RUINS OF JERUSALEM. 535 



+ HN THC 



AFIACCIWN 



Having reached the extremity of this second chamber, we could 

 proceed no further, owing to the rubbish which obstructed our 

 passage. Perhaps the removal of (his may, at some future period, 

 lead to other discoveries. It was evident that we had not attained 

 the remotest part of these caverns. There were others with similar 

 Greek inscriptions, and one which particularly attracted our no. 

 tice, from its extraordinary coincidence with all the circumstances 

 attaching to the history of our Saviour's tomb. The large stone 

 that otice 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 

 that which is now called Mount Sion. As we viewed this sepul. 

 chre, and read upon the spot the description given of Mary Mag. 

 dalene and the disciples coming in the morning, it was impossible 

 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 <he 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 it; they express their doubts as to the possibility of 

 removing so huge a stone, that when once fixed and sealed, it 

 might have baffled every human effort. Rut upon this, as upon 

 the others alrendy mentioned, instead of a Hebrew or a Phoenician 

 inscription, there were the same Greek characters, destitute only 

 of the Greek cross prefixed in the former instances. The inscrip. 

 tion stood thus, 



THCAriAC 

 C1VVN 



the letters being very large, and deeply carved in the rugged sur- 

 face 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 with which they were written, all that could be 

 attempted was, to make at faithful a representation as possible of 

 every incisiou upon the stone, without attempting to supply any 



2M 4 



