The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-28
/ Is CONFLICTING
Opinion on Place of Cruaifix-
ion Continues to Vary,
LAPAGRAPHY is CHANGED
"GOrdOnS Tomb" Believed to
be the Actual Site.


Il cannot engage in the controversy a.
70 the site Of the sepulchre Of Christ
although it seems to ne, as it does tc
many Others that the generally accept
ed location does not correspond in any
respect with the ambiguous descriptions
contained in the gospel accounts Of the
crucihxion, but that question has been
argued for sixteen centuries and is nc
nearer settlement than when the discus
sion began. There are distinguished au-
thor1ties on both sides. The evidence is
meager and contradictory. and the to-
Biography of the country has probably
been more. or less altered.
I'VE are informed by the evangelists
that Goigotha lay outside the city walls
and was q small, rocky eminence, So
called on account of its resemblance 10
a skull. The Church Of the Holy Sepul-
chre is in the center Of modern Jerusa-
lem and upon the slope Of Mount Roriah.
The remainder Of the city, north and
west Of il, is considerably higher. In
fact, YOU descend quite steep hill to
reach il. IT is possible, Of course. that
the conhguration Of the land may have
been considerably different twenty cen
turies ago and that the present location
may have been outside the walls, but II
that IS true the ancient city Of Jerusa-
lem was a very Insignificant place and
could not have entertained a small frac-
ton Of the population generally attrib-
uted to IL Eyen the area encircIed by
the present walls is much smaller than
one would expect after reading the de-
scriptions Of early writer's.
What is known as 'Gordon's Tomb
little hillOck just outside Of the gate Of
Damascus, seems to answer the descrip-
ton Of Golgotha admirably in several
respects, and so eminent an authority as
Dr. Merrill, the United States consul.
who has devoted his life to the study OF
this ana kindred questions, IS inclined
70 believe that it is the actual site of
the crucihxion. He has made excava-
lions there. to which are due several i'm
portant discoveries which confirm his
opinion. He believes that the Savior car
ried His cross from the hall OF judgment
whose site is now occupied by military
barracks. not by the narrow and crooked
lane known as Via Doloroso TO the site
of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,
but along the broad military road which
runs through the Damascus gate to what
is now known as the Gordon Tomb.
.'On the other hand, the most disting-
uished writer's and theologians Of the
Greek, Roman. Armenian and Protestant
churches adhere to the authenticity of
the present location.
General Charles Gordon, the hero OF /
Khartum. a brave soldier and Christian I
gentleman. was so impressed with the (
site outside the walls when he was taken I
there many years ago, by DR.. Merrill. /
that he wrote several magazine articles /
to prove its claims. Hence his name /
became attached to the site, and it is
called 'Gordon's Tomb in the guide 4
books. It is an 2brupt rocky cliff about /
sixty feet above the roadway and appar-
emily Of solid rock. one side is almost /
and looks as If II had been /
blasted off like a quarry. The other side 1
Is a gradual slope from the pasture be-
yond the city. Upon the rocky side it is /
easy to trace the likeness of a skull. a /
bold forehead and a large jaw, two reg
ular cavities in the rock for the eyes, 4
two more for the mouth and the nose, /
and after You have looked a little while
the picture fascinates you. There is no
evidence or reason to believe that this
rough surface has been changed in the
slightest degree since the date of the cru
cifxion
AT the foot Of the cliff DR.. Merrill dis
covered some years ago several graves
chiseled out Of the living rock. One Of
them is a chamber Of considerable size.
evidently intended as a family tomb
With inches for three bodies carved in
the walls, one at the end and two. one
over the other, at right angles. The other
,ombs are not so large, but are Of SINH
ar construction. It is believed that the
larger one belonged to Joseph OF Arima-
thea and that one Of the inches was the
place where the Lord lay
The opinion OF General Gordon attract
"a so much attention in England that
Miss Louise Hope was attracted to Je-
-usalem and afterwards 10 CONSTANT
lople. where. through the intervention Of
he British amba ssator. she succeeded in
purchasing the property and placed it in
he hands OF a board Of trustees consist
ne of herself the Duke of Argyle. the
MARQUIS of Northampton. the Earl OF
aberdeen and the Rev. canon Tristan.
,he also contributed a sum % money
which has been used In clearing up the
,Iace. building n wall around it. LAYING
,ut q garden. erecting a keepers lodCe
md putting Sc in excellent order 1t is
low in charge Of a Scotch caretalIer
Who explains 10 visitors the evidence in
avor Of that hin as the site of the cruci-
ixion.
According 70 Bishop Eusebius OF Cae-
area, who lved from the year 2a 20
80 A =. and is the earliest reliable his
90
savior was discovered by the Empress
Helena. mother OF the Emperor Constan-
lne. who made a pilgrimage go Jerusa- 4
EN- in the year 33f. Prompted by q =
isioa she and Bishop Nacarius. by the J
id Of a miracle. also discovered the true
ross. which was buried IN a cave od- 5
dining the tomb OF Joseph OF Ari- g
aathes- ST Hs'cra built 81 sumQtaous Z
harel over the to1nh iu tie year e25 Z
pen The ruins az q temple Of Venus =
rected hy Hadrian. Tor 1nU her time
he tomb beneath had been used IN con- !,
ecfion with The Worship cf that goddess c
he also discovered the cross upon which T
be repentant thief was executed Z
Both these crosses. according 90 The Z
cal traditions ~ the Christians AT Jsru- u
llem. were hidden away Ga the ground 3
y the disciples and their friends % pre-
srve them II order 20 test the gems 2
ieness OF the true cross n DYING woman ..
as laid upon Il and instantly recovered
er health. In 3S3 ST. Jerome described
le church ard the cross. They are de-
,ribed by Ruanus ln 40 and again by 9
heodoret in 4sa In 6l4 the church was b
by the Perslans, but was re- J
alt in co with additions. TWO cen I.
-rleE latar n VS. aas-roNal hr n In -