Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-09-08
&eadiug.
JERUSALEM'S SECOND WALL.

JeruSdlem contains many DurleQ Sc
crets. In some places 60, 10, and even as
much as hundred feet of rubbish has
been accumulated over what was at a for
mer period the surface of the ground.
The first great beginning of the heaping
up of the fragments of destruction may
be dated at the time when NebuchadneZ-
Ear took Jerusalem and carried off the in
habitants to "the Rivers of Babylon"
At that time, Nebuaddan, who COM
manded the Chaldeans, "burned the
House of the Lord" and it is also stated
that "the Chaldeans burned the Kings
house and the houses of the people with
fire, and broke down the walls of Jeru-
salem." This must have been a very
complete decentralization, and the result
necessarily produced very large arch8-.
illogical deposit. The unfortunate city
has undergone many similar operations
since that time, and on each occasion
a new stratum Of remains has been laid
down. Let any one, however little he
may have read on the subject, throw
his thoughts back on such 4 history,
and he will easily conceive what may
be hidden under the streets of Jerusalem.
1t is to Sir Charles Warren, the pres
ent First Commissioner Of Police, who,
as Captain Warren, acted for the Pal
estine Exploration Fund, that we owe
our first glimpses of "Underground Jeru-
salern." He told us in exact figures of
the great depth of rubbish which has
gathered in the valleys, and which, in
spite of the filling up, are still visible in
the ancient city. The work of Sir G.
Warren, cleared up some points that were
formerly doubtful, but much remains OBJ
scure. There are many problems regard
ing the old topography which cannot be
solved till further excavations are made.
Prominent among the points requiring
light to he thrown on them are the exact
positions of the Temple and the Holy Sep
ulcher. The questions have not only
historical and archaeological interest, but
the whole Christian world has naturally
regarding them. At present no excava-
all applications for permission to explore
where digging might at present be done,
and it is only when the foundations of a
house require the clearing away of the
ground that chance brings something to
light.
Such chance has lately taken place.
A new hotel had to be built pear the Jatfa
Gate-this was the Mediterranean Hotel,
which, as visitors to Jerusalem will re-
member, formerly stood not far within
the Damascus Gate. The spot where this
took place may be described in the words of
the account which has come hOme-it is ''at
the head of David street," not named di-
rectly from the Royal Psalmist, but from
the Tower of David which stands at the
end Of it. Here, in clearing out the foun-
dations, old walls, canals and cisterns
were laid bare but the most important
discovery was come to at the depth OF
l5 feet. Here were found the remains Of
an old wall, which was supposed to have
been one of the old city walls, and almost
all authorities are agreed that it is the
'second wall' which has been so long
sought for. About 80 yards of this wall
has been uncovered. Two courses, and in
places, three courses of the stones remain
in position. These stones are large and
similar to those in the Tower of David.
The line of the wall begins directly op-
posite the tower, and runs to the north,
treuding slightly to the west. So farit fol-
lows a line parallel to the present wall run
ming from the Jaffa Gate to the northwest
corner of the city. The interest attaching
to this wall is peculiar. A great many
people believe that the Holy Sepulcher
does not stand on Golgotha nor over the
laid" which had been eXcavated in the
garden of Joseph of Arimathea. DIR.
Robinson was not the first to express
doubts on this subject, but he has dealt
largely on it in his work on Jerusalem
Capt. Condor prefers for Golgotha, or
Cavalry, the round mound "formed like
a skull" outside of the Damacus Gate.
Gen. Gordon, who lived some months in
Jerusalem before going to Khartoum, apd
devoted his time exclusively to the study
of this subject, also accepted the knob
of the rock at the Damascus Gate as the
most probable position. The connection
existing between the Holy Sepulcher and
the second wall comes about in this way:
The crucifiXion took place without
the Gate" Now, the second wall is sup
posed to be as old as the time of HeZeki-
ah, and its existence at the time of the
Sayour's sojourn on earth is not doubted.
The Holy Sepulcher is at present in the
middle of the city. The city may have
grown round it in 18 centuries, but if this
second wall could be traced so as to in
close the spot within its circuit its spe-
cially exalted sanctity would be at once
destroyed The most sacred shrines of
the Christian Church would cease to ex-
ist; the Crusades would be looked upon
as deluSlOn, as 0nlya hight f0r an emp
ty nutshell. This will show the interest
which attaches to the few feet of ancient
masonry which has been discovered at
the head of David street," in Jerusalem.
The 30 yards of wall is not enough to de-
eide the point; it would require perhaps to
be traced 100 yards further to know wheth-
er it went off to the west, and included the
Holy Sepulcher, or turns to the east, so as
to leave the shrine without the Gate"
A continued exploration is impossible, as
the space is all built over to the north.
Under these houses lies the secret which
has such interest and Importance. There
for the present it must remain, and
we must wait till the time comes when
some other house has to be rebuilt, and
the digging of the foundations may give
US another glimpse of this significant
wall.-LondOn Daily Ne0S.
rDD,Vu nD onNN INDJ1I ISNC