584 Sir Ry Ker Porter's Travels in Georgia, Persia, Armenia, §e. 
was impossible to look’ on it*and not 
exclaim, ‘Oh! Eebatana,' seat “of 
princes! How is the miglity fallen, and 
the weapons of war’ perished!” Some 
attempts are indeed making, to dislodge 
thes :fiend of waste’ ‘and wretcheduess 
from this‘once nobte'city. Within these 
twelve “montlis ‘it has’ been created’ a 
royal government, and committed to 
the care of Mahmoud Ali Mirza, a son 
of the Shah’s. In consequence of this 
appointment, plans are now laying, to 
raise it to a more equal rank with other 
provincial capitals. Palaces for his 
royal highness, and mansions for his 
ministers, are erecting in the most de- 
sirable situations; and new bazars, with 
mercantile caravansaries, have had more 
than their foundations laid. 
At present it does not number more 
than nine thousand houses; one-third of 
which do not increase the revenue to 
the crown, three thousand of them being 
inhabited by persons in the employment 
of the state, who are therefore not in- 
cluded in the taxation of the town. The 
population is calculated at between 
forty and> forty-five thousand souls; 
amongst whom are about six hundred 
Jewish families, and nearly the same 
number of Armenians. 
TOMB OF ESTHER. 
The Jewish part of the inhabitants 
witly whom JT conversed, shook their 
heads at the history of the Judean tomb 
on the mountain, but entered with a 
solemn interest into the questions I put 
to “them, respectivg the sepulchre of 
Hstherand Mordecai; the dome roof of 
which risesover the low, dun habitations 
of the poor-remnant of Israel, still lin- 
gerifig?in’the land of their captivity. 
‘This ‘tomb is'regarded by all the Jews 
who yet’ exist in the empire, as a place 
of particular sanctity; and pilgrimages 
are still made to it'at certain seasons of 
the year, in the same’ spirit of holy pe- 
nitence with which in former times they 
turned their°eyes towards Jerusalem. 
Being desirous of visiting a‘place, which 
“Christians ‘cannot’ view ‘without: reve- 
rence, I sent to request that favour of 
the priest under whose care it is pre- 
served. He canie to me ‘immediately 
on my message, and® seemed: pleased 
with the respect manifested: towards the 
ancient people of his nation, in the man- 
ner with which T asked to be admitted 
to their shrine. 
T accompanied the priest through the 
town, over much ruin and rubbish, to an 
enclosed piece of ground, rather more 
elevated than any in ifs immediate vi- 
cinity. In the centre’ ‘was the Jewish 
tombs a square building of brick, of 'a 
mosque-like form, ‘witha ‘rather’ clon- 
gated’ dome at the top, Phe whole 
seems in a very decaying state p falling 
fast to the mouldéred condition of some 
wall+fra¢ments’ around, which; informer 
times, ‘had’ heen connected” with, “and 
extended the consequénee of the sacred 
enclosure, ‘Phe ‘door’ that admitted »ts 
into’ the tomb, is*in the ancient séptl- 
chral fashion of'the country; véry-saiall; 
consisting: of a-single” stone ‘of great 
thickness, and tarning onits own pivots 
from one side. Its ‘key’ as always in 
possession of the head of the Jews,'r¢- 
sident at Hamadan; and, doubtless, has 
been so preserved, from the time of the 
holy pair’s interment, when the yrateful 
sons of the captivity, wliose lives they 
had rescued from universal massacre, 
first crected a monament over the re- 
mains of their benefactors, and obeyed 
the ordinance of gratitude in* making 
the anniversary of their preservation; ‘a 
lasting memorial’ of Heayen’s niercy, 
and the just faith of Esther ‘and 
Mordceai. i saodw ovo 
The original structure, it is*saidy was 
destroyed at the sacking’ of the: place’ 
by Timour; and soon after’ that’ eatas- 
trophe, when the country became’ a' litte 
scttled, the present unobtrusive: building 
was raised on the original spot. “Cer- 
tain devout Jews of the city stoodto' the 
expense ; and about a hundred arid filty 
years ago, (uearly five hundred! after its 
re-erection,) it was fnlly repaired By a 
rabbi of the name of Ismael.) © 00 © 
On passing through the little portal, 
which we did in ‘an’ alimost'! doubled 
position, we entered a small arched 
chamber, in which’are seen the graves 
of several rabbis; probably, one may 
cover the remains of the pious Ismael; 
and, not unlikely, the others may ‘con- 
tain the bodiés of the first re-builders 
after the sacrilegious déstruction by 
Timour. Having “trod lightly by ‘their 
graves,” a second door of such very con- 
fined dimensions presented itself at the 
end’ of ‘this ‘vestibule,” we were. con- 
strained to’ enter it on our hands and 
knees; and then standing up, we found 
ourselves ina larger chamber, to which 
appertained the dome. Immediately 
uuder ifs concave, stand two sarcophagi, 
made of a very dark wood, carved with 
great intricacy of pattern, and richness 
of twisted ornament, with a line of in- 
scription in Hebrew, running round the 
upper ledge of each. Many other in- 
scriptions, in the same language, are cut 
on 
