JERUSALEM, PAST AND PRESENT. 



2G5 



a human panorama of continual and sometimes pathetic 

 interest, and bring to the photographer better opportunities for 

 figure study than any other place in the world. The only time 

 when this part of Jerusalem is fairly free from beggars is 

 immediately after Easter, when, the devout pilgrims having 

 gone on to Nazareth and other places, the beggars follow them 

 almost in a body. 



The question as to whether the so-called tomb was really the 

 scene of the Eesurrection of the Lord is one that has given rise 

 to much controversy, but all that can be said with 

 certainty is that it is the place which was selected 

 by Bishop Macarius in the fourth century, when he 

 was ordered by the Emperor Constantine to find it. 



Of the buildings erected by Constantine there is 

 practically nothing left, and his great basilica, the 

 Church of the Martyrium, has disappeared with the 

 exception of the crypt, having been destroyed by 

 the Persians when they captured Jerusalem in the 

 seventh century. The present choir and transepts 

 are comparatively recent, having been built by the 

 Crusaders during the Christian occupation in the 

 twelfth century. 



The Church of the Holy Sepulchre and its 

 chapels are now allotted among the various denomi- 

 nations of Christians who are very careful to main- 

 tain their special privileges, while the Mahomedan 

 guardians see that order is preserved, and that 

 there is no fighting within the sacred precincts. 



The oldest part of the Church is the Chapel of 

 St. Helena, probably the crypt of the basilica of 

 Constantine. It is cut in the rock, and at its 

 eastern end a flight of steps leads down to the cave, 

 in which were found, it is said, the three crosses 

 upon which Jesus Christ and the two thieves were 

 crucified. The actual holy tomb beneath the dome 

 is underneath a canopy of quite modern construction 

 and rather out of taste. Portraits of the Greek 

 and Armenian patriarchs were shown, and a 

 remarkable picture of a group of Eussian pilgrims 

 on their way to worship at the Holy Sepulchre. 

 There are no people who take so much trouble or 

 come so far, or hold the pilgrimage in such regard as the 



Portrait of 

 a Beggar. 



Plan of 

 Holy 



Sepulchre. 



The South 

 Front. 



The Greek 

 Church. 



The North 

 Transept. 



The Holy 

 Sepulchre. 



Chapel of 

 St. Helena 



The Greek 

 Patriarch. 



The 



Armenian 

 Patriarch. 



Eussian 

 Pilgrims. 



outstanding event of their lives, and the 

 extremely touching. 



sight 



m its way is 



