THE QUARRY-CAVES OF JERUSALEM. 549 



shape for dove-tailing. Twenty thousand slaves removed the heavy 

 blocks from the mouth of the quarry and carried them to the building 

 site." 



Hard as was the lot of the workmen in the quarry-caves in times 

 of so-called peace, it was not comparable in horror with that of the 

 beseiged inhabitant who resorted to those underground retreats in time 

 of war. The following paragraph from Josephus's account of what 

 took place in the quarry-caves of Jerusalem at the time of its seige 

 and destruction by Titus is frightfully descriptive of those terrible 

 scenes. "The Eomans slew some of them, some they carried captives 

 and others they made search for underground, and when they found 

 where they were they broke up the ground and slew all they met with. 

 There were also found slain there above two thousand persons, partly 

 by their own hands and party by one another, but chiefly destroyed by 

 the famine; but then the ill savor of their bodies was most offensive to 

 those who lighted upon them, insomuch that some were obliged to get 

 away immediately, while others were so greedy of gain that they would 

 go in among the dead bodies that lay on heaps and tread upon them, 

 for a great deal of treasure was found in these caverns and the hope of 

 gain made every way of getting it to be esteemed lawful. ' ' 



As the centuries have passed away decay has so completely done its 

 work there upon all organic matter that not even a bone of all that 

 multitude of the dead has been found with the floor-dust of the cave. 

 Even the air is not now oppressive, although there is apparently no 

 other aperture or entrance than the one by which we entered. I also 

 saw no appearance of fouling of the cave by seepage from the city 

 water-pools nor from the surface drainage of the unsanitary streets and 

 alleys overhead. As we turned to retrace our steps all was so peace- 

 ful and untainted it was difficult to realize that man's inhumanity to 

 man was ever so terribly demonstrated there as credible historians have 

 compelled us to believe. 



Because of the great difference between the methods of modern 

 and ancient warfare, the scenes which accompanied the various sieges 

 and captures which Jerusalem has suffered can never be repeated; 

 but if a hostile army should ever again camp before the city with 

 intent to destroy it, an effort would doubtless be made to place a few 

 tons of dynamite at the farther end of that anciently constructed mine. 

 In the twinkling of an eye a more complete destruction would follow 

 than that which was inflicted by Titus in his six months of siege and 

 spoliation. Indeed, considering the present possibility of smuggling 

 high explosives into that mine, and the wide prevalence of wanton 

 anarchism, it would be prudent to guard it with special care. 



