The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-04-12
THE HOLY CITY AND ITS
SANCTIFIED PLACES

At no time since the first Resurrec-
ton Day has Palestine, the Holy Land,
been the source of such comfort to
the Christian world as it is today.
Chickering's of doubters have, in a
large measure, been silenced and it
is a generally accepted fact that most
of the sacred spots where the tor
tured Saviour spent His last months
have been discovered.
The very points along the Via Dolo-
rosa that marked Christ's labored
journey to the cross have at last
been settled upon and designated by
appropriate tablets, the rough cell in
Which He was imprisoned while
awaiting the decision of the Governor,
Plate, has been unearthed, the
stocks that encased His feet have
been found and the silent tomb, the
real Holy Sepulchre from which He
arose from the dead has been located.
The only point at issue between the
divers Biblical research societies is
which of the two Golgothas, the tradi-
tional one or the one recently discov-
cred by Major-G General Wilson, of the
British Army, is the actual scene of
the Saviour's crucifixion.
Each new discovery made in Jefu-
salem has added to the interest of the
Holy City. Indeed, if the sacred sites
we're taken away it would at once be-
come the meanest spot on earth in
the eyes of every one, a place to be
turned from with adherence.
Dirty, crooked streets, ruined, tum-
ble-down, crumbling buildings, and
dirty natives are all that are left when
the sacred part of the country is de
tached. With the sites of the Saviour's
life, however, Jerusalem is the heart
of the Christian world and each newly
discovered relic has added to the pow
er which it exerts over the faithful
scattered in every cline.
Every Easter thousands of religious
pilgrims visit Palestine and seek to
do homage at Jerusalem to the Son OF
Man, whose shrines the city holds.
What has been decided as the true
tomb of the Saviour lies just outside
Jerusalem. The site has been pur.
chased by committee of archaeolo-
gists headed by the Archbishop OF
Canterbury for $4,000.
The owners of the site have dug
among the accretions of soil that for
centuries covered the spot and have
laid bare what is asserted to be the
veritable tomb in which Christ was
laid following His cruci1xion. It is
| hewn out of solid rock, and-most
significant of facts-when the place
was excavated it was found that the
place which had been planned for the
reception of a body was empty.
The tomb of Christ is being re
stored as rapidly as possible and a
beautiful garden is to be cultivated
about the spot.
The cell in which Jesus was con.
! fined prior to the crucifxion is in the
street called Ecce Homo, which forms
part of the long route called Via Dolo
rosa, through which the Saviour is
supposed to have passed on his way
Il ~ GAC NAODCs H. 10 OA p1OpGIty DG
longing to the Greek Church Its dis
covery year or so ago was made &C
cidentally.
Several workmen were excavating
under the direction of some archaeolo
gists who Unexpectedly came upon an
underground passage which proved to
be hewn out of rock It faced north
and south, with it's entrance to the
south. The passage, about Is feet long,
led to chamber or cell measuring
about feet on each side.
The cell was not intended to hold
more than one person at time Iron
rings, used as stocks, prove this
theory. The person to have been con-
fined in such cell must have been a
person of Importance, for Romans usu-
ally herded their common criminals
in quadrangular chamber below.
Investigators are satisfied that the
Saviour was confined In this room
while awaiting Pilates decision An
other fact that has won many SCOT