The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-11-10
THE VIRGIN MARY's TOMB.
Interesting Argument Regarding Its
Whereabouts.

Whereabouts.
When the Kaiser paid his famous
visit to Palestine little more than a
year ago the religious world was
stirred by the announcement that the
Sultan had presented to him the site
of the Dormitio, or place where the
Virgin had lived after the crucifixion,
and where she died. This astonisl-
ment was chiefly due to the fact that
the tomb and residence of the Virgin
had long been supposed to be at Ephe-
sus, says the N. Y. Hearald.
Since the memorable gift and it's
transfer. by the Kaiser to the Catho-
lie authorities special investigation
into the traditions gathered around
this bare site has been conducted by
DR.. Carl Mommert, a scholar who has
made many visits to Palestine and de-
voted special attention to study of
the sacred sites and their traditions
The result of the study has just APP
peared in 4 thorough pamphlet, from
which the arguments in the matter are
extracted for presentation here.
In that closing scene of the cruel
fixion described by John, the only one
of the Apostles present lies the basis
of the tradition of the association be-
tween John and the Virgin. In chapter
xix, 1921, we read: "Now, there
stood by the cross of Jesus, His Mo-
Their, and His Mothers sister, Mary,
the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Mag
dalene. When Jesus therefore saw
His Mother and the disciple standing
by whom He loved, He saith unto His
Mother. Woman, behold thy Son!
Then saith He to the disciple, Behold
thy mother! And from that hour that
disciple took her unto his own home"
1t was on October 81, 1898, that the
Kaiser and Kaiserin, with their escort
gathered to accept the famous site
amid special ceremonies. But was
there a substantial reason for believing
that here was the actual site of the
house in which the Mother of Jesus
lived after His death and died when
her time came?
The tradition that John and Mary
left Jerusalem and went to reside in
Ephesus is no older thah the fifth cen
fury, while the more trustworthy ira
dition applies the name of Dor
mito" to Il site in Jerusalem. 1t
seems to be we'll established that
John did not come to Ephesus until
after the death of Paul (67 A. d., and
only then settled in that famous city.
This is supported by the fact that
shortly before his death Paul ap-
pointed Timothy Bishop of Ephesus.
something that he certainly would
not have done had John been there.
and, besides. there is no reference in
any of Paul's numerous Epistles to the
activity of John in Asia Minor
If, then, the year 20 is assumed as
the year in which John had reached
Ephesus, this would make the Virgin
nearly IS years old at that time, for It
is generally accepted that she was Is
years old at the birth of Jesus, but no
tradition assigns such an advanced
age as IS or 80 to Mary. The accepted
tradition is that she survived her Son
but twelve or fifteen years Mt most,
living that time in Johns house in
Jerusalem. dying at the age Of 60 or G3.
Returning to the Biblical passage
quoted above, it is evident how the
affection of Jesus in his last agony
went out to His Mother, commencing
her to John. and 1t is more than prob
able that after the end of the tragic
scene John escorted the weeping, for
lorn Mother to his house in Jerusa-
lem. Clement of Alexandria $50
2O2) /ascribes the statement to Peter
that for twelve years she and John
lived in Jerusalem for the Apostles
We're commanded not to leave the city
before twelve years had elapsed in
order that they might bear witness to
what they had seen.
Eusebus cites the same tradition,
and the statements in Acts agree with
this tradition: "Then returned they
unto Jerusalem from the mount called
Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a
Sabbath days journey. And when
they were come in they went up into
an upper room, where abode Peter
and james, and John, and Andrew,
Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and
Matthew, James the son Of Alpheus
and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the
brother of James. These all continued
with one accord in prayer and suppl