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Jerusalem was built on four hills, called Sion, Acra, Moriah and Bezetha. In fact, the whole foundation was a high rock, formerly called Moriah, or Vision, because it could be seen afar off, especially on the south. (Gen. xxii. 2-4.) This mountain is a rocky limestone hill, with steep ascents on every side, except on the north, surrounded with a deep valley, again encompassed with hills, in the form of an amphitheatre. (Psal. cxxv. 2.) The following description of the Holy City is given by Josephus, in his chapter devoted to this subject: The city was built upon two hills, which are opposite to one another, and have a valley to divide them asunder; at which valley the corresponding rows of houses on both hills terminate. Of these hills that which contains the upper city is much higher, and in length more direct. Accordingly it was called the Citadel' by King David; he was the father of that Solomon who built this temple at the first; but it is by us called the Upper Market-place." But the other hill, which is called 'Acra' and sustains the lower city, is of the shape of a moon, when she is horned; over against this there was a third hill, but naturally lower than Acra, and parted, formerly, from the other by a broad valley. However, in those times when the Asmoneans reigned, they filled up that valley with earth, and had a mind to join the city to the temple. They then took off part of the height of Acra, and reduced it to be of less elevation than it was before, that the temple might be superior to it. Now the valley of the Cheesemongers, as it was called, and was that which, we told you before, distinguished the hill of the upper city from that of the lower, extended as far as Siloam; for that is the name of a fountain which hath sweet water in it, and this in great plenty also. But on the outsides, these hills are surrounded by deep valleys, and by reason of the precipices belonging to them on both sides, are every where impassible." He afterwards adds: "As the city grew more populous, it gradually crept beyond its old limits, and those parts of it that stood northward of the temple and joined that hill to the city, made it considerably larger, and occasioned that hill, which is in number the fourth, and is called Bezetha,' to be inhabited also. It lies over against the tower Antonia, but is divided from it by a deep valley, which was dug on purpose. This new-built part of the city was called Bezetha,' in our language, which, if interpreted in the Grecian language, may be called the new city.'

This account plainly marks the gradual increase in the size of the city, from the time when it was taken from the Jebusites by David, till the foundation of the northern walls was laid by Herod Agrippa.

It seems pretty certain that the old city was built upon 188 Acra ;" and the "Strong hold of Sion" (2 Sam. v. 7.), upon the hill bearing that name; both of which were taken from the Jebusites by King David. After having possessed himself of these impor

* De Bell. Jud. lib. v. c. 4. § 1, 2.

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tant places, this munificent prince appropriated the latter one for the royal residence, and named it "the city of David." extent of this upper city," as it is called by Josephus, seems to be indicated by an expression occuring in 2 Sam. v. 9: "David built round about from Millo and inward." Now, whether by "Millo" we understand, with some critics, the "house of Millo," which was situated on the north-east of Mount Sion; or with others, the valley which divided the upper and the lower city, and which was filled up by Solomon and called "Millo," the meaning still seems plainly to be, that David built from one side of mount Sion quite round to the opposite part.

Moriah, properly so called, which is the third hill of Josephus, lay on the eastern side of Jerusalem, over against mount Acra. This hill, on which the temple was built by Solomon, was originally divided from Acra by a broad valley, subsequently filled up by the Asmoneans, and thus joined to the "lower city."

The valley which divided mount Sion from Acra and Moriah, is called, by Josephus, "the valley of the Cheesemongers," and extended as far as Siloam. Across this valley Solomon appears to have raised a causeway, leading from the royal palace on mount Sion to the temple on mount Moriah. The way was not level, but was an easy ascent and descent from one mountain to the other. Hence we read of "the ascent by which Solomon went up to the house of the Lord" (1 Kings x. 5; 2 Chro. ix. 4.), and of " the causeway or going up." (2 Kings xii. 20.)

On the east of the city stands the mount of Olives, fronting the temple, of which it commanded a noble prospect, as it does to this day of the whole city, over whose streets and walls, says a recent traveller, the eye roves as if in the survey of a model.* This mountain, which is frequently mentioned in the Gospels, stretches from north to south, and is about a mile in length: on its descent our Saviour stood when he beheld the city and wept over it; and on this mountain it was that he delivered his striking prediction concerning the destruction of the Jewish city and temple. (Luke xix. 41-44.) This mount is divided from the city by the valley of Jehoshaphat, through which the brook Cedron runs. On the south side stood the mount of Corruption, or the mountain of Offence. It took these names from being the place where Solomon built high places for Ashtoreth, the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh, the abomination of the Moabites (1 Kings xi. 7; 2 Kings xxiii. 13.): it was separated from mount Sion by a narrow valley, called the valley of Hinnom (Josh. xviii. 16; Jer. xix. 2), where the Israelites burnt their children in the fire to Moloch (Jer. vii. 31. xxxii. 35.): thence made the emblem of hell, Gehenna, or the place of the damned. (Matt. v. 22. xxiii. 33; Mark ix. 43.) Towards the west and without the walls of the city, according to the generally received opinion, lay Calvary or Golgotha, that is,

* Clarke's Travels, vol. ii, p. 572. 4to.

a skull," so called, either from its resemblance to a human skull or because criminals were executed and buried there.

This opinion, however, assigning the original place of Calvary without the walls of Jerusalem, has been ably contested by Mr. Buckingham; who, it must be conceded, has urged some considerable difficulties upon the popular opinion. Our limits prevent us from entering upon the discussion of the question in this place, we may probably refer to it at some future time, and in the meanwhile refer our readers to Mr. Buckingham's instructive volume.*

Of the fortifications of Jerusalem we have no particulars recorded prior to the time of Nehemiah, though we know them to have possessed great strength. In the account of the rebuilding of the walls, under the direction of that patriotic governor, ten gates are enumerated; but as the situation of these is so uncertain, as well as the derivation of their names, we shall pass them over in silence.

Previously to the fatal wars of the Jews with the Romans, we are informed by Josephus, that the city of Jerusalem was surrounded by three walls on such parts as were not encompassed with impassible vallies, where there was only one wall. The first wall began, on the north, at the tower called Hippicus, and extended as far as the Xisthus, and then joining to the council-house terminated at the west cloister of the temple. But going westward, it began at the same place, and extended through a place called Bethzo, to the gate of the Essenes; then going southward it reached to the place called Ophlas, where it joined the eastern cloister of the temple. The second wall began at the gate called Gennath, which belonged to the first wall, it only encompassed the northern quarter of the city, and reached as far as the Tower Antonia. The third wall commenced at the Tower of Hippicus, whence it reached as far as the north quarter of the city and the Tower Psephinus, and then was extended till it came to the monuments of Helena, queen of Adiabene. Thence it stretched a great length, and passing the sepulchres of the kings, took a direction round the south-west corner, passed the Fuller's Monument, and joined the old wall at the valley of Cedron. This wall was commenced by Agrippa to defend the new city; but was left unfinished from his apprehension of incurring the displeasure of the Emperor Claudius.

This wall was begun with stones, twenty cubits in length by ten cubits in breadth; so that no iron tools or engines could have undermined or shaken it, had it been completed as it was begun. What Agrippa left unfinished the Jews subsequently attempted; and succeeded in raising it as high as twenty cubits, above which it had battlements of two cubits, and turrets of two cubits altitude, insomuch that the entire altitude extended as high as twenty-five cubits. Numerous towers, constructed of solid masonry, were erected on the walls in the third wall, there were ninety; in the middle wall, forty; and in the old wall, sixty. These towers were twenty cubits in breadth and twenty cubits in height; they were

:

* Travels in Palestine, &c. chap. xvi.

square and solid, as was the wall itself. Above this solid altitude of the towers, which was twenty cubits, there were rooms of great magnificence, and above them upper rooms, and cisterns to receive rain-water. The towers of Hippicus, Phasaelus, and Mariamne, erected by Herod the Great, and dedicated to the memory of his friend, his brother, and his wife, were pre-eminent for their height, their massive architecture, their beauty, and the conveveniences with which they were furnished.* The circumference of Jerusalem, at the time Josephus wrote, was thirty-three furlongs, or nearly four miles and a half: and the walls of circumvallation, constructed by order of Titus, he states to have been thirty-nine furlongs, or four miles eight hundred and seventy-five paces.†

How unlike the ancient city is the modern Jerusalem!" From the daughter of Sion all her beauty is departed." The limits of the city are considerably contracted. On the south, the hill of Sion, which was nearly in its centre, is now partly excluded; the wall on that side running directly across it. On the south-west it must have gained considerably, if it can be satisfactorily proved that Calvary once stood without the walls, its situation now being in the centre of the city. A recent traveller states the circumference of Jerusalem not to exceed three miles: Maundrell estimates it at two miles and a half, which Mr. Buckingham supposes to be about the truth. The following sketch of modern Jerusalem from the pen of this intelligent traveller will confirm the propriety of the above remark:

Reposing beneath the shade of an olive tree upon the brow of this hill (the Mount of Olives), we enjoyed from hence a fine prospect of Jerusalem on the opposite one. This city occupies an irregular square of about two miles and a half in circumference. Its shortest apparent side, is that which faces the east, and in this is the supposed gate of the ancient temple, now closed up, and the small projecting stone on which Mohammed is to sit when the world is to be assembled to judgment in the vale below. The southern side is exceedingly irregular, taking quite a zigzag direction; the southwest extreme, being terminated by the mosque built over the supposed sepulchre of David, on the summit of Mount Sion. The form and exact direction of the western and southern walls are not distinctly seen from hence; but every part of this appears to be a modern work, and executed at the same time. The walls are flanked at irregular distances by square towers, and have battlements running all around on their summits, with loop-holes for arrows or musquetry close to the top. The walls appear to be about fifty feet in height, but are not surrounded by a ditch. The northern wall runs over slightly declining ground; the eastern brow runs straight along the brow of Mount Moriah, with the deep valley of Jehoshaphat below; the southern wall runs over the summit of the hill assumed as Mount Sion, with the vale of Hinnom at its feet; and the we-stern wall runs along on more level ground, near the summit of the

*Josephus, de Bell. Jud. lib. v. c. iv. See also Horne's Introduction, vol. iii. + See Bell. Jud. lib. v. c.4. §. 3. et lib. v. c. 12. §. 2.

Part I. c. i.§.3

high and stony mountains over which we had first approached the town. As the city is thus seated on the brow of one large hill, divided by name, into several smaller hills, and the whole of these slope gently down towards the east: this view, from the Mount of Olives, a position of greater height than that on which the highest part of the city stands, commands nearly the whole of it at once.

"On the north, it is bounded by a level, and apparently fertile space, now covered with olive-trees, particularly near the northeast angle. On the south, the steep side of Mount Sion, and the valley of Hinnom, both show patches of cultivation and little garden inclosures. On the west, the sterile summits of the hills there, barely lift their outlines above the dwellings. And, on the east, the deep valley of Jehoshaphat, now at our feet, has some partial spots relieved by trees, though as forbidding in its general aspect as the vale of death could ever be desired to be, by those who have chosen it for the place of their interment.

"Within the walls of the city are seen, crowded dwellings, remarkable in no respect, except being terraced by flat roofs, and generally built of stone. On the south are some gardens and vineyards with the long red mosque of Al Sakhara, having two tiers of windows, a sloping roof, and a dark dome at one end, and the mosque of Sion on the sepulchre of David, in the same quarter. On the west is seen the high square, castle, and palace of the same monarch, near the Bethlehem gate. In the centre rises the two cupolas, of unequal form and size; the one blue, and the other white, covering the church of the Holy Sepulchre. Around, in different directions, are seen the minarehs of eight orten mosques, amid an assemblage of about two thousand dwellings. And on the east is seated the great mosque of Al Harrem, or, as called by Christains, the mosque of Solomon, from being supposed, with that of Al Sakhara near it, to occupy the site of the ancient temple of that splendid and luxurious king.*"

The finest approach to the city is that from the north side. Dr. Clarke speaking of its appearance from the direction of Napolose, and of the anxiety manifested by the party to gain the first sight of the consecrated place, says, "At length, after about two hours had been passed in this state of anxiety and suspense, ascending a hill towards the south- HAGIOPOLIS!' exclaimed a Greek in the face of our cavalcade; and instantly throwing himself from his horse, was seen bareheaded upon his knees, facing the prospect he surveyed. Suddenly the sight burst upon us all. Who shall describe it? The effect produced was that of total silence throughout the whole company. Many of the party, by an immediate impulse, took off their hats, as if entering a church, without being sensible of so doing. The Greeks and Catholics shed torrents of tears; and presently beginning to cross themselves, with unfeigned devotion, asked if they might be permitted to take off the covering from their feet, and proceed, barefooted, to the Holy Sepulchre. We had not been prepared for the grandeur of the spectacle which

* Travels in Palestine, &c. pp. 203–205. 4to.