Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-06-12


stone Of the arch, /. e. the lowest stone
in the curve or spring OF the arch, next
the wall of the courts of the temple,
made. also a stone of this wall, and is
there still, and is just above the now
surface Of the ground, and is "a feet long.
This makes it certain that here the
debris is as deep as the height Of the up
right part Of these arches.
All that part of Mt. Moriah south of
the courts of the temple, l. e. the south
point of this long and narrow hill, being
also considerable lower than where the
temple stood, and is what was called
| Opbel or Oplas, and was inhabited by
Nethinims, is now without the walls and
is usually sown to wheat. But not foot
oft is there but what shows the ruins
underneath. The valley between this
part Of the hill ard the h.lI of Zion is
almost obliterated, and it must have
been here quite deep. This would be
the place where large part of the stones
that formed the claisters on the south
side of the courts of the temple, would
most naturally be thrown. The stones
that belonged to the Holy-house itself,
mos probably, lie higher up in the val
ley--a little above the cause-way built
| by Solomon. Some might have been
thrown off from the east side Of the walls
of the court into the Kedron valley, but
this would require much more labor
| There is however, a vast amount of
ruin and rubbish on this slope from the
temple TO the Kedron. 1t has always
been known that an underground sewer
ran from the great altar of sacrifice, in
front of the temple, down to the Kedron,
to carry off the blood and offal of the
victims, but the locality has been lost
until very recently. 1t has now been
discovered. deep buried in ruins. That
part of Mt. Zion without the walls when
seen form the surrounding hills, shows
nothing but a somewhat undulating tract,
sloping TO east and northeast, with here
and there scattering olive tree, the
most Of it devoted TO wheat. But travel
over it, and it is plain that many of these
undulations are nothing moro or less
than piles of ruined houses. Passing
one day along near the southwest corner
of the preseut city, some stones just on
the top OF the ground attracted my at
tenton. soon recognized them as the
apex of a dome, and by looking about
a little / found two more domes. They
were all in a line, and at equal distance
apart. BY pounding on them, / found
that they were hollow. The thing was
easily explained. They were a suit of
rooms that bad been covered up without
being broken down. Could have dug
down on their sides / should have come
into rooms .hat were used 1900 years
ago. This is on the highest part of
Zion, and near the west wall of the old
city. Now, if on the top of the Hill,
we find the houses buried a story deep,
what depth may we not expect in the
deep ravines on the lower side doubt
whether there is a spot on earth that will
better pay the search of the antiquary
than the hill of Zion. An excavation
was made few years ago within the
city and on nearly the highest ground,
but il did not 60 through The ruins
There is much vacant land within the
city, where excavation could be carried
on without disturbing any one; but
there is far more without.
The fountains of water that supplied
tha city in ancient times have all, with
the exception of Sloan, disappeared.
The one that Hezekiah stopped as we
read it, carried it underground to the
city, to prevent tue king of Assyria get
ting supply, probably now runs in the
same artifcia! channel TO the city, and
50 far down under the ruins, aud never
again appears near the city. In cave,
under the north part of the city, made by
quarrying stone, is a stream of water
hat comes out of the wall and falls into
a basin cut by the quarry-me to supply
them while at work. Hebrew names
are seribbled on both sides of the cave,
aud Hebrew ones only, which shows
hat this was worked by Jews, which Of
course must have been 1900 years ago.
This water, like all other here, never
more is seen. Such is the Holy city as
t now is. In outward appearance and
n the buried ruins much like many 9TH
ers.-- Worcester Palladium.
~