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732 



J E S 



Jerusalem, so numerous, that authors divide them into six different 

 T" "~ classes : 1 . Those purely Jewish ; 2. Greek and Roman 

 monuments in the time of the Pagans ; 3. Greek and 

 Roman monuments under Christianity ; 4. Arabian or 

 Morisco monuments ; 5. Gothic monuments under the 

 kings of France; 6. Turkish monuments. Many pla- 

 ces without the walls of the city are alike interesting, 

 as the brook Kedron, the pool of Siloe, the valley of Je- 

 hosaphat, and the mount of Olives. ,On this last, which 

 is called Djebel Tor by Mahometans, the Christians as- 

 sert 7200 prophets have been buried ; and here also is 

 a Christian church, containing a marble slab with an 

 impression of the foot of Christ left as he ascended to 

 heaven. The city occupies a portion of mount Sion. 

 In the neighbourhood there are numerous ancient cata- 

 combs excavated in the sides of the hills, where brief 

 Greek inscriptions are seen on some of the tombs, and 

 ancient paintings on the walls, executed after the man- 

 ner of those discovered in the subterraneous cities of 

 Herculaneum and Pompeii. 



History. , According to the Jewish chronology, Jerusalem was 

 founded by their high priest Melchisedeck in the year 

 of the world 2032, and was originally named Salem, 

 which signifies peace. But its principal glory was re- 

 served for Solomon, a wise and politic prince, who li- 

 ved a thousand years later, and founded the celebra- 

 ted temple, whose riches are the admiration of posteri- 

 ty. The history of the temple is thenceforward in a 

 great measure to be considered as the history of Jerusa- 

 . lem. It was destroyed 600 years anterior to the Chris- 

 tian era, but afterwards rebuilt ; and Alexander the 

 Great is said to have offered a sacrifice in it to the deity 

 worshipped by the Jews. Jerusalem frequently be- 

 came an object of contention among surrounding na 

 tions, and suffered all the vicissitudes common to east- 

 ern cities. It was repeatedly pillaged ; its inhabitants 

 slain or led into captivity : and the conquerors erected 

 statues of their own divinities in the temple. At 

 length Judoea became a Roman province, and our Saviour 

 was soon after put to death by order of the governor, 

 for declaring that he was king of the Jews. Probably 

 . *he governor thought the punishment too severe ; but 

 being .viewed as a political offence, he found it expe- 

 dient to yield to the voice of the people. Judaea being 

 treated as a conquered country, the inhabitants revolted ; 

 which led to the celebrated siege of Jerusalem by Titus, 

 in the year 7 1 All the sufferings induced by famine were 

 endured ; the vilest substances were welcome food ; and 

 parents even devoured their own children. The city 

 was stormed, after a brave and vigorous defence ; and 

 the miserable citizens inhumanly tortured to death and 

 butchered by the ferocious Roman soldiery. Not less 

 than 200,000 were computed to have died of hunger, 

 and 1,100,000 perished in the assault. In a new re- 

 volt of the Jews, Adrian, in the year 118, completed 

 the destruction of what had been spared by Titus : but 

 a new city called TElia Capitolina was immediately 

 built, where the presence of the Jews was absolutely 

 prohibited. The name of Jerusalem at length became 

 so utterly obliterated, that during the persecution of 

 Dioclesian, a martyr having said he belonged to it, the 

 governor who heard him supposed it some factious city 

 secretly erected by the Jews. Towards the close of 

 the seventh century, its new name of jElia Capitolina 

 was still retained. The Christian religion at length 

 found a protector in the Empress Helena, and her son 

 Gonstantine. who demolished the images of heathen 

 sj Jo make way for the erection of crucifixes. An 



attempt to rebuild the temple by the mild and philoso- Jesso. 

 phic Emperor Julian, about 37 years later, is recorded w "Y""*' 

 to have proved abortive, from fiery eruptions escaping 

 out of the earth and dispersing the workmen. Jerusa- 

 lem was taken by Chosroes, King of Persia, in C13, 

 but recaptured by Heraclius in 627. Nine years later, 

 it fell into the power of the Caliph Omar, the third in 

 succession from Mahomet, after a siege of four months ; 

 and having undergone still farther revolutions, sudden- 

 ly became an object of ambition among European p. 

 tentates, who, notwithstanding their reciprocal conten- 

 tions, united in disturbing the peaceful possessors of 

 Palestine. During the crusades of 1099, they conquer, 

 ed Jerusalem, and established a sovereignty in Syria, 

 which continued with some interruption until the year 

 1291, when they were totally expeHed, Selim, empe- 

 ror of the Turks, early in the sixteenth century, finally 

 annexed all Syria to the Ottoman empire, under which 

 it still remains, (c) 



JESSO, a large island of Asia, the situation, extent, 

 and description of which, have presented the most em- 

 barrassing problems to modern geographers. Some have 

 supposed it to be a continent little inferior to Europe 

 in dimensions ; others reduce it to an inconsiderable 

 island ; and it has also been conceived to be a portion 

 of eastern Asia, very nearly united to the western 

 shores of America. Later observations, however, com- 

 bined with those of older date forgotten and neglect- 

 ed, have dispelled these obscurities, and satisfactory 

 illustrations can now be given of this particular por- 

 tion of the globe. The figure of Jesso approaches to Form and 

 that of an irregular triangle, extending about 300 miles extent. 

 in length from north to south, and little less in extreme 

 breadth. It stretches from Cape Nadeshda, in 41 

 25' 10" north latitude, to Cape RomanzofF, in latitude 

 45 25' 50", the most southern and northern points ; 

 and the centre of the island lies in about 217 of east 

 longitude. This island is washed on the west by the 

 Gulf of Tartary ; on the east by the North Pacific 

 Ocean; it is divided from Japan by the Straits of Sangar, 

 which are of dangerous and intricate navigation ; and 

 separated from the island or peninsula of Saghalin on 

 the north by Perouse's Channel. Its whole circumfe- 

 rence is indented by deep bays and inlets, in many 

 places forming secure harbours, by the numerous capes 

 and promontories projecting around them. One of 

 those best known to Europeans is Volcano Bay, towards 

 the south-east, secure and spacious, and containing En- 

 dermo harbour, which is completely sheltered by the 

 land. Two lakes are said to be in the centre of the 

 island, each the source of a river flowing into the sea ; 

 but none of the estuaries have been surveyed by recent 

 navigators. The general aspect of Jesso is wild and General as. 

 mountainous : a barren and rugged chain traverses it pect. 

 from north to south, parallel to which it is conjectured 

 that another ranges at some distance. Several of the 

 mountains exhibit active volcanoes, and some of them 

 are extinct volcanoes ; three of the former, separated 

 by short intervals, stand on the shore .of Volcano Bay. Productions, 

 The mineral and vegetable productions are imperfectly 

 described. Gold and silver mines are reported to have 

 been wrought in the eastern parts of the island by the 

 Japanese during the seventeenth century; but they 

 seem to be now abandoned. Neither of these metals, 

 nor precious stones, are valued by the inhabitants. The 

 soil is of unequal quality, and much of the surface is 

 uncultivated. Perhaps also the climate is unfavourable 

 for agriculture. 



