been done to show how with more labour great results may be obtained. The difficulties of searching underground are enormous, formidable in themselves, and added to by the wilful impediments placed in the way by Turkish officials. Yet we see now that all these may be overcome; if little has been established, a great deal of error has been disestablished and altogether eliminated; and we have at least a conception of the vastness of the work which some of the kings of old were able to execute.

The Temple, the great glory of old Jerusalem, stood, as we know, on Mount Moriah, the hill on which Abraham had

not mean that no attempt had been made we can find Calvary. But enough has to delineate it, because for many ages diagrams had been appearing; but it means that the maps were partial, that each was made to illustrate some particular points only, and that one or two more recent surveys which aimed at being general and accurate were not equally trustworthy in all parts. Hence, when some eight years since the unhealthy condition of Jerusalem attracted to it observation and much sympathy, it was seen that an improved water-supply and improved drainage which were clearly the principal requirements could not be designed for want of a complete survey and levels. The brooks and springs of the city and neighbourhood are many, the rainfall is consid-bound Isaac preparatory to offering him erable, and no city could from its situa- for a sacrifice, and on ground which Dation be more easy to drain; but then we vid in later days purchased from Araunah, know that the place is under Turkish rule, whose threshing-floor it had been. The and so do not marvel that the distresses apex of the rock of that hill may still be of the inhabitants, uncared for by their seen - the sacred rock it is called-and own rulers, came to be adopted as a legit- around it is an artificial plateau in the imate concern of theirs by the "Franks." form of a rectangle, whose length is 1500 The means of paying for the necessary feet north and south, and its breadth 900 survey were provided by Miss Burdett feet east and west. It is enclosed by Coutts; and an officer (Captain Wilson) walls and is known as Haram ash Sharif, and five non-commissioned officers of the or the Noble Sanctuary. This is now Royal Engineers were detached from the the apparent top of the hill, which, becompanies employed on the Ordnance yond the southern wall of the sanctuary, Survey, and sent out to Jerusalem to exe- slopes downward to the south, and is a cute the work. Their duty was complet- tongue of ground running between two ed in 1865. It was, however, hardly pos- valleys which unite at its foot. The valsible for a scientific officer employed on ley on the west of Moriah is the Tyrothe survey of such a region to confine pean, that on the east is the valley_of himself to superficial operations. Ac- Kedron or of Hinnom. Across the Tycordingly Captain Wilson made attempts ropæan and opposite the southern to penetrate some of the secrets that lie tongue of Moriah, is the upper city on hid beneath the masses of rubbish the another plateau; opposite and to the quantity of which is hardly conceivable, west of the Sanctuary is the summit as will be explained - which conceal the known as Zion or Acra. The valleys and ancient forms of the hills and valleys, and the sides of the hills are covered with the remains of nearly all the ancient rubbish, the depth of which is so great works of men. But he was unprovided that the walls of the Sanctuary cannot be with the necessary stores and implements seen for more than a half, a third, or a for subterranean exploration, and it was fourth of their height in most parts of the left to his brother officer, Captain Warren, enclosure; and the ancient, or, as we to follow out his designs, and to furnish may say, the real beds of the valleys have data for restoring the ancient, as he him- been entirely altered. We know by self had delineated the modern, Jerusa- means of the explorations where the I channel of the brook Kedron used to be: the stream has a very different course now from what it had when sorrowing David passed over it at the time of Absalom's rebellion. Of the remains of the Sanctuary (and probably the same may be said of the upper city and Zion) that which is above ground is but a very small part. Its walls rest throughout their lengths on the rock; the levels of the foundations vary, therefore, accord

lem.

One perceives with regret, after having followed the energetic proceedings of these officers, which in themselves are highly interesting, that they have as yet been able to establish beyond controversy but very few of the sites which have been wrangled over for so many centuries. We cannot say positively where the Holy Sepulchre is, where Solomon's or the succeeding temples exactly stood, or where

ing to the outline of the rock, being at the Triple Gate in the south wall about a hundred feet higher than at the most depressed points. Seventy feet appears to be the least height, and a hundred and seventy feet the greatest. These high walls were at one time exposed to view, and could, with their magnificent superstructure, dazzle the senses by their grandeur. A building longer and higher than York Minster stood, as Captain Wilson explains it, on a solid mass of masonry nearly as high as the tallest of our church spires.

the excitement of wonder. If we can see the hill as Solomon and his architects saw it, we can recover pretty closely the considerations that no doubt moved them in determining the exact site of the first Temple. This will not give conclusive proof, but it will reveal a strong probability which, if supported by further discoveries, may at last amount to proof. Then, once we are morally certain about the site of Solomon's Temple, there will be less difficulty about Nehemiah's and Herod's. Now then, looking at the contoured plan or the model, it is at once Nearly everywhere there are about evident that appearance and economy of four feet of firm rich mould resting upon time and of labour, would require the the rock. Above the mould are many Temple to be on the plateau of the sumlayers of stone-chippings, cubical or hem- mit, where there was just room for it to ispherical in form, and mixed with lumps stand. If that was the site chosen, the of broken stone of various sizes. Here Temple area must have been bounded on and there a stratum of fat earth from one the south by a wall parallel to, and three to three feet thick may be found, but not hundred feet north of, the present south frequently. Sometimes the shingle is wall of the sanctuary; its north wall more or less cemented together by mud, would have been six hundred feet north which has percolated through it; but of its south wall, or nine hundred feet outside of the city walls, and particularly north of the present south wall; and its on the east side of the Kedron valley, it end walls would have been coincident with is quite loose, without a particle of cohe- portions of the present west and east sive matter, so that once set in motion it walls of the Sanctuary. This is an enruns like water. To get at the carto- tirely new argument, which, without the graphy (or an approximation to it) of the form of the hill, recovered by Captain ancient city, the wells, cisterns, aqueducts, Warren's labours, could not have been vaults and passages which lie in and be-used. The threshing-floor of Araunah, neath these masses of rubbish, must be thoroughly examined. Captain Warren has already brought to light many and striking facts which up to his time were unknown or not established; and others, no doubt, following in his footsteps and imitating him on other ground, will accumulate evidence sufficient to decide many of the contested points. We will state the principal of Captain Warren's discoveries, and then give some account of the means by which he achieved them, and the adventures of himself and party during the execution of their works.

we may fairly assume, was on the summit, as was customary, in order that the winnowing might be conveniently effected; and as we know that the threshingfloor became the site of the Temple, some further strength is thus given to the supposition that the first Temple was placed as we have described. But further proofs are forthcoming from the evidence of the buried walls. The level at which the stones in any part of the wall begin to be dressed and carefully-lined stones, as distinguished from the rougher foundation-stones which were not intended to Let us first mention, that Captain be seen, is a guide to the age of that Warren, by working through the rubbish part of the wall. Where the dressed and by exploring subterranean passages, stones are traceable down to the neighhas been enabled to find the rock of bourhood of the rock, it may be concludMount Moriah and of its flanking valleys ed that the wall is of the age of Solomon in so many places, that he could make a or of the kings of Judah. Where there contoured plan of the whole area and are many courses of rough foundationwhat, to the eye unaccustomed to draw-stones above the rock, it is a fair inferings of the ground, is more instructive, a ence that the wall was built after the rubmodel. A few feet of red earth overlie bish had begun to accumulate. Some the rock pretty equally; so, then, having Phoenician characters have been found the form of the rock, we have the form on the chiselled stones of those parts of the hill, as it appeared to Solomon. where the dressed stones most nearly And this work serves a far higher pur- approach the rock, and this is another pose than the gratification of curiosity or proof of the antiquity of these parts.

The position of the gates also-since the western part of the south wall, and they would surely be designed with some that the precincts of the Temple which regard to symmetry is another guide he built extended over the sites of Solto the selection of the oldest part omon's Temple and Solomon's palace, as of the work. Now, without going into also over the space near those buildings details, we may say that the evidence of in the south-west angle. Herod's Temthe walls is quite in harmony with the ple, in short, is thought to have had its supposition which places the first Temple north wall on the same line as Solomon's, on the summit as above described. This but to have been 900 feet square, instead also is quite new evidence, like that con- of 900 by 600. cerning the form of the rock. If the Somewhere near the present north wall Turkish authorities had not expressly of the Sanctuary was the Pool of Bethesforbidden excavations within the Sanctu- da. There are pools in that vicinity now, ary, it would be advisable to try to find fed, no doubt, by the same spring which the foundations of the north and south fed the Bethesda of St. John's Gospel; but walls of Solomon's Temple. If these at present it cannot be ascertained which should be discovered on the sites where- of them, or whether any of them, is that on they are supposed to have stood, little pool. There is reason to believe that doubt could remain as to the plan of this pools which once existed in that neighbuilding; but we must wait for more lib-borhood have disappeared, and that the eral times before this test can be applied. water is now collected in newer reserIt has been ascertained, however, by ex-voirs. The Pool of Siloam remains as of amination of the ground outside the old just at the junction of the Tyropean Sanctuary walls, and by some observa- and Kedron valleys. A fountain known tions which it was possible to make now as "the Virgin's Fount" has been within them without disturbing the ground, identified with En-Rogel, which was a that along the line which is thought point in the boundary line between Judah to have been that of the north wall of and Benjamin, as recorded in the Book the Temple, the side of a natural valley of Joshua; it is the same En-Rogel by or an artificial ditch extended. Proba- which Ahimaaz and Jonathan* the son bly the two containing valleys of Mount of Abiathar waited on David's behalf for Moriah turned inwards and nearly met there; and advantage was taken of this circumstance by connecting the two with a ditch. Some part of the rock on this ditch side is known to be scraped-that is, cut to nearly a vertical plane. All this favours the idea that the wall of Solomon's Temple stood here.

But there is a portion of the present south wall which is, there can be no doubt, as old as the walls which have been suggested as being the east and west walls of the Temple enclosure. If the south wall of the ancient Temple was 300 feet away from this wall, what can this wall have been? The answer is that it was probably the wall of Solomon's palace, which is of antiquity equal to that of the Temple. The former building may have been built a little below the brow of the hill although the latter might not – indeed, if we suppose the Temple on the plateau of the summit, there is no place near it for the palace without going a little down the hill. But if the palace occupied only a portion-to wit, the south-east angle of what is now the Sanctuary, how comes it that the Sanctuary is now a rectangle with a continuous south wall running right across? Well, the supposition is that Herod built

tidings of the determination of the council of Absalom's rebellion; and it is that at which Adonijaht slew sheep and oxen when he laid claim to the kingdom. This is a very recent discovery, due to the survey which noted the rock Zoheleth, and so led to the identification of the fountain. The pools of Solomon were supplied from a fountain at Hebron, and they again supplied water to the city. Two aqueducts by which the water was conveyed have been traced. One is quite useless now, and the other of but little use. From the great number of channels and cisterns which have been discovered, it is clear that the Holy City was once very well supplied with water; but the aqueducts have been destroyed, or suffered to fall to decay, and the cisterns have been turned to the vilest uses. The very soil has been so poisoned by impurities, that a scratch or a cut on a workman's hand would not heal for a long time; and as for the water, it is in many places so contaminated by the neighbourhood of the drains as to be offensive to the taste.

The ancient articles brought to light by the exploration were but few. They ↑ Kings, i. 9.

2 Samuel, xvii. 17.

were principally lamps and vases, weights, | them down-bring down, that is, some of bronze figures, and sepulchral chests. the finest and most massive masonry in The seal of Haggai the son of Shebniah the world, which rested on the rock, by was found in the rubbish of the Tyropean valley, at a depth of 22 feet. But of the few articles found, it is remarkable that hardly any are Jewish. A great mass of details has been given, which, though as yet they have led up to nothing positive, may, after further inquiry, be found to contain the keys to many disputed questions; for the work of the survey is not likely to perish; what has been done is distinctly recorded on drawings with dimensions and levels, so that the work can at any time be farther prosecuted without having to repeat any of the operations already registered.

66

removing some of the rubbish which had accumulated beside it! Captain Warren was, however, even with the intelligent Pacha as far as examining the walls went, as we shall see directly. First let us explain that the method of examination which Captain Wilson, when he made the survey, was not provided with the means of following, and which Captain Warren did adopt in all his principal examinations was the rough-and-ready style of mining made use of in sieges, the same being taught to all officers of Royal Engineers at the school of Military Engineering. A well or shaft, three But while we are gratified at the clear or four feet square, is commenced, and unquestionable results of these en- and as soon as it has been excavated terprises, we must not overlook the risk to a slight depth, wooden frames of a and toil by means of which they were strength in inverse proportion to the successful. Captain Warren and his as- self-supporting power of the earth, clay, sistants would seem to have been daily gravel, or other soil, are introduced. in peril of their lives; the climate pun- Where the ground has any tenacity at all, ished them, their work was dangerous, the first three or four feet of shaft can be and the Turkish officials continually sunk before a frame is fixed, and then thwarted them. One of these enlightened the frames can be built in one over anpersons explained to Captain Warren the other from the bottom upwards; but as whole structure of the noble Sanctuary— the depth increases, this method becomes the very place that the Christian world impossible, and a frame has to be fixed is yearning to know even a little concern- under those already in place as soon as ing 'winding up with the information there is space dug out for it. The cases that the sacred rock, Sakhra, lies on the or frames are in four parts, made with top leaves of a palm-tree, from the roots mortises and tenons, so that they may be of which spring all the rivers of the earth; easily put together; and if the soil be and that the attempt of a Frank to pry very loose indeed, it may be necessary to into such matters could only be attended excavate one side only of the shaft, then by some dire calamity befalling the coun- to fix the half of the frame, and aftertry." From functionaries with minds wards to excavate the other side and fix thus cultivated much sympathy or aid the rest of the frame. The series of was not to be expected; and although cases or frames forms a strong wooden our explorers were fortified by a vizierial lining to the shaft. Any part of the linletter from Constantinople, excuses were ing liable to extra pressure may, of course, continually invented for interfering with be strengthened by screwing on addiand restricting the proceedings. The tional planks. Captain Warren appears probability that they might disturb the to have carried these shafts to a greater graves of some of the faithful was contin- depth than is usually necessary in miliually put forward as a reason for inter- tary mining, for we find him sometimes rupting the search. The orientals, it sinking 90 feet below the surface of the seems, can form no higher idea of our ground. But the art of military mining objects than that we are seeking for includes something more than making buried treasure, which, although they wells and going up and down in them; have not the energy to look for it them- it can from the bottom or from any stage selves, they cordially grudge us. The of the shaft commence and produce a vizierial letter unfortunately excepted the subterranean passage or gallery, either Noble Sanctuary from the places where horizontal or inclining upwards or downdigging was to be permitted; conse- wards, and so give means of moving quently Captain Warren commenced op- about in the recesses of the earth. The erations outside its walls; whereupon galleries are supported by timbers and the Pacha forbade him to dig within 40 planking much in the same way as the feet of the walls, lest he should bring mines are lined. The breadth and depth

of them are kept as short as possible, in jeopardy being Captain Warren himand there is usually no more than room | self, and his most useful and adventurous for a man to crawl along in them. It chief assistant, Sergeant Birtles. The was by means of his burrowing power Sergeant, while they were examining that Captain Warren out-witted the Pacha. some vaults near the west wall of the He obeyed the direction to dig at least Sanctuary, "clambered up a piece of 40 feet away from the walls; but as soon wall where the stones were sticking out as he was down to a convenient depth he like teeth. At about 8 feet from the burrowed back to the wall, and then along ground one of these gave way, and he its face, so as to examine it, without the fell back with it in his arms. Luckily, Pacha being, in the first instance, at all it was so heavy that they turned in fallthe wiser. Afterwards, the limit of 40 ing, and fell together sideways; it then feet was encroached on, little by little; rolled over on to him, and injured him and the Pacha, when he came to know severely, so that he could barely crawl that the miners had had their will in spite out into the open air. He suffered from of him, seems to have taken the frustra- this injury for some months." At anothtion of his orders with the philosophy of er time the same adventurous explorer a Turk, and not to have been extreme in was, by a fall of rubbish behind him, marking the distance of the shafts from blocked up without a light for two hours. the wall. But he continued to be ob- The following adventure occurred in a structive and disagreeable in a variety vault under the convent of the Sisters of of ways; and first among the difficulties Sion: with which Captain Warren had to contend, and which he patiently grappled I looked into this passage, and found it to with, was the hostile spirit of the local open out to a width of 4 feet, and to be full of sewage 5 feet deep. I got some planks, and government. Then came the morbid made a perilous voyage on the sewage for about effects of the climate, and of the air of 12 feet, and found myself in a magnificent paswells and tunnels in soil charged with all sage cut in the rock 30 feet high, and covered manner of impurities. The party sick-by large stones laid across horizontally. Seeing ened one after another; every one ap- how desirable it would be to trace out this paspears to have been attacked by fever; sage, I obtained three old doors, and went down some of the non-commissioned officers there to-day with Sergeant Birtles. We laid had to be invalided and sent home; and them down on the surface of the sewage, and one of them died. Thirdly, there were and throwing it in front of us. . . . In some advanced along by lifting up the hindermost the natural difficulties of making the ex- places the sewage was exceedingly moist and plorations, which were so great and nu-very offensive, and it was difficult to keep our merous that the party may be said to have wrought constantly in peril of their lives. The shingle, or stone-chippings, was, as has been said, so loose that when once set in motion it flowed like water. It rushed into the shafts and galleries at times, completely flooding the passages, and threatening to overwhelm the ex- Another time Captain Warren descendplorers. Sometimes it ran away from ing from a private garden through a outside their casings, or from beneath tank's mouth found part of the aperture them in their shafts, or from before them to be so small that he could not succeed in their galleries, leaving vast and dan- till he had stripped nearly to the skin. gerous chasms; and on one or two occa- Then he found himself in a cistern havsions compelling them to leave the place ing in it three feet of water; but on where they were, fill up their excavations, lighting up some magnesium wire, he saw and be cheated of their reward after days such a series of arches as made him of labour. And the flowing of the shingle think at first that he must be in a church. was dangerous, not only for what it could So he signalled for Sergeant Birtles to do itself: when it gave way, it allowed come down too; but the Sergeant, after heavy stones that might have been rest- considerably injuring his shoulders in the ing on it to fall; and these thundering attempt, was unable to pass the narrow into a shaft or gallery were anything but opening, and had at last to go and get the pleasant or harmless intruders. Scarcely owner's permission to pull down the upan excavation was undertaken without a per mouth of the shaft. This accomcontretemps that might have been a fatal plished, he speedily got down and joined accident the persons most frequently his officer, who was waiting all this time

balance whilst getting up the doors after they had sunk in the muck. [The earth level suddenly changed and they had to descend.] Everything had become so slippery that we had to exercise great caution in lowering ourselves down, lest an unlucky false step might cause a header into the murky liquid.