Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1890-06-10
Tbe Pool Of Bethesda.

CcrsuI Gi:nao, 81 ja:ueaisin, il report
Just published ss3s thsi 81 the more rslnsfk-
abe discoveries n the HDcient city during
tho yas-, jbst Q! he Bethesda IS of pegs-
mount interest eaG importance. As is well
kDcwn, the Bi:xet isJGe hes il tho past
haep ccnsde1ec as the site { f ihe Bethesda );
L:!: tho excavations Of the AlceT;Oo monks
uu,ier The runs II the rear Of tbs Cru5acer
Caurch u 81 Acne, b&vs gradually trans
fstred opinion II iaToy Of the latter !ocah;y.
This nas Strengthened pg thc discovery CT
rect: ewn pooi ccDtaiping wafer beneath
TIRES successive structures. subsequent eZ-
cayation5 revealed he remains of two tiers
of iiea-lrched poFche9, the lower tier being
in tda noel Tho intelligent ie5ors of the
uonxs who are III charge OF the property
have heea further rewarded b. the recent
recovery of another pool containing good
supply Of water 20 the westward Of that iirat
dieco7ered the entire s9Eeeilg With the da.
scrip,ion9 Of he Ba!heGi6 % given b2 the
fathers OF the Church Rna Cbrsti&n pill
erirns and writers 50 esrlg Is the fourih
century. Tho corrseacudeace Ia nurlnsr
o! the five poichea 10 tn0ae msniioned
in tbs gospel Of ST. john e.. p viii not
asoape notice. Steps cD5 IN the rcck iesd
down into the water An ancient Christian
church il ruins sprmounta tbs entire. The
remains Of the upper tier Of porches 5xtend
ahc7e the pool 6! right angles from tbs
north wall Of the crypt beneath the church,
in which the apsa, ut tba aGot enc, though
dilandateG. iz sil distinctly defined.
On clgaFing aaay lhe debris tea. chokeG
The fifth porch westward cf tbe apse, Vi.
these discoveries cuiElinated in revealing
the remains Of 6 painting Or f9eaco upon the
paster OF the we'll IL Tho rear. This dis-
coysrg was made jus. before Easter, orabont
Aprii is last. rbe fresco represents an
angel as If descending into snd troubling
the waser, which latter is depicted By con-
venticua zig-zag and wsvy lines OF an olive
green. shaded with black, more slggestive
OF Egpytiap bisrogy phcs th&D Of modern
AFT. and surrounding the figure on every
sida. The right hand q the angel wss
shown SIS uplifteG but this has 5eeu cars
fully destroyed, probably by the Mcslems,
alta. their habits, IN the carly days CT their
power. Sc. also, the face Of .ha angel,
which has been battered SO sc TO be com-
pleteiy otIiterGtad The gioFy or nin5us
ebovo the head, rniutod an orsnge- -gclloT,
sti: remains, but little injured. The
edge OF the pool appears TO be indi-
Gated by broad, red line ipcosiug the
painting aud having an occasional rectan'
eular projection into the 7stsr, perhaps,
representing steps or tins p;e:s fer ihe
potches. On the east Of this fifth barralled
arch Uhe wall extending At right suglesj are
the remains Of another f2uro, eiso in frsscc,
much deisced, ard supposed represent the
Saviour. Above the head, evidently inten-
,ionally snutIiated, is o portion of tie aim
bus, snd In the lower outer corner oi the
painting part OF biue robe,
lis to ba regretted that these irescoea,
tho colors OF which wera quite bright when
Gtst uncovered, have since greatly faded, 50
that the blue is now dull, ashy gray. The
rads aud yc!lovs. however, though lowered
in tone, preserve their hues souewhat bet
ter.
To summarize, those discoveries are as fol-
lows: First comes the rubbish covering the
ruins, and built upon by the more or leea
modern Turkish houses next beneath ia the
small church, with apse; under this the
crypt, with FIVE pcrches, coutsiniug tbs tres-
Goes and, fourth ard IssS. underneath Gil is
the pool itself cut in the solid rock, and
With fiqs arches of yell preserved masonry.
This last, from the historical AID other evil
dence is, have not tho siightcst doubt, the
veritablo Pool Of Bethesda.