Centre Hall reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1868-1871, 1871-10-13

Mt. Moriah has been found 10 be
sharp crag or ridge, with 30 little space
upon the top as scarcely 10 afford room
for temple of small dimensions. On
all sides il fell off rapidly and very
steeply, except from northwest 10 south
east, the direction I'm which the ridge
ran. The area ON the summit was en-
larged by walls built along the deeliw-
ties, the outside walls deep down the
valleys, from 100 TO 100 feet below the
area ON which the temple building stood.
One hundred feet again below this lay
the original bed of the brook Kedron.
The foundations Of the temple, there
fore, were $50 feet above the deep defiles
around This area, originally built by
Solomon and enlarged by Herod, still
exists, running ON the south along the
valley OF Hinnom 1000 feet. along the
Kedron 800 feet.
This inclosure was originally covered
with splendid edifices. First we're the
porticoes or covered walks, built along
the outer walls. and overlooking the
hedr0n and Hinnom. They were mag.
niticent structures, resembling the nave
and aisles of Gothic cathedrals. The
middle walk, or nave, was forty-tiye feet
broad, and the two aiSles thirty feet. The
aisles we're fifty feet high, and. the nave,
rising like clear story between the two,
was more than 100 feet high Add now
terrace walls 30 the height Of the porti-
Goes, and we have a solid and continuous
wall Of masonry Of $50 feet high.
But these were only the outer build
ings OF the temple area The portieoes
opened inWardly upon a court paved with
marble and open to the sky. Steps led
up 20 a second court Beyond this,
again, through beautiful gateways, was
third, and rising above them all was
fourth, in which stood the temple proper,
ascending story above story, aud said 30
have been 100 or $50 feet high.
These horizontal measurements have
been verified. II one looked upon Mount
Moriah FROM the Mount of Olives uppo-
site, coming round the brow of 0liyet
on the way from Bethany, as our Lord
did when beholding the city, il must
have been asight which, for architectural
beauty aud grandeur. perhaps, has never
been eqUaled. certainly not surpassed.
IL was mn artificial mountain from the
deep rasines below, wall, column, roof,
pinnacle, eliminating in the temple with
In and above NIL. and probably measur-
ing from 800 and 600 feet.
The palace OF solomon, too, added to
the impressiveneas Of the sight IL is
settled by recent discoveries that this
pile Of buildings was on the southeast
corner Of the area, joining on the House
OF the Lord above. and extended below
10 the Kings gardens, where the two
valleys met and 1.-The waters Of Siloah
60 softly"
All these buildings, porticoes. columns.
pinnhcles. altar and temple have perish
ed " Not one stone remains upon an
other which has not been thrown down"
The area aloEc remains, and the massive
Substructures that for 3.000 years have
been sleeping in their courses. The pre-
servRtion has been due 10 the ruin.
Buildings NO vast have been toppled
down the slopes 0f the Moriah that the
original detiles and valleys have been
almost obliterased. What had been re-
garded mn the original surface, has been
found to be debyis from seventy TO ninety
feet.
With pickAx and shovel British expIor-
.ers have been alown 10 the original foun.
dations Fallen columns have been met
with, and avoided, or n way blasted
through them. The cinders of burnt
Jerusalem have been cut through, and
turned up 60 the hght-rich molds de-
posted by the treasures Of Jewish pride
The seal OF HagRai. in ancient Hebrew
characters, Was picked mp out Of the sift-
ings Of this deposit The first courses of
stones, deposited by Phpnician builders,
have been reached, lying in the living
rock.
AZ the southwest corner Of the area,
debris has accumulated 10 depth OF not
less than lbs feet-the accumulation OF
ages, made up of the ruins of successive
Jerrsalems and here some Of the most
interesting discoveries have been made.
Here is the famous Arch of Robinson.
shown now 10 be an arch, as he coniec-
tured, by the discovery of the pier upon
which the first span rested. IL is the re-
mains Of bridge which crossed the
valley ON arches, and connected Mount
Moriah with the mountain opposite
the modern Zion. IL Is the skesback or
abutment that slopes to receive the end
of the arch. Three courses remain. The
stones are or feet thick, and 20 TO Is
feet long.
The valley here is $50 feet wide, and
this must have been the length of the
bridge connecting the Temple with the
Royal Palace un the other side. AT N
depth of 30 feet worn pavement was
found, worn 10y feet that passed over 81
in our Lords time. Lying on this pave
ment were the voussoirs, or wedge-ike
stones, belonging Co the arch. Breaking
through this pavement, and through "a
feet of debris beneath, they found still
more ancient roadway, and resting upon
this, the key-stones of q still more an
cient bridge.