Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-12-17


After the dragomnn left me l visited
the Church of the Scpulcher, local
guide taking me through all It's numer-
Gus departments. Next / visited the
Zion part of the city, passed through
the Zion gate, which is called Bah en-
Neby Daud by the Arabs. and rambled
through the suburb lying on the brow
of the hill ON the outside. / also
climbed to the top of the wall near the
Zion gate, where Il good view is OBJ
tanned. My next move was to pass
through the heart of the city, which |
then left behind as ! passed through
st. Stephens gate on the east. l now
crossed the brook Kedron on the upper
bridge, passed the garden of Geth-
samane and ascended the Mount of
Olives where I first visited the Chapel
of the Ascension In the Moslem village,
and was afterwards permitted to as
cend the lofty Belvidere tower, from
the top of which a most magnificent
view was obtained of Jerusalem and
surrounding country; also the north
end of the Dead Sea and part of the
Jordan valley Is visible from the lofty
elevation. On my return to the city |
visited the so-cnlled Tomb Of the Nir-
gin in an underground Greek chapel.sit-
uated near the bridge across the kedrOn
Jerusalem is situated in the midst of
the central chain of mountains, which
runs north and south through Pales-
Jordan and nearly the same distance
north of Hebron. 1t occupies an lr-
regular promontory in the midst of
II confused sea of rocks, crags and hills
This promontory begins at the dis
lance of n mile or more northwest OF
the city at the head of the valleys OF
Jehoshaphat and Glhon, which gradu-
ally fall away on the right and left
and, sinking DEEPER as they run in
circuitous route around the opposite
sides of the platform of the city, unite
their deep ravines at some distance
southeast of the city, and many feet
below the level ofsits walls. Perched
on this lofty promontory the historical
city dwells on high, at an elevation of
from 1900 to 1859 fet above the level
of the sea: surrounded on three sides
by the intrenchments of her valleys
and rocky ramparts, her place of de-
Tense is the munitions of rocks. The
valley of Jehoshaphat. on the north,
runs nearly east for some distance,
then turns 1T II right angle to the
south, and opens a deep defile below the
eastern walls of the city. between 1t
and the Mount of Olives. The valley
OF Glhon pursues u southerly course
for some distance, then sweeps in
bold angle around the base of Mount
Zion, and falls by rapid descent into
deep narrow water course, which
continues in an casterly direction to
aphat.
The platform or site OF the city is di-
Vided into four quarters of unequal ele-
walton, two of which are familiar to
the reader of cacred history as Mount
Moriah and Mount Zion. Near the line
of the valley of Jehoshaphat. before 1t
turns to the south, a slight depression
begins at the north gate of the city.
This depression, the head of the val
ley of Tyropeon, as it runs south
through the city sinks into a deep val
ley. and divides the city into two sec
tions, of which the east is terminated
by Mount Moriah. on which the tenn
pie stood. The western division IL
terminated by Mount Zion. where was
David's house and the royal residence
of his successors. These two heights
Were anciently united by bridge
crossing the Tyropeon by a lofty arch,
or rather by series OF arches II would
seem tfor the Tyropeon valley is here
Jso feet wide), of which one of the
bases still remains. The Tyropeon
below the walls on the south cor
responds to the valley of Hinnom.
which name is also applied to the lower
part of Gihon. south of the city.
Another valley, less distinct, traverses
the city from west-southwest to east
northeast to the eastern gate of the
CITY, forming two low eminences north
of Zion and Moriah. which bear the
names of AGRA and Bezetha. The for
mer on the west, includes what ira
dition recognizes as Mount Calvary
Moriah, the temple mount, and the
southeastern division of the city above
the valley of Kedron or Jehoshapht,
Is 2,441 feet above the level of the sea:
Mount Zion. southwest OF Moriah.
rises l4S feet higher it's summit being
2,5s9 feet above sea level.
Beyond the valley of Jehoshaphat,
east of Jerusalem, the Mount OF Olives
Vtr II Ill a III
above the level of the sea.
Above the bend in the valley of
Glhon. southwest Of Zion, Is large
reservoir or pool, formed by wall
running like a mill-dam across the
valley. This pool Is 592 feet In length.
275 in width and AZ deep. Some dis
lance above. on the west side of the
city, is another pool, similar in con-
struotion. the dimensions of which are
about half as great as the former. At
one of these pools Solomon was an
ointed king q Kings, L: $3.50. Those
pools are now supplied by the drainage
of the ground above them, but II Is
supposed that they were fed by n Iiv-
ing fountain, which Hezekiah closed
and conducted by hidden channel
into the city % Chron. 80: 80: 80: IA:
Sirach Is: 10. The modern city Is de-
pendent chiefly on the winter rains for
water, which Is retained in cisterns
beneath every house for use through
the summer months.
Jerusalem retains few traces of her
ancient grandeur, except near the base
of the western wall around the area of
the temple. This wall is composed of
immense rocks of different sizes. from
twenty to thirty feet in length. and from
four to six in thickness, which are sup
posed to be the remains of the ancient
walls of Solomon. Similar Indications
OF the original structure have been
found on the eastern and southern
base of the present walls of the city.
The modern city has seven gates,
namely: st, Stephens gate on the east:
Damascus gate and the so-called New
Gate on the northwestern. the Yafa
gate on the west, and the Zion gate
and the gate of the Moghrebins (also
called the dung gate) ono the south.
The city is divided into different wards
or quarters, inhabited respectively by
Jews, Moslems, Christians, etc. At
the present time the city has about
90 0OO inhabitants, about half OF whom
are Jews. or the several Christian de-
nominations the Orthodox Greeks are
the most numerous. and outnumber
the Roman Catholics about two TO one.
The number of Jews has greatly
risen Of late years. in consequence of
the prosecutions of Jews in Roumanla
q A \ =