Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-06-12

the ferocity 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 City of Je-
hovah
Let us pause-and take, ourselves, a mourn
full 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 i'm
passable rayines. 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 tower
the sentinel might have stretched, below, the
whole Of that fair territory of Judea, about to
pass from the countrymen of David. Within
these walls was the palace Of the kings-its
roof Of cedar, its chambers filed with the cost
liest tapestries, and vessels of gold and silver.
Groves and gardens cleaning with fountains,
adorned with statues of bronze, divided the
courts of the palace itself. But high above all,
upon percipitous rock, rose the temple forti-
fled and adorned by Solomon. This temple
was as strong without as a citadel-within
more adorned than palace. On entering,
you beheld porticoes Of numberless columns
OF porphyry, marble and alabaster; gates
adorned with gold and silver, among which
was the wonderful gate called the Beautiful.
Further on, through vast arch, was the sa-
cred portal which admitted into the interior of
the temple itself, all sheeted 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 defiling the holy
dome AT distance, the whole temple look
ed like mount Of snow, fretted with golden
pinnacles. But alas, the veil of that temple
had been already rent asunder by an inexpia-
BILE crime, and the Lord of Hosts did not fight
with Israel. 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
meanwhile had made such havoc, that the be-
sieged were more like spectres than living
men; they deyoured the belts to their swords,
the sandals to their feet. Even nature itself
so perished away, that mother devoured her
own infant fulfilling the awful words of the
warlike prophet who had first led the Jews
towards the land of promise" The tender
and delecate woman amongst you, who would
not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon
the ground for delicateness and tenderness
her eye shall be evil toward her young one
and the children that she shall bear, for she
shall eat them for want of all things secretly
in the siege and straighness wherewith thine
enemy shall distress thee in thy gates" Still
as if the foe and the famine was not scourge
enough, citizens 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
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
etooh0u-tic boluSu plundCitS VI the uOme
were like spikes of crimson fame Through
the lured atmosphere all was carnage and
slaughter; the echoes of shrieks and yells
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 stand
ard Of Rome. Thus were fulfilled the last
avenging prophecies-thus perished Jerusa-
lem. In that dreadful day, men still were lv-
ing who might have heard the warning voice
of Him they crucifed-" Verify, / say unto
you, all, these things shall come upon this
generation. OJerusalem, Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, thou that killcst the prophets and
stonest them that arc sent to thee, be-
hold your house is left unto you desolate"
And thus were the Hebrew people scattered
over the face Of the carth still retaining to
this hour their mysterious identity-stil a
living proof Of the truth Of those prophets
they had scorncd or slain--still, vainly await
ing that Messiah, whose divine mission was full.
filled eighteen centuries ago, upon the Mount
of Calvary.