Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-06-24
DESTRUCTION OF syERusALEM

fDEsTRUCTror or yERpsALEM.
A few weeks ago Sir E. BulwerLytton
delivered a lecture in Lincoln, which city
he has for a number Of years represented
in Parliament, on the early history Of
Eastern nations. He gave an outline Of
the history Of the Babylonian, Assyrian,
Persian, Egyptian, Greek, and Jewish ma
tions, and closed with the following pow
erful and dramatic description of the de-
struction of Jerusalem by Titus:
Six years after the birth of our Lord.
Judea and Samaria became a Roman
province, under subordinate governors,
the most famous Of whom was Pontius
Plate. These governors became so OPP
pressive that the Jews broke out into
rebellion, and seventy years after Christ.
Jerusalem was finally bcsciged by Titus,
afterward Emperor of Rome. No trag-
edy on the stage has the same scene Of
appalling terror as are to be found in the
history of this siege. The city itself was
rent by factions at the deadliest war with
each other-all the elements Of civil ha
tired had broke loose-the streets were
slippery with the blood of citizens
brother slew brether-the ~granaries were
set on 6re-famine wasted those whom
the sword did not Stay. In the midst Of
these civil massacres, the Roman armies
appeared before the walls of Jerusalem.
Then for a short time the rival factions
united against the common foe; they
were again the gallant countrymen of
David and Joshua--they sailed forth and
scattered the eagles of Rome. But the
triumph was brief the f~erocity Of the
Inflated Jews soon again wasted itself on
each other. And Titus marched on-en-
eamped his armies close by the walls
and from the heights the Roman General
gazed with awe on the strength and
splendor Of the city Of Jehovah.
Let US here pause, and take, ourselves,
"a mouraful glance at Jerusalem, as it
then was. The city was forfeited by d
triple wall, save on one side, whereitwas
protected by ucep and impossible ravines.
These walls, Of the most solid masonry,
were guarded by strong towers opposite
to the ~loftiest of these towers Titus had
encamped. From the height of that tow
er the sentinel might have seen stretched
below the whole of that fair Territory of
Judea, about to pass from the eountrymen
of David. Within these walls was the
palace of the kings-the roof of cedar,
its doors of the rarest marbles, its cham
bers filled with the costliest tapestries,
and vessels of gold and silver. Groves
and gardens cleaning with fountains,
adorned with statutes and bronze, divided
the courts of the palace itself. But high
above all, upon a PERCEPTIONS rock, rose
the temple, fortified and adornad by Sol
omon. The temple was as strong without
as a citadel-within more adorned than
a palace. On entering, you beheld por-
ticoes of numberlcss columns of p%orphyry,
marble and alabaster; gates adorned with
gold and silver, among which was the
wonderful gate called the Beautiful
Farther on, through the vast arch, was
the sacred portal which admitted into the
interior of the temple itself, all sheeted
over with gold, and overhuug by a vine
tree of gold, the branhes of which were
as large as a man. The roof of the tenn
pie, even on the outside, was set over with
golden spikes, to prevent the birds set
thing there to de6le the holy dome. At a
distance, the whole temple looked like a
mount of snow, fretted with golden pin
nacles. But, alas the veil of that tenn.
pie had been already rent asunder by an
incapable crime, and the Lord af Hosts
did not fight with Israel. But the enemy
is laundering at the wall. All around
the city arose immense machines, from
which Titns poured down mighty frag-
ments of rock and showers Of FIRE. The
walls gave way, the city was entered
the temple itself was stormed. Famine,
la the meantime had made such havoc
that the beseiged were more like spectors
than living men they devoured the belts
to their swords, the sandals to their feet.
Even nature itself so persisted away, that
a mother deyoured her own infant-ful-
filing the awful words Of the warlike|
prophet who had first led the Jews to
ward the land of promise +" The tender
and delicate woman amongst yon, who
would not venture to set the sole of her
foot upon the ground for delicatenes8 and
tenderness-her eyes shall be evil to-.
ward her young one of the children that
she shall bear, for she shall eat them for
want of all things secretly in the seigeI
and straitness wherewith thine enomy
shall distress thee in thine gates.n Still,
as if the foe and the famine was not
scourge enough, citizens smote and mnr-
dered each other as they met in the wav.
false prophets raj bowling through the
streets-every image Of despair completes
the CHASTITY picture of the fall of Jerusa-
lem. And now the temple was set on
fire, the Jews rushing through the flames
to perish amid its ruins. 1t waa a calm
SUMMER night, the 10th Of August the
whole hill on which stood the temple was
one gigantic blaze. of fre-the roofs Of
.cedar crashad-tha anLdon ninnaalaa &c