The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-28
HONE OF THE VIRGIN MARY.


| st. JohnS eN
| When the Kaiser paid his famous visit
to Palestine, little more than yeaI
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
establishment was chiefly due to the fact
that the tomb and residence Of the Vir-
gin had long been supposed to be at Ephe-
sus.
Since this memorable gift and Its trans
fer by the Kaiser to the Catholic authori-
ties, a special investigation into the ira
diticns gathered around this bare site has
been conducted by DR.. Carl Mommert, a
scholar who has made many visits to Pal
estine and devoted special attention to a
study Of the sacred sites and their tradi-
lions. The result Of his study has just
appeared in a pamphlet, from which the
arguments in the matter are extracted for
presentation here.
In that closing scene Of the Crucifxion
described b. John, the only one of the
Apostles present, lies the basis Of the ira
dition of the association between John and
the Virgin. In chapter xix, 25-27, We read:
Now, there stood by the cross OF Jesus
his mother and his mothers sister. Mary.
the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magde-
iene. When Jesus, therefore, saw his
mother and the disciple standing by whom
he loved. be saith unto his mother. Woman,
behold thy sonl Then saith he to .he dis
cipie. Behold thy rothes! And from that
hour that disciple took her unto his own
name"
1t was on October 81, 1898, that the Kai-
ser and Kaiserin, with their escort, gath
cred to accent the famous site. amid spe--
cial ceremonies. But was there sub
stantial 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 Ephe-
sus is no older than the fifth century,
while the more trustworthy tradition, APP
plying the name of the "Dormitio'' to a
site in Jerusalem, is supported by some
of the Oldest traditions and maps that
have been discovered.
Summing up the evidence, 1t SENS GER
tain that John and the Virgin lived in
Jerusalem until forty-four or forty-five,
and this will account for the postpone
ment of his activity for SO many years,
and his succeeding Timothy as Bishop Of
Ephesus, after the death of Paul. 1t was
due to his care Of the Virgin that he
waited until after her death to begin
his missionary labors. And besides, hui
man nature supports the tradition that
Mary did not leave Jerusalem at her ad-
vanced age to go to distant Ephesus. for
1t was natural that she should wish to
remain in and around the scenes dear
to her.
There Is no early tradition Of the Virgin
having died anywhere else than in Jeru-
salem, and the Acts as we'll as tradition
point to her having lived with John and
died in his house in Jerusalem at about
sixty years of age. This being accepted
as true, it ought not to be difficult to de-
eide the exact location Of this sacred spot.
Judging from the fact that Peter sought
her after his release from prison af1
found her when going to the Coena cu!uM.
it seems clear that Johns house was
near that famous building. There was but
one church in Jerusalem until after the
rise of Constantine and that was the Zion
Church, on the site Of the Coenaculum. so
it is impossible to find any trace of Johns
house having been consecrated into
church until later date. hl
In the seventh century, however, when
blShOp Arcul1uS OF Perlguex trled 10 lueH-
tify the sacred sites he found that there
was distinct tradition as to the separ-
ate places of the Last Supper and the
Dormitio. This is evident from the map.
The venerable Bede. who gathered the |
traditions concerning the holy places in |
720 has left plan of the Zion Church !
showing the place at which the Virgin died
in most realistic fashion.
In the twelfth century we have even |
plans and pictures of the different churches |
of tie Coenaculum and the st. Mary's. |
showing the distinction then made between !
the two.
A quaint plan OF the sites in question |
drawn by Marine Sanuto d3f0) shows the |
house of Caiaphas, the Coenaculum, and |
home of Mary, and in another map of 1850 +!
the two sites are distinctly shown.
1t seems evident from this investigation |
that the site Of the house in which the vir- |
gin lived was near the Coenaculum, and |
possibly was the very site which has been |
transferred to the German Catholics !
through the Kaiser. 1t is interesting to |
know that the Sultan has SO much rever- !
ence for Christian traditions as to place the |
sacred sites in the hands of the faithful