SKETCHES OF PALESTINE. 377 



Shepherds ; but different spots have been selected, the Romish au- 

 thorities not being agreed on this head. 



The village of Bethlehem contains about 300 inhabitants, the 

 greater part of whom gain their livelihood by making beads, carv- 

 ing mother-of-pearl shells with sacred subjects, and manufacturing 

 small tables and crucifixes, all which are eagerly purchased by the 

 pilgrims. The monks of Bethlehem claim also the exclusive priv- 

 ilege of marking the limbs and bodies of the devotees with crosses, 

 stars, and monograms, by means of gunpowder; a practice 

 borrowed from the customs of heathenism, and noticed by Virgil 

 and Pornponius Mela. Pococke says: ' It is remarkable that the 

 Christians at Jerusalem, Bethlehem, St. John's and Nazareth, are 

 worse than any other Christians. I was informed that the women 

 of Bethlehem are very good; whereas those at Jerusalem are 

 worse than the men, who are generally better there than at the 

 other places.' 



At about an hour's distance to the south of Bethlehem, are the 

 pools of Solomon. They are three in number, of an oblong figure, 

 and are supported by abutments. The antiquity of their appear- 

 ance entitles them, Dr. Richardson thinks, to be considered as the 

 work of the Jewish monarch : * like everything Jewish,' he says, 

 4 they are more remarkable for strength than for beauty.' They 

 are situated at the south end of a small valley, and are so disposed 

 on the sloping ground, that the waters of the uppermost may 

 descend into the second, and those of the second into the third. 

 That on the west is nearest the source of the spring, and is about 

 480 feet long ; the second is about 600 feet in length, arid the third 

 about 660; the breadth of all three being nearly the same, about 

 '270 feet. They are lined with a thick coat of plaster, and are 

 capable of containing a great quantity of water, which they dis- 

 charge into a small aqueduct that conveys it to Jerusalem. This 

 aqueduct is built on a foundation of stone : the water runs through 

 round earthen pipes, about ten inches in diameter, which are 

 cased with two stones, hewn out so as to fit them, and they are 

 covered over with rough stones, well cemented together. The 

 whole is so much sunk into the ground on the side of the hills 

 round which it is carved, that in many places nothing is to be seen 

 of it. In time of war, however, this aqueduct could be of no ser- 

 vice to Jerusalem, as the communication could be easily cut off". 

 The fountain which supplies these pools, is at about the distance 

 of 140 paces from them. 



THE DEAD SEA. 



This celebrated lake, which the prevailing passion for the mar- 

 vellous long invested with imaginary horrors, and of which the 

 natives themselves still speak with a degree of terror, has received 

 different names expressive of its character and origin. In Scrip- 

 ture, it is called the Sea of the Plain, the Salt Sea, nnd the East 

 33* 



