The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-05-28
BULWER ON THE DESTRUCTION OF
JERUSALEM

DOLW Eli ON IhE DESTRUCTlON OF
JERUSALEM.
A few weeks ago Sir E. Bulwer Lyttou
delivered 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, Egyp-
tian, Greek and Jewish nations, and closed
with the following powerful and dramatic
description of the destruction of Jerusalem
by Titus:
Six years after the birth of our Lord, Ju-
dea and Samaria became Roman province,
under subordinate governors, the most IA
nous of whom was Pontius PLATE. These
governors became so oppressive that the Jews
broke out into rebellion; and seventy years
after Christ, Jerusalem was finally besieged
by Titus, afterwards Emperor of Rome. No
tragedy on the stage has the same scene Of
appalling terror as are to be found in the his
tory Of this siege. The city itself was rent
by factions at the deadliest war with each
other--all the elements of civil hatred had
broke loOse-the streets were slippery with
the blood of citizens-brother slew brother
the granares were set OF fire--famine wasted
those whom the sword did not slay. In the
midst of these civil massacres, the Roman ar.
mics appeared before the walls of Jerusalem.
Then for short time the rival factions unit
ed against the common foe; they were again
the gallant countrymen of David and Joshua
they sailed forth and scattered the eagles
of Rome. But triumph was brief; the feroci-
ty Of the ill.fated Jews soon again wasted
itself on each other. And Titus marched on
-encamped 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,
mournful glance at Jerusalem, as it then was.
The city was fortified by triple wall, save
on one side, where it was protected by deep
and impossible ravines. These walls, OF the
most solid masonry, were guarded by strong
towers; opposite to the loftiest of these tow
ers Titus had encamped. From the height
of that tower the sentinel might have seen
stretched below the whole of that fair Terri
tory of Judea, about to pass from the coun.
!rymen of David. Within these walls was
the palace Of the kings-its roof Of cedar, its
doors of the rarest marbles, its chambers fill
ed with the costliest tapestries, and vessels of
gold and silver. Groves and gardens gleam-
ing with fountains, adorned with statues of
bronze, divided the courts of the palace itself.
But high above all upon precipitous rock,
rose the temple, fortified and adorned by Sol
omon. The temple was as strong without as
a ctadel-within more adorned than n pal
ace. On entering you beheld porticoes of
numberless columns of porphyry, marble and
aabaster; gates adorned with gold and silver,
among which was the wonderful gate called
the Beautiful. Further on, through the vast
arch, was the sacred portal which admitted
into the interior of the temple itself all sheet
ed over with gold and overhung by vine
tree of gold, the branches of which were as
large as man. The roof of the temple,
even on the outside, was set over with golden
spikes, to prevent the birds settling there and
defling the holy dome. At n distance, the
whole temple looked like mount of snow,
fretted with golden pinnacles But, alas, the
veil of that temple had been already rent
asunder by an incapable crime, and the Lord
of Hosts did not fight with Israeli But the
enemy is laundering at the wall. All around
the city arose immense machines, from which
Titus poured down mighty fragments of rock,
and showers Of fire. The walls gave way
the city was entered-the temple itself was
stormed. Famine in the meantime had made
such havoc, that the besieged were more like
spectres than living men; they devoured the
belts to their swords, the sandals to their
feet. Even nature itself so perished away,
that a mother devoured her own infant; full
filling the awful words of the warlike prophet
who had first led the Jews towards the land
of promise-"Tbe tender and delicate woman
amongst you, who would not venture to set
the sole of her foot upon the ground for deli
cateness and tenderness-her eyes shall be
evil towards her.y young one and the children
that she shall bear, for she shall eat them for
want of all things secretly in the siege and
straitness wherewith thine enemy shall dis
tress thee 10 thy gates" Still, as if the foe
and the famine was not scourge enough, citi.
zens smote and murdered each other as they
met in the way, false prophets ran bowling
through the streets-every image of despair
completes the ghastly picture of the fall of
Jerusalem. And now the temple was set on
fire, the Jews rushing through the flames to
perish amidst its ruins. 1t was a calm sum
mer night-the 10th Of August; the whole
hill on which stood the temple was one gi.
gantic blaze of fire-the roofs Of cedar crash.
ed--the golden pinnaces of the dome were
like spikes of crimson flame. Through the
urd atmosphere all was carnage and slaugh
ter; the echoes of shrieks and yels rang back
from the Hill of Zion and the Mount of
Olives. Amongst the smoking ruins, and
over piles of the dead, Titus planted the
standard of Rome. Thus were fulfilled the
last avenging prophecies perished Jer-
usalem. In that dreadful day men still were
living who might have heard the warning
voice of Him they crucfed-"Veriy, | say
unto you all, these things shall come upon
this generation. o, Jerusalem,
Jerusa EN-, thou that kl!sst the prophets and
stonesl them that are sent to thee,
behold your house is left unto you desoate"
And thus were the Hebrew people scattered
over the face Of the earth, still retaining to
this hour their mysterious identity-stll a
living proof of the truth of those prophets
thew had scorned or slain-still vainly await
ing that Messiah, whose divine mission was
fulfilled eighteen centuries ago, upon the
Mount Of Calvary.
t3y- The earnings of the Hudson River
Railroad in April, were 100000, or $4,000
less than last season. The Erie Road con-
tinues to show an increase over last year.
The Michigan Southern receipts for April