Jerusalem Explored Part 6

[130] Plate x.x.x.

[131] +Aneei mechri tes Antonias.+

[132] Jewish War, V. 4, -- 2.

[133] Plate V.

[134] Jewish War, V. 4, -- 3.

[135] Ibid. V. 3, -- 3; 4, -- 3.

[136] Plate VII.

[137] Jewish War, V. 4, -- 3.

[138] Ibid. V. 2, -- 2.

[139] Ibid.

[140] Ant. XX. 4, -- 3.

[141] Jewish War, V. 4, -- 2.

[142] Jerome, Ep. CVIII. Ed. Migue, (_Ad Eustochium virginem_).

[143] Plate LVII.

[144] Plates VIII., IX.

[145] +spelaion+ (cavern), +mnemeion+ (sepulchre).

[146] Jewish War, V. 4, -- 2.

[147] 2 Kings xxiii. 6.

[148] Jer. xxvi. 23.

[149] Jewish War, V. 4, -- 3.

[150] Whiston reads 'forty' instead of fourteen; the latter is the number in the Greek text.

[151] Note II.

[152] Jewish War, V. 12, -- 2.

[153] Ibid. V. 7, -- 3.

[154] Columbarium means not only a dovecote, but also a sepulchre, with niches for urns.

[155] Plate LIV.

[156] Jewish War, V. 13, -- 7; VI. 9, -- 3.

[157] c. Apion. I. 22.

[158] See the Chronological Table.

[159] Jewish War, V. 1, -- 6; 6, -- 1.

[160] Ibid. V. 4, -- 1.

[161] Jewish War, V. 2, -- 1.

[162] Ibid. V. 3, -- 2.

[163] Ibid. V. 3, -- 5.

[164] Jewish War, V. 3, -- 2.

[165] Nehem. xii. 28, 29.

[166] Jewish War, VII. 1, -- 1.

[167] Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. IV. 6.

[168] Jerome, 'Interpretatio Chronicae Eusebii Pamphili' (Hadr. An. XX.).

[169] Note XI.

[170] Note XII.

CHAPTER III.

MOUNT MORIAH AND ITS ENVIRONS--HISTORY IN THE TIME OF ABRAHAM, JACOB, DAVID, SOLOMON, ZERUBBABEL, ALEXANDER THE GREAT, ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES, THE MACCABEES, POMPEIUS, CRa.s.sUS, THE HERODS, t.i.tUS, HADRIAN, CONSTANTINE, JULIAN THE APOSTATE, OMAR, ABD-EL-MALEK, VALID OR ELULID, THE CRUSADERS, SALADIN, SELIM I., SOLYMAN I.--GENERAL EXAMINATION OF MORIAH, WITH DETAILS OF THE INVESTIGATIONS.

Mount Moriah, forming the south-east part of the Lower City, is one of the points in Jerusalem whose situation can be fixed with the greatest certainty, from the evidence of the place itself with its ruins and remains, and from the testimony of ancient authors and local traditions.

At the present day it is surrounded by walls and buildings enclosing the great plateau, in the middle of which rises the majestic _Kubbet-es-Sakharah_ (Dome of the Rock), on the site formerly occupied by the Temple of the G.o.d of Israel. The followers of Islam, on their conquest of Jerusalem, dedicated this spot to the service of their own faith, under the name of _Beit-el-Mokaddas-es-Sherif_ (the n.o.ble Sanctuary). They esteemed it the holiest place on earth, after Mecca and Medina, and, as usual, strictly forbade all unbelievers to enter it. An accurate and scientific examination of it was not made, so far as we know, in the days of the Crusaders, and since then, though many have attempted it, none have succeeded. Ali Bey's description, made A.D.

1807, is correct enough for a traveller, but does not touch upon questions of archaeology; Catherwood, Bonomi, and Arundale, during Ibrahim Pasha's occupation of Syria, A.D. 1833, commenced a survey with plans and views; but were hindered and finally stopped by the fanaticism of the Arabs, and so obliged to bring to a hasty conclusion a work carefully begun. Many have spoken before scientific societies and written on this subject in various publications; some after looking at the place from the Mount of Olives or the terrace of the Barrack at the north-west corner of the enclosure, others after a hurried visit; but no one since the time of its destruction by t.i.tus has examined the ground, no one has carried on careful and systematic investigations there; all have been content to speak of what appeared above the soil, and were consequently ignorant of the objects of far greater interest below.

In consequence of the late war in the East, Mohammedan fanaticism was somewhat abated, and Kiamil Pasha, Governor of the city, several times allowed travellers to visit the _Haram_[171], and kindly gave me frequent leave to enter it alone, without forming one of the train of some distinguished visitor; at other times I went in disguise with Arab friends; but on all these occasions I could only use my eyes, and now and then venture to measure a distance by stepping it. This was not what I wanted, for I had determined to construct plans and thoroughly examine the ground in every direction. My wishes were carried into effect by the great kindness and powerful protection of Surraya Pasha, who attached me to his service as honorary architect, and then gave me every opportunity and a.s.sistance in accomplis.h.i.+ng my design, during a period lasting from the beginning of 1857 to August 1861, when I returned to Europe. I have accordingly examined this celebrated place, patiently and perseveringly, and with no small sacrifice of time and private means[172]. I have penetrated into the subterranean works, sought out and cla.s.sified the conduits and ascertained their course, constructed plans[173], and now present the details of my labours to the reader, in confidence that, even if I have not fully accomplished my design, I am the first to bring forward many facts useful to archaeology, and that if others continue the researches (when that is possible) many great problems will be solved.

The first mention of Moriah in the Bible is when Abraham, in obedience to the divine command, came to it to offer up his son Isaac, and the Almighty, satisfied both of the faith of the father and the obedience of the son, arrested the knife, and subst.i.tuted another victim[174]. It is possible that this mount may have been the scene of Jacob's dream[175], and not the Bethel usually supposed; where at a later period the golden calf was set up by Jeroboam. Had it been the latter place it is rather improbable that the patriarch would have halted at so short a distance from Shechem, when he fled from the vengeance of the neighbours of Hamor[176]. Moriah is not directly mentioned in the account of David's conquest of Jerusalem, nor in the history of his reign, but it is indirectly when his country was smitten by a pestilence, after that, led astray by pride, he had numbered the people[177]. He repented and entreated G.o.d, who checked the destroying angel's hand, as his sword was stretched out over Jerusalem. Bidden by the prophet Gad, the King went out from the city to raise an altar to the Lord on the thres.h.i.+ng-floor of Araunah the Jebusite, near to which he had seen the angel. He found the owner with his four sons thres.h.i.+ng wheat, purchased the floor for 600 shekels of gold, with the oxen for sacrifices, the grain for meat-offerings, and the instruments for wood; built an altar there, and called upon the Lord. The fire of heaven descended upon it, and the angel thrust back his sword into the sheath. He continued to sacrifice there, saying, "This is the house of the Lord G.o.d, and this is the altar of the burnt-offering for Israel[178]." From the above narrative we see that the thres.h.i.+ng-floor was without the city, and the property of a Jebusite, that it was a sacred spot, chosen by the Lord himself for his House, and identical with Moriah. Josephus[179] informs us that this was the very place to which Abraham brought his son Isaac to offer him as a burnt-offering.

Here it will be well to digress a little to describe a 'thres.h.i.+ng-floor'

(Goren) of this period. It consisted of a plot of ground, usually rocky, levelled to allow of the crops being spread out to the air and sun, ready for the labourers, yet so situated as to be sheltered from the full force of the prevailing wind. For greater security it was usually near a dwelling; and, either within the enclosure or in the immediate neighbourhood, cisterns were hewn in the rock, some to catch the rain-water, others to hold the grain and other farm produce[180]. The purposes for which these were designed can be determined from their form. Those for water have only one chamber, with a shaft (about 2-3/4 feet wide) opening out into the middle of the roof; the rest have two chambers, one below the other, communicating by a hole (about 4 feet wide) in the middle of the floor of the upper[181], which itself opens to the thres.h.i.+ng-floor by a sloping pa.s.sage (about 3-1/2 feet wide). The lower cavern is deeper and larger than the upper.