VII.

CHAP. obtained, may further illustrate this most interesting subject.

Greek

Inscriptions

Upon all the sepulchres at the base of this mount, which, "as the place of a scull," we have the authority of Scripture for calling either Calvary or Golgotha, whether it be the place of crucifixion or not, there are inscriptions, in Hebrew and in Greek. The Hebrew inscriptions are the most effaced: of these it is difficult to make any tolerable copy. Besides the injuries they have sustained by time, they have been covered by some carbonaceous substance, which rendered the task of transcribing them yet more arduous. The Greek inscriptions are brief, and legible; they consist of immense letters deeply carved in the face of the rock, either over the door, or by the side, of the sepulchres. Upon the first we observed these characters:

+ ТНСАГІАС

CIWN

"OF THE HOLY

SION"

Having entered by the door of this sepulchre, we found a spacious chamber cut in the rock connected with a series of other subterraneous

apartments one leading into another, and containing an extensive range of receptacles for the dead, as in those excavations before alluded to, (but which appear to be of more recent date,) lying to the north of Jerusalem, at a more considerable distance from the city; and also as in the Crypto of the Necropolis near Alexandria in Egypt. Opposite to the entrance, but lower down in the rock, a second, and a similar aperture, led to another chamber beyond the first. Over the entrance to this, we also observed an inscription, nearly obliterated, but differing from the first, by the addition of two letters:

CHAP.

VII.

When we had penetrated to the extremity of this second chamber, we could proceed no farther, owing to the rubbish which obstructed our passage. Perhaps the removal of this may, at some future period, lead to other discoveries. It was evident that we had not reached the remotest part of these caverns. There were others with similar Greek inscriptions, and one which particularly attracted our notice, from Remarkits extraordinary coincidence with all the circumstances connected with the history of our SAVIOUR'S Tomb. The large stone that once

able Tomb.

CHAP.

VII.

closed its mouth had been, perhaps for ages, rolled away. Stooping down to look into it, we observed, within, a fair sepulchre, containing a repository, upon one side only, for a single body; whereas, in most of the others, there were two, and in many of them more than two. It is placed exactly opposite to the hill which is now called Mount Sion. As we viewed this sepulchre, and read upon the spot the description given of the coming of Mary Magdalene and the Disciples in the morning', it was difficult to divest our minds of the probability that here might have been the identical Tomb of JESUS CHRIST; and that up the steep which led to it, after descending from the gate of the city, the Disciples strove together, when "John did outrun Peter, and came first to the Sepulchre." They are individually described as stooping down to look into it3; they express their doubts as to the possibility of removing a stone*, which, when once fixed and sealed, might have baffled every human effort. But upon this sepulchre, as upon the others before mentioned, instead of a Hebrew or a Phoenician

(2) Ibid. xx. 4.

6

(1) John xx. (3) Ibid. ver. 5, 11. (4)" And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the Sepulchre ?--(And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away) for it was very great." Mark xvi. 3, 4.

inscription, there were the same Greek characters, destitute only of the Greek cross prefixed in the former instances. The inscription stood thus,

THCAгIAC.

CIWN

the letters being very large, and deeply carved in the rugged surface of the rock.

The Hebrew Inscriptions, instead of being over the entrances, were by the side of the doors. Having but little knowledge of the characters in which they were written, all that could be attempted was, to make as faithful a representation as possible of every incision upon the stone, without attempting to supply any thing by conjecture; and even admitting, in certain instances, doubtful traces, which were perhaps casualties caused by injuries the stone had sustained, without any reference to the legends. The following characters appeared upon the side of the entrance to a

(5) A copy of one of these Inscriptions was since exhibited to some learned Jews. These men recognised the Hebrew character, and would have made such alteration in the transcript as might serve to develope more fully the imperfect parts of it, and lead to an explanation of some of the words. This was not permitted; because conjecture, by introducing more than is warranted by the original, would

rather

CHAP.

VII.

CHAP. sepulchre somewhat farther towards the west than the last described.

VII.

From the imperfect state of this inscription, and the decomposition of the rock itself upon which it is placed, the copy may be liable to error. It was made, however, with great care, and due attention was paid to the position of the lines. The words of the inscription are supposed to be Arabic, expressed in Hebrew and Phanician characters1. The arrow-headed character

rather bewilder than illustrate. In doubtful inscriptions, the pencil of an artist will frequently effect a more genuine copy than the pen of the profoundest scholar who ventures to supply the vacant spaces, and even to alter the letters according to his manner of reading those inscriptions.

(1) This method of writing is said, by a learned Oriental scholar, (Mr. Hammer, now Secretary to the German Minister at Constantinople,) to have been adopted by Arabian Jews, in their inscriptions upon the hills near Jerusalem.