JERUSALEM. 



729 



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JERUSALEM, a city of Palestine, in the pachalicof 

 Damascus, and the capital of the ancient kingdom of the 

 Jews. It occupies the declivity of a barren basaltic 

 :tain, at the extremity of an extensive plain, in a 

 climate comparatively cold, from its elevated situation, 

 where much snow falls, together with copious rains. 

 The plan of the city is irregular ; but excluding the ci- 

 tadel at the west end, it approaches to a quadrangular 

 Conn. It is surrounded by crenelated walls of reddish 

 freestone of considerable height, strengthened by square 

 towers, and mounting a few old 24-pounders, on car- 

 riages without wheels. The walls are modern, having 

 been built by Soliman, the son of Selim, as appears 

 from inscriptions upon them. They are too thin to 

 admit of defence, and Jerusalem is not tenable as a mi- 

 litary post, being commanded by neighbouring heights 

 on all sides. There are six gates, whose names are 

 partly of Hebrew origin. The total circuit of tlie city 

 does not exceed two miles and a half. Some authors ex- 

 aggerate it* ancient limits to a great extent, while others- 

 conclude that it has scarcely ever exceeded its present 

 boundaries. The streets are narrow, as is usual in the 

 east, but straight and well paved. Several of them have 

 loot-paths, arid they are kept cleaner than is common in 

 Palestine. Vacant spaces, and some covered by ruins, 

 are seen towards the west, but no o|>en square has been 

 purpvsely left within the walls. In general, the houses 

 are well built of free-stone, and for the most part two 

 or three stories high, with a plain simple front, without 

 windows in the lower stories, so that it has been said 

 that a passenger walking the streets of Jerusalem may 

 conceive himself in the corridor of a vast prison : the 

 door, besides, is so low, that a person must bend almost 

 double to gain admission. The roofs are either terraced, 

 or rise in domes, and the dull uniformity of the whole 

 is interrupted by the steeples of the mosques and 

 churches, and the tops of a few cypress trees, and tufts 

 of nopals. Some bouses have small gardens. 



The total population of Jerusalem amounts to 30,000; 

 but from having been peopled by Jews originally, this 

 city exhibits a great mixture of other nations, whose 

 appearance, habits, and sentiments, are at considerable 

 Of these it is computed that 20,000 are 

 of different sects and denominations; 7000 

 Turks, or Arabs j and only a few Jews. 

 About 8000 of the Mahometans are fit to carry arms. 

 The men are distinguished by no peculiar character. 

 Handsome women are rarely seen : they are in general 

 ef a melancholy disposition ; of a pale deadly white 

 complexion, and ungraceful mien. The circumstance 

 of wearing a white veil or a fillet round their faces, 

 makes them resemble so many walking corpses ; but the 

 faces of the Christian females are exposed as in Europe. 

 Much variety of costume is beheld in the streets; every 

 one, whether Jew, Arab, Syrian, or Turk, adopting what 

 he prefers. The lower orders, however, usually wear a 

 shirt of white or black, or one of broad striped brown, as 

 < ami Jews wear a blue turban as a 

 -tiiiction, though a few diversify the colour; 

 and ihfjlfcrnls in the neighbourhood have theirs white 

 or striped like the Mahometans. It ought not to escape 

 observation, that blue is in many parts of the ast a 

 characteristic of Christianity ; and it is not unlikely 

 that its frequency among the lower claes in jomo 

 parts of Europe has a similar origin. Persona in easy, 

 circumstance* adopt the Turkish costume, with a high 

 turban. Both the Turkish and Arabic languages are 

 finrrtT in Jerusalem. 



VOL. u. PART u. . 



The mode of life among the inhabitants is dull and mo- Jerusalem, 

 notonous. They have little to interest them : no active s ^-y <l " p '' 

 pursuit of manufactures, arts, or sciences ; no general 

 bond of union ; no object of common interest in view. 

 They labour under the oppression of a despotic govern- 

 ment, which exercises incessant extortions, without en- 

 conraging the means which would enable the people to- 

 satisfy its avarice ; and so obnoxious is the pasha, that 

 on his approach the inhabitants desert the city. Al- 

 most all the Christians entertain a decided antipathy to 

 each other, independent of which a strong aversion 

 subsists between them and the Mahometans. All the 

 different sects reciprocally consider the rest as schisma- 

 tics and infidels. Those of each persuasion believing 

 that they alone possess the true light of heaven, and an 

 exclusive right to enter paradise, consign the rest 

 without distinction to the infernal regions. Never- 

 theless, this apparently goes no farther than words ; 

 for there is more unrestrained intercourse among the 

 inhabitants of Jerusalem, than of any other place under 

 the sway of Mahometans, which is supposed to arise 

 from the predominant number of Christians. Some so- 

 ciality is practised among them ; and even Christians 

 and Mahometans mix indiscriminately together. All 

 the former, of whatever sect or denomination, devoutly 

 implore the downfal of tlie Turks ; and certainly with 

 sufficient reason, for one leading feature in the political 

 economy of Mahometans is extortion from those who 

 are incapable of resistance. 



The sciences have entirely disappeared from Jerusa- 

 lem. Formerly, there existed large schools belonging 

 to a Mussulman temple, but at present hardly any tra- 

 ces of them remain, and only a few subsist where chil- 

 dren of every sect learn to read and write the tenets of 

 their respective religion. Tlie grossest ignorance is 

 found to prevail among persons of the highest rank, 

 who, on the first interview, seem to have received a li- 

 beral education. The arts are nearly in a state of equal 

 degradation : a late traveller affirms that he did not 

 see a single lock or key of iron during his abode in the 

 city. There are some weaving looms, and very hand- 

 some yellow slippers are made, but the other manufac- 

 tures are apparently inconsiderable. An immense quan- 

 tity of relics was wont to be mnde for the convents, as 

 it is not evident that these were fabricated within 

 their walls; which was either for export to Catholic 

 countries, or to supply those whose devotion led them 

 hither in pilgrimages. The traffic is not yet abandon- 

 ed. Jerusalem forms a kind of central point between 

 Arabia, Egypt, and Syria, and is a rendezvous for the 

 Arabs of these three countries, who come for the pur- 

 pose of commercial concerns. But the chief trade of all 

 Palestine consists in exporting cil and importing rice by 

 the way of Acre. However, little benefit seems to be de- 

 rived from it by Jerusalem. Possibly those whohave con- 

 templated its former grandeur in history draw a contrast 

 with its. present state, which is scarcely warranted by 

 the reality ; for the activity required by the very sup- 

 plies which a city of 30,000 inhabitants demands, is 

 inconsistent with the picture of desolation which 

 some travellers, such- as Chateaubriand, give of the 

 streets. " Enter the city ; nothing will console you 

 for its sad exterior : you wander over- an unequal sur- 

 face in narrow unpaved streets, walking amidst clouds 

 of dust, or among rolling flints. The darkness of this 

 labyrinth U heightened by cloths stretched between 

 the houses. Vaulted bazars, replete with infection, de- 

 prive the desolate city of the remaining light. Sonr.o 



