The Irish standard., 1906-06-02

| where He was crucitied there was Il
garden: and in the garden Il new sep
| ulcher.'
| Some thirty years ago. Il cave cut in
the rock was discovered in this virin-
! ity. to the southwest of Golgoth;l. UNI
der the extreme declivity of the hill
This tomb, after much investigation
and consideration, was accepted by a
society in England as the tomb most
likely to be that of Christ.
The tomb is undoubtedly Very an
cient. An interesting feature is Il small
aperture which reminds one of ST
Johns looking in to behold the body"
| This Garden of the Tomb is about
| four acres in size, and seems to am
swer To the garden OF Joseph of Ari-
mathea, who buried the Lords body
within his own new sepulchre wherein
was never man yet laid" The tomb is
about $50 feet distant from the sum
nit of the hill. It, was originally Il
small rock -cut Jewish tomb. The fact
of there being a head cavity in the re-
ceptacle at the northeast corner, and it's
being so situated as to face directly the
Valley of Jehosaphat. are clear proofs
of its having been built for a Heb:ew.
There are signs that Crusaders of the
twelfth century erected an ;rched
building before the tomb. \ sum of
about 100000 was raised i'll England
by subscription from I'LL those who
were in favor of the tomb being bought
and held sacred on the ground that ii
the resurrection of the Saviour.
1t is deplorablc To- see in Jerusalem
the bitterness of the different Chris
tian sects. especially at such times of
general rejoicing as Christmas nnd
Easter, and I" find Mohanned;in sol
dicrS stationed on all sides with guns
in hand. But if this newly dis;ov-
cred site is the true sepuIchcr, then
IL is Il relief and q deep satisfaction to
know that no such strife and revoiting
scenes have taken place there
7" visit this peaceful spot fills one
with Il solemnity and reverence which
is undisturbcd by mans jealousy or
unreliable traditions. Here on this
quiet hilltop. overwhelming the pictur-
rS'lue city with its many white dnmes
and mimarelS dazzling i'm the sunshine
and in the vicinity of that beautiful
Mount of Olives of s,cred memories
which rises gr;ln,liy toward the Gust
here, surrounded by nature in all her
beauty and simplicity. one can wor-
ship in perfect peace and harmony the
God VIII" sent His son to bring peace
1" the world.
The MoSlcm, Notwithstanding. sur
rounds us again. but only to protect the
sacred spot. for, it being Mohamnc-
dan burial place, no one darcs modest
ii. So here. too. the Moslcm funlills
his role of protecting the most sacred
places in Palestine such us the to;ubs
nf Abraham and Jacob in Hebron. the
tomb "f David on Mount Zion and the
Mosque of Omar on the temple area.
But for The jealous. Scrupluus custody
of the unSpenknblc Turk the S:trcoplla-
gus and cmbnmed body of the Patri-
arch Jacob would now be in the Pari-
sian Louvre or the British museum.
This spot surely fullills in all its de-
tails the demands Of ancient history
and presents us with il site that seems
far more likely to be the real place
of the cruciiXion than the traditional
spot. now Enclosed within the city
wallis. even though this has been ac-
ccpted for Sn many years. Would not,
them this un,lesecrttcd green hill
without the rity walls" be am apDro-
pirate site for the magnificent church
which William II. Curtis. in his Plies-
tine letters some months ago. suggested
should be- built in Jerusalem in order
to give To the dcvollt iuoriSt II worthy
sanctuary for the Worship and a,lnrn
ton Of the rZrn lord"