at least the work of disciples who wish to propagate their doctrine. Surely the publication of such maps does not fall short of rashness and recklessness. For even the English and American writers themselves, who are combined in the attack on the old Catholic tradition, are not at all agreed as to the site to be substituted. For while some of them, as has just been said, place it on Mount Moriah, near Gethsemani, not a few among them have been anxious to raise a subscription in order to secure a site to the north of the city, near the convent of the Dominican Fathers, and there to establish an Anglo-American Calvary. Such an enterprise is perhaps less astounding if we look at the map of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre and the adjacent grounds, prepared by the celebrated antiquarian Mr. Schick, at the command of the Sultan. From this map we see that while the Greeks, the Latins, the Copts, the Armenians, the Russians, and the Germans have all secured plots of ground, smaller or larger, round about the Sepulchre, the English and Americans are the only ones left out in the cold. What wonder, then, if they bestir themselves? Captain Conder and others who incline to the northern site for Calvary, adduce in its favour arguments of this kind : First, Captain Conder has there discovered a Jewish tomb which might very well, so he thinks, have been the Tomb of our Lord. Second, the lie of the ground would make it a likely place to be selected for the Crucifixion. Third, Captain Conder adds that he found a tradition existing among the Jews that this was of old the place of execution; and of this tradition he makes great capital. It will be observed that none of these arguments are based on "the logic of the spade". They are not the outcome of excavations; they are sheer conjectures. Wherefore, why we should abandon the time-honoured Christian tradition for this Jewish tradition, now for the first time brought to light, does not appear. There is only one thing more to be added. It is this. While Sir Charles Wilson boldly asserts that no trace has ever been discovered near the Christian Calvary of the western city wall, which must have been there if this be the true site; and while Captain Conder tells us that the Explorers have never been able to make excavations in this quarter-which fact may well account for Sir Charles Wilson's mistaken notionthe well-known architect and antiquary, Mr. Schick, to whom the Explorers very much defer, and who is considered to know more about ancient Jerusalem than any living man, assures us that he has seen undoubted traces of the wall in question. Mr. Schick has worked as an architect in Jerusalem for forty years; and before that period served under his father, who was also an architect in that city. the course of his long career he has often made excavations on the ground which the Explorers have not been permitted to approach; and he assured the author of these volumes with his own lips-and he has made the same statement, illustrated with careful drawings, in his printed publications-that he was able to trace accurately the Fosse that ran along this portion of the city walls. He further adds that the reason why more remains of the foundations of the old wall are not extant is this, that the materials were used for the Great Basilica of Constantine and St. Helen. He states, moreover. that the foundations of an ancient gateway, probably the Judgment Gate, are to be seen on the ground purchased by the Russians, and now covered with houses. All this being so, would it be prudent to alter this Second Edition in conformity with the views of our new masters? CONTENTS. V. The House of Caiphas and the Road to it VII. Ephrem: A Town sixteen miles north of Jer- usalem |