Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-02-22
JERUSALEM RECOVERED.
Recent Explorations in Palestine.

Recent Explorations in Palestine.
Early in 1864 tho sanitary condition
of Jerusalem excited considerable at
tcntou among the foreign official resi-
dents and visitors there, especially
amony the English, who take the lead
of all other nations in anxiety about
the public health. The holy city.
which the psalmist described as "bcau.
tifnl for situation, the joy of the whole
earth" had become one Of tho most
unhealthy places in the world; and
the chief reasons assigned for this
change were the bad quality of the
water and the exhalations from the
slow decay of a mass of rubbish in the
valleys and ravines which had been
accumula,ing for centuries.
This mass of rubbish was so great
that it was hardly possible to do any.
thing with it; but the question Of
water was easier to manage, and vari
schemes were proposed for improv-
ing the supply, either by repairing the
ancient aqueducts or making now ones
and forming additional pools and cis-
terms. Before, however, any plan
could be carried out, il was obviously
necessary to obtain an accurate plan
of the city, and for this purpose money
was raised by committee in London,
e500 being contributed by Miss Bur-
detts Coutts. In October, 1864, sur
vey was begun by a party of Royal
Engineers, commanded by Captain
Wilson, which resulted in the publica-
tion of a most accurate and satisiac-
tory map and all the requisite plans
Capt. Wilson was followed in 1867
by Capt. Warren with a party of Roy
al Engineers, sent out at the expense
of the Palestine Committee 10 make
excavations in and around Jerusalem,
to determine il possible the exact cx-
tent of the ancient city, the site of the
Holy Sepuchre, and the site and OK.
tent of the Temple of Solomon and the
later Temple of Herod. About all
these matters there has been much
controversy, TO which an end could be
put only by careful explorations, and
excavations. The great obstacle in
the way of these investigations was
the bigorty and fanaticism Of the No
hammedans, by whom Jerusalem is
regarded as a sacred city, aud the site
of the Temple as one Of the holiest
places in the world, being called lIar-
am .csh -Sborif, or the Sacred Sanctuary,
Tho Sanctuary is on Mount Moriah,
and comprises large open space,
studded with cypress and olive trees,
and with its sides surrounded in part
by high walls of the finest masonry.
Al the southern end is the Mosque OF
Aksa and a pile of buildings formerly
used by the Knights Templars. Nearly
in the centre is a raised platform paved
with stone, and rising from this is the
famous and beautiful Mosque Of Omar.
Within the enclosure of the Sanctu.
airy stood the Temple Of the Jews, all
traces of which have long since disap.
peared, not ono stone having been left
upon another. Its exact position has
been one Of the most uncertain points
in Jerusalem topography. The two
theories which have obtained the lar.
gcst number Of supporters are, first
that which makes the Temple enclo
sure coextensive with the Sanctuary
and second, that which confines il TO q
square Of six hundred feet at the south
eastern corner of the same place. II
is still uncertain which Of these views
is correct, and the question can hardly
bo definitely settled till excavations
are made within the Sanctuary walls
This, however, the Turks would no
permit, and Capt. Warren could only
obtain leave TO dig in the ncighbor
hood of the ancient Temple and OF
tho walls lsoutsido ofthem. The Pasha
after considerable negotiation, allowc,
him TO sink shafts at the distance o
forty feet from the wall but he know
nothing of English powers of mining
and was satisfied SO long as the moutl
Of the shaft was kept away from tn
wall. The English, however, ran tun
nels in all directions, and explored th
very base Of tho Sanctuary ITSELF
The reason which the Pasha gave 70
his unwillingness to have the Sanctua
ry exeavated was that the sacred rocl
in its centre lies on the top of palr
tree, from whose roots spring all tb
rivers of the earth and that if th
rock were dug around and tho palr
tree disturbed, the whole world woDl
suffer from the interruption Of the SUI
ply OF river water.
The excavations near the Sanctuar
were made in the face of many difl
culties and dangers. In fact, they AZ
pear TO have been carried on at tn
constant risk Of life and limb to I'll
bold explorers. Huge stones were fc
days ready to fall, and sometimes di
fall, on their heads. One of tho G,
plorcrs was injured so severely tLi
he could barely crawl out into ii
open air; another extricatcd himse
with difficulty, torn and bleeding
anofhQr vvne aptuali,. kur,oa r..lor Al