SKETCHES OF PALESTINE. 365 



This is small, not admitting either horses or carriages, (of the 

 alter, however, there are none in Jerusalem) ; and from the wall 

 resuming its former direction, it looks towards the east. The last 

 is called Zion gate, or the gate of the prophet David ; it looks to 

 the south, and is in that part of the wall which passes over Mount 



The longest wall is that on the north side of the city, which runs 

 from the valley of Gihon on the west, to the valley of Jehoshaphat 

 on the east. The circumference of the area now enclosed within 

 the walls, does not exceed, according to the measurement of Maun- 

 drell and Pococke, two of our most accurate travellers, two miles 

 and a half. The city may be roughly stated to be about a mile in 

 length, and half a mile in breadth. Pococke accurately describes 

 it as standing at the south end of a large plain that extends north- 

 wards towards Samaria, though it in fact immediately occupies two 

 small hills, having valleys or ravines on the other three sides, which, 

 to the east and south, are very deep. That on the east is the the val- 

 ley of Jehoshaphat ; that on the south is called the valley of Siloam, 

 and (erroneously) of Gehinnom ; that on the west, which is not so 

 deep, the valley of Rephaim. The hills on the other side of these 

 valleys are, for the most part, considerably higher than either Mount 

 Zion" or Acra. On the east, Jerusalem is commanded by the Mount 

 of Olives, called Djebel Tor by the Arabs. On the south, by what 

 the Christians absurdly denominate the Hill of Offence and the 

 Hill of Evil Counsel. On the west, by a low rocky flat, which ri- 

 ses towards the north to a commanding elevation ; this has been 

 called Mount Gihon. On the north-west, Scopo, where Titus en- 

 camped, is also higher ground than that on which Jerusalem stands, 

 So that the Scripture representation of Jerusalem, as guarded by 

 mountains, literally answers to its topographichal situation ; ' As the 

 mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about 

 his people, from henceforth, even forever.' 



The site of the ancient city is so unequivocally marked by its 

 natural boundaries on the three sides where there are ravines, that 

 there can be no difficulty, except with regard to its extent in a north- 

 ern direction ; and this may be ascertained with sufficient accuracy 

 from the minute description given by Josephus, His account of 

 its topography is, after all, the best guide to the modern traveller 

 and antiquary. * The city of Jerusalem,' he tells us, ' was fortified 

 with three walls, on such parts as were not encompassed with im- 

 passable valleys ; for in such places it hath but one wall. The city 

 was built upon two hills, which are opposite to one another, and 

 have a valley dividing them asunder, at which valley the corres- 

 ponding 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 oth- 

 er bill, which was called Acra. and sustains the lower city, is in 

 32* 



