Jerusalem Explored Part 36

NOTE X. _Description of Jerusalem by Tacitus_ (_H._ V. 10-12).

"Accordingly, as we have said, he (t.i.tus) pitched his camp before the walls of Jerusalem, and made a display of his forces, having drawn them up in battle array. The Jews formed their line close under the walls, where, if success attended them, they could venture further out, and at the same time had a place of shelter ready, in case they should be driven back.

"The cavalry were sent against them together with the light-armed auxiliaries, and fought with doubtful issue; but in time the enemy gave way, and on the following days engaged in frequent skirmis.h.i.+ngs before the gates, till by their repeated losses they were driven within the walls. The Romans then prepared to carry the place by a.s.sault, thinking it unworthy of them to wait till the enemy should be starved out, and volunteered for the dangerous duty of the storming party, some from real valour, many from a reckless bravery and coveting its special rewards.

t.i.tus himself had Rome with its wealth and pleasures before his eyes, which seemed to be r.e.t.a.r.ded should not Jerusalem fall at once. But the city, naturally difficult of access, was further strengthened by works and defences which would prove sufficient protection even on level ground. For two hills, which rise to a considerable elevation, were enclosed by walls scientifically made to slant or bend inwards, in order that the flank of a besieging party might be exposed to fire. The edge of the rock breaks off in precipices, and the towers were built to the height of 60 feet, where the form of the mountain added to the height, and to a height of 120 in the lower ground, presenting a wonderful appearance, and at a distance seemingly of equal height. There was a second line of walls inside surrounding the king's palace, and the conspicuous roof of the Antonian tower, so named by Herod in compliment to Marcus Antonius.

"The Temple was a sort of citadel with walls of its own, superior to the rest in construction and finish; the porticoes by which the circuit of the building was made, forming themselves an excellent rampart. It contains a spring of never-failing water, and large reservoirs hollowed out under the soil, and pools and cisterns for storing the rain-water.

Its builders had foreseen that frequent wars must arise from the singularity of their customs, and so had provided everything even to meet a long siege; and when the city was taken by Pompeius, their fears and experiences had taught them most of the necessary precautions. And availing themselves of the greed of the reign of Claudius, they purchased the right of fortifying the town, and built walls in time of peace, in apparent antic.i.p.ation of war--a medley population, its numbers swollen by the disasters of other cities; for all the most headstrong men had taken refuge there, and therefore they were more riotous in their behaviour. They had three leaders, and three armies. The outermost and widest line of walls was defended by Simon, the middle of the city by John, the Temple by Eleazar. John and Simon had the largest number of troops, and the most efficiently armed, while Eleazar had the strongest position: but internecine fighting, treachery, and incendiarism were rife amongst them, and a great quant.i.ty of corn was burnt. In time John having sent a detachment of soldiers to murder Eleazar and his band, under plea of offering sacrifice, made himself master of the Temple. In this way the city split up into two factions, till on the approach of the Romans harmony was produced by the war from without."

NOTE XI. _THE PILGRIM OF BORDEAUX'S DESCRIPTION OF JERUSALEM._

"There are in Jerusalem two large pools by the side of the Temple; to wit, one on the right, and another on the left, which Solomon made.

Inside the city there be two pools with five porticoes, which are called Bethsaida: there men with diseases of many years' standing were healed.

The water of these pools is somewhat turbid and of a reddish hue. There likewise is a crypt, where Solomon was wont to torture the unclean spirits. There is the corner of a very high tower, whither the Lord went up, and he that tempted said unto Him, (Cast thyself down from hence); and the Lord said unto him, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy G.o.d, but Him only shalt thou serve. There is also the great corner-stone of which it was said, The stone which the builders rejected. Also at the head of the corner and under the battlements of the tower itself are several chambers on the spot where Solomon had his palace. There too standeth the chamber in the which he sat, and described Wisdom, which chamber is roofed by one single stone. There are two large reservoirs for the subterraneous water, and pools built with great labour. And in the building itself where the Temple was, which Solomon built, you would say that the blood of Zacharias on the marble before the altar had been shed this very day; and the marks of the nails of the soldiers who slew him are so plainly seen, that you would think they had been planted on wax over the whole area. Also there be there two statues of Hadrian, and not far from the statues is a stone much worn, to which the Jews come every year, and anoint it, and bemoan themselves with sighs and rend their garments, and so depart. There is also the house of Hezekiah, king of Judah. Also as you go out into Jerusalem to go up mount Sion, below you on the left in the valley hard by the wall is a pool which is called Siloam. It has four porches, and another large pool without. Its spring runs for six days and nights, but on the seventh is an entire Sabbath, and it runs not by night nor by day. Continuing along the same road up mount Sion, you may see the place where was the house of Caiaphas the priest, and to this time the column still remains where they scourged Jesus. Within the walls of Sion is seen the place where David had his palace, and of seven synagogues which were there one only remains; the rest are ploughed and sown over, as the prophet Esaias foretold. Then to proceed outside the wall, as you go from Sion to the Neapolitan gate, on the right in the valley below are the walls where was once the palace of Pontius Pilate; there our Lord had hearing before He suffered. On the left is the hill of Golgotha, where the Lord was crucified. About a stone's throw thence is the crypt where His body was laid, and on the third day He rose again: on this spot Constantine the Emperor has erected lately a basilica, or church, of wondrous beauty, having at the side reservoirs from which water is drawn, and behind it a bath where children are baptized.

"Also at Jerusalem, as you go to the Eastern gate, to climb the slope of the Mount of Olives, on the left is the valley, called the Valley of Jehoshaphat, where are the vines, and the stone where Judas Iscariot betrayed Christ; while on the right is the palm-tree from which the children plucked the boughs, as Christ entered the city, and strewed them in the way before Him. Not far thence, about a stone's throw, are two monumental columns of wondrous beauty: on one was placed the statue of the prophet Isaiah, a true monolith, and on the other Hezekiah, the king of the Jews. Thence you ascend the Mount of Olives, where the Lord taught His Apostles before His Pa.s.sion. There a basilica was built by order of Constantine. Not far thence is the mountain whither the Lord went out to pray, when He took with Him Peter and John, and there appeared unto them Moses and Elias. Eastward thence at 1500 paces is a village called Bethany, in which is a crypt where Lazarus was laid, whom the Lord raised to life."

NOTE XII. _Description of Jerusalem during the occupation of the Franks, extracted from the Universal Geography of Edrisi, who wrote at the middle of the 12th century._

"JERUSALEM.

"_Bet el-Mocaddas_ (Jerusalem) is an ill.u.s.trious and ancient city, full of ancient monuments. It bears the name of Ilia (_aelia Capitolina_).

Situated on a mountain easy of access on every side," (Edrisi was mistaken, or has been mistranslated), "it extends from West to East. On the West is the gate called _El-Mihrab_; beneath is the cupola of David (to whom G.o.d be merciful): on the East the gate called the Gate of Mercy, which is generally shut, being opened only on the Feast of Palms; to the South the gate of _Seihun_ (Sion); on the North the gate called the Gate of _'Amud el-Ghorab_. Starting from the western gate, or gate of _El-Mihrab_, you go in an easterly direction by a broad street, till you come to the great Church of the Resurrection, called by Mohammedans _Comame_. This church is the object of the pilgrimage of Christians from all countries of the East and the West. Entering by the western door you find yourself under a cupola which covers the whole enclosure, and which is one of the most remarkable sights in the world. The church itself is beneath this door, and it is not possible to go down into the lower part of the building on this side; the descent is made on the north side by a door which opens at the top of a long staircase of thirty steps, which door is called _Bab Sitti Mariam_. At the entrance of the church the spectator finds the Holy Sepulchre, a building of considerable size, with two doors, and surmounted by a cupola of very solid construction, built with admirable skill; of these two doors one, on the north side, faces the door of S. Mary, the other faces the South, and is called _Bab es-Salubie_ (door of the Crucifixion): on this side is the peristyle of the church, in front of which, towards the east, is another church of considerable size and note, where the Christians celebrate their holy offices and make their prayers and oblations.

"On the east of this church, by a gentle descent, you come to the prison where the Lord Messiah was confined, and to the place where he was crucified. The large dome has a circular opening to the sky, and all round it and in the interior are seen pictures representing the Prophets, the Lord Messiah, S. Mary his mother, and S. John Baptist.

Among the lamps which are hung above the Holy Sepulchre are distinguished three which are of gold and are placed in a particular spot. If you leave the princ.i.p.al church, and turn your steps eastward, you will come to the sacred dwelling, which was built by Solomon the son of David, and was a resort of pilgrims in the time of the greatness of the Jews. This temple was subsequently taken from them, and they were driven out of it upon the arrival of the Mohammedans. Under the Moslem supremacy it was enlarged, and is (at this day) the large mosque known to Mohammedans under the name of _Mesjid el-Aksa_. There is none in the world which equals it in size, if you except the great mosque of Cordova in Andalusia: for, as I am told, the roof of that mosque is larger than that of _Mesjid el-Aksa_. To proceed, the area of this latter forms a parallelogram whose length is two hundred fathoms (_ba'a_) and its breadth a hundred and eighty. The half of this s.p.a.ce, which is near to the _Mihrab_, is covered by a roof (or rather by a dome) of stone supported by several rows of columns, the rest being open to the sky. In the centre of the building is a large dome, known as the _Dome of the Rock_: it has been ornamented with arabesques in gold, and with other beautiful works, by the care of different Moslem Khalifs. Beneath this is the falling stone. This stone is of a quadrangular form like a s.h.i.+eld, one of its extremities rising above the ground to the height of about half a fathom, the other being close to the ground; it is nearly cubical, and its breadth nearly equal to its length, that is to say, about ten cubits (_Zira'a_). Beneath is a cavern, or a dark recess, ten cubits long by five wide, whose height is about six feet. It is entered only by torch-light. The building contains four doors; opposite the western is seen the altar on which the children of Israel offered their sacrifices; near the eastern door is the church called the Holy of Holies, an elegant building; on the south is a chapel which was used by the Mohammedans, but the Christians made themselves masters of it by main force, and it has remained in their power up to the time of the present work (1154 A.D.). They have converted this chapel into a convent, where reside certain members of the order of the Templars, i.e.

of the Servants of the House of G.o.d. Lastly, the northern door faces a garden well planted with different kinds of trees, and surrounded by columns of marble carved with much skill. At the end of the garden is a refectory for the priests, and for those who are preparing to enter the religious orders.

"Leaving this place of wors.h.i.+p, and turning eastward, you will come to the _Gate of Mercy_, shut, as we have just said, but near it is another gate by which you can go in or out, and which is called _Bab el-Asbat_ (or of the tribes of Israel). Within bow-shot from the latter is a very large and very beautiful church under the patronage of S. Mary, known by the name of _Djesmanie_; here is the tomb (of the Virgin) in sight of the Mount of Olives, about a mile distant from _Bab el-Asbat_. On the road by which this mountain is ascended is seen another church, large and solidly built, which is called the church of the _Pater Noster_; and on the top is a large church where men and women live a cloister life, awaiting thus the reward of heaven. On the south-east of the mountain is the tomb of Lazarus, who was raised to life by the Lord Messiah; and two miles from Mount Olivet, the village from which was brought the a.s.s on which the Lord rode on his entry into Jerusalem; this village is now deserted and in ruins.

"It is on leaving the tomb of Lazarus that the road begins which leads to the Jordan, which river is distant a day's journey from the Holy City. Before arriving at its banks you will pa.s.s the city of _Erikha_ (Jericho), three miles distant from the river. Near the Jordan is a large church under the patronage of S. John Baptist, served by Greek monks. The Jordan flows out of the lake of Tiberias, and empties its waters into the lake of Sodom and Gomorrah, cities which the Most High drowned as a punishment for the wickedness of their inhabitants. To the south of this river is an immense desert.

"As regards the southern side of Jerusalem: leaving the city by the gate of Sion, you find, at the distance of a stone's throw, the Church of Sion, a beautiful church, and fortified, where is seen the chamber in which the Lord Messiah did eat with His disciples, and also the table, which exists to this day, and is to be seen on Thursdays. From the gate of Sion you descend into a ravine well known under the name of the _Valley of Gehenna_ (Hinnom), near which is the Church of S. Peter. In this ravine is the fountain of _Selwan_ (Siloam), where the Lord Messiah gave sight to a blind man, who had not before known the light of day. To the south of this spring is the field which was bought by the Messiah for the burial of strangers. Not far from it are numerous dwellings cut out in the rock, and occupied by pious hermits."

NOTE XIII. I may mention here that one day I caused a trumpet to be played on Gihon, near the present Pool of Mamillah, and the site of the Russian buildings, and I heard it distinctly, while standing myself by the Fountain of Rogel, that is by the well situated at the S.E.

extremity of the Valley of Siloam, the _Bir Eyub_ (Well of Joab) of the Arabs; while, on changing the position of the player, by sending him more to the N.W., I heard nothing. Accordingly I can confirm in every respect the Bible account (1 Kings i. 41), that Adonijah heard the festive cries of the people and the sound of the trumpets which welcomed the coronation of Solomon.

NOTES TO CHAPTER III.

NOTE I. The Haram es-Sherif cannot be visited without the permission of the Pasha, the Governor of the city, which, though almost always granted, may be delayed for some days. The Pasha himself never gives permission to enter the sacred enclosure without having first submitted the question to the Council of the Effendis, who always give their consent, not of their own free will, but through fear of displeasing him who makes the request. When all this is arranged, it rests with the keeper of the Haram to appoint the time for the visit: the time fixed is always in the morning, because the place is then almost deserted, and visitors can converse without fear of disturbing the devotion of the wors.h.i.+ppers. Travellers must apply for the permission in question, through their respective consulates, and every visitor has to pay a fee to the keeper and to the escort of police who accompany him, to protect him from any insult, which at times would be sure to arise on the part of some bigoted Mohammedan. The payment is fixed by custom at twenty francs. When the visitors do not pay it themselves, the matter is arranged by their respective consuls. The Europeans who are admitted to see the Haram must provide themselves with broad Turkish slippers, or with two pieces of canvas, to cover their ordinary boots; without this precaution, they would meet with every opposition to their being admitted to the places of greater sanct.i.ty: they should be careful to carry no cigars with them, and to conduct themselves reverently, because else some complaint might be lodged against them, in which case those who came after them might, through their fault, be refused admission to the ancient summit of Moriah. I speak from experience.

NOTE II. I said that by patience, perseverance, and no slight personal sacrifice, I managed to obtain a knowledge of the Haram, because, though I had the required permission, the strong protection of the Pasha, the support of the Effendi, and Mohammedan sympathy, I was nevertheless obliged to be continually satisfying the greed of my escort, and still more of the keeper of the Haram, and, I may add, of his children, with both money and presents. I was obliged also to see them constantly in my apartments, enduring their company apparently unmoved, although they threatened every moment to plunder my goods and eat me up with the little that I possessed. Besides this, it was no rare thing for me to arrange with the superintendent of the Haram to begin a work, and then have to wait several months before I could finish it, simply owing to the whim of a Mohammedan. Appeal to the Pasha was out of the question, because any violent measure that he might in such case have taken would have resulted in a thousand new difficulties thrown in my way, and I should never have succeeded in my design.

NOTE III. There is an unvarying tradition amongst the Arabs that the Holy Rock, _Sakharah_, covered by the dome of the mosque, is the same stone on which slept Israil-Ullah, that is, the patriarch Jacob, and on which he had the vision of the ladder. Omar himself, when he made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, caused a search to be made for it, inquiring where the stone was that had served for Jacob's pillow. They agree, moreover, in recognizing in it the ancient foundation of the Temple of Solomon.

NOTE IV. The Arabs maintain the belief, that under the Sakharah is a large well (which they call _Bir-el-Arruah_, i.e. _well of souls_) which communicates with the nether world; and there are a thousand Eastern legends relating to it. It may be gathered from all these legends that there is a well of considerable depth, divided into two parts. In the lower part exists the universal fountain, which furnishes water to the whole world, and near it stand the mothers of Jesus and Mohammed working garments for the souls of the righteous. With respect to the two cisterns on the north of the mosque they relate, that in ancient times they served as a receptacle for the drainage, but that subsequently they were cleansed, and that yet, notwithstanding, the waters are not good, nor fit to drink. I shall shew further on for what purposes these ancient cisterns of Araunah's thres.h.i.+ng-floor were used in the service of the different Jewish temples.

NOTE V. Those who desire more detailed accounts may consult in particular the following works: Jacob Jehuda Leone, de Templo Hierosolymitano (in Hebrew), Amsterdam, 1650, in 4to; translated into Latin by Saubert, Helmstad, 1665; the same work in Dutch (Afbeeldinge van den Tempel Salomonis), by the Author, Amsterdam, 1679. This author has confused together in the same description the Temple of Solomon and that of Herod. Also Bernard Lami, de Tabernaculo Foederis, de Sancta Civitate Jerusalem, et de Templo ejus, Paris, 1720, in folio; A. Hirt, der Tempel Salomons, Berlin, 1809, in 4to; Meyer, der Tempel Salomons, Berlin, 1830, in 8vo; Winer, Realworterbuch, Tom. II. pp. 661-670.

NOTE VI. The _bath_, according to Josephus, is equivalent to an Attic _metretes_, or 72 _xestae_ (s.e.xtarii), or about 8 gallons, 5 pints; (see Josephus, Antiqq. viii. 2, -- 9).

NOTE VII. "According to the prophet Jeremiah (xxv. 11)," writes M. Munk (Palestine, p. 461), "the Babylonish captivity was to last 70 years. To obtain this number they make the time fixed by the prophet to date from the year 606, which, according to Jewish writers, is the first of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar; and indeed it was in this same year that Jeremiah spoke for the first time of the 70 years during which the Babylonish government was to last (xxv. 12), a statement which he repeats in the year 599, on the occasion of the banishment of Jehoiachin (xxix. 10). But in the first year of Nebuchadnezzar there was no idea of a Babylonish captivity."

NOTE VIII. See Josephus, Antiqq. XV. 11, -- 1. According to the printed text, the Temple of Zerubbabel wanted 60 cubits of the height of the Temple of Solomon, which is unintelligible. The corrected reading of several Ma.n.u.scripts, which have "_seven_ cubits," is to be preferred.

(Cf. Havercamp's edition, Vol. I. p. 778, Note 7.)

NOTE IX. The two descriptions of Josephus leave much to be desired, and the numbers appear in many instances to have been corrupted by the copyists. They may be supplemented by a third, and more detailed description, furnished by the _Mishna_, part 5, tract. _Middoth_ (published separately, with a Latin translation and notes, by L'empereur, Leyden, 1630, in 4to.). Amongst modern writers the following may be consulted: Lightfoot, _Descriptio Templi Hierosolymitani_, in his works, Vol I. pp. 549 and following (chiefly after the Mishna); Hirt, in the Historical and Philological Memoirs of the Berlin Academy for the Years 1816 and 1817 (published in 1819). Hirt has exclusively followed Josephus--his plan has several essential defects; M. Munk has followed that of Wette (Archaologie, -- 238), which is much more exact, and has combined the accounts of Josephus and the Mishna.

NOTE X. According to tradition the folding-doors of the Nicanor gate, which were of Corinthian bronze, had been brought from Alexandria by one Nicanor, and miraculously saved from a s.h.i.+pwreck. This gate alone was of bronze; the others were of wood, and plated with gold and silver. See Mishna, part 2, tract. Yoma, chap. 3, -- 10, and the Comments of Maimonides; Babylonish Talmud, the same treatise, fol. 38. Compare Josephus' Wars, V. 5, -- 3.

NOTE XI. In the tower _Baris_ were kept the pontifical robes, which were worn by the High Priest on solemn days: a practice established by the Asmonean princes, who united in their own persons the chief civil and religious authority.

NOTE XII. See Jeremiah lii. 12. According to Rabbinical tradition the burning of the Temple of Solomon began on the ninth of the month Ab in the evening; and it was moreover on the ninth of Ab that the Romans burnt the third temple; accordingly, on this day the Jews, with the exception of the Karaites, keep the anniversary of the destruction of Jerusalem. Josephus, however (Wars, VI. 4, -- 5), agreeing therein with the book of Jeremiah, expressly mentions the tenth day of the month Lous or Ab. Possibly the date given by the Rabbins, as concerns the third temple, may have been the result of a different calculation of new moons from that of Josephus.

NOTE XIII. From the time of Hadrian, the Jews obtained, for a money payment, permission to visit Jerusalem once in the year, there to bewail their humiliation. See Euseb. Hist. Eccles. IV. 6. This state of things lasted till the time of S. Jerome: the following words are from his Commentary on Zephaniah, chap. i. "Even to the present day they are forbidden to enter Jerusalem, and buy the permission to weep over the ruins of their city."

NOTE XIV. See Gibbon, chap. 23. The silence which is observed on this event by S. Jerome, who arrived in Palestine some years afterwards, is, according to Gibbon, a proof that the pretended miracle had made far less sensation on the spot than at a distance.

See also Ammian. Marcell. Hist. lib. 23, c. 1; Rufinus, Theodoret, Socrates, and Sozomen, in their respective histories; the fathers of the Church, who were contemporary with the event, admit the miracle, as S.

Cyril, bishop of Jerusalem. See Clinton, Fasti Rom. A.D. 363.

NOTE XV. Some maintain that the building of this basilica is to be attributed to S. Helena; but this opinion is not admissible, for Eusebius who wrote the life of Constantine, makes no mention of it.

There are stronger reasons for attributing it to Justinian, according to the account transmitted to us by Procopius, his panegyrist, who gives minute details of its building. See Procopius, de aedif. Justin. lib. IV.

cap. 6.

NOTE XVI. Omar found the old site of the thres.h.i.+ng-floor of Araunah full of impurities, and was the first to set the example of cleansing it; the followers of Islam followed his example, and it was then that the Khalif determined upon building a sumptuous mosque over the holy rock.

NOTE XVII. William of Tyre, Book I. Chap. 2. "There are, moreover, in the same temple-building, within and without, very old monuments in mosaic work, and in the Arabic character, which are believed to be of that date, in which the author of the work, and the expense of it, and the times at which the work was begun and finished, are evidently set forth:" he adds that the mosque was the work of Omar, "which, after a short time, being completed successfully to his mind, as it exists at this day in Jerusalem, he (Omar) endowed with many and countless possessions." This author repeats that in the interior, and outside the building, was written the name of Omar its founder. "Moreover, in the beginning of this volume, we have named the author of this building, the son of Catab, who, third from the seducer Mohammed, was his successor in his apostasy and his kingdom: and that this is so the ancient inscriptions inside the said building and outside it plainly declare."

(Book VIII. chap. 3.)

NOTE XVIII. An Arab chronicler relates, that "Abd-el-Malek, khalif of the dynasty of the Ommiades, gave orders for the construction of the great dome which was then wanting, and sent letters everywhere to inform the Emirs of his intention. Every one commended his design, and the people invoked upon him the blessings of heaven. He set aside for this work the tribute that he collected from Egypt for seven years, and deposited it under the cupola of the so-called throne of David, which he turned for the time into a treasury. The charge of this treasury he entrusted to one Regiah-ben-Havuk, appointing besides, for the superintendence of the works, Jazib-ben-Salem; and a part of the mosque to the east having fallen, while the treasury was short of money, he ordered that the plates of gold with which the dome was ornamented should be converted into coin. This happened in the year 65 of the Hejra, or 684 A.D. The mosque was opened to the public at that time twice a week; on Monday and Thursday. From beneath the Sakharah, the Mohammedans say, rises the spring of the four rivers of the earthly paradise, whose waters have the virtue of was.h.i.+ng away the sins of those who drink of them. They believe, moreover, that an angel is appointed to be guardian of the mosque." (Arab MS. in the library of the Kadi at Jaffa.)

NOTE XIX. Khondemir, a celebrated Persian historian, who wrote in the fifteenth century, attributes the enlargement of the building to Valid.

He is an author worthy of credit. He drew the materials of his history from the famous library of the Emir _Aly-Schyr_, a virtuoso, and a great protector of letters. The latter, in the year 904 (1498 A.D.), conferred upon him the post of librarian. He it is who tells the story of the cupola at Baalbec.

NOTE XX. The invasion of the Carmathians having stopped for a time the pilgrimages to Mecca, the Mosque of Omar took the place of the _Kaaba_, and for more than twenty years the crowds of pilgrims turned their steps towards Jerusalem. This interruption of the pilgrimages began in the year 317 of the Hejra (A.D. 929) under the Khalifate of Al-Moktadar, and lasted till 339 (950). (See D'Herbelot, s. v. Cods.)

NOTE XXI. As regards the date of this inscription it is not necessary to calculate rigorously, whether the works of the building took place after that period, or began in that year, seeing that the Turkish and Arab princes date the events of their reign from the day of their accession.

It is the same with the coins which are struck through the whole course of their reign.

NOTE XXII. A Christian writer, an eye-witness, says, "that under the dome, and in the porch of the mosque the blood ran up to the knees, and up to the snaffles of the horses." Michaud, Histoire des Croisades, Vol.

I. p. 443. Fifth edition. Very inappropriately has M. Chateaubriand, in speaking of the Crusades, repeated it as a truth, "that the spirit of Mohammedanism is persecution and conquest, and that the Gospel, on the contrary, preaches only tolerance and peace." The champions of the Cross gave this doctrine the lie, written in blood. The Crusaders hardly remembered even for a few moments that they had come to wors.h.i.+p the sepulchre of Christ; after prostrating themselves in the Church of the Resurrection, they turned aside to renew the scenes of butchery, which did not cease for a whole week. More than 70,000 Mohammedans, of every age and s.e.x, were ma.s.sacred at Jerusalem: the Jews were shut up in their synagogues and burnt. (Bibliotheque des Croisades, Tom. IV. p. 12.)

NOTE XXIII. This building was consecrated by Albericus, bishop at that time in Syria, whither Pope Innocent II. had sent him as Apostolical Legate. A number of n.o.ble and distinguished personages were gathered together to witness the ceremony, among whom is mentioned Jocelin, Count of Edessa, who had come to Jerusalem on the occasion of Easter. "The legate therefore, having first taken counsel with the prelates of the churches, on the third day after the holy Pa.s.sover, together with the patriarch, and some of the bishops, solemnly dedicated the temple of the Lord. There were present on the day of dedication many great and n.o.ble men, as well from beyond the seas as from the neighbouring lands, amongst whom was the younger Jocelin, Count of Edessa, who at that time, during the solemn festivals of Eastertide, was residing in great state in the city." (William of Tyre, Book XV. Chap. 17.)

NOTE XXIV. It is at this period of the Crusades that the mosque began to be known under the name of "Temple of the Lord," which has often caused many writers to confound this "temple" with that of the Resurrection, otherwise called that of the Holy Sepulchre.

NOTE XXV. The behaviour of Saladin to the Christians is deserving of all praise: he gave liberty to a large number of poor persons who could not pay a ransom; he distributed alms to a great number of people; he allowed the Knights Hospitaler to remain at Jerusalem to take charge of their sick; and his brother Malec-Adel paid the ransom of two thousand prisoners. The generous conduct of the Mohammedan chiefs offers, a.s.suredly, an extraordinary contrast to the barbarous excesses committed by the warriors of the first crusade: it is a difficult thing to justify the latter. (See Gibbon, chap. LIX.; Michaud, I. p. 347.)