The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-02-09
MISCELL A NEOU
From the New York Observer.
MIR. BUCKINGHAM'S LECTURES.
THIRD LEcTURE-oN PALESTINE.

am now, in conclusion, to speak of those two
most interesting monuments, the tomb of Christ
and the rock of Calvary. will begin with the
latter.
Calcary
1t has of late and but of late, been made ques
ton, whether the rock so denominated in Jerusa
lem, be indeed the actual spot where Christ was
crucihed. | do not quarrel with the severity O.
criticism, let it be made severe will. Chris
tianity invites examination, and glories in scrut.
ny. But, having for myself personally examined
the locality, my conviction of its being the true
and authentic theatre of that tragedy is as strong
as of my existence. Jews, Mahomedans, and
Christians, who are residents of the city, agree
with one voice that this was the place. Those who
deny and those who receive the Messahship OF
Jesus, all admit that this is the spot where he died.
/ confess that when first saw the place, 1 was
myself somewhat disappointed, on finding that it
did not agree with my previous conceptions; but
farther scrutiny convinced me that these concep-
tons were themselves erroneous. We are always,
you know, in the habit of forming an imaginary
picture of objects which we have never seen. We
often do it unconsciously and only discover the
mistake when we come to see the original. |
had always supposed that Calvary was high
hill. had always heard it called "Mount Cal
vary" and had seen the pictures Of the ancient
masters, where it is always so delineated. So i'm
pressed was my mind with the notion, that nothing
could remove it, but an actual inspection of the
place ITSELF | found no mountain, and felt some
uneasiness, until turned to review the scriptures
which describe the place, and then, for the first
time observed that there was no Mount Calvary"
in the Bibe.-The supposition is altogether gra-
tuitous; and it seems strange that it should have
become so universal. The gospels speak of the
spot as {" the place of Calvary" or the place of
SKULL" or the place that was called Golgotha."
Matthew is the most particular. He says it was
ga place called Gogotha, that is to say place of
a skull" Mark uses nearly the same words
I" the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted,
the place of skull" Luke simply says, They
came to place which is called Calvary" Johns
words are, "And he, bearing his cross, went forth
into place called the place of skull, which is
called in the Hebrew, Golgotha." He adds the
place where Jesus was crucifed was nigh to the
city," Here is no mention made of any noun
tain or hill. 1t is simply called "a place. 1t was
denominated "the place of a SKULL" not as has
been supposed, because it was place of common
execution, and the skulls of maefactors were sup
posed to lie about upon the ground thing en-
trey repugnant to the habits and the feelings Of the
Jewish people but because the spot consists of
a nodule of rock somewhat resembling, in its gen.
eral outline, the shape of human skull In fact,
If you omit the supplementary words in italics in
the description by John, the passage reads, abe
went forth into place called-ofa skull )" which
expresses the very idea wish TO convey There
is no reason to believe that any execution had ev-
er been held there. On the contrary, it is proba-
bic that the high priests, thirstng as they did for
Christ's blood, and having at length wrung from
Plate reluctant assent to his cruciixion, seized,
in their murderous haste, upon the nearest spot
which afforded the means of executing their hell
ish purposes. John says, he went forth THAT is,
forth of the Judgment HalD into place called
OF skull" which seems to intimate that the one