Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-08-21
Mosque of Omar.

In one of his recent letters from Jerusa-
lem Rev. DIR. Bellows gives the following
interesting description of the Mosque of
Omar:
But / must hurry on to some brief ac-
count of the Mosque of Omar, on the site
of the old Temple. King Solomon, about
thousand years before the birth of Christ.
built the first temple on Mount Moriah,
which his father David had bought of
Araunah for six hundred shekels of gold.
This temple lasted 423 years, and was des-
troyed by Northumberland The second
temple was built about ga years Is. c., on
the return from the captivity, but fell into
decay during the two centuries before
Christ, and was rebuilt by Herod, in forty
six years, in great magnifcence. Josephus
gives US vivid description of the Temple,
which must have surpassed in splendor
anything now existing in architecture. 1t
was erected in Christ's time, and was
wholly destroyed by Titus about 20 4. ID.
With this prelude we may look at the pre-
sent ground. In an enclosure-a parallel
ogram-of about thirty acres two sides of
which are the walls of the city, starting at
the southeast corner, We find ourselves as
cending by one of several flights of steps
on its four sides, a green terrace which is
nearly level. and considerable parts of
which are the surface Of the native rock of
Moriah.
The borders of this park, which, like
everything Turkish, is much neglected,
are occupied by the Governors house and
aud by blind asylum, all rather mean and
irregular ediices. The park is too large
even for the great mosques which occupy
its center, and looks empty and desolate,
as if designed for other buildings On q
platform of marble, raised about six feet,
and a truly great foundation, and in its very
center, stands the octagonal Mosque of
Omar, covered with grand dome that need
not blush TO show itself to Michael Angelo
or Brunelleschi. Upon its octagonal wall
rests a round drum, from which springs a
dome of graceful and grand proportions,
crowned bya gilt crescent, the points of
which meet The dome is covered with
copper; the drum with terra-cotta of
beautiful blue color, on which verses Of the
Koran are inscribed in arabesque. The
oetagonal base is lined with white marble
for two yards high, and above this squares
of precious marbles are introduced in ele-
CANT designs. Four great doors open at
the four cardinal points Windows filled
with very beautiful glass, in which are no
figures, but only architectural designs of q
small pattern, produce q very captivating
effect. Opposite the eastern gate small
dome, supported by open columns, covers
place called the Dome of Judgment,
where David is tabled to have had his
tribunal, and where, in the last day, the
balance of judgment will be suspended.
Within the grand Mosque, two eoncen-
tric octagonal enclosures surround the CEN
trial part, which has fence of carved and
gilded wood about it, and within a great
mass of native rock, of thirty feet diane
ter (the summit of hIoriah), a crude, rough
surface, in strange contrast with the ele-
pance and finish about it. The rock is,
however, the sacred object of the Mosque,
Mussulman tradition has it that from this
rock Mahomet assembled to Heaven. 1t is
tabled to be self-poised; hung in space
without foundations, and to cover the
mouth of hell. They show on ONE side of
this rock a print of Christ's foot-the Mos
lens honoring Jesus as one of their
prophets. Gabriel and Enoch have also
their footmarks. The green standards of
Mahomet and of Omar are erected (folded)
within this circle. In little chamber out
of the Mosque very small, one is shown
the chairs of David, of Solomon, Abraham
and ST. George, and fiat stone which,
struck with the foot, gives out dull reso-
nance, as if over some great vault. This
stone covers a well called the Well of
Souls, on which faithful Moslems await
their Judgment Robinson supposes the
rock of the Mosque les Sakhrrhl to be the
original altar of holocausts T. Chron.,
xxi. II and the well the place that receiv-
ed and conducted off the blood of the sac
rifces. ase
At the west of this altar he supposes the
Holy of Holes, or inner shrine of the tenn
pie, to have been situated. He thinks Sol
omon left this native rock, the summit of
Moriah unelevated out of veneration for
his fathers purchase and the original use
to which David put it. Adrian, the Roman
Emperor, built . temple of Jupiter ON this
place after the destruction of Jerusalem,
and put his own statue in it, but this rock
always continued an object of veneration
for the Jews, and is described IL writings
of the fourth century. The Crusaders turn
ed the Mosque of Omar into O Christian
church, and erected their altar on this
rock, They took their title of Templars
from this place. Saladin recovered the
spot, and it has since continued in Moslem
hands. Thus this rock marks, with much
distinctness, the most sacred part Of the
old temple.
forgot to mention the four massive
piers, with the twelve grand columns which
sustained the drum of the Mosque. They
have somewhat Ionic capitals. There are
many other smaller columns in the bull
ding, many Of exquisite beauty, but can