Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-06-18
WHERE CHRIST WAS CRUOlFlEO.
Exact Sites of Calvary and the Holy
Sepulchre Not Known.

Inc exact lOcultleb OI lblNdryi WhStu
the Christ was cruciiied and the tomb |
in which he lay, have greatly interested
the hosts of pilgrims who have visited
Joruealem for many centuries.
The Empress Helena, mother OF Con
stantine, visited tho Holy City in A.
ID 326 with the purpose OF identifying
those spots and tradition tells us that
il was by means Of dream that her
desires we're fulfilled. Her son erected
magnificent basilica over tho place
where the tomb was supposed to have
been, and although this original
odifice has long since disappeared tho
present Church of the Holy Sepulchre
is located where tho dream Of the de-
yout Empross led her to suppose were
tho tomb of the Lord and the place of
the crucitiXion.
In this church we arc surrounded by
everything that human invention and
modern art could devise, but we turn
away sickcned at heart TO think that
such folly and superstition should be
associated with the most sacred events
of the worlds history. Here we are
shown where tho Empress sat and
threw pieces of gold into the rubbish
to encourage the workmen in their
search for the cross; there we are
shown slab of lime stone where, il is
said the Lords body was annointed
whom taken from the cross, and scores
of other evidences Of the baldcst super
stition are marked and labeled in tho
most artificial manner.
1t is surprisingly strange that this
place was selected, il the biblical
record was consulted at all. 1t occu-
pies position not on solid rock,
but above the ground, in space. The
chamber of the tomb is lined with
marble, and has not tho least re-
semblance to cavo cut in the rock,
and ii is located inside the city walls,
ms they existed in Christ's time, while
all admit that the true Calvary must
have occupied place outside of these
walls.
We arc indebted TO Major Condor,
who labored in connection with the
Palestine Exploration Fund, for ably
pointing out 10 1878 that in all propa.
bility the place whore tho crucifiXion
took place is rccky knoll outside
the Damascus Gate, and known as
"Jeremiah's Grotto. ~ This knoll
presents striking resemblance 10 q
human skull, which corresponds to thC
words in the New Version, the place
whech is called tho skull. :"
The following points of evidence il
favor Of this being the actual scene o.
tho cruciilxion are striking 1t wai
certainly outside tho walls of the cit
in the time of Christ; it was at tn,
junction of the TWO main roads, from
S. to N. and from W. to e.. and con
sequently there would bc many passers
by Matt. xvii. 30, Mark wv, %.
This bill is called by tho Jews to day
as il has always been called, the "Hil
of Exocution;'i it is held as al
accursed snot, and Jews, even now
when they pass it spit and throS
stones in its direction, uttering thi
$ imprecation: "Cursod be He who de
stroyed our nation by aspiring to b
king thereof. -
8 For 10 days l havo beon studyin
D this and othor localities, and | conles
: ! am deeply impressed by the plac
e and its surroundings.
n On this skull shaped mound outsid
t of the gate of Damascus the Who'll
& transaction could have been seen b
: the vast multitudes that thronged th
s public thoroughfaros at that season
T. and the priests could have witnesse
9 the terrible tragedy from the wall.C
IS the city or from the tower Of Antonia
9 II this little hill ia established as tn
k Gogotha of the New Testament,
n necessarily follows that the sepulchr
o in which our Lord was laid must hav
l. been situated somewhere in the iu
o mediate vicinity. a..5..-
In John we read; Now, in th
q place whore He was Crucfird there va
3 garden, aud in tho garden ne
Il !,
10 laid. There laid they Jesus, therefore
10 because Of the Jews preparation da
st for the srpnlchre WAS nigh at hand.
The garden containing the tomb wa
x therefore, quite close To the spot whel
)f the Gloss stood.
u 4 tomb that seems TO correspond r.
ii markably with the biblical account hi
It lately boon eNcayated, and while as v
le there has been little published abCl
a it, company of English Christian
n have bought tho spot and the gHrdI
nearby, and doubtless we shall hc
ig much OF it in the ncar future
i 1t is located 80 feet from the SUNNI
in Of the knoll supposed 10 be Gogoth
sd it is he out of the solid rock, al
ID evident. a5 the tomb Of rich mi
u. Joseph nt Arimathpa. Ii is locat
cd In d garden, and the whole struGtu
of the tomb shows how the discir
cd could have stoopod down and looked
q without entering.
.ll 1t consists Of chamber cut in t
'Rs rock, Z feet q inches in hoight, II Il
mt 6 inchos long and IL feet . inch
on wide, having low PARTITION dividi
the tomb into two parts. In those &
q three rcccptaclcs for human bodies, b
ily only QUO Of these appears to have be
1t, actually completcd and portions
'ps the scale, 2 which was loose at t
nd bottom of the receptacle that "
Is eyideutly used, was taken to {
rio British Museum, whore the authorit
tor declared that "no body has ever
comupsnd in the tomb, ii this is FRI
as tine bottom Of il. y
lsh There are strong evidences that I
~ Crusaders knew Of this tomb. At
east end tive crosses are inscribed
70 the wall in red paint, with the lott
he Alpha and Omega at the corners, d
or. it has boon asGcrtained that an arcl
nct building once existed in front of
the tomb, supposed to have been orec
n about the twofth century.
avo There are the faint outlines of
a inscription which, If over decipher
bat may tell us how those who, centul
and ago, looked upon this scpulchre
gardpd il.
ad From what hna boon written cort
he inference3 may fairly bo drawn. nam
* that the traditional Holy SopuIc
tho caunut possibly he tho truo site Of
lui- tomb Of Christ. az it iea within
ing walls Of tho ancient city; that
akui ehupcd hill ir in all prUbuhi
the true Calvary, and that the re
cut sepuchte il tho immed