The morning call., 1890-07-01
THE POOL OF BETHESDA.
A Remarkable Discovery by the Monk
at Jerusalem,

Remarkable Discovery by the Monks
at Jerusalem.
Consul Henry Gilman, writing to the
State Department from Jerusalem, gives
the following account of the discovery Of
the Pool of Bethesda:
OF the more remarkable discoveries in the
ancient city during the year that of the
Bethesda is of paramount interest and I'M
portance.- AS is we'll known. the Birket
Israel has in the past been considered as the
site OF the Bethesda, but the excavations Of
the Algerine Monks under the ruins in the
rear Of the Crusader Church OF st. anne
have gradually transferred opinion in IA
vOr of the latter locality. This was
strengthened by the discovery of a rock
hewn pool containing water beneath three
successive structures. Subsequent excaya-
tiOns revealed the remains of two tiers OF
fiye-arched porches, the lower tier being in
the pool The intelligent laborS of the
monks who are in charge of the property
have been further rewarded by the recent
recovery OF another pool containing good
supply of water to the westward of that
first discovered, the entire agreeing with
the descriptions OF the Bethesda as
given by the fathers of the church and
Christian pilgrims and writers as early as
the Fourth century. The correspondence
in number of the five porches to those men
toned in the Gospel Of st. John, va, will
lead down to the water. All ancient Chris
tian church in ruins surmounts all. The
remains of the upper tier of porcheS extend
above the pool at right angles from the
north wall of the crypt beneath the church,
in which the apse al the east end, though
dilapidated. is still distinctly defined.
On clearing away the debris that ch0ked
the fifth porch westward of the apse all
theft aiSccaaseres GalRnate9d il 55tfyealing
the plaster of the wall in the rear. The
discovery was made just before Easter, or
about April 18th last. I he fresco repre-
sents an angel as If descending into and
troubling the water, which latter is depict.
ed by conventional zlg-zag and waYy lines
of an olive green, shaded with black more
suggestive of Egyptian hieroglyphics than
OF modern art, and surrounding the fig
ure on every side. The right hand of the
angel was shown as uplifted. but this has
been carefully destroyed. probably by the
Moslems, after their habits, In the early
days Of their power SO, also, the face of
the angel, which has been battered SO as to
be completely obliterated. The glory or
pimbus above the head, painted an orange
yellow, still remains, but little injured.
The edge of the pool appears To be
indicated by broad red line inclos-
ing the painting and having an &C.
caslOnal rectangular projection into the
water, perhaps representing steps or the
piers for the pOrcheS. On the east of this
fifth barreled arch (the wall extending at
right angles) are the remains of another
Inquire, also in fresco, much defaeed and
| supposed to represent the Savior. Above
| the head, evidently Intentionally mutilated,
is portion of the nimbus, and in the lower
| outer corner of the painting part Of blue
robe.
1t is to be regretted that these frescoes,
the cOlors of which were quite bright when
first uncovered, have since greatly faded so
that the blue is now duh, aShy gray.
The reds and yellows, however, though low
cred in tone, preserve their hues somewhat
better.
To summarize these discoveries are as
follows: First comes the rubbish covering
the ruins aud built upon by the more or less
modern Turkish houses; next beneath is
the small church, with apse; under this the
crypt. and fourth and last, underneath all
is the pool itself, cut in the solid rock,
and with five arches Of well-preseryed ma
sorry. This last, from the historical and
other evidence, | have not the slightest
doubt in the veritable pool of Bethesda
st. Louis PoSt-D Dispatch.