The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-01-18

Il
The Minneapolis paper says, "The
question (of the true site of the Holy
Sepulchre) is largely one of ancient
walls" Of course it is. In the Epistle
to the Hebrews (xiii, 12) it is express
ly stated that Jesus suffered without
the gate" This means, as generally
understood, outside of the city gate of
Jerusalem, or outside the gate of the
walls of Jerusalem.
Now at the time of Christ there were
two walls on the north side of Jeru-
salem. The first wall may have ex-
listed from the times of the Jebusites
and was probably restored by David
and Solomon. The second wall was
built later by the kings of Juda. And
it was outside this which was then
the outer wall that Christ was cruci-
fed. From 41-44 A. D., or from eight
to eleven years after the crucifxion
of our Savior, Herod Agrippa began
to build third wall; it seems along
where the Damascus Gate is at pres
ent. But this wall was simply north
of the site of the Holy Sepulchre.
How utterly unreliable and preju-
diced this Mr.. Boevey is, in matters
concerning the site of the Holy
Sepulchre, may be inferred from what
the Minneapolis paper states of him:
"Mr Crawley Boevey suggests that
the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
was built by the early Christian as
memorial of the burial place of the
Founder of their religion, and with
out any positive knowledge of the
site"
ANY one who can make such an as
sertion, although he may be "a Pales-
tine explorer" must, as far as this
matter is concerned, be STEPPED in
ignorance or totally blinded by un-
reasonable prejudice.
The Facts of the Case.
The following are historical facts
which any one of ordinary intelligence
can easily gather from reliable
l sources: According to data given by
Josephus Flavius, Jerusalem must
t have had about 100000 inhabitants at
? the time of Christ At the time of
the crucifxion Christ was the center
of interest in all Jerusalem; and St.
Luke expressly mentions (xXiii, 27)
that "a great multitude of people
followed Jesus carrying the cross to
: Golgotha From that time on the
spot where Jesus was crucified and
: where He was buried was known to
countless thousands in and about
" Jerusalem. 1t is to be remembered
t that st. John xix, 41-42) says: There
e was in the place where He was cruel
fed, a garden: and in the garden a
i new sepulchre," and in this, because
0 of the Parasceve of the Jews, they
= laid Jesus, because the sepulchre was
: nigh at hand" Thus the place of
t the crucifixion and the grave were
near together.
n Neither the Christians nor the Jews
e could forget these places, so highly
s venerated by the Christians and SO
L detested by the Jews. From that
/ time on there continued to be mum
e bers of Christians in and about Jeru'
L salem. A few days after the cruel.
n fixion the number of the believers in
c Christ was already five thousand, as
It we read in the Acts of the Apostles
(iv, ~. Before the siege and destruc.
ton of Jerusalem in 70 A. D., the
t, Christians, with their Bishop, Simeon
d retired to Pella beyond the Jordan;
l. but many of them returned when
Y Jerusalem was being rapidly built up
r again. After Simeon several Bishops
e of Jewish descent were at the head
e of the Christian Church at Jerusalem
l. up to the time of the rebellion o1
d -Cochba, in the year 1872. After
s this Jews were forbidden, under pen
e atty of death, to be found in Jeru
l. salem, and Marcus, the next Bishop
n of Jerusalem, was of Gentle descent
It as also the members of his church
# BY this time many Gentiles had beer
Y converted to Christianity in and about
s Jerusalem.
Emperor Hadrian was not only ar
d inveterate enemy of the Jews, but also
" a prosecutor of the Christians. Tt
s spite the Jews, a grand temple Of
Jupiter was built on the site of the
J. old Jewish temple; and statues, OF
It smaller temples of Jupiter and Venus
If were placed on the sites of the cruel
J. fixion and of the Holy Sepulchre, tt
prevent the Christians from venerat
W ing these sacred places.
n Instead of obliterating these vener
= ated places, the pagan prosecutors
y only helped to keep the memory ot
E them alive and to mark the exact
sites.
If The Church of the Holy SepuIchre.
3 Emperor Constantine in 313 pro
. claimed religious freedom for the
g Christians and showed himself very
: favorably inclined to Christianity HI
and his mother, st. Helena, had the
pagan idols on the sites of the cruel
fixion and of the Holy Sepulchre up
set and the rubbish removed will
It which the latter had been covered b!
IL the heather. The Holy Sepulchre wa'
u found perfectly intact Constantine
o and st. Helena had grand church
Is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
e built over it. Although this churcl
n was destroyed, and also the succeed
e ing ones, yet other churches wer'
promptly built on the same site.
1t Thus there were always countless
Ie thousands of Christians living, in un
E. interrupted succession, from the day
If of the Apostles to the present day