The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-10-26
EXCAVATIONS AT JERUSALEM.
Discoveries Made and Questions Set
tlcd-Thc Two TcnIpIcs-R RObinson's
Arch.
From the New York Evening Post.

Arch.
From the New York Evening Post.
Letters recently received at the
state Department, giving account OF
discoveries made in Jerusalem by the
English party working under the di-
rcction of those who control the "PHl-
cstinc Exploration Fund.- are OF
much interest. Excavations have
now been in progress for nearly three
years. In spite of obstacles thrown
in the way by the ignorance, stupidi-
ty and cunning of the OrientalS; in
spite of pcrils from falling stones and
poisonous air, freezing waters and sut-
locating heat; in spite Of the Supcrsti-
tions of Turkish digniaricS, the re-
suits thus far reached are most salts
factory. In fact, Typographical con-
trOvcrSics centuries old have been set
tied by positive discoveries. As an
example of the Moslcm stupidity
which the explorers had to encounter
take the objections of the pasha Of
Jerusalem, II we'll educated military
man, not wanting in brains. He as
surcd Captain Warren that il was I'M
necessary to dig about the Holy City
to settle archaeological doubts. Mo
hammcdan traditions were all-sull-
cicnt, he said. Siakhu, the sacred
rock, lay on the top leaves of the
palm-trcc, from the roots Of which
sprang all rivers. 70 pry into such
matters, he thought, was n sure pre-
cursor of dire calamity. The cXcava-
tions proceeded nevertheless.
| 1, 1.
which, is the backbone of Palestine
1t is approached only hy rough moun-
tain roads. The position has great
natural strength. 1t is at thcprcscut
time surrounded by Il massive, we'll
built wall. Five Of the city gates are
are open; five are closed. All are an
| cicnt.
THE TEMPLES OF SOLOMON AND
liEROD.
Upon Mount Moriah there is a large
open space, studded with cypress aud
| olive trees, and surrounded with, per
haps, the finest nnSonry in thc world.
| In the center of this area rises Sakhra,
| the mosque, with its surprisingly
beautiful dome. This mosque Chris
tians call the "l!oly Sanctuary"
Within The same area once stood
both th" Temple Of Solomon and that
erected by lIcrod. All traces of both
disappeared ages ago, and til" position
occupied by them have for year. been
ii"rrrl N-contcStcd points in regard TO
the topography of Jerusalem. Wa.
~UIOmun'S Temple corNtcn-iVC with
the Sanctuary" Was il confined to
-Quarc of six hundred feet in the
Southwest corner? Or was it placed
clScWhcr" in what is now tn" Great
open space Th"," questions cNcayH-
| tion unl Y can answer Il is certain
shat tn" Mo0 BdSHjcd, built hy II"rod
stood on th" Southern wall. More
| tlan this we do not vet know.
Within the Sanctuary inclo-urn
| ana under It's solid floors il has hitMrr-
! to been supposed that there were Wa
! ior-spings. such is found not 10 he
the fact, but on lh" c"ntrarytho whole
| mount is hOnrNcomrd with Il series ui
rCmarhahIc rurk-hCWn ci~trru-, i'm
! which the water, brought hyan aI,lc-
duct from Solomun'S Pools, near
Bethlehem, was stored. These cis-
terms are connected hy a system OF
channel, cut out Of the rock, 50 that
when one WAS full tn" surplus water
ran into thC next, until the final over
How was carried of to the Kcdron.
On" Of the cistrrns had capacity or
two million. gallons, and the total
number of gallons thai could hcstorcd
III ali the CiStcrlI~ exceeded ten mil
lions. And yet with these gigantic
means OF supplying the city water,
which at no CNtravagant pnprHsr
might at amy time have bccn made
available, the dependence Of the in
hahtantS for Il thousand years has
hr"n upon cistcrns which ha, received
TN" rainfall from the roof Of hOlisc-
and %ullcra uf streets.
THE ClIURCI or TIE HOLY SErrL-
CHER.
Next to The Sanctuary, in point Of
interest, is the Church of tie Holy
@cpuIchcr, said to coutain within ita
walls the tomb of our Lord. II Is sit
uatcd in what is called the Christian
Quarter of the town, at Il considerable
distance from the Sanctuary. The
authenticity of the Holy Scpulchcr
has been the subject Of fierce dispute
for many ages. This dispute is not
settled though much progress has
been made toward It's solution by TIE
excavations. At the time of the era.
ciiiXion, ii is agreed by all parties
the place of our Lords burial was out
side Of the walls. The place now
pointed out is within them. This
has always hccu explained by the
allcgo, fact that after Constantine |
nuilt his "C!urch Of the Rcsurrcr-
ton" the town was spread ont and |
surrounded it. Others are certain |
that the present site must have been
always within the limits of the an
"irnt city, and that the scpulchcr
Llu-t he looked for elsewhere. The So
tin Of this difficult question dcpcrrls
up"n-iirSt, the existence of an earlier
wal! surrounding tie city; and, see
Ond, upon liz course; if ii existed and
ran to the east of the alleged place of
the scpulchcr, the position claimed is
doubtless correct; if ii ran 20 The west,
the position j. certainly wrong. Il is
significant that up to the present
time, in spite of every effort, no ror-
ton of this wall has been discovered.
The POINT at which il started and
That ut which ii ended are alike un-
Known.
EOBiNSoE's ARCH
M,r1 t!an thirty years ago prnfrs-
sOr Edward Robinson believed that
he had discovered in .jcrusalcm traces
Of tn" arch of II bridge whirh led
from the lcmnlc 10 Zion. lithi- va,
true Il wnnl,l Furnish q key To uniock
several archaeological difficulties
bHt tlia great antiquity of the arch
was doubted hy travellers rs cruditc
~ ,he Professor himself. ii" never
.hc'":is supported his theory stoutly
II bccanc finally one of The Whny
neutrality-suspicious." aah hob;uS0n's !
lrrll' was aI.c uf the curirsitiCs of tn" =