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gellation Well, Cotton Grotto, reservoir, etc., this examination would have induced a contrary conviction; for, instead of coming from the north, as such an opinion necessarily implies, the source of this fountain is directly from the south, and therefore cannot be derived from either of the abovementioned places. And having witnessed an unusually copious outflow of the Virgin's Fount of thirty-seven minutes' continuance on the preceding Friday, about mid-day, after seven or eight hundred skins (four or five thousand gallons) had been drawn up for the bath and its supply well nigh exhausted, I was convinced that the outflow could not be owing, as is generally supposed, to the discharge of this alleged over-filled reservoir, by a rude kind of natural syphon. That it is not derived from a large fountain within the precincts of the Haram es-Sherif, as others contend, is also fairly inferable from the fact that the channel along which it flows, instead of coming from the east, in the direction of the Haram, approaches the well from the south as far as is ascertained either by report or actual examination; so that, when protracted, it falls considerably short of even touching the most westerly corner of the Haram enclosure.

Most evident is it, from what has been already stated, that this well does not communicate with any source of living water of the Haram, and more especially with one immediately under the threshold of the holy oracle. Nor can it be in connection with any of the Haram reservoirs; for it is thirty-three feet lower than the large reservoir between Kubbet es-Sakhrah and el-Aksa, forty-two lower than that between the well and the supposed site of the temple, and twenty-eight below that in el-Aksa the most southern and the deepest reservoir in the Haram enclosure."1

We cannot dwell longer upon Dr. Barclay's discussion of the water resources of Jerusalem and its vicinity, than to mention his conjecture that the Enon of John's baptism was the Wady Farah, about six miles north-east of the city. There is nothing, however, in the allusion to non in John 3: 23, to indicate the locality of these "many fountains."

The most interesting and exciting portion of Dr. Barclay's book is that in which he introduces us to "Nether Jerusalem." That the modern city of Jerusalem, like Paris and Rome, stands upon a rock that has been honey-combed by ancient excavations, has been often conjectured by archæologists from the allusions of Josephus to subterranean passages, and the partial exploration of ancient conduits and drains; but the fear of some military stratagem for the surprise of the city, and the suspicion of treasure-hunting by

1 Pages 533-536.

some magic of the Franks, make the Moslem residents of Jerusalem extremely jealous of an attempt to explore the city beneath its surface. The narrative of Dr. Barclay's discovery of the great quarry under Bezetha, is so graphic and instructive that we give it entire, as prepared by one of his

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Having received some intimation of the existence of an entrance to a very extensive cave near the Damascus gate (entirely unknown to Franks), we resolved upon its exploration, on the strength of the Nazir's permission. Accordingly, a few days afterwards, father, brother, and myself repaired thither; and after several hours of vain labor, finding it utterly impossible to effect an entrance unperceived in the open light of day, we concluded to return in the shades of the evening-resolving to pass the night under Jerusalem in making a thorough exploration.

"Having provided ourselves with all the requisites for such a furtive adventure (matches, candles, compass, tape-line, paper, and pencils) a litthe previous to the time of closing the gates of the city, we sallied out at different points, the better to avoid exciting suspicion, and rendezvoused at Jeremiah's Pool, near to which we secreted ourselves within a white enclosure surrounding the tomb of a departed Arab Sheik, until the shades of darkness enabled us to approach unperceived when we issued from our hiding-place, amid the screeching of owls, screaming of hawks, howling of jackals, and the chirping of nocturnal insects. The mouth of the cavern being immediately below the city wall and the houses on Bezetha, we proceeded cautiously in the work of removing the dirt, mortar, and stones; and, after undermining and picking awhile, a hole (commenced a day or two previous by our dog) was made, though scarcely large enough for us to worm our way serpentinely through the ten-foot wall.

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On scrambling through and descending the inner side of the wall, we found our way apparently obstructed by an immense mound of soft dirt, which had been thrown in the more effectually to close up the entrance; but, after examining awhile, discovered that it had settled down in some places sufficiently to allow us to crawl over it on hand and knee; which having accomplished, we found ourselves enveloped in thick darkness, that might be felt, but not penetrated by all our lights, so vast is the hall.

"For some time we were almost overcome with feelings of awe and admiration (and I must say apprehension, too, from the immense impending vaulted roof), and felt quite at a loss to decide in which direction to wend our way. There is a constant and in many places very rapid descent from the entrance to the termination, the distance between which two points, in a nearly direct line, is seven hundred and fifty feet; and the cave is upwards of three thousand feet in circumference, supported by great numbers of rude natural pillars. At the southern extremity there is a very deep and precipitous pit, in which we received a very salutary warning of

caution from the dead —a human skeleton! supposed to be that of a person who, not being sufficiently supplied with lights, was precipitated headlong and broke his neck, or rather his skull, I should judge, from the fracture I noticed on picking it up! There is also near this pit a basin excavated in the solid rock, about five feet in diameter and two and a half feet deep, into which the percolating water trickles; but it was in vain we tried to quench our thirst with water of such bitter, disagreeable taste. A little, however, was bottled for analysis. Water was everywhere dropping from the lofty ceiling, which had formed numerous stalactites and stalagmitessome of them very resplendent and beautiful, but too fragile to be collected and preserved.

"We noticed bats clinging to the ceiling in several places, in patches varying from fifty to a hundred and fifty, hanging together, which flew away at our too near approach, and for some time continued to fit and scream round and about our heads in rather disagreeable propinquity. Numerous crosses marked on the wall indicated that, though unknown to Christendom of the present day, the devout pilgrim or crusader had been there; and a few Arabic and Hebrew inscriptions (though too much effaced to be deciphered) proved that the place was not unknown to the Jew and Arab. Indeed, the manner in which the beautiful white solid limestone rock was everywhere carved by the mason's rough chisel into regular pillars, proved that this extensive cavern, though in part natural, was formerly used as the grand quarry of Jerusalem.

"Also, from the close correspondence in the strata of rock in this cave and the opposite hill, we came to the conclusion that this cavern and the Grotto of Jeremiah, two or three hundred yards distant (the intermediate hill having been carried away for the construction of the city wall, temple, etc.), constituted one immense cave. There are many intricate meandering passages leading to immense halls, as white as the driven snow, and supported by colossal pillars of irregular shape-some of them placed there by the hand of nature, to support the roof of the various grottos; others evidently left by the stone quarrier in quarrying the rock to prevent the intumbling of the city. Such reverberations I never heard before!

"Though disappointed in our fond expectations of working our way to the Sanctum Sanctorum, Hippicus, or Antonia, as we had vaguely conjectured we might be enabled to do, we were nevertheless highly delighted with our little jaunt in nether Jerusalem.

"From the former entrance of the cave down to the temple area is a gently inclined plane — a fact that suggests a satisfactory solution of what has heretofore been regarded as a very puzzling question-the difficulty of placing such immense masses of rock in situ, as those found at the south-east and south-west corners of the temple wall.

"We entered the cave at 7 P. M., with the intention of passing the night in its dark recesses; but after making a plan, were so fatigued that we concluded, that were we to yield ourselves to the influence of Somnus, the rising sun would probably reveal to the jealous Mussulmans the

opened entrance to the scene of our nocturnal adventure. Therefore, at 2 A. M., we repaired to an old vacated oil-mill adjacent, and having kindled a brush and grass fire, passed the remainder of the night in a state of no little discomfiture-longing for the light of morning.

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"The numerous burrows, into which we so often sank knee-deep, served to confirm the construction we had put upon the report made to us by our faithful dog in this arduous reconnoissance - and proved that here the foxes had holes,' as well as the birds of the air their nests' - for the bones that lay strewn about proved that the voracious jackal was now the lord of this manor,' whose interminable halls had for centuries resounded to the busy din of the hammer and chisel. What untold toil was represented by the vast piles of blocks and chippings, over which we had to clamber in making our exploration! A melancholy grandeur, at once exciting and depressing, pervaded these vast saloons. This, without doubt, is the very magazine from which much of the temple rock was hewn." 1

Lest this should be regarded as the exaggeration of a youthful explorer, in the first enthusiasm of discovery, we subjoin a brief description of the quarry, from Rev. Stephen H. Tyng, D. D., of New York.

"Dr. Barclay's discovery of the great quarry under the north-eastern part of the city, was a very remarkable addition to the topographical knowledge of Jerusalem. In this vast subterranean cavern we wandered for hours in wondering observation. It runs south and east from under the northern wall, probably quite beneath the area of the temple. When we saw the immense white stones in the western foundation of the temple wall, where the Jews weekly meet for their wailing over the desolations of Jerusalem, the size and aspect of these ancient stones struck us with amazement. But our visit to this vast quarry interpreted the whole scene. Here, perhaps for more than a third of a mile in extent, we walked over heaps of chips and sprawls, such as fill every stonecutter's yard, and saw where courses of immense blocks of the purest white stone had been quarried and worked. Many of these stones are still remaining just as the ancient workmen left them. Some stand in rows still united to the rock, cut down in separate channels, scooped out at the bottom, as if worked with an adze. Some have the mortices for the wedges by which they were to be thrown off, worked on the back edge of the outside. Some are cracked and partially separated, as if the work had been arrested in the very use of the wedges; and some are lying across each other on the floor, just as they fell. Here is the whole secret revealed of the noiseless construction of the temple — of the 'stones squared by the stone-squarers,' before they were brought thith

1 Pages 459-462.

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and of the great stones,' 'hewed stones,' 'costly stones,' 'glistering stones,' which were used in the construction of the wonderful edifice. The whole investigation is startling in its character, and compensating in a high degree." 1

This discovery of the probable temple-quarry, serves not only to illustrate the manner of building, but, by exhibiting the stone in situ, confirms the testimony of Josephus as to its dazzling whiteness. The friable nature of the stone may also account for the complete disintegration of the temple walls after their overthrow by Titus. The name of Dr. Barclay will always be associated with this wonderful discovery. We would willingly follow our author through all his supposed discoveries and identifications; but the reader would be impatient of further detail. Dr. Barclay displaces many of the localities fixed by previous topographers, and determines others with a facility which fails to inspire confidence in his results. The most obvious fault of his work is that of hasty inference, prompted by the desire to settle every disputed point. The reputed tomb of Helena he regards as a sepulchre of the Herodian period. Golgotha he locates upon the eastern brow of the Kidron, far up the valley. He attempts also to identify nearly every gate and quarter of ancient Jerusalem with some locality of the modern city. It was our privilege and our pleasure, in 1853, to ride in company with Dr. Barclay, over the principal suburbs of Jerusalem, and especially to make the circuit of the mount of Olives as far as Bethany. His location of Bethphage upon a spur of Olivet about a mile from the city, appeared more plausible upon the spot than it is possible to make it by a verbal description. It rests, however, mainly upon conjecture. The same must be said of the rocky eminence overhanging the site of Bethany, which Dr. Barclay would make the scene of the Ascension. This is very well as a conjecture; but it enhances the sublime spirituality of the New Testament economy that, in the very land of sacred places and symbols, every trace of the Saviour's footsteps which

1 Protestant Churchman.

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