages engaged in deriving a considerable emolument from pilgrims, in consequence of their explanations of the holy places, we can hardly refrain from entertaining doubts, that they select spots the most striking, in preference to searching with great antiquarian accuracy for those which are indisputably authentic. 2 Kings xxi. 26. Isaiah lxv. 3. † John xix. 41. CHAP. XIII. JERUSALEM CONTINUED.-VALLEY OF JEHOSHAPHAT. PIT OF NEHEMIAH. -ISAIAH SAWN ASUNDER. POOL OF SILOAM. JEABURY SMITH. ANECDOTE OF SIR SIDNEY INSULT THE AUTHOR RECEIVED IN HIS CHRIS ING GROUND OF HEBREWS. AFTER descending from the garden of Gethsemane, I proceeded to the valley of Jehoshaphat, towards the south, on the eastern side of it. Among the first objects which were pointed out was the Pit of Nehemiah, where the avenger of Israel discovered the sacred fire, which had been concealed there during the Babylonish captivity.* Soon after I came to the spot where Isaiah is said to have been sawn asunder, the traditionary history of whose martyrdom appears to be, that king Manasseh had formed an idol which he commanded to be worshipped; the prophet endeavoured to dissuade him from this act of idolatry, and was, in consequence, ordered to be punished for his zeal, by tying him between two boards and sawing him asunder. St. Paul, in his address to the Hebrews, having classed that of being 66 sawn asunder" among the torments undergone by the early saints and martyrs, I should conceive to have some reference to the fate of this great prophet.+ A little further from the scene of the martyrdom, and on the same side of the valley, is the Pool of Siloam ‡, so particularly alluded to in Scripture, the water of which is of a brackish, disagreeable taste, and flows several miles * + Hebrews xi. 37, 38. 2 Maccabees i. 19-26. Matt. xxiv. 51. John ix. 6-11. |